Micro RC Car Upgrades
These cars really do run very well out of the box. Upgrades are not necessary, but they can often greatly enhance the look, feel, and fun level experienced with your Micro-T or Micro-DT. Losi has many upgrade parts available, and aftermarket support is abundant. Since I am not affiliated with any company and thus free to give a truly unbiased opinion, I will state that I prefer Losi parts whenever possible, followed by 3racing and Atomic. These three manufacturers tend to have the best tolerances, utilize the best materials, and have the best all-around satisfaction rates by Micro-T and Micro-DT users.
Basic Upgrades (Stage 1)
The first upgrades that most owners get are threaded axles, ball bearings for the wheels, and a larger bumper. These changes make your micro easier to work on, more efficient, and more durable. For about $29, these items make playing with your RC car more enjoyable while not breaking the bank.
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The Micro-T and Micro Desert Truck come with little e-clips that hold their wheels on to the axles. While this is a workable solution, many owners choose to go with threaded axles with nuts. This makes taking the wheels on and off much easier. A 5 minute job to remove and replace all four wheels becomes a 30-second job with this upgrade. Losi makes a nice set (LOSB1507) that comes with steel axles (other manufacturers use aluminum), plastic nuts, and a wrench, for $11.99. |
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Ball bearings replace the stock plastic wheel bushings. This upgrade yields longer run times and faster speeds. It's a decent upgrade that's worth considering. I like the set by Losi, part number LOSB1528, for $11.99. |
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Aftermarket bumpers such as this one from RPM ($4.95) do a better job of protecting the suspension arms and other components in crashes than the tiny stock one. These bumpers are wider, and in some cases longer, than the stock bumper. If you are a hard basher, speed demon, or stunt jumper, or if you just want to protect your beloved micro, this is probably a worthwhile investment. The one pictured to the left by RPM is probably the most popular bumper for the micro. Unlike other brands, this bumper is made of soft rubber to absorb impacts and retains the front U-clip without modification. |
Speed Upgrade (Stage 2)
In terms of getting the best speed increase per dollar, there is no better upgrade than getting a Lipo battery and an Atomic BB2 motor. These two things really go hand in hand, and work to almost triple the speed of your micro.
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The ESC (electronic speed controller) is capable of handling from (a stock) 4.8v up to 7.4v. A LiPO battery effectively takes advantage of this power-handling capability while also significantly increasing your runtime. If you have a Micro-T, you'll want the 180mah battery (LOSB0863) for $24.99. If you have a DT with the extended chassis, you can use a 300mah battery (LOSB0871) for $32.99. If you are on a budget, there are cheaper alternatives such as the S2S1P200 by Aero-nuts for $5.50. |
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The BB2 motor by Atomic ($14.99) features increased speed over the stock motor (via differing winding count), advanced timing, and ball bearings for lower friction. This adds up to a very fast micro for very little money. Note that there are only three motors on the market that can utilize the stock electronics: The stock motor, the BB1 (an old Atomic version containing bushings), and the current BB2. |
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Without a doubt, the weakest point in the micro drivetrain is the brass bushing in the stock plastic gearbox. As this bushing wears out, the spur gear shaft will start to wobble, causing the gears in the transmission to strip. Especially at the stage 1 power level, it's worth getting a gearbox that utilizes ball bearings instead of brass bushings. The alternative to this one-time investment is an endless cycle of buying new gears. I recommend the MI-14 aluminum gearbox by 3racing, pictured to the left for $15. |
Handling Upgrade (Stage 2)
The suspension on the Micro-T and Micro Desert Truck is very well designed. It can be adjusted according to your driving needs by tuning the front and rear shocks and springs.
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Shocks reduce the bouncy-ness on your micro, and also make jumps easier and safer by reducing the bottoming out of the vehicle and lessening the rebound upon landing. With shocks, you have four choices. You can stay stock, modify the stock shocks to provide better damping, buy oil-filled shocks, or buy friction (grease) shocks. Unmodified, the stock shocks provide zero damping. You can add grease to them to give damping, but you will need to modify them so that it doesn't leak out. Oil shocks are good, but many of them tend to leak and some people feel they don't dampen as nicely as grease shocks at this scale. The grease shocks made by Atomic (TL-006) are the most expensive, but many agree that they are the best mod in this department. They also provide height adjustment via threaded bodies. Retail price: $32.99. |
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Springs allow you to adjust the handling of the vehicle, as well as the firmness it displays during jumps. Personally, I like to run softer springs in front and firmer springs in the rear, which tends to allow the car to swing around nicely in corners. In addition, the firmer springs in the rear support the heavier rear end of the vehicle when landing jumps. Losi's sets (LOSB1600 front and LOSB1601 rear, $4.99 for each set) include a soft, medium, and firm spring for each end of the car and fit well over the atomic grease shocks described above. |
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Finally, don't forget the tires. Losi's Raminator tires (LOSB1574) provide a nice improvement to your micro. Both straight-line grip and lateral grip are vastly improved with these tires. Additionally, the larger size allows for higher top speeds, and the damping provided by these tires makes jumps (and landing) much easier. At only $9 for a set of four mounted tires, this upgrade is well worth it. |
Speed Upgrade (Stage 3)
Many people are very happy with the performance achieved at the stage 2 speed level. However, if you're willing to spend more money to get the fastest micro around, then brushless speed is for you.
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The stock ESC has the receiver (RX) and speed controller integrated as one unit. To upgrade to a brushless motor, you will need a new RX along with a new ESC to control the brushless motor. Additionally, you will need a new steering servo, and of course the brushless motor. These four items will set you back about $85, but you can rest assured that you have one of the fastest micros around. |
Appearance and Durability Upgrade
For clarity, I categorized the performance upgrades into three stages. This final section covers aluminum upgrades that you can get for your micro.
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Aluminum adds a lot to your micro in terms of appearance and durability. However, keep in mind that aluminum is heavier than plastic. Therefore, those who are performance-minded probably want to keep the aluminum upgrades to a minimum. That being said, there are many aluminum parts available for the Micro-T and Micro Desert Truck, and they sure do make the cars look nice! |
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