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QUADIFYRC RC Car Review and Upgrade Guides

SG 1603 / SG 1604 Review and THe Simple Fixes That are critical

28/1/2021

94 Comments

 
The SG 1603, SG 1604 and UDIRC 1601 are small 1/16 scale 4wd on road cars designed for skids on any smoothish surface. They are extremely durable and the edgy body shells (SG 1603 Hoonitruck/Infraction and SG 1604 Moke) being the only thing that separates these two. Here I've reviewed the SG 1604 Moke and have written a setup guide on how to greatly improve performance by fixing the errors out of the factory
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Before I start this review I'll note that this car from "SG" is supposedly the same company that made the SG 1601 and SG 1602 4wd 1/16 brushless truck which won my budget RC basher of the year award for 2020 here. In addition my review and follow up can be found here and here. Thus is was with great expectation that I have reviewed this car.
What's included?
  • The car itself (brushed 380 powered 4wd 1/16 scale onroad chassis)
  • 2.4GHz transmitter with gyro control
  • Stylish pre-painted PC body with plastic detail and functional 3 stage headlights
  • Onroad preglued tyres and rims fitted (white wheels)
  • Drift tyres and rim (black wheels)
  • 2s 1200mah li-ion battery (mine came with 2)
  • USB balance charger
  • Wheel nut removal tool, screw driver and hex tool
  • 2 x spare linkages
  • A surpsringly comprehensive user manual
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A closer look at the car - Drivetrain
The car is powered by a 2s lipo with lightweight JST connector to an all in one receiver/ESC unit which is typical of lower priced RTR models. This powers a brushed 380 motor which drives a 4wd system via 16t 0.7m pinion to a 38t spur gear and full time 4wd drive train. My drive train had a lot of bind from the factory but I was able to fix in my setup guide as below - in short reducing the rear travel. This car uses metal driveshafts - CVDs on the front and dogbones in the rear which is good news. There are ball bearings on all moving parts in the drivetrain to help keep friction down and improve durability. Diffs are plastic and contain only one pair of planet gears meaning that they would not be well suited to a larger motor (including brushless).
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A closer look at the car - Steering
Steering starts with a 5 wire micro servo which is plenty fast in this application. The steering system is lightweight, basic and effective. There is no adjustment which is fine because linkages appear to be exactly the right length and 2 spares are included with the car. Servo saver is basic but again effective. All of this makes for a fairly fast and well centred steering system which is well suited to a skid/drift car like this.

This car is set up with a gyro in the receiver and control via the transmitter which essentially gives you access to adding some countersteer in but try as I might I couldn't see it working as I did with the gyro on my FS-GT5 transmitter (as seen on this page) nor could I feel it. Perhaps mine was faulty but the way this car was balance I didn't really miss it.
A closer look at the car - Suspension
All upper arm linkages are fixed plastic items meaning you have non-adjustable camber which is fine since they are well sized. Good news that they seem to be made of the same plastic as the SG 1601 and SG 1602 meaning they absorb impact easily without getting bent or broken.

​Shock absorbers are mostly there for display. They are NOT oil dampened and are too long front and rear (50mm and 55mm respectively). This means they body sits higher than ideal and so looks a little lame but more importantly it causes the rear drive shafts to rub, causing a lot of friction in the drive line. A a crucial change in my setup guide below I did fix this however which greatly improved ride height - better looking, better handling and a much more efficient driveline. Although oil fill shocks would have been nice, It's probably unnecessary on they type of surfaces you are likely to run this car on.
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55mm at the rear (too long for this car)
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50mm for the front (also too long)
A closer look at the car - Transmitter
Transmitter was fine, there is no control over throttle parameters, not that they are needed here. You have steering trim adjustment of course, steering dual rate to adjust the amount of steering throw you have and of course a potentiometer for controlling the level of countersteer intervention (labelled ESP here). In terms of range I never had an issue with what I'd expect for a 1/16 scale brushed road car where I'd never expect to drive too far from myself.

There are also another 2 channels that give you a lot of control over the lights - more on that in the body and headlight section below
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A closer look at the car - Body and headlights.
Whether the Moke styled SG 1604 or the Hoonitruck/infraction styled 1603 let's face it - the body is one of the main reasons you are probably considering this. They really don't disappoint in fit and finish - they look fantastic, with multiple plastic inserts giving them a really detailed look that you cannot achieve with polycarbonate alone. Speaking of the polycarbonate body, it is nice and thick and fits PERFECTLY with the rear plastic and front foam reinforced bumper - this makes it super durable so that it can hold it's shape and functionality in repeated crashes and this is covered more in the review just a little further down.

I never knew how much I like headlights until I had this car but these are special. A push button switch where your thumb sits allows you to turn the headlights on an off. Another 3 position switch just above your thumb allows you to choose a red halo "angel eye" light, a while projector style light in the centre of the halo or both. Check out the videos in the review just below.
So what - how does it run?!
As I've mentioned out of the box this car definitely needs some simple adjustments as below so I've completed my review based on this adjusted state.

This little car is a lot of fun. Weight bias is fairly even front to rear meaning breaking into a power-slide or skid when getting on or off the power is easy and predictable even though it does only have basic non-dampened suspension. Because of it's small size, compact design and responsive steering it feels a lot faster than it is, ultimately the 380 brushed motor provides good power for the type of driving whilst being light and providing the all important balance that a skid car needs.

It's nice that they have included a dedicated set of hard drift wheels as well but I ultimately think the white grip wheels are better and the car has enough power to get into a slide even on coarse concrete as seen in the video below.
As mentioned earlier the body fit to the car is excellent and the dense foam padded bumper (which follows the body contour) makes it super durable. Small overhangs front and rear means you are less likely to catch on obstacles and do damage.
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Front of the body fits very cleanly against the contoured foam bumper making it extremely resistant to knock and bumps
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My pictures don't do it justice but the combination of polycarbonate and moulded plastic make the body very detailed.
I really do need to mention the lights. Let's face it, they are gimmicky but so much fun and really this is what this little car is all about. Check out the amount of control you have on them below. One channel with a 3 position switch allows you to flip between either the red halo, white projector beam or both while another channel allows you to turn them on or off altogether. See more in the videos below
Headlight on/off control
Switch headlight mode control
Interestingly this car comes with gyro stability correction which essentially adds counter-steer to assist you when the car gets out of control much like the Flysky FS-GT5 and DumboRC radio gear sets. Unfortunately on my model I couldn't get this working. It's not a big deal but would have been nice only really low friction surfaces with the plastic drift wheels
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Gyro countersteer control is labelled here as ESP. I haven't got it working but will update if I do.
The driveline on the car is durable where it needs to be: Rear dogbones, cups and front CVD driveshafts are metal as well as the main driveshaft. Diffs are fine for the stock brushed motor but being plastic with plastic cups and a single pair of plastic planet gears means that an upgrade to brushless will probably be too much for this little car. Pinion gears is made of brass and uses a grub screw which is good.
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Metal CVDs in the front 👌
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Metal dogbones and outdrives in the rear
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Diffs are fine for stock motor but will struggle with a brushless upgrade
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Ball bearings everywhere and 0.7mod 16t pinion and 38t spur
OK so it's clear this is a fun little car but after a fair bit of work put into the design to make it right, the execution was poor, particularly the suspension. Luckily the fixes are simple and cost little to nothing.
Setup Guide - fixing the suspension
If you do nothing else then please fix this. It seems that the front and rear suspension is a little too long and this has 3 negative effects, worst of which is last:
  • Looks crap - these cars look best LOW
  • Handles poorly - less predicable and skittish
  • In the rear it over extends the driveshafts and causes the driveline to bind

I can't put too much emphasis on what a problem the last point is - a serious problem. It took a lot of troubleshooting and pulling the car apart to fins that an over extension of the rear suspension (and a little in the front) is the cause of the drive line binding really badly - you could tell before even driving the car that this was causing issues with overheating, poor performance and shortened battery life. It's good then that the fix is easy, check out the steps below:
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Stock rear shock absorbers are too long
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I used a 5mm long plastic spacer with 3mm hole which was perfect but you could use 2 x m3 nylon nuts too
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One of the rear shock which are easily disassembled with the spacer at the top of the piston. Reassemble and reinstall
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Stock front shock absorbers are also too long
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In the front I used an m3 nylon nut as the spacer
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Front shock disassembled with the spacer in place
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Car with no suspension spacer looks jacked up and this photo is flattering
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Stance is much better now - low, flat, even and no rubbing on the body.
I recommend using the spacers to the right for this job, I just used what I had lying around. These spacers are about $1 for 50 which is more than enough to fine tune the height to your own liking​ Suleve™ MXNW3 100pcs M2 M3 M4 M5 Black Nylon Washer Gasket Thickness 1mm - M3
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With this reduction in height it looks and handles better but most importantly it frees up the driveline to be much smoother with more power and better efficiency (longer battery life). If you do nothing else to this car, please make this change as it makes a world of difference to performance and ultimately enjoyment
Setup guide - greasing and adjusting the diffs
This part isn't as critical and is a little more complicated if you've never delved into an RC car before but it will give more life to your diffs (which look to be the weak point in the drive train). Further more the diffs are over-tightened from the factory so this is a good chance to loosen them off a little. Follow the images and instructions below to complete.
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Firstly remove the top deck in order to access the front and rear diff housings. You don't need to clip the zip ties holding the wires down
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Remove the rear diff housing and note the diff drive spur on the left side. Unclipping the shocks and removing the camber arms makes this much easier 
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Undo the 4 screws on the diff to expose the plant gears. No need to remove them
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Load the diff up with the thickest grease you can find. I used heavy duty bearing grease
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Grease will squeeze out of the screw holes when you replace the drive spur. this is good. Tighten all 4 screws right up and the back off a turn. Make sure the diff is not binding - loosen or tighten to make sure the diff is not notchy but has resistance from the grease
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Repeat for the front diff. Note the side the drive spur is on again when reassembling.
Future upgrade: Improve the battery connector
The connector used to link the battery to the ESC is a JST and is only capable of delivering a constant 5A. Since the peak draw is likely to be above this (20-30A I'm guessing) then this will create a significant voltage drop and will pass less power. The practical result is that the ESC will move to limp mode before needed - in my testing the ESC low voltage cutoff is conservative ( a good thing) but the big voltage drop means that it starts to limp when the cells are at connector which is better suited to this current draw and doesn't really sacrifice on bulk. Also since the charge uses the balance port you'll have not compatibility issues either. I'm not expecting changes to be significant so won't  bother recommending now but if I find them to be worthwhile, I'll update things here.
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The stock JST battery connectors can only manager about 5a continuous
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XT30 connectors can handle 30a continuous easily and are a lot more durable over repeated matings. I'll report back if they have a real world benefit
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Recommendations
This car is poorly setup (but easily fixed as above), has low quality suspension and limited adjustability. Oh and it's relatively slow too. So why to I recommend it??? Well, simply put, it's fun. There is enough power to make this skid, donut, powerslide and if you have the skills, drift. Weight balance is ideal for this style of driving and the combination of this, size, total weight and tyre choice makes it a real blast. Importantly it looks the part to with the Edgy Moke design in the SG 1604 reviewed here or the Hoonitruck/infraction look of the SG 1603 and UDIRC 1601. The awesome remote adjusted headlights add to the look too - a gimmick of course but a very fun gimmick.

​If you are feeling a bit exhausted from maintaining more expensive cars and just want to get back to some no-strings fun or have a young person that needs something durable and reliable that can take a good hit then this is a good, inexpensive option and worth trying out. Both the SG 1603 and SG 1604 are available from Banggood and ship worldwide. Update, the UDIRC 1601 is also the same car if the others are out of stock

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SG 1604 RTR 1/16 2.4G 4WD 30km/h RC Car 
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SG 1603 RTR 1/16 2.4G 4WD 30km/h RC Car
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UDIRC 1601 RTR 1/16 2.4G 4WD 30km/h RC Car
​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
94 Comments
Trihet
5/2/2021 10:20:50 am

Great article, sounds like you know a lot about drift cars. So my question is could I just get drift wheels for my wltoys 144001 and have a similar amount of fun or is there something about this car compared to the 144001 which makes it good for drifting? Or in other words does the 144001 lack something and so is no good for drifting?

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QuadifyRC
5/2/2021 10:47:39 am

TBH more of my drifting knowledge is from 1:1 scale. I've not tried drift wheels on the 144001 but my gut feel is the weight distribution and short wheelbase will make it a little titchy. Drift wheels aren't expensive though so you could always give it a try before you commit to a new car. These little cars to really look the part though 😁

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Trihet
5/2/2021 10:49:42 am

Thanks

Roberto
10/2/2021 10:21:23 am

Hi, I have this car and the motor has become loose, what is the best way to secure it?

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Nimma Sherpa
11/2/2021 12:11:31 pm

Hi there

Without knowing more about the way in which your motor has come loose then id suggest removing the top deck, seeing how the motor is fixed, tightening and then re-tightening the top deck. The images in the article should help

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Roberto
11/2/2021 08:28:23 pm

There is nothing holding it in, just the teeth in the gearing holding it.

Diem Turner
27/6/2021 01:25:30 am

Hey there, the motor is held in place by a plastic bracket which is affixed to the chassis via two screws from the underside of the chassis. The transmission housing on top is not what holds the motor in place. Hope this helps.

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DugaldM
11/2/2021 11:23:11 am

Love the review mate, I've just put an order in for two, but I was going to order some extra LiPo's for it. Could you tell me how big the battery compartment is? (Max size of new battery)

Thanks!
Dugald

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QuadifyRC
12/2/2021 10:40:19 am

Sorry I'm not going to have a chance to look at the car (heading away) but it does use a 2 x 18650 cell pack meaning the pack size is about 40mm wide and 65-70mm high and 20mm thick. I'll measure maximum dimensions of the actual tray when I get back. I don't think going to lipo will give more power as I don't think the battery is the weak link in the power train.

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Virgil
16/2/2021 09:22:43 am

I need to know if I can conver my sg 1604 into a brushless version with or without the included micro servo

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QuadifyRC
22/2/2021 09:30:15 am

Unfortunately not, you would need a 5-wire servo

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Diem Turner
27/6/2021 01:31:57 am

Hey Virgil, here's a brushless conversion kit for the SG 1601, 1602, 1603, 1604. Cost for the entire kit (motor, ESC and 3 pin servo) is $38.

https://www.banggood.com/SG-1603-1604-UDIRC-1601-RC-Car-Upgraded-Brushless-2435-Motor-25A-ESC-Servo-Spare-Parts-p-1828137.html?cur_warehouse=CN&ID=6304800&rmmds=search

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Alex
17/2/2021 03:00:25 am

Great article, like all others on this page!

After reading here, I made an own build of SG1604:

1. Wltoys 144001 Diffs
Not sure how long Center Drive Shaft and Diffs will play together (plastic / metal)
2. Yeah Racing Shock Absorbers
50 / 55 mm
3. Brushless 2440, 4600KV Motor
Should have enough power. 😁
4. DumboRC receiver with gyro
5. Wltoys 124019 Battery
More weiht, but longer play time.

Could not test it yet because of the snow.

2 Questions:
How can I connect the front lights? Via Servo-Plug to the receiver?
I need better Tyres! Any suggestions? Could not find the earlier mentioned ZD Racing 6296 in stock.

Regards,
Alex

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QuadifyRC
22/2/2021 09:34:55 am

Hi Alex, thanks!

Sounds like a nice build. I'm personally not a fan of making this brushless because of the lightweight diffs but I'm really curious about how you got the 144001 diffs to fit?!

You'd need to get a LED controller if you wanted to control light like on the stock car - something like included in this one: https://bit.ly/3pHL75p

No ideas for tyres sorry but might order some to try out.

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Alex
23/2/2021 02:10:39 am

The Wltoys Diffs are an instant fit. No modification needed.
And they are MUCH smoother.

I plugged my lights directly to the receiver now. Unable to switch it on or of, but that's ok for me.

QuadifyRC
23/2/2021 10:16:53 am

That's great Alex, I'll get stuck in and have a play. The diffs were the only thing holding me back from going brushless - just too lightweight but the 144001 diffs would hold up just fine.

Yeah forgot to mention plugging into the receiver if you just want them on the whole time. Sounds like you have a fun little car sorted.

Alex
23/2/2021 09:04:32 pm

Yes. The only thing are the gears of the central drive-shaft. All plastic.

I was really happy with my build. Until I hit my foot with a front-wheel. The diff-housing broke.
Waiting for another car for spare-parts.... :-(

Marcos
27/12/2021 08:24:19 am

How long have you been with the spreads of 144001?
Have you checked it after continued use? It seems that they are going well but with the use they break the box there are several videos on youtube about that.
In aliexpres there are some metallic ones (I have not tried them)
https://a.aliexpress.com/_vBeW0D

Wes
5/6/2021 02:35:56 pm

Do you have a part number for the shocks?

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Wu
20/2/2021 02:49:27 pm

The ESP only works when throttle is on (on my model).

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QuadifyRC
22/2/2021 09:29:17 am

Interesting - will try again. Thanks

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QuadifyRC
22/3/2021 09:41:55 am

You are dead right, noticed esp working with the throttle on. Thanks!!

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Tom
25/2/2021 10:09:54 pm

Hey thanks for sharing!
Amazing source for improving my 1603.
Specially the shock absorbers are, what I'm looking for. It's really, really bumpy on asphalt.
Thanks again,
Thomas.

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QuadifyRC
25/2/2021 10:45:32 pm

My pleasure Thomas, glad it helped!

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RCFREAK
22/3/2021 08:24:23 am

I just recently bought this car and I think my servo is screwy. It doesn't seem to return to the same spot after a turn. Do you know of any way to fix this? If a new servo is required, which would you recommend?

I tried fitting in a servo from my defunct 144001, but the plug is ever so slightly different. I'm new to this hobby, the most difficult part for sure is becoming familiar with all the different connections.

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QuadifyRC
22/3/2021 09:47:55 am

Is it the servo that isn't turning to centre or the steering mechanism? Probably best to answer that first before you try replace the servo - check the horn centering on the servo horn rather than the direction the wheels are pointing in.

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TOm
22/3/2021 07:10:46 pm

Same here. Servo does not return all the time. But I noticed, that the servo itself wiggles inside the bracket.
That could be a fix too.

Next time, I take it out: I add some double sided tape under the servo and add some lube to the servo saver.

I'll let you know if it worked.

RCFREAK
23/3/2021 04:49:15 am

Thanks for the advice Tom and Quadify. I'll check that out and get back to you. Love the car, but with this wacky servo it's hard to enjoy fully.

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Tyron
29/3/2021 02:05:43 am

Hi there, awesome advice, just greased my diffs!

I've noticed my wheels have become full of stones and debris and make a noice when spinning. Can I remove the tyres from the rim??

Cheers!
Tyron

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QuadifyRC
30/3/2021 09:10:22 am

Hi Tyron

If you are talking about the white wheels with rubber tyres then yes you can but follow a youtube tutorial as they are glued on. No idea how the stones got in there?!

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RCFREAK
29/3/2021 03:19:20 am

Hi Quadify,

I have a question about the alteration you made here to the shocks. I don't really understand where the binding in the drive train is before this fix. After having made the fix myself all I can see it does is make my tyres run against the body when my shocks compress at all. Can you explain more for an idiot like myself. I also found it really hard to get the shocks reassembled.

As for my servo issue. I can't tell if it's the servo itself or the steering mechanism. The steering seems nice and free and the servo seems to return to centre when not attached, but when put all back together my steering is still screwy. Shrug.

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QuadifyRC
30/3/2021 09:14:19 am

It's outside the gearbox where it binds - drive cups and drive shafts when the suspension arms come down further than they are designed to.

Re: servo check if the servo horn itself returns to centre every time while attached. If not, it is the servo

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RCFREAK
31/3/2021 08:00:07 am

Thanks quadify, really appreciate your responses. I didn't mean to sound rude in regards to the shock fix, I was just too newb to understand where the binding was happening. Thank you for explaining. Did I do something wrong if my wheels are now hitting the body?

I think i might just order a new servo, they are like £5 on Ali express for a stock replacement.

Drifti
29/3/2021 07:35:15 am

Hello how can i drive with two cars at the same time. What i need? Thx

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TOM
29/3/2021 08:16:07 am

Nothing, just switch them on individually and drive away. Absolute fun! ;)

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Drifti
30/3/2021 07:20:39 pm

I will drive with two cars at the same time with my friend, its more funny

Jo
20/4/2021 05:07:36 am

Hello, thanks for the great article! I was wondering if you went brushless yet? I am considering the brushless upgrade that pinecone offers, it's apparently the same motor amd servo setup as the sg1602 brushless version.

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Temporal Flux
22/4/2021 04:14:21 am

Banggood have a brushless conversion kit too. It supposedly works with the stock controller and still allows the lights to be controlled. I'd be interested in what Quadify thinks of it.

I haven't bought this car yet, but, I am surely considering it.

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Temporal Flux
2/5/2021 01:29:14 pm

FYI, the brushless versions are on pre-order on Banggood. There is also a brushless conversion kit available for the brushed versions.

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QuadifyRC
4/5/2021 12:25:06 am

Hey mate, nice to see you on here. Yes, I have the brushless upgrade kit on the way which is the same as they use on the brushless model. I think it's overkill for this car given the diffs and other parts but lets see for certain.

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Ken
21/5/2021 04:45:42 pm

Ok, thanks for this, very in depth! I want to lower mine, but I'm a total noob. Can you explain the hows and the wheres of disassembling and reassembling the shocks? pleas and thank you!

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QuadifyRC
8/6/2021 01:07:14 pm

Hi Ken, first you need to remove from the car, the pop off a ball joint top and bottom. Then, unscrew the top cap of the shock. Last unscrew the black plastic eyelet at the bottom, you may need to hold the shaft with pliers. Reverse the order to reassemble

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wes
5/6/2021 08:52:23 am

I just picked one of these bad boys up and I am thoroughly impressed! I used your guide to adjust the suspension, but I didn't need near as much spacer on either front or back. I haven't greased the diffs yet, but I feel like that's something that ill be upgrading soon anyway. thanks for the write up!

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QuadifyRC
8/6/2021 01:07:50 pm

Hi Wes

Yeah they are good for for skids, enjoy!

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Wes
15/6/2021 08:30:49 am

So I have 2 of these cars and I've taken them up as a pet project. I really want to make these into some formidable drift cars without breaking the bank. I have a few ideas and mods done. Is there someplace (maybe reddit or something) that we can't chat more about this car?

QuadifyRC
16/6/2021 10:59:26 pm

Hi Wes

If you are on Facebook I have a group there, I find that platform most useful for discussion.

Brodie Fletcher
26/6/2021 12:23:34 am

Hey pal I have the same car and when I get on the throttle the car leaps left and right..it seems that one of the wheels won't straighten out. For instance the driver side wheel could be perfectly slight but the passage wheel is just slightly off...is there an easy fix for this?

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Lex
27/6/2021 09:58:39 pm

Take a look at the plastic hex connection of the own wheel and be sure it is in good shape. Then, when you remove the wheel be sure that the black brake plate ( it is just cosmetic) is connected to the train with a little bar and that if it's everything in place. Even this little bar has go off and lost. Just buy another one if the rest is ok.
I am not English so sorry for my English

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Sanj3k
29/6/2021 12:45:22 am

Quick question as I am a total noob into drift rc cars. If I would want to make it a 2wd so just the rear wheels should drive would then removing the front differential be enough? Would it be a big performance loss that maybe I wouldnt be able to drift at all? Is it bad for the health of the car?

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QuadifyRC
7/7/2021 10:56:29 pm

Hi there. To go 2wd you'd want to swap the cvd drive shafts to the rear and leave the dogbone cups at the front. I'd recommend against it though at is much easier to drift in 4wd with these cars rather than 2wd

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Marcel
4/7/2021 07:33:21 pm

Thank you for all the great advice on the cheap and cheerful cars that we love.

I found that one can simply screw the shock shaft further into the shock bottom to achieve the same lowering effect, without the need for spacers.

The lowered stance is fine for very smooth surfaces, but on more uneven roads the car was very bouncy/ skittish and kept scraping its bottom, so I adjusted it back up a little. Cheers

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QuadifyRC
7/7/2021 10:57:21 pm

Thanks Marcel. That's interesting, I'll give it a closer look. Thanks for the tip!

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Svebor Buljevac
29/8/2021 02:41:24 pm

Thanks for the awesome review! I cime from the fpv drone worls and this is my first rc car and I have to say I love ot, the speed, handling, the nice materials in the transmitter....two things annoy me though bit I believe they are the result of me being a beginner. First, and less important, the bloody body clips!!!! Who thought of THESE?! I kull myself everytime putting them on 😂 secondly and of more cpncern ; my car works fine, everything works properly, neother the motor or the esc pr the battery heat up or anything like that. BUT there is a noise coming from the motor (I think), whenever the car is in. Its not too loud but constant. Like an electrical noise. It is constant and I can not link it to whatever like turning the wheels, giving gas, steering input, gyro, nothing seems to affect. When the car is on you can hear it. Also when you give the car any sortnof input there is a like a beeping noise which I suppose is normal? Can anybody enlighten me?

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QuadifyRC
19/10/2021 04:30:53 pm

Some, I've been on a break from quads for about 6 months and have been playing with RC cars. I'm used to body clips from racing RCs as a teen but am surprised nobody has come up with a cheap and convenient replacement.

Noise from the motor may be the esc giving a tiny bit of throttle. Does it go away when you push or pull the trigger a little? Try unplug the motor and see if goes away. Beeping noise is the esc providing power a a frequency that is related to the throttle input - uses pulse width modulation to control power delivery. Same as on your quad but at a lower frequency more in the audible range.

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Svebor Buljevac
30/8/2021 12:39:48 am

https://youtube.com/shorts/axigEurNEuU?feature=share

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Marco Faltoni
16/10/2021 04:05:16 am

hi, I just arrived, after 5 minutes of play the steering does not turn anymore, if it goes to the right it stays there and you feel the effort of the servo .. what can I do? Thanks

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Melaka
28/10/2021 07:56:19 pm

Awesome article, would be great to have a section on what replacement parts you would recommend.

Has anyone tried different bodies on this? Wonder if there are any other cool looking bodies we can try. Me and my cousins got 4 of these and finding it hard to distinguish while playing together 😁

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Zaid
23/11/2021 03:30:02 am

If you do find a different body shell that can fit this car, please do let me know. Would love to get some.

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Alex
31/1/2023 04:07:23 pm

Are the bodies interchangeable? I got the the 1603 truck but think I like the 1604 coupes better.

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Jguess link
23/12/2021 05:51:42 pm

Here’s what I did with mine..... I removed the preload spacers from the shocks which loosens the spring pressure, screwed the ball cup(bottom) end into the shock shaft to shorten the shocks, and experimented with moving the top of the shock on the shock tower mounting holes. Moving the top inward actually softens the shock. I did trim the back wheel well about 1/8”. I’ve yet to grease the diffs. I too have noticed the esp only works when the throttle is engaged.

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Melaka
26/12/2021 01:51:43 am

Has anyone noticed that their tyres become wonky? I think the hubs become loose but not exactly sure. Wanted to see if anyone else facing the same issue

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Chris
26/12/2021 06:51:35 am

I have been playing with these lil cars for about a year or so now, some I give away, then I re buy some of the knock off rebranding versions just to try out. Some of the newer models seem to come shipped with a bit of tow in on the front end, which seems to make steering a lil wonky. The spare arms they give you in the kit will actually make the wheels tow out a bit if you change them. Does anyone have an idea of where I could get a set of adjustable tow links for this car?

I see many upgrade parts for this car but no tow links. Lowering does help I know, but I just thought a set of links could give it some finer adjustment. Love the site.

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JGuess
27/12/2021 02:31:46 pm

CHRIS, use one toe in link and one toe out link. It lets you trim the steering and straighten the wheels. I did this earlier.

Another thing I tried, noticing the back hubs wobble right at the lower control arm connection, I just added a piece of electrical tape to make it a tighter fit. Now I can’t wiggle the wheel side to side. You can literally use anything that fits: paper, tape, a very thin o-ring, etc.
I’ve got it’s baby brother on the way.... the 1/28 wltoys 284131. That should be fun.

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JGuess
26/12/2021 11:22:00 am

Screwing the shock shaft further into the lower shock eye gave me about 50mm in the rear eye to eye, and 45mm or so in the front eye to eye. The rear springs are way too stiff, I think it’s an issue worth solving. If I can find some softer springs I’ll post it up here.
I greased the diffs with heavy disc brake grease, the pinion and spur mesh seems ok but I may mess with it. Seems like the motor could use a heat sink but I haven’t checked the temp, only a finger check.

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JGuess
26/12/2021 11:40:07 am

The tires are wonky or wiggle a bit because all of the steering components have a little give for every connection. Hold it in your hand and watch everything wiggle around while you accelerate. You will see it. You can try to balance the wheels and see if it helps.
I have noticed the toe in. I didn’t try replacing those links, I’m just letting it ride. You can get a measurement on those links and maybe find something adjustable on eBay or something. Wltoys may have a similar model to this which may have those parts? I’ll do some searching.

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Jackson Wheeler
28/12/2021 06:44:08 pm

I have an issue, the RX light started flashing since the first time i used it, does it mean something bad? The condition of the car indicator flashes and idk if it is good or bad, please let me know what is about it

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Jguess
3/1/2022 12:20:14 pm

If the rx which would be the esc is flashing, I don’t actually know what that means, if your tx (your hand held remote) is flashing charge up the battery.

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Darren
2/1/2022 12:01:11 am

Hi, can I pick your brain please? We bought 2 of these for Xmas and they have used them once, then they wouldn’t turn off from the push button on the car, we had to disconnect battery. Sometimes they turn on with a 1-2 second press, other times they just will not turn on. Come back 10 mins later and sometimes they work….sometimes they don’t…???
We’ve charged all batteries, disconnected everything, reconnected…no luck. Just wondering if you have any ideas?
I could return them but we are in Australia and it will take forever.
Thank you, great review too!

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Jguess
3/1/2022 12:22:21 pm

I personally have not had this issue, something is up with your esc I think. I’d suggest to bight the bullet and send them back, it’s worth the wait to get one (or two) that works.

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Darren Brewer
3/1/2022 12:32:12 pm

Thanks, I think you're right. Cheers for the reply

Jason
28/4/2022 03:24:40 am

I am having a similar issue with my 7 year old sons car but it won’t turn on at all and it is way past return date. Did you send them back or find another solution?

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JGuess
7/1/2022 01:16:42 pm

New things I’ve tried! I drilled a bunch of holes top and bottom of the esc/rx case to vent some heat, it lets out a bit of heat now! I bought some hobbypark brand shocks from Amazon that are about 54mm eye to eye. It took some work to fit them up. I used 6mm hex stand offs in the front shocks to shorten the length that the shaft protrudes. Then I had to trim off some length from the shock end so I could screw it all the way on and hold the shaft with my shock tool. I used the springs that came with the shocks up front. To soak up some extra length I drilled new holes higher up on the shock tower mount.
On the rear I only used a nylon nut to shorten the shaft length, and I shortened the end piece as well with a hobby knife. I used the springs that came with the shocks on the rear as well, but I think using the stock front springs on the rear would be best, they are much softer and the same length as the new springs. The stock rear springs are too long and compressing them that much makes them too stiff.
The pros say: stiff up front soft in the rear for easy drifting. Also toe out in the front wheels. So those extra links that come in the bag are for toe out, try them out! The links that come installed are actually toe in. You can mix and match to straighten the wheels.
I was holding this thing in my hand watching the esp do it’s thing. Tilting it one way or the other while giving it throttle and watching it steer all by itself, pretty cool.

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Neil M
13/1/2022 03:29:13 am

I know this article is a year old, but it came up with my search.
I bought the SG 1604 Pro from Banggood last week, it's the Brushless version of the car. Within 3 days it developed an issue and I'm trying to resolve it (little help from Banggood customer services)
I have linked the videos of my issue, but basically the car just stopped driving. Pull the trigger and it stutters, and you can see it jerking but not driving. If I disconnect the motor and pull the trigger, it does the same.
The covers are off in the video, so I could see what was happening
https://youtu.be/FOfI4vYBioM

https://youtu.be/rkmf0t6d8dY

Any help would be very much appreciated, as this was my attempt at a cheap way in to RC and to mess about with my Son doing it with his WL Toys A759B

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JGuess
21/1/2022 04:27:38 pm

It does that without the motor plugged in!? I’m confused. Without the motor plugged in it shouldn’t stutter or move at all, there’s nothing to move the drivetrain. Hopefully you didn’t drive it on any kind of wet surface, these are not waterproof. I drove mine around on the icy driveway very briefly and started having issues, but once dry they were gone.

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JGuess
21/1/2022 04:34:01 pm

Oh I think I realize what you are saying. So if the motor is disconnected from the mount or drivetrain etc. and it does the same, I’d say it’s an esc issue. I’m not 100% on that though. I wasn’t able to check out the videos because they are not links. Your next move should be a return/exchange with banggood. Good luck with that, they will put you through the ringer but stay persistent.

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Neal B
16/1/2022 11:13:49 am

Have you tried disconnecting the motor from the car fully and testing it that way? If it spins as it should out of the housing it could be the diffs or a stipped cog. I'm also new to this but that's what I'd check

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Heilemann Matthias
24/1/2022 11:04:20 am

Mein ESC schaltet immer vorzeitig aus.
Obwohl der Akku nicht leer ist.
Überhitzt der ESC oder der Motor.
Was ist das Problem?

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Ricardo Sousa
1/2/2022 09:53:30 pm

Hi, the udirc 1603 is the same as the udirc 1601? I think it is , only body she'll difers. Easy to find right now

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inosuke
1/3/2022 08:49:27 am

Ran it with drift tires, no issues. Changes to the rubber tires, ran it outside, everything was fine. Later that night, ran it inside in the lowest power mode, just to see what it would do in that setting. The next day, still with rubber tires, I only get 2 to 3 seconds of full speed run time before it kicks down into low power mode. Shut everything off, restart, same thing. No matter what speed setting I out it on, I only get 2 to 3 seconds of run before low power mode kicks in. Still on the first battery charge. I'm going to recharge the battery and switch back to the slick drift tires. Any ideas what's causing this?

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QuadifyRC
12/4/2022 12:34:13 pm

Battery sounds like it's stuffed, try on a proper charger which gives you feedback on voltages etc.

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Michael
5/4/2022 11:15:58 pm

Hi, saw this car on youtube, found your page and bought it :)
First and only fix following your infromation was to shorten the shocks. I printed the spacers myself (super cheap 3d printer at home). With your proposal 5mm rear / 2.6mm front my dogbones pointed upwards. I think you looked for them to be horizontal to minimise stress on the drivetrain thus I measured and estimated 1mm front / 1.5mm rear spacers. Now the dogbones are horizontal. Are they supposed to be horizontal?
Funny enough my stock shocks are the same lenght as yours. Maybe there were some chages in the setup (parts) since you wrote this article one year ago.

many thanks
Michael

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QuadifyRC
12/4/2022 12:34:58 pm

I'd love to do 3d printing one day. Glad you found a good fix. Who knows, maybe they listed to little old me!

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Samuel Alves
14/4/2022 04:24:53 pm

Hi there.
Great review!
Seems that the over extension on your model is a little more severe than mine. I nbought a branded "udirc" model ud1601 pro with brushless combo (i do not believe that is such a difference in build quality, however). The front shocks right out of the box has 47.2mm. I needed to put 2mm spacers on the rears only. The diffs was greased the same way as yours. Gyro seems to work "ok" in mine. But i have bought a "sg" model that the gyro does not work as intended. in a straight line, the car moves from left to right without me touching the remote. Maybe (and a big maybe), SG and UD models has differences that cannot be ignored.

PRO TIP: At all circunstances DO NOT leave this rc inside your car in a hot day. The doby will deform and ruin the looks of the model.

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Jürgen Barkowski
22/5/2022 08:26:37 pm

Great review!
I rebuilt the diffs and shocks too. But the power button bothered me. I opened up the receiver case, desoldered the button and soldered two wires in its place. Soldered the button to a piece of breadboard and soldered the cables to it. On the right side of the chassis, behind the engine, is a spot that is probably intended for a switch. That's where I installed the switch. Now I don't have to remove the body to turn the car on and off

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QuadifyRC
15/9/2022 03:17:30 pm

Nice solution (sorry I didn't see this post earlier)

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Ty G
15/9/2022 11:43:16 am

Hi, I have some oil shocks coming for this car, what grade oil would you recommend, for skate parks jumps please?
and thank you.

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QuadifyRC
15/9/2022 03:18:10 pm

Without knowing more about the shocks I'd start with 50wt to give some decent dampening so it doesn't bottom out

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Ty G
15/9/2022 03:50:18 pm

https://youtu.be/2iKf85UKhMo
1603-BZ01 The same shocks he has a link too, he said they alright filled, but read and seen videos where they come half filled etc

JS
27/10/2022 12:37:42 pm

Hey all. I have a very weird steering issue. If I trim the car to go straight forward it will always back up going left. If I fix reverse to go straight (by giving it some right trim) then it won't go straight forward. I'm not talking just a little bit off. in reverse. It's not quite but almost as if I'm trying to back into a parking spot. That's how much it'll turn left. It does it at high speed. Does it at low speed. I tested it going very slowly so traction isn't an issue. I pulled both diffs out and loosened them just enough so spinning one wheel makes only the other wheel in the front/rear spin but not the other side of the car. There is a bit of play in each of the wheels but nothing that seems very wrong. It seems to me an issue with the electronics because if I push the car with the tx/rx off it'll go about as straight as I can push it in either forward or reverse. Is this a known (but rare?) issue? I've also tested the gyro in all positions. Different length steering linkages. Nothing fixes it or even improves it.

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Explorer1987Nate
20/12/2022 01:18:45 pm

Hello, I believe it's due to the Diffs being tight (basically "Locked").

If you remove the diffs, and back off the four screws a little bit each, it should loosen the spider gear inside and cause a much more "open" differential. That should allow better straight line tracking, going forward and in reverse.

You'll know it's done right, if you turn one of the wheels and the opposite one turns backwards, or the opposite direction. ***not the same direction***

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Steve
31/12/2022 12:05:23 pm

Do you know if this model discussed above shares the same parts as the UDIRC 1607 (p-Style)

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Samuel de Lelis Alves
31/12/2022 12:19:28 pm

All of the mechanics components are the same. Body posts, front bumper and rear diffuser are different

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Explorer1987Nate
31/12/2022 02:00:27 pm

I just received some oil filled shocks today for my Brushless 1603 (Eachine EAT15)...Have not installed yet, but we'll see if they are too soft or not, compared to stock friction dampers.

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Benjamin Oas
1/2/2023 01:21:52 pm

Thanks for your review. Mine is making tight right-hand drifts but super wide left turns. Slow speeds turns are perfectly even left and right and diffs are smooth. The uneven turns are only while drifting. I can't find anything explaining this problem if the steering is adjusted correctly, except maybe some driveshaft torque? Looking for some ideas. Thanks!

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