WL ToyS 144001 Upgrade: Metal Part Upgrades And REview

With the boom in popularity of the WL Toys 144001 1/14 scale RC buggy, there are a lot of aftermarket parts available now, all of which are currently available at here. For this article I'll be looking at why I chose the metal upgrade parts I did, how to install and my thoughts on the parts I did install. 

Don't forget to check out the other guides and reviews I've already written for the 144001:

• 3 simple mods before you turn it on to improve performance and running life
• The next 3 cheap or free upgrades
• Full brushless motor/ESC install guide

The first thing you probably think of with metal parts is that they will be stronger than the plastic parts they replace. Although this is true, strictly speaking, the stock plastic pieces do have advantages in some situations, specifically -

1. They are more flexible
2. Have a better bite with screws
3. Can sacrifice a cheaper more easily replaceable part rather than transfer force to a more complex, more expensive or more difficult to replace part

Because of this some parts are well suited to be replaced with metal and some are not. I've chosen the below components to be replaced with metal parts to improve the durability of the car. All parts are available in several colours: Blue, Red, Pink, Gold, Silver, Black.

Just a quick note that Banggood have started their "summer prime" sale which runs July 3 - 24. It's usually around halfway through that they share their best discounts on around 100 of their better selling products which usually includes the 144001 RTR buggy - I'd recommend waiting if you are planning on making a purchase. Here is the link to their sale page where there is supposedly $1m worth of discounts 🤷. Sounds like a bit of a line but I've put their here. These sales events are usually pretty good and I'll pick the best coupon codes and be sure to have them up on my coupons and discount page

Recommended parts:

Rear hub carriers. Typically a little more durable than front knuckles and castor blocks but still a common weak point so worth going metal

Front Steering Knuckles. Commonly a weak point on many cars so worth considering here

Front Caster Blocks. These are a weak point on many cars so worth considering

Steering Cranks. May help stiffen steering link. Less critical but worth a go.

Hex drives 12mm. I've installed but do not like at all, more below

I've specifically avoided these parts below because I think they will reduce net durability for reasons explained underneath the images. If you are just going for looks however they do still look great!

Parts I recommend against:

Arms front or rear. Unless you need bling avoid - although stronger they put stress on hinge pins and gearbox mounts. plastic suspension arms are very strong.

Battery seat. Going metal here offers no performance benefit, just weight

Spur and pinion. The spur is definitely more durable but adds a lot of rotational mass and reduces performance. I'd prefer lighter, cheaper stock spurs.

Top deck. Given the design I think it may add weight rather than stiffness

Gearbox. Jury is out on this one for me just because I don't feel the gearbox is prone to damage

Plus other parts available with my comments

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