Axial SCX24 Electronic Upgrades
We're upgrading the electronics in our Axial SCX24. In this article, we will show you three simple electronic upgrades for the Axial SCX24 crawlers. We have made several changes to lower the center of gravity on our kits. Now we need to upgrade the electronics to handle the weight and boost performance.
SCX24 Electronic Upgrades
Find all of the electronic upgrades we made to our Axial SCX24 Crawlers here.
What servo upgrades did we choose for our SCX24 Deadbolt?
We are upgrading the stock steering servo to the EcoPower 827 digital micro servo. This servo is high voltage capable and includes a plastic horn.* Plus, it is a lot more powerful than the stock one. A more powerful servo is critical in rough terrain or when you add a lot of weight to the truck.
*If you dislike the white servo horn you can paint it black as we did. We prefer a blacked-out stealth look. Be sure to use plastic-specific paint, like the TS-Series from Tamiya.
Want to see what brass and aluminum options we chose to add weight to our crawlers? Check out this article, Lowering the Center of Gravity on the SCX24.
Adding a SCX24 Servo Mount
A servo mount is required for the EcoPower 827 servo, and we selected this one by Hot Racing. We also added aluminum steering links from Yeah Racing for support. Because we wanted a more robust steering system.
Once done, the servo upgrade greatly improves the steering response and feel.
What servo did we choose for our SCX24 Jeep?
We also upgraded the servo in our SCX24 Jeep to the Emax mini 12g servo. This servo is more powerful than the stock Axial servo and is a great option when you need more steering power for extreme crawling or when you've added a lot of weight to the front end.
We added the EMax/EcoPower servo mount to our Wrangler as well.
Please note: a servo mount is required.
What batteries are available for the SCX24?
To boost runtime there are a few battery upgrade options. The battery included with our mini crawler has only 350mah of capacity, so we want to upgrade. Our options are: Venom with 430mAh, Common Sense at 450, and the EcoPower Trail Pack with 450mAh of capacity. Any of these batteries should extend driving by quite a bit more than the stock one.
What batteries did we choose for our Axial crawlers?
We want more runtime for our trucks, so we picked up a couple EcoPower trail batteries. They are darn near the exact size of the stock pack. Just slightly thicker and heavier, but it is a small sacrifice for longer runtimes.
We upgraded our SCX24 speed control!
To get even more performance out of our SCX24 Deadbolt, we will be switching out the Electronic Speed Control (ESC). Two new Furitek ESC units are the Lizard 20A and Tegu 20A, they are brushed and brushless compatible. Both the Lizard and Tegu ESC use field-oriented control (FOC) for stable and powerful torque. They also provide high efficiency, low noise, and each has a high-speed dynamic response.
These ESC include a Bluetooth module that pairs with your smart device via the FuriCar app. Allowing you to make adjustments, get firmware updates and see telemetry data. The Furitek Tegu is the bigger and heavier ESC of the two and has a more robust BEC. This will allow you to power extra lights, as well as a 3S LiPo battery.
What ESC did we choose for our Deadbolt?
For our truck - we kept the stock motor and installed the smaller and more lightweight Lizard 20A ESC. We mounted the speed control on top of our stock unit. This ESC is noticeably smoother than before with minimal weight gain.
Summary
So, there you have our three simple, easy-to-do SCX24 electronic upgrades. Is there more we could have done to the electronic system on our SCX24 Deadbolt? Sure, but our little crawler is doing great with the new ESC, battery, and servo.
We found the stock motor to work just fine for our needs. However, if you're up for it there are several motor options to choose from. Remember to take your time and do your research. With the right equipment, you should have a positive upgrading experience.
Featured Items
Axial SCX24 Deadbolt 1/24 RTR Scale Mini Crawler (Red) w/2.4GHz Radio AXI90081T1
Axial SCX24 2019 Jeep Wrangler JLU CRC 4WD RTR Scale Mini Crawler AXI00002T
Axial SCX24 1967 Chevrolet C10 1/24 4WD RTR Scale Mini Crawler (Silver) w/2.4GHz Radio AXI00001T2
EcoPower 827 12g Digital Metal Gear Micro Servo (High Voltage) ECP-827
Tamiya TS-6 Matte Black Lacquer Spray Paint (100ml) TAM85006
Hot Racing Axial SCX24 Aluminum EMax/EcoPower Steering Servo Mount HRASXTF24M01
Yeah Racing SCX24 Aluminum Steering Rod Link Set YEA-AXSC-037
EMAX ES08MAII 12g Analog Metal Gear Servo EMX-SV-0275
Venom Power Axial SCX24 2S 30C LiPo Battery (7.4V/430mAh) VNR15206
Common Sense RC Lectron Pro 2S Li-Po Battery Pack 40C (7.4V/450mAh) w/JST, & PH2.0 Connection CMS2S450-40J
EcoPower "Trail" SCX24 2S 30C LiPo Battery w/PH2.0 Connector (7.4V/450mAh) ECP-4015
Furitek Lizard 20A Brushed/Brushless ESC Combo w/Bluetooth Module FTK-2022
Furitek Tegu 20A Brushed/Brushless ESC Main Board Combo (With Case) w/Bluetooth Module FTK-2033
SCX24 Motors & Motor Accessories