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The Ultimate pinion gear guide for WL Toys 144001 144002 144010 124016 124017 124018 124019

30/4/2022

24 Comments

 
The WL toys 1/14 and 1/12 scale cars are fanstastic value and offer a myriad of options for tinkering and modding. One area where they are woefully inadequate though is gearing. They have chosen a very uncommon mod 0.7 gear pitch meaning there are very few options outside of stock because the standard 27t or even the more recent 19t offer very tall gearing only. In this gearing guide I have laid out all known available options in this guide to help you get the most out of your car.
Picture
Let's start this conversation by saying that the stick spur gear for these cars (44 teeth) is fixed - an immovable object with no alternative options*. Thus it is only the pinions we can change to alter gear ratios. Next we can say that motors with a 36mm diameter (ie stock 550 brushed, 3650 brushless, 3652 brushless and 3660 brushless cannot move closer to the top brace and therefore cannot use a smaller pinion, even with this adjustable mount. This with these motors you can use the stock 27t pinion only and the tall gearing (4.074:1)

This means that the only way to alter gear ratio is to use a smaller motor suck as a brushed 380 or 390 or a brushless 2440, 2445, 2838, 2845, 2850. This is a good thing because for the brushless motors in particular they are smaller, lighter, faster, more efficient and run cooler but with less torque they need the smaller pinions which provide shorter gearing. This is the basis of every brushless upgrade I have written which provide a much more well rounded performance for these cars. Anyway lets go directly to the options readily available.

*Custom made Mod1 spurs are available, talk to Michael Koebbe on the QuadifyRC facebook group.
Option 1: 27t stock pinion, drive ratio = 4.074:1
PictureI only recommend the 27t pinion for stock or for large motor on road speed runs. Click on the pick for more speed run detail
As I keep banging on about the stock 27t pinion gives very tall gearing and only really suited to speed running rather than offroad. The stock 550 brushed motor only just manages this one because of the large torque output it has at the expense of battery life. The downside of this tall gearing was best illustrated in the initial V1 release of the 124017 and the Eachine EAT14. Even though they used a decent sized 2845 with a relatively low 3400kv, the car cogged badly due to this gearing.

For this reason I only recommend this gearing for the stock motor or for on road speed runs with a motor 3650+ in size as per this build

Physically The 27t pinion gear has a 3.2mm bore meaning it will physically fit the following motor sizes: brushed - 540, 550. Brushless - 3650, 3652, 3660, 2838, 2845, 2850.
Parts needed:

Picture
Standard motor mount from 144001

Picture
27t pinion gear
Picture
Surpass Hobby 3650 brushless motors are good value for money
Option 2: 19t pinion from 144010, drive ratio = 5.79:1
The new 19 tooth pinion still has reasonably tall gearing but way better than the 27t. This setup comes stock on the 124017 and 124016 V2 and the 144010. On these cars with the brushless 2845 4300kv motor it will hit around 70km/h on 2s which is very quick but battery hungry especially offroad. This pinion has a 3.2mm bore meaning it is only suitable for a brushed 390 motor or a brushless 2838, 2845, 2850 motor. Parts needed:
Picture
Here is the 19t stock in the WL Toys brushless 144010. Click on the image to go to the review.
Picture
124017 V2 or 144010 motor mount (this vendor on Aliexpress ships quickly)
Picture
19t pinion gear

Picture
The Surpass Hobby Brushless 2845 motor is a cost effective motor for this setup. I prefer the 3800kv here.
Option 3: 17t pinion from A959, drive ratio = 6.47:1
The 17t pinion is a good gearing option for mid high kv motors in the 2838-2850 brushless motor range. The pinion is somewhat uncommon but I can confirm this is the correct one here. You will need to slot a motor mount to allow it to mesh properly as per my original ultimate brushless upgrade guide here. The gearing is well suited to a motor speed of 4000-4500kv. The pinion bore is only 2.3mm meaning you will need to drill it out if you wish to fit it to a 2838, 2845 or 2850 motor. This will however fit directly on to a 2440 or 2445 motor. Parts needed:
Picture
I used this 17t pinion in the very first brushless upgrade I wrote. Click on the pic to go to the guide.
Picture
17t pinion from the a959 comes in a set of 2
Picture
144001 motor mount is the best start point but needs slotting
Picture
I like the Surpass Hobby 2838 brushless motor with the 17 pinion.
Option 4: Unicorn 15t pinion, drive ratio = 7.33:1
The 15t pinion is my favourite pinion because the final gear ratio is more conventional for race cars which allows the motor to run cool and efficiently with fantastic acceleration. Better yet this small 2.3mm bore is a direct fit for lightweight 2440 and 2445 brushless motors which bolt up directly to the 144001 motor mount inner holes making this truly a drop in upgrade. My full installation guide for this setup can be found here.
Picture
Clink on the image to take you to my install guide
With this pinion I have achieved to following speeds:
  • 2445 3600kv 2s 50km/h, 3s 72 km/h (see here for more detail)
  • 2445 5400kv 2s 78km/h, 3s 109 km/h (see here for more detail)
  • 2845 3900kv 2s 56km/h (I'm running this at present but have not written up yet)
  • 2440 4600kv 2s 59km/h (see here for more detail)

​You can still achieve a top speed of over 70km/h on 2s with a 2445 5400kv motor and even 50km/h on 2s with a 2445 3600kv motor which is just magic for off-roading with bigger wheels and no risk over overheating. This pinion gear is something of a unicorn and is only available from two sellers on aliexpress. Both are reliable vendors and are listed below.
Picture
The 15t pinion is available exclusively from Aliexpress
Picture
144001 motor mount is the one you need here
Picture
The Racerstar 2445 brushless motor is a direct fit. I like 3600kv for off-road
Conclusions
In my experience this is a complete list of the pinion gears that are commonly available for these cars and should provide you with a decent range of options depending on your application and depending on whether you want a straight bolt up option or a more involved one that requires filing and drilling.
Picture
As I've made clear my favourite option here for a street or offroad basher type application is the 15t pinion which provides a gear ratio of 7.33:1 which is in line with typical race cars. You may think this is slow but with the right brushless motor it is anything but and the acceleration and increased battery life on offer puts it on a whole different level. Anyway hopefully you find this useful as a resource when building your own car to suit your own driving location and style.
Other possibilities - the Motor mounts
WL toys do not make an adjustable motor mount for the 144001 series of cars meaning you need their stock hole locations that fit pinions only of a specific size. It's amazing to think that for the same base car WL toys have actually made 4 different mounts:
Picture
The original motor mount from the 144001, 124018 and 124019 had a mount for the 550 motor/27t pinion but as we found out later, the spare set of holes was for a 2440/2445 motor and 15t pinion.
Picture
On the first release of the brushless 124017, 124016 and Eachine EAT14 this was changed to a single set of holes only for the included 2845 brushless motor and 27t pinion. This is the worst of the mounts since it only has one set of holes
Picture
I've just found that the V2 124017 mount has three sets of holes. One of course for the included 19t pinion but I have also estimated is has holes for a 21t and 25t pinion - not that they are currently available.
Picture
The latest 144010 reviewed here has a different mount again! 1 for the stock 19t pinion of course but another set for the 27t pinion on a 550 sized motor. This mount is not yet available as a part that I am aware of.
If you are looking for a discount on this car, I will post any coupon codes or flash sales for it over here on my coupons and discounts page. Remember buying from any of these links supports my page without any cost to you and is appreciated especially since I don't ask for money via patreon and the like. If you want to get involved in this discussion, feel free to join the QuadifyRC Facebook Group Here or like my page below.
24 Comments
Idan harel
1/5/2022 07:49:51 am

Please help me understand something.
Let say I'm using the stock 28t pinion, can't I just get a motor with low KV like 1600kv for example to counter the high pinion gear and should run cool with great efficiancy ?

Reply
QuadifyRC
2/5/2022 01:47:01 pm

Hi there Idan. You can to that and it would improve current draw at full speed but cogging would still be an issue unless you used a premium ESC. The torque requirement is too much with this gearing for a brushless motor at low speed, especially offroad.

Reply
Jason
17/5/2022 01:33:47 pm

Just got the 19t pinion today and installed. No cogging with the 124017 v1 now, thank goodness!

Reply
QuadifyRC
28/5/2022 09:20:25 pm

Nice one Jason, glad to hear it worked for you too.

Reply
Dave
23/5/2022 03:37:08 am

I’ve just drilled my 15t pinion out to 1/8(3.175mm) unfortunately upon install I realized it was binding on the spur gear. Looks like my hole was off center 🙃. Does anyone know how to drill a well centered hole without a drill press? YouTube is turning up every result except what I need!

Reply
QuadifyRC
28/5/2022 09:22:07 pm

Unfortunately it is easy to get wrong without a drill press or lathe. One way I hear that sounds good is to put the pinion in the drill chuck and the drill bit in the vice. Alternatively see Ron Wilson's reply below, he's had good success with milling the motor shaft.

Reply
Ron Wilson
26/5/2022 04:16:46 am

Its easier to just mill down the shaft on the motor then drill the hole on the gear. Its much much easier to get the shaft true then it is to drill the pinion. Ive done atleast 10 motors so far ive had no issues with any of them. You have to go slow, keep the motor cool and stop at times so te motor doesnt overheat and ruin the bearings.

Reply
QuadifyRC
28/5/2022 09:22:35 pm

Thanks Ron, I keep forgetting to try this one!

Reply
Dave
18/6/2022 08:47:12 am

I don’t have milling tools.. do you think I could just run my motor bare shaft and squeeze the shaft with some sandpaper while it spins? 😂 Also accepting tool donations

Reply
Ben Gilbert
14/6/2022 06:59:13 pm

Hi I have done the 3600kv 2445 with the 15t pinion and I have terrible cogging any idea why cheers

Reply
Ian
18/6/2022 04:52:06 am

I've managed to eliminate cogging on my 144002 using 2 different approaches. My initial set up was with a 2445 3600kv using a surpass hobby 35A esc. There was some cogging on long grass and also as the voltage dropped.

Solution 1: try a better quality esc. I've just fitted the hobbywing QuicRun 16BL30 esc (replacing a 60A surpass hobby that went up in flames running a 2445 5400kv) to my 124019 with the 2445 3600kv motor and 80mm tyres (off the 144002). There's no cogging even in long grass. The esc is superb and I'll eventually replace all of mine with hobbywing escs. The driving experience is much better with this esc.

Solution 2: fit a higher torque motor. I've been experimenting with an F540 3300kv motor with a 17T pinion (I have 15T in all my other brushless conversions). It was tricky to fit requiring mods to the second floor. I'm running this with a cheaper 35A surpass hobby esc and again have no cogging issues on long grass with the 144002 running the stock 80mm tyres. The battery life is incredible with this setup.

Reply
QuadifyRC
29/6/2022 05:37:48 pm

Wow nice work on getting the 17t pinion to fit. That's be a pretty solid option. Still heavy but at least it addresses the gearing

Michael
16/6/2022 06:08:01 pm

Any insights on the motor mount and pinion of the
104009?

Reply
QuadifyRC
29/6/2022 05:37:02 pm

Nothing sorry, that car has been something of a red headed stepchild.

Reply
Marky
7/7/2022 11:32:11 am

Just ordered a 2600kv 2845 to run with 144010 gearing on my son's 144002.

Hope I can keep the speed down and the running time up running on 2s (hobbywing esc). Low speed and a long run time is important for a 3 year old who usually drives a crawler.

Anyone else using these cars with low gearing to get their kids skills up so they can have someone to race on the garden track 😀

Reply
QuadifyRC
12/9/2022 05:59:50 pm

Hi Marky. That should certainly help! I usually use the throttle dual rate with the little ones but making a kv and gearing change would make it much more efficient (and torquey).

Reply
Brian
3/8/2022 07:15:03 am

I found a motor mount the will open up more motor / pinion options.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0915YZL6P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I noticed the stock spur on my 124019 is a 32p 44t, I found out but just messing around with my Slash spur and it meshed with the 124019 spur gear. So I grabbed my traxxas pinion and it meshed perfectly. So now I am waiting on my new motor to see if I can get this to work. My current brushless setup ( I followed your guide btw ) has been amazing for on road speed. But since I got my SCT I have a grass race track cut out and my 124019 over heats after just 3 laps. Soooo I have an ESC with a fan, and now a bigger motor. and the pinions to match. I'm just waiting on it all to be delivered. Basically turning my 124019 into the LC Racing Truggy with all the parts I have replaced (also thanks to your post about the interchangeable parts).

Thanks for all the work you put in on these cars, no other person that I have seen does this for wltoys. Thank you!

Reply
QuadifyRC
3/8/2022 10:12:15 am

Hi Brian. Yes, that mount is also on Aliexpress. It fits the stock 550 and larger 3650 motors. Unfortunately (with stock spur) you are limited to 27t stock pinion due to clearance issues. If you can find out an alternative spur solution I think you will be the first! If you are on FB, join my group as we'd love to hear if it works or even if it doesn't. THanks for the kind comment, I'm glad my fun with these cars helps other people enjoy them too :)

Reply
Mark Visser
12/9/2022 02:36:08 pm

Might be a newbie question - why not switch both the pinion and spur gears to a more common module, and then just select a gear pair that is as close to the stock center distance as possible?

Reply
QuadifyRC
12/9/2022 06:01:58 pm

Hey Mark, it's a very good question. Unfortunately it's a unique spur mount and no one has yet gotten something other than stock to fit reliably. If you could change to a more common pitch with multiple spur options there would be nearly limitless options but alas it is what it is. Certainly much better now than when these cars launched though!

Reply
BOB BOBERSON
20/9/2022 07:07:27 am

First, this rocks. Man, you rock.
Second, for keeping the stock 124017 V2 4300kv motor, it sounds like the 17T option is the one to go for. Is that correct, or have i missed something? do you 100% need the 144001 mount, or can you slot the V2 mount?

I actually liked the stock gearing and performance on 2s and 3s, but of course i've gone and broken it by putting approx 14% larger tires. now its a dog on 2s, and ridiculous, and probably very taxing on the battery and esc on 3s.

Reply
QuadifyRC
23/9/2022 11:30:28 am

Thanks for the kind feedback. Since I wrote this article these is a new adjustable mount in Aliexpress that will fit the 28xx sized motors so you can use the 17t without cutting. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004690287075.html

Reply
BOB BOBERSON
10/11/2022 09:52:37 am

great advice. worked perfectly!
removing the stock motor without damage was approximately the same nightmare you described in your ultimate brushless upgrade tutorial.
Advice for anyone doing the same:
1/8" pin punch to the motor shaft after drilling the grub screw and undoing/shearing off the motor mount screws was the magic ticket. Digital caliper depth gauge and nasa calibrated eyeball can ensure you stop just short of drilling into the motor shaft.
Also, the motor mount to chassis screws supplied with that mount are too short and will strip the mount. use the stock ones, or new ones of the right length from a parts kit.

back to almost stock ratio with bigger wheels. yay!

QuadifyRC
28/11/2022 11:03:38 am

Hi Bob

Since I wrote that guide I got my self a little butane torch. A bit of heat and that evil threadlock loosens it right off, even pinion grub screws come out unscathed now.

Reply



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