The WL Toys 144001 is a small 1/14 scale 4wd buggy with a massively oversized brushed motor that can reach well over 30mph. When this massive brushed motor is replaced with a massive brushless motor the top speed can become over triple that with the right setup. The below guide goes into detail the build components I used for such a build, the build process and setup to optimise handling. By now you've probably seen some wild speed run builds based on the WL toys 144001 of up to and over 100mph. At the top end of the scale these are highly customised with expensive race-oriented gear and outboard twin-battery power supply. The objective of my build was stealth: to retain the stock look, making everything fit (somewhat tightly) under the stock bodyshell and be bolt-on without the need for machining or fabrication i.e. as simple to replicate as possible. For this reason I have specifically chosen to run my car with stock gearing on 2-3s only. To that end here are the parts I chose and why, Parts used for build: I've separated this into power system for the key components...
....and the boring but necessary parts
...And the tools I recommend if you don't already have them.
Build process Please see images below with description to take you through the build process. There is no cutting in this process.
Setup When the car is running at this kind of speed you want to be very sure that all of the settings are dialled in straight and all of the stock items are performing at their peak. In order to do this, please follow the below articles to set up the following:
Adjust the suspension collars to that drive shafts are parallel with the ground front and rear for maximum efficiency. Once this is set, adjust the droop crews (if used) so that they allow the suspension the wheels to drop another 5mm or so when lifted so you are not sitting on the droop screws as this can mess with suspension feel.
That's it??!! Unfortunately this is where the journey for this car ended. In September 2020 all of my RC cars were stolen from my garage so I sadly never got a run on this car, even a quick shakedown. My primary goal was to hit around 60mph or 100kph on 2s and perhaps a little faster on 3s but it was more about the build than the top speed as I never had the desire (or deep pockets) to compete with the guys out of Aussie (The RC Master and Sel Gules from the 144001 Facebook group in particular). I will say that speed runs are hugely specific and although they look rewarding I feel I'm more about the bashing (on and off-road) which is why when the insurance money comes through I will likely repeat my brushless build with the smaller 2838 brushless combo as I wrote about in this article. Thanks for reading, I hope if nothing else this gives you some ideas for your own 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. Links are affiliated and help me buy the bits 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.
14 Comments
Sander Bleijenbergh
15/12/2020 08:38:31 pm
Hi, in regards to the 3s battery I have the problem that most lipo's are around 25mm high and don't fit underneath the top deck. From the specs of the 3s lipo that you recommend that will also be the case. Have you perhaps found a 3s lipo that is only 20mm high?
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Jonathan Ruhe
12/2/2021 06:59:46 pm
Are you still publishing, or has the theft shut you down for good?
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QuadifyRC
1/3/2021 09:37:51 am
Sorry for the late response, notification issues. Yes back up and going, stronger than ever!
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Wanja Schonecke
25/8/2021 02:34:02 am
I builded this and it is awesome... can't even accelerate full throttle or it will land on its roof :D
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QuadifyRC
25/8/2021 10:38:33 pm
Hi Wanja, glad you like it. Go easy on that throttle haha! The motor wires are an extension of the windings and have an insulating enamel on them. Good for the windings but awful for soldering. Next time try scrape some off with a blade.
Reply
Hifihedgehog
18/11/2021 09:49:13 am
You mentioned that "Your car (specifically the top deck) will need modding to make this fit though" for the GNB batteries. I just bought a couple since I am modding myself up a maxed out 144001. What mods are referring to?
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Hifihedgehog
18/11/2021 09:58:04 am
Hello there,
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Jonathan
20/3/2022 06:25:26 pm
Hi,
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Wanja Schonecke
20/3/2022 10:32:31 pm
It came loose for me, so better tighten it up properly and use some loctite. It wont fly away, but it will start to move on the axle if the screw gets loose, then it rubs against the housing. You dont want that to happen.
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Andrew Naylor
27/7/2022 04:47:53 pm
what modifications would you make to this build to maximize battery life on 2s and 3s( while still having a higher top speed then stock, on the same pinion and spur gear?
Reply
QuadifyRC
29/7/2022 01:16:09 pm
This build is made for speed rather than battery life. A smaller brushless motor would is faster than stock with almost double the battery life. Check out this guide instead https://www.quadifyrc.com/rccarreviews/drop-in-brushless-upgrade-guide-for-wl-toys-144001-124018-and-124019-quadifyrc
Reply
Enrico
8/11/2022 06:19:20 am
Dear sir,
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Ian
17/1/2023 12:25:36 pm
I assume it is ok to run a 5200kv motor on a 3s Lipo? I am very new to this and want to be safe. Many thanks
Reply
QuadifyRC
6/2/2023 10:44:09 pm
Only for speed runs, this setup is not suitable for offroad as it would overheat easily.
Reply
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