The WL Toys 144001 and 124018 / 124019 are a series of 1/14 and 1/12 scale off RC cars that are not only cheap and cheerful but have proven very popular to modify due to their value and versatility. In this article we look at the upgrade of the driveshaft to a sectional unit that will make it easier to service the car and more durable in crashes. The beauty with the community of modders for the WLToys 144001/124019/124018 is that there’s so much sharing of ideas happening. I find it refreshing how this little platform has brought people together to think of new hacks and mods that wouldn’t have been done otherwise. Here we present the center driveshaft modification to go from a rigid center driveshaft to a floating driveshaft. The first instance of this modification was shared by Scott Dump from Taiwan on his WLToys 124019. This approach and was further refined by Ron Wilson but used on his 144001 and shared with the QuadifyRC 144001 124018 124019 104001 Modders Group. Scott was also generous enough to share the parts he used, a simple step-by-step with several pictures of his version of this modification for the 124019. Ron was kind enough to provide his own write-up for the parts and a step-by-step walk-through for his modified 144001. This modification can be done for either WLToys 1/14 or 1/12 platforms by using either the shorter LC Racing EMB-1 driveshaft or longer EMB-T driveshaft. I want to thank Scott and Ron for contributing their mod with the community and letting us share it on this platform. This mod is considered medium skill level, can be done with or without power tools, but power tools will make it easier and a little quicker. Option 1: Scott Dump’s Floating Driveshaft Modification Scott’s floating driveshaft mod was the first instance of this kind shared with the WLToys Facebook community. His 124019 is built to race on a dirt track. The move to a floating driveshaft to avoid bending the driveshaft in case of a crash and allowed him to delete part of the top deck to make room for a bigger battery and ESC upgrade. Parts Required :
Scott’s original execution for this modification:
Option 2: Ron Wilson’s Floating Driveshaft Mod This mod needs 3 additional parts and the rest are reused parts on the car. Total cost about $20-25 Parts Required:
Why do we want to do this mod? The 144001, 124019 and 124018 cars have a rigid drive shaft. When jumping or in the event of a frontal impact, the chassis can flex and jam the shaft and gear into the diffs with enough force to damage the diff gears as well as bending the center shaft. This is a common issue and this mod will allow the front and rear diffs to sort of float on the chassis and allow it to flex a little and still function smoothly. The original LC Racing EMB cars all have floating dog bones for the center driveshaft, which is what makes this modification possible. How to:
And that is job done. Se below for some more of the pics from Ron's completed build: 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
11 Comments
RCFREAK
12/5/2021 11:24:15 am
This is something I will definitely attempt.
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RCFREAK
12/5/2021 11:25:45 am
Probably one of the most expensive parts to replace too!
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QuadifyRC
12/5/2021 11:45:15 am
I've never damaged one but it's becoming clear that I must be a boring driver!
RCFREAK
26/5/2021 10:30:21 am
To be fair, I was quite unlucky. I drove under the bottom of a metal fence just spacious enough to catch the shock plate, bend a cvd and absorber, then snap open the gearbox damaging the diff and bending the drive shaft. Totally my bad, I was driving it around like you'd drive a SG 1602. Didn't think that faster, heavy, equals, less bounce, more snap 😭🤣😁🙄🤔😜
Vailen
8/6/2021 08:28:53 am
What is the length of the L6038 dogbone?
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9/7/2021 02:13:08 am
The upper deck of the latest WLToys vehicles seems to be more of a hope and pray than their previous versions. It just seems weak. Why wouldn't the aluminum version be the way to go? Wouldn't it help eliminate the driveshaft damage? For those racing these cars, how about an RPM bumper, just in case?
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QuadifyRC
16/7/2021 03:29:10 pm
You mean the 124019 and 124018 1/12 scale? I like them a lot actually, they don't have the weak kink like the 144001 and they have a criss cross pattern underneath that makes them stronger. If you are looking for a bumper, the tbone bumper for the LC racing EMB-T is a perfect fit.
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Mike
18/7/2021 12:41:47 pm
Thank you for this mod! I am pleased with the results of Ron Wilson's Floating Driveshaft mod on my stock 144001, but I made changes to fix clearance issues:
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QuadifyRC
26/7/2021 05:43:04 pm
Excellent feedback Mike, thanks for the tips!
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8/2/2023 07:11:11 pm
I like how you mentioned that sharing ideas could help provide information and knowledge. My uncle mentioned last night that he is hoping to find a reliable automotive service because he's not able to use his sprinter because of a driveshaft system issue. He asked if I had any idea what would be the best option for a proper repair. Thanks to this informative driveshaft article. I'll be sure to tell him that he can consult a well-known auto repair service in town as they can provide good quality service.
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