WLToys 144001 Upgrade! Worth It?

[@pierre86360]

Super video ! Thank you

[@NordicRC]

Thank you for watching my mate

[@RackwitzG]

I think the upgrades you have chosen make sense. The hubs can break on you. What I wouldn't do is upgrade the swing arms to metal. The flexibility of the plastic ones is an advantage.

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, I never upgrade the lower a-arms to metal. I consider it a downgrade 🙂

[@bangurhead4027]

THE HUBS WILL BREAK ON YOU EVENTUALLY, prepare for better pérformance by installing metal hubs instead!!! 💯👍🏼

[@Mark_5150]

I replaced almost every part on a a959B with metal and carbon fiber. Some of the parts were not threaded, and/or didn't fit correctly. After it was all done, the whole car was heavy and sloppy, it wasn't worth it.

[@NordicRC]

These parts seem of good quality and fits perfectly ... I think WLtoys has stepped up with this one

[@PeteWylieRC]

Hi Mikael. Amazing all the beautifully engineered metal bits you can get for these cars. They don't seem to be over priced either. Lovely video matey :-)

[@NordicRC]

Hi Pete! Yeah these new aluminium parts look so solid and of good quality. And it’s just fun upgrading 😋 Thsnks a lot for watching, my good friend.

[@JerBoyd42]

This is one of the good metal upgrades for the 144001. It adds only a little weight and strengthens parts of the car that aren't meant to absorb crashes anyway. You could also get a metal diff housing (gearbox) for the front. Better shock towers would be nice, but most of the upgrades don't fit properly.

[@NordicRC]

Uhh, some of them are not a good fit? Do you know which ones? Yeah, I think these are good. Great fit. I hope they will not create weak spots other places, like the a-arms. I think the upgraded shock towers are a good choice too. The stock are like butter.

[@JerBoyd42]

Nordic RC Visions Upgraded shock towers are great, but a lot of them don’t fit - you can only put in two out of four screws. If you find better ones that do fit, let everyone know! In particular, the LC Racing ones are different. Definitely never make the arms metal unless you like replacing pins and braces and hubs and wheels and bearings. I once got a set of gears for the 144001 that were so different that they must have been from another car! I’ve also seen a few diff housings snap during crashes into objects that protrude over the bumper and push the shock tower back. I’m planning to get a metal diff housing and keep the weak stock shock towers to straighten out or replace as needed. The truth is that something has to break in a hard crash, so I’d choose shock towers and A arms, which are super cheap and really easy to replace.

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, I usually keep the a-arms stock too, if the stock are of good non-brittle plastic. Can give way a little (or be replaced easily). Would love to try out the upgrades shock towers though. Could save the shocks from bending.

[@MarkBryanRC]

Very nicely done video production, Mikael. Those parts look cool, if nothing else! I imagine they will be much stronger, and as you already broke the plastic part, seems like a useful upgrade. Thumbs up from me, mate! :-)

[@NordicRC]

Thanks a lot Mark! Yeah, they look great ... and also seem to be of great quality. Wonder if I just have created new weak spots though 😂 Thumbs up from me to you for the support, my friend!

[@10njbytes40]

Good upgrades. I would check your toe on both front and rear. First thing I adjusted on mine.

[@NordicRC]

Thanks a lot for watching. Yes, it could need a little toe-in.

[@AddyRCBuddy]

Nice metal upgrades man, i am also waiting for those. Thanks for sharing

[@NordicRC]

Nice! They seem of great quality.

[@emrumarkovic8156]

Hello, can you tell me how to remove the little metal pins that are in the plastic/original hub carriers Becuase I am trying to replace mines and I am not sure how to do so

[@NordicRC]

Just poke them out with another metal pin?

[@bangurhead4027]

This 144001 upgrade is a MUST DO!! Well, well Mr. Visions, I was in tears when I saw this video 😭..... MAINLY, because I realized HOW MUCH damn money I spent on the 1, no, 2 no THREE 144001's!!! I bought that thing (3) times, horrible!! Addiction worst than STEAK!!! The last 144001 I bought was the biggest disappointment. I should have just waited and bought those damn LC racing or WL METAL parts when the plastic ones kept breaking. I had one of the 1st 144's that Bangood EVER released, and by the third purchase, I had enough of it!! Thank you for SHOWING other 144 owners the STRESS and sheer hassle you could avoid by doing this CRUCIAL upgrade. CHEERS ..👍💯‼️

[@NordicRC]

Looks like you have been through a lot with your 144001. Metal is not always good though. It can bend (and not bend back again like plastic) and it can create new weak spots.

[@danielemulazzi1615]

Perfetto ...bel video ...modifica importante... ciao dall'Italia

[@NordicRC]

Thank you, my friend !

[@danielemulazzi1615]

@@NordicRC Grazie a te del bel lavoro eseguito... ciao mitico

[@eduardomalcom2228]

Hello, Great Video......what did you put on the screws before screwing them? Thank you

[@RCHobbyShed]

Should be a tough little beast now. Looks awesome too! 👌👍

[@NordicRC]

Thanks, bro! Yeah! Hope it will be better.

[@aliffnajmi8992]

Nice upgrades.. i did upgrade it to full metal though.. must put loctites to screw on the alloy.. if not the screw will fall out..

[@NordicRC]

Sounds like a cool project. Yes. Thread lock is in the video 🙂

[@fran.6496]

You should left some parts plastic for weight, like diff case and top deck, its like 60g of weight saved

[@roadstar499]

is 124019 better for buggy tracks since its longer wheel base??? another words would same driver get faster lap times then with 144001... i also think maybe a larger battery would fit in the 124019.. i am on the fence on which one to get ... thanks

[@NordicRC]

Just got one to unbox and try out. But usually a longer wheel base will mean a little more stability.

[@roadstar499]

@@NordicRC Cool a couple of reviews i watched they thought it was better in a few ways...i wonder how much different the turning radius is? that cheap a959 i got last week needs 6 foot radius to turn... i spent a lot of time trying to fix that,but its a design flaw in the car.... i have a 1/10 monster truck that make much tighter turns... have fun with that new one...

[@HaydadRC]

The metal bits are looking nice! I’m wondering now how the a-arms will hold up over time?🤔 Nicely done as always Mikael!👍😊

[@NordicRC]

Yeah! Looks of great quality but yes, I might just have moved a weak spot over to the a-arms. Looking forward seeing how it will hold up. And thanks, Jeremy!

[@RCModSquad]

Definitely worth the time! 💯👍🏻

[@NordicRC]

It’s definitely fun upgrading no matter what 😀

[@RCModSquad]

Nordic RC Visions I’ll probably do that too. If I do I’ll hit your links! Have a great day and be safe out there!

[@NordicRC]

Thanks, bro!

[@NordicRC]

Be safe too!

[@friendlydemon7942]

do you know any front drive shaft upgrade ...? the original is always breaking on me

[@NordicRC]

I think I saw some steel upgrades on Banggood. Will change these soon, but just for the stock. They hold up okay, but bend a little.

[@isaknascimentoferreira]

Realmente vale a pena fazer esse upgrade?

[@darrenharrison9135]

Do you get much play in the joints as I bought a full kit off ebay and the front and rear hubs wobble and the bearings dont sit in well

[@NordicRC]

It’s not perfect but I think it is fine for the price. Got more expensive rigs with even more play. I haven’t noticed any problems with the bearings though.

[@norcalrc]

I did the same to mine . Also did the a arms but think I’m gonna go back to the stock a arms . What do you think?

[@NordicRC]

I think you should do exactly what you feel like 🙂 A-arms in metal looks very cool. Personally I always keep them plastic, as the car will start to weigh a ton, and plastic is more flexible (flexible spots are important, otherwise things will start to bend/break easily).

[@mehimrc1314]

Do the bearings push into place or are they loose and fall out? The a959 metal parts are terrible with too much play,plastic parts just seem better.

[@NordicRC]

Hi Me Him! They seem a really good fit. I had one fall out but it’s perfectly normal with metal upgrades. My conclusion anyway, is that they seem a perfect fit.

[@mehimrc1314]

@@NordicRC I know they're cheap cars but I don't think there meant to fall out. More expensive cars still seem to snap in of at least have a snug fit. How can a bearing work if the outer brace isn't supported? My conclusion is you'll brake more bearings and probably add play to the car. Oh and I've enjoyed a lot of your videos really informative.

[@NordicRC]

Thank you for the kind feedback, bro. I think I disagree. They are as snug a fit as possible. There's no play. It's possible to make a really tight and snug fit into softer plastic (as the plastic will make room for the bearing) but in my opinion a metal bearing placed in a metal seating shouldn't be forced. It should be easy to place and sit just right. And that would mean if you shake the car the outer wheel axle bearings might fall out if they are not supported. Take for example an assemble kit. Once you've placed the bearings or bushings many instructions tell you to place an r-clip in the wheel axle to hold it in place for the rest of the build.

[@mehimrc1314]

@@NordicRC hmmm I guess the a959 metal parts were just all out terrible. Bearing do not sit in well at all and all out inner and outer,guess they've left a bad taste in my mouth. You've backed up your disagreement so I shall order some metal carriers and see. Are the bearing that fit the 4×7×2.5 or the lc racing size in the book.

[@NordicRC]

@@mehimrc1314 Not sure about the size. I just used the stock ones.

[@tjitsewenselaar5874]

Looks nice make it full metal

[@NordicRC]

Thanks a lot for watching. Not sure it would do any good. Will just add a lot of weight and with all metal, the metal will bend in crashes. Better have some weak spots where it can break.

[@rcgoodtimes6657]

Sweet upgrade! Is it possible to double up the shock mount plates and secure them with slightly longer screws? I've heard they bend easily

[@NordicRC]

The shock towers? I would get the beefed up upgraded ones ... the stock are like butter.

[@AZIZTH-pq8pg]

What is the name of the screwdriver?

[@fabiofboful]

Which tool did you use to remove the wheels?

[@NordicRC]

A hex wrench

[@fran.6496]

How much heavyer is it?

[@NordicRC]

I regret not weighing it before and after now. So not sure. But it's light weight aluminium so hopefully not that much heavier. But definitely heavier.

[@KobamBOOSTER]

bisakah arm 144001 di pasang ke a959 😁🙏

[@jimd1720]

You made this upgrade look easy. There is a step that I didn't see in the video. There are two parts that you hade to reuse. These rings, bearings i think, were removed from the old and inserted into the new. How is this done?

[@NordicRC]

Hi Jim. Yeah, I re-used the bearings. Ahh, hmm, what do you mean? I just removed them from the old plastic parts and inserted them into the new metal parts.

[@jimd1720]

@@NordicRC Ok, Let me say this another way. How did you remove the ball bearing assembly from the old part? Also, How do you install the ball bearing assembly into the new part. I am sorry if I am asking noob type questions. There are several videos that are titled metal part upgrade but don't show how it is done or the video is sped up so fast that it is impossible to see what is happening.

[@NordicRC]

Hi again, Jim. Hmm. I am not sure I understand. So sorry. Trying to figure out what you are asking about. So we are talking about the ball bearings in the wheel hubs/knuckles right? They are just inserted into the sockets. So it’s just to take them out and then insert them into the new parts. That’s what I did anyway. I know it maybe isn’t the answer you are looking for, but I don’t know what else to say.

[@NordicRC]

Is it because they are tight? They need a little firm hand to get out, yes.

[@jimd1720]

@@NordicRC Thank you for attempting to answer my question. I figured it out myself.

[@adamdavis5961]

Anybody find alternative arms? Different vehicle Mabey? Lotof people looking for that!

[@NordicRC]

I think there are. Can’t remember the model right now though.

[@airbornerc4654]

How do you think they will hold up in the future, and do you think they're worth the money? 🤔

[@NordicRC]

Hi bro. I think the upgrades will be just fine. They seem of good quality and quite beefy. The real issue is if the stress will be shifted too much to the plastic a-arms or the stock ‘butter metal’ like the shock towers etc 🤔 Hmm time will tell ... some stress definitely will with high impacts

[@mino73T11]

I love metal 🤟🏻😎

[@NordicRC]

Me too. Iron Maiden is one of my favorites 😅

[@mino73T11]

@@NordicRC Ah great choice! Some band from Norway you would advise? (do I remember well, you live in Norway, right? Sorry for the little off topic 😜)

[@I_LOVE_DDONG]

GOOD

[@NordicRC]

Thank you!

[@ohiovalleyboy8340]

So happy......?!Got mine 2weeks ago... gears sounded bad out of the box. Got the dreaded grind the next day. I have even turned it up to full.. So Sad.... contacted bang(ed)good, sent KZbin vid(144001 broke or hurt?) and pics. No help yet...!! No plans of dissembling,at first. Now ive ordered new gear upgrade and hope that a guy with no knowledge can fix it. One day of play not worth the heartaches,its in the box til parts come,,total disgust. Back to the 18301...til then, great vid ,anyones info would help!!subd!!

[@NordicRC]

Uhh, doesn’t sound good. Thanks for sharing the story. It’s good to hear about different experiences with this car. I haven’t really had any trouble though.

[@rwes4188]

A-arms and shocktowers, keep em plastic if you want to bash your rc.

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, unless the towers are of butter alloy or brittle plastic. I haven’t seen a good plastic tower available for this one.

[@Das-Veilchen-X]

really cool video wanted to do it that way it didn't work for me, apparently I'm too stupid for that because suddenly the rear wheels no longer turn where I have now replaced the aluminum with plastic 😢 I should have left it that way because now I don't know more what to do 😓.

[@rcmindset2876]

My guess, yes if you have extra arms.

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, might just switch the stress to the a-arms and break them instead 🙂

[@alessandropezzella4505]

Wow

[@NordicRC]

Thanks for watching :-)

[@bradkalman2353]

Who makes these parts for the 144001?

[@FifthScaleOrBustRc]

Wl toys does. They make there own aftermarket parts

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, I believe it’s WLToys themselves although mine came with no brand package.

[@BenoitMarcBernardin]

By the time you correct all the issues, this will cost you more than a good entry level RC from a RC brand (like Arma, Traxxas etc...). This is why I never recommend the likes of WLToys personnaly.

[@NordicRC]

Hi Benoit. I disagree with this usual view. Everyone I see that own a Traxxas and an Arrma (I own them myself) spend a lot of time on spare parts and upgrades and reinforcement too. For different reasons. One can be that working on your car, having a project, is the goal itself. I see no fun in slapping in a battery, running it and repeat-repeat-repeat. And for projects, with parts available, these cannot be beaten price wise. Of course Arrma and Traxxas makes better cars. And they cost a lot too. And for projects and having fun doing the projects they are so expensive to own.

[@BenoitMarcBernardin]

@@NordicRC Hi, you make a fair point as I indeed upgrade my RC cars (and It is getting expensive) and yes that's, for me, where the fun is. It is only my opinion but I upgrade for a project or goal like you mentionned, where on WLToys and the like, I have more the impression of upgrading to correct weak points just for them to run reliably (e.g. lc racing vs this model). Keep up the good work mate. As entry level, if asked I would prefer to recommand an Tamiya DT-03 or TT-02B (I did a small brushless TT-02B for 180€ RTR, with ball baring and oil shocks + battery and charger), to me it's a better way to enter the hobby (the replacement parts will still easily available in 5 years time)

[@NordicRC]

It's a good point too. I would also recommend the Tamiya entry-level buggies. But I don't think this WLToys has more weak points than an entry-level Tamiya. Tamiya is renowned for being a master of ignoring weak points, a master of unreliability and a master of expensive brittle plastic in the wrong places :-) Got several DT-03's and TT-02B's but not sure ... hmm ... if I could built a brushless & ball raced TT-02B from scratch with new parts and battery/charger for 180€ where I buy my Tamiyas (and if I didn't already had parts lying around). The kits are usually around 120-140€ in Europe, and then the cheapest battery/charger combo for 30€, cheapest RC system 30€, cheapest servo 10€, cheapest ball bearings 10€ ... so add a brushless system too and we end up well above 200€ ... which is much more than twice for the different 'under $100' WLToys and HBX RTR models ... and then there is very little room for extra parts and upgrades and projects ... and not entirely sure an assembly kit is the best cup of tea for everyone ... and an RTR TT-02B Tamiya costs around 150-200$, comes with plastic bushings, without battery/charger and runs around 25-28 kph stock. The thing about spare parts is a good point. But I often see many of the WLToys and HBX cars where one can get upgrades 5 years later ... The A959 is from around 2014 and all parts are ready available still and I expect the 144001 parts to be available in 2025 too ... well, hmm, i hope you get my point ... I think there is room for both WLToys, HBX, Tamiya, Arrma and Traxxas on the market and they shouldn't really be compared ... (except maybe for Arrma and Traxxas).

[@BenoitMarcBernardin]

@@NordicRC I did get you point and it is a fair one, there is room for all the brands, agreed.

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, and got your point too. One has to choose wisely from the beginning - which car one wants to turn into an ongoing project or they might, over time, end up costing more than one wished for.

[@bradkalman2353]

How much are they in USD?

[@bradkalman2353]

The plastic parts you took off to replace I know you probably won't do this but it'd be nice if I could get those. Lol mine haven't broke yet but they're showing some slop.

[@ev3r177]

The parts are in the description.

[@NordicRC]

Check out the links in the description for current prices in USD.

[@NordicRC]

Hi Brad. I will hang on to mine in case if I decide to turn it back to stock or use them as spare parts.

[@danynik2644]

Non credo che ne valga la pena di cambiare, meglio le parti in plastica, se la macchina va a sbattere al posto di rompere le "c" che sono in materiale rigido rompi i bracci omocinetici o altro ben più costosi..piuttosto con lo stesso prezzo avrei comprato qualcuno di quei pezzi in plastica fa tenere di scorta..

[@x1area51ii7]

All show no go..

[@NordicRC]

Why not check out all the many videos with it running in my channel?

[@k1ortia]

Hell no!...Metal has no flex or give

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, definitely leave some of the parts for flexible plastic or else the metal will just start to bend

[@deltazero3796]

not worth better buy lc racing buggy

[@NordicRC]

I like it 🙃

[@JerBoyd42]

The LC buggy is much better, but it's actually easier and less expensive for most people to get replacement and upgrade parts for the 144001, and the car costs half as much. So, if you shim the drivetrain and either drive carefully or don't mind waiting for replacement parts to ship, the 144001 can be a better choice.