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QUADIFYRC RC Car Review and Upgrade Guides

Brushless Upgrade 144001/124018 vs LC Racing EMB-MT: Cost and performance comparisoN

22/10/2020

20 Comments

 
I love the WL Toys 144001 1/14 scale RC Buggy and have written a lot of articles on tuning and upgrading it here. It is inexpensive and runs well stock or is easily upgraded to brushless power which offers better speed and acceleration as well as battery life. But how does it compare against the car on which is was based, the LC racing EMB series on which the 144001 was (let's face it) copied from?
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So surely you know by now that the 144001 is a budget copy of the LC racing EMB-1 but with a bigger brushless 550 motor and integrated ESC/receiver and no slipper clutch. This means that WL Toys have been able to grab a big slice of the popular RC car market at a price point of $70-80 for the 144001 vs $200ish for the LC racing equivalent. But this is clearly not a fair comparison so what if you take the brushless upgraded 144001 with a raft of replacement parts, tally up the cost and then compare? Would you still buy the 144001 to upgrade or would you just got straight for the LC racing? I'll break this down by price and performance in order to give you the clearest information to make this decision for yourself and my opinion I what I would (and did) do.
A quick word from our sponsor: Banggood have their 11.11 singles day sale coming up with is their biggest of the year. They start from 28 October (today) and then lead up to 11 November with really big specials. It can be confusing but is work the time. I'll simplify it out on my coupons page here with the RC specific stuff with clear details on timing, pricing, codes etc. as they become available.
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144001 upgraded with brushless power
Although the rolling body is similar on the 144001, you need to swap out the power system (motor and ESC) to start comparing to the LC racing cars. Unfortunately you can't stop there though, you also need radio gear (transmitter and receiver) to replace the integrated set from the factory, a new 3 wire servo and other mounting components. Since my ultimate brushless upgrade was inspired by the LC racing cars and specced similarly, I've used this as a comparison. Costs and parts are broken down below. I've used ranges to give you a feel for price variation of on vs off-promo. Shipping is not included but BG usually has a free or at least cheap option here:
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LC Racing 144001 RTR 1/14 scale off-road buggy. You'll need this to attach the parts to. Duh.
$80-90
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Surpass Hobby 2838 4500kv brushless motor and 35A ESC combo (2-3s). Comparable in spec to the LC racing but lower spec in quality compared to the Hobbywing ESC/Tenshock motor used on the LC Racing
$23-28
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Flysky GT2e Transmitter and Receiver. Pretty comparable to the LC Racing Bafang set.
$27-30
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JX Digital Servo 17g Metal Gear PDI-1181MG. Again, fairly comparable to the one included with the LC Racing cars.
$9-$10
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a959 0.7mod 17t pinion. Critical to get the gearing right and thankfully this is available in the right teeth count and pitch.
$2-$3
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3.2mm hardened drill bit. It would be dishonest to leave this fairly special sized bit off the list to enlarge the pinion bore.
$2-$3
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Motor mount. The stock motor mount is extremely difficult to remove without a blowtorch and even if you do get it off the pinion is even harder to remove thereby locking it in place
$4-$5
Total comes to $147-$169 depending on when you shop and what coupon codes you have access to. Try "BGAFF10OFF" for 10% off on non-promo items
LC Racing EMB-1
This is tricky to quantify so I'll start with the most tangible differences. These are:
  1. A slipper clutch. This protects the drivetrain (pinion, spur, diffs, driveshafts, hubs) against shocks particularly when jumping or in crashes.
  2. Adjustable motor mount and more common 0.5mod gears. This means you can run practically any gear ratio you want. Pinion and spur gears are cheap and available almost anywhere. Don't underestimate this benefit!
Now the less tangible difference is the quality. If the WL toys was a 2 out of 10, the LC racing would be a hard 9 - it is a beautifully designed and finished car and is designed for racing so is very precise. What does this mean? All metal is of a higher quality. Diffs don't strip, driveshafts don't bend and unless you are doing something truly bonkers suspension components won't break. Screws are all hex headed and won't strip or snap. Shocks won't leak. With the increased load on the car from brushless power, these really help durability and are important for reliability, particularly if racing.

There is a chink in the armour though - the battery is a horrid NiMH unit which halves the power of the car. Bin it quick and spend $10 on one of these new CNHL batteries.

All up cost here? The EMB-1 can be had for $200-$220 plus $10 for a battery.
So why would you choose the 144001?
As you can see the 144001 upgraded with brushless costs less to get similar performance but rather than being a $110 difference when compared to stock 144001 the difference is now down to about $50 with the brushless upgrade added in. Yes it should perform similarly but when you get down to detail it will be inferior and the durability as a result will be impacted. If you like to tinker and learn then this is the best option for you I think, I learnt a lot along the way and it's fair to say if something goes wrong I know precisely what it is. Also it gives you a feel for the standard setup and moving to a lighter weight and more powerful brushless gives you the sense of improvement - something you miss out on with the LC racing cars since they are fast out of the box. When I had both the brushless upgraded 144001 and LC racing EMB-1 I actually used the 144001 more because it felt like more of an achievement, and I was worried about scratching the EMB-1!

Lastly I should note that you may be able to recuperate some money from the sale of the old ESC, servo, motor and transmitter.
And why would you choose one of the LC racing EMB series of cars?
$200 would seem a lot for a 1/14 scale car but once you look at it up close and hold it in your hands it doesn't seem like a rip off. Everything screams quality and you won't see a lot of discussion around bent driveshafts, stripped diffs etc. because there are few if any weaknesses here. It is fast and well enough set up out of the box and I must admit after all the work I did on my 144001 that I haven't even cracked the gear cover off. That was a shame - I don't know it as intimately. If you want a car to rip around with quickly and with minimal setup time then this is the one for you.
What would I do?
I did both! Haha, no, I won't sit on the fence. As you may know I spent a lot of time and effort (that I really enjoyed) on modding the 144001 for brushless and that was my favourite - because it was a labour of love. However after the disappointment of having it stolen I don't have the time or the energy right now to repeat the same which is why the LC racing is nice - I can get straight down to bashing. 

Once I get things back on track after the break-in (and have set up my security system properly) I'll have another go at a brushless upgrade but this time I think with the newly announced longer wheelbase 124019. 
More on the EMB-MT which I chose this time
The most direct comparison to the 144001 is the LC racing EMB-1 which is the buggy version I did own (which was also stolen). This time I chose to by the EMB-MT which is the monster truck version with bigger wheels and tyres, a monster truck body and sturdier bumpers front and rear. I consciously chose this model because of how much more I enjoyed the larger Remo P6973 wheels on the 144001 as I wrote about in this article.

I'm glad I went with the EMB-MT because I find it easier to bash on a wide variety of surfaces including grass where the EMB-1 and 144001 with stock wheels used to get stuck. However it does tend to flip more with the larger wheels so do spend a bit more time doing the walk of shame to flip it back. With it's longer wheelbase and slightly smaller wheels (although bigger than the buggy) the EMB-T Truggy is probably the most practical choice but I just prefer the look of the MT. There are so many good angles as you can see below.
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Stock tyres are a nice soft compound. Big offset gives it a nice wide stance
Picture
How cool is this little monster truck?!
Here is the full LC racing range of 1/14 scale brushless RC RTR cars, all are available at the links below.
Picture
​LC RACING EMB-1 1/14 2.4G 4WD Brushless Racing RC Car (Buggy)
This model is what this 144001 is based on and is a carpet racing weapon. 
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​LC Racing EMB-TG 1/14 2.4G 4WD Brushless High Speed RC Car (Truggy)
Arguably the best combination of parts in this one for off road racing - long wheelbase, bigger 1/10 style wheels and a plastic spoiler. Was a toss up with this and the MT for me but I liked the look of the MT better.
Picture
​LC Racing EMB-SC 1/14 2.4G 4WD Brushless Short Course RC Car
This one is on the longer wheelbase as well and looks cool but I wanted bigger wheels for offroad bashing
Picture
​LC Racing EMB-MT 1/14 4WD 2.4G RC Car Truck Brushless Vehicle Models RTR (Monster Truck)
Great big wheels for a 1/14 scale on the short wheelbase means this loves to wheelie, flip and roll. See my videos below to see how it performs
​Thanks for reading, if you found this article useful please feel free to like or share, the facebook links below directly link/like this article. I don't believe in asking for money by patreon nor by paypal but if you do wish to help me, the affiliated links in these articles help me buy the bits and services I need to produce this type of content. If you are looking for RC ​cars, quads or parts check out my coupons and discounts page which I keep updated with only the RC cars, parts and quads I like at a proper discount
Thanks for checking out my article and please let me know on my facebook page or in the 144001 group if it worked out for you. I've created a reference page below for all of the 144001 articles I've published here:
144001 UPGRADES - EVERY ONE OF MY GUIDES HERE.
20 Comments
Stephen Leach
5/11/2020 05:10:43 pm

Hi Quadify, Thanks again for your great articles. I have a Question RE: tires and diameters for bashing (in my case for a stock WL144001, hopefully upgraded in the future). I liked your review of the REMO 6973 wheels, I may get them in future. How do they compar to the EMB-MT wheels? I like the look of the larger on the EMB-MT but I am wondering where the limit is for 1. the stock electronics and 2. the brushless upgrade ESC.
Many thanks
Stephen

Reply
QuadifyRC
5/11/2020 10:05:27 pm

Hey Stephen, Cheers. With stock gearing on the 144001 I definitely recommend going no bigger than the P6973 wheels. The EMB-MT wheels are really nice but definitely need a lower gear ratio. Plus they look too big without a truck body IMO.

If you went to the brushless upgrade with 15t pinion then you could run the EMB-MT wheels I would think, on 2s anyway.

Reply
Stephen
6/11/2020 12:59:45 pm

Thanks QuadifyRC,
appreciate the quick reply. I am enjoying this learning curve I am on. Keep it up!

Reply
Apatorh
10/11/2020 11:31:06 pm

I have bougth the repo P6973 in banggood and it is an horror, 1 month and still is in "process", for so long?. I recommend Aliexpress, sorry.

Reply
QuadifyRC
10/11/2020 11:42:20 pm

That's unfortunate, I'd recommend getting in touch with customer service to see what's going on. Give Aliexpress a go by all means although mostly I find them less reliable - all depends on Vendor

Reply
Firat
22/1/2021 04:34:20 am

Hi Quadify, thanks for the great review! I am new in this hobby and found your blog while looking for my first RC and your articles helped me A LOT! I had been looking for Wltoys 144001/124019 then after watching some videos and reading your articles changed my mind and decided to go for LC Racing because the ground clearence of 144001 and 124019 will not be enough for me. But I am still quite confused about choosing between EMB-T and EMB-MT. Based on banggood, they are exactly the same but you wrote that T has a longer wheelbase therefore is more stable. I am not looking for the fastest car out there but instead the one capable of bashing and some off-roading and my biggest question is that is the ground clearence of the truggy model enough? Also considered putting bigger set of tires (like MT's) to truggy for getting a bit more ground clearence, do you think will it fry the ESC? Appreciate your time and interest in advance.

Reply
QuadifyRC
22/1/2021 01:58:03 pm

Hi Firat

My pleasure. I really enjoy the MT but the truggy's longer wheelbase will make it more stable. They outside diameter of the wheels are much the same so other than the length it comes down to the look you prefer. I wanted the length of the truggy but the look of the MT won me over. Use code BGAFF10off for 10% off. If you want to help me out click on my link and I earn a small amount from the sale that doesn't cost you anything. Cheers!

Reply
Nathan
21/2/2021 03:08:43 am

This may sound like a silly question but are the tyres from the emb1 the same size as the 1/10 buggy tyres or are they smaller?

Reply
QuadifyRC
23/2/2021 04:46:40 pm

Not a silly question at all - the wheels off the EMB 1 are about the same size as the 144001 (72mm diameter) which is smaller than 1/10 scale wheels. The EMB TG (truggy) actually uses 1/10 scale rear wheels (85mm diameter) so that should give you a feel for size

Reply
Chris
23/2/2021 03:37:51 pm

Hi and thanks for all the time you put into this write ups.
Would the lc racing adjustable motor mount direct mount to the 144001 chassis?

Reply
QuadifyRC
1/4/2021 01:24:44 pm

Sorry Chris, I missed this one (notifications on here are awful). It is close but doesn't quite align.

Reply
Jonathan Raven
31/3/2021 10:29:42 pm

Hi mate, that was an awesome read, I own 2 LC Racing 1/14 scale, the buggy and the Truggy as I like to build the kits but want to complete the set with the my, act and rally in time.
My question is that I see a lot of alloy upgrade parts for the wl144001, are they compatible with the emb-1? There's only a few advertised for the emb-1 but I'd like to get alloy arms, servo saver and for the Truggy the centre brace but if you or any one knows what actual alloy parts for the wl144001 fit straight on to the emb-1 that would be awesome. I know the shock towers don't but I like the upgraded carbon versions anyway.
Cheers QUADIFYRC!

Reply
QuadifyRC
1/4/2021 01:26:43 pm

My pleasure Jonathon. Great cars right? They do kinda fit (you'd need smaller bearings) but the quality and strength is well down on even the stock LC plastic parts. I'd strongly recommend staying stock or if you want metal, use the LC parts - any 144001 part here is a significant downgrade.

Reply
C Dustin
2/5/2021 07:42:15 am

Hello!

I love your articles. I am somewhat new to the hobby. I have a ECX Ruckus and recently got my son a 144001. I've already combed your articles and I especially enjoyed the write-up on tires.
I decided to spoil myself with a LC EMB-TG. I'd like to see a similar write-up on tires for it. I do prefer the M/T type tires and would love to swap them for the stocks. Can you help point me towards the right choice?
TIA

Reply
C Dustin
3/5/2021 06:22:35 am

I should have included that I would like to put the Remo tire/wheel set on my EMB-TG. Thoughts?

Reply
QuadifyRC
4/5/2021 12:10:32 am

Hey there. Since the EMB-TG runs an 85mm wheel stock you can probably consider the EMB MT wheels (also 85mm) as another option here https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ANzEYu

The Remo P6973 is close in diameter to the stock 144001 wheels at 75mm so will look a bit smaller but not out of place. They grip well and have that MT look as well.

C Dustin
4/5/2021 06:06:23 am

Awesome! I really appreciate the info!
Since you've had both tires, how would you compare the two? I know that the Remos are a huge improvement over the 144001 stock set but I hear the tire quality on the stock LC is vastly better (I just don't care for the wheels and look) but comparing the MT tires to the Remos?
I have another question about batteries too if you don't mind sharing your vast knowledge with a noob.

QuadifyRC
4/5/2021 10:30:08 am

No problem. The Remos are more precise but the MT souck up more bumps but a little more "squishy" in terms of handling. The Remos are actually good quality and are my overall preference on these cars.

James
17/5/2021 07:02:29 pm

Thanks so much for your brilliant write ups. Hugely helpful and informative. I’m about to pull the trigger on an EMB-MT. Do you have a battery you’d recommend? Presumably Lipo but I’ve been reading that it requires an unusual plug. Thanks kindly

Reply
Javier Zurita
22/9/2021 05:28:42 am

Hi, friend! I have this same truck, it flips so easy! Do you think the LC RACING stabilizer bar is worth installing? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32347342713.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.5e463c00tj3h2i&mp=1

Reply



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