The high torque Temper Gen 2 is a perfect starter crawler truck. Whether it’s snowy or smooth (rocky smooth), this crawler beats the living torque out of it!
But this starter crawler can be modified to get an amplified performance out of them. Want more durability? More grip? More crawling?
Whatever it is your heart desires, Lucifer is here to grant it today! Here’s a blog on how you can fix up your Temper Gen 2 to get the best crawling performance out of them. Read completely to find out!
How Much Does Its Cost to Upgrade?
The entire upgrade will cost you about $205-465.
You can upgrade the steering at $28-40, $20-40 on tires, up to $16-40 on servo motor, $7-40 on battery, $18-40 on the driveshaft, around $8-20 on pinion gears, $100-150 on shock oil and $5-12 on ESC.
you can upgrade other accessories within $10-80 dollars.
8 Temper Gen 2 Upgrades Ideas:
A few components are incredibly weak in this crawler. Some of these rigs are incredibly basic. Upgrading them should be a priority.
Here’s what you should upgrade in your Temper Gen 2 and the cost associated with them.
1. Steering
The steering particularly is pretty bad. A good steering is essential for a controlled drive. To avoid damages to the RC, steering is necessary.
Hot Racing piggy back models of steering are pretty good ones for an upgrade.
1st Option: Hot Racing Trf2101 CNC Aluminum Steering Block
2nd Option: Hot Racing ATF4801 1/10 Aluminum Bearing Steering Bellcrank
2. Tires
Stock tires that come with the crawler are around 44-50 grams (per tire). You should switch to more aggressive tires or weighted wheels.
Some 1.9 tires will be the perfect weighted tires for this. Each of them weighs about 82-90 grams.
1st Option: Pit Bull Tires PB9006NK Growler at Extra 1.9 Scale Tire With Foam
2nd Option: RC4WD Rock Crusher II X/t 1.9 Tires Rc4zt0030
3. Servo Motor
The servo is pretty weak. One of the most common issues is the breaking of screws. Especially in the front steering knuckles.
This is not ideal. Especially for high torque demands. Replace the servo with a high-torque one.
Moreover, strip the plastic gears and replace them with metal gears.
1st Option: WEISE DS3218 Control Angle 270 High Torque Update Servo
2nd Option: JX Servo CLS-HV7346MG 46kg Coreless High Precision Steel Gear
4. Battery
The battery that comes with the truck is a 900mAh 6-cell NiMH battery. But you can run this on a LiPo battery. LiPo obviously delivers more torque for optimum crawling performance. However, make sure your ESC is LiPo compatible.
1st Option: Venom Fly 30C 2S 1300mAh 7.4V LiPo Battery with UNI 2.0 Plug,
2nd Option: Venom 20C 2S 2000mAh 7.4V LiPo Battery with Universal Plug,
3rd Option: Zippy Compact 1300mAh 2S 25C Lipo Pack,
5. Driveshaft
The driveshafts tend to snap easily. Especially if you are doing forward and reverse. It is better to replace the plastic ones with something better. By something better I mean metal.
1st Option: Ecx212013 Molded Driveshaft,
2nd Option: ECX Molded Driveshaft (2): 1/18 4WD Temper,
6. Pinion Gear
Pinion gear has a lot to do with speed. The smallest pinion gear produces the minimum speed. Similarly, the largest one produces high speed.
The 48dp is the smallest pinion gear out there. For a smaller brushless motor, you can put a 14T. Those motors may also run with 22T but the speed outcome may miss the mark.
In the above-mentioned case, the stock is usually a 22Tooth, 48 Pitch, 2.3 mm bore.
1st Option: ECX Axle Pinion Gear 14T: 1/18 4WD Temper
2nd Option: ECX Dynamite Motor and Pinion Gear: 1/24 4WD Temper, DYNS1202
7. ESC
It is not safe to assume any ESC will be compatible with the LiPo battery. Especially when the crawler comes with a NiMh battery.
If your ESC is not compatible, your electronics will be messed up.
Moreover, you can reduce the chance of getting flipped if you are using a good quality, compatible ESC.
Some ESCs come with multiple adjustable parameters (The Hobbywing Quicrun has around 15). These are the best ESCs for brushed crawlers. These ESCs will also be perfect for speed control.
1st Option: Hobbywing QUICRUN WP 1080 brushed (2-3S) Electronic Speed Controller Waterproof ESC
2nd Option: Onyx 40A 2-6S Programmable Brushless Air ESC, ONXM2140
8. Shock Oil
Put a lighter-weight oil. Something around 20 wt in them will do just fine. You can also put 35 wt oil. This will improve the articulation of the hydro-locked shocks.
1st Option: Team Losi Racing Silicone Shock Oil, 20wt, 2oz, TLR74002
2nd Option: Team Associated 5429 35 Weight Silicone Shock Oil, 2-Ounce
Temper Gen 2 Accessories Upgrades
The Temper Gen 2 accessories are not necessary to upgrade. But for those people who can’t leave a stone unturned, here are a few accessories for you to upgrade.
Metal Servo Horn: This one is just a nice addition to your truck. Round the edges of it to get a better ability to climb without dragging.
Bead Locks: Bead locks of 2.2 oz weight or so per tire. It will help increase the weight of the truck. This aids in rock climbing.
Shocks: Two of the shocks are hydro-locked. Choose the shocks that will operate perfectly with the upgraded shock oil. Hot Racing’s Piggy back shocks will do just fine in this case.
Wheel Hexes: Brass wheel hexes would be ideal.
Battery Plugs: Might switch to a pair of XT60 battery plugs.
LED Headlights: A 10mm, two LED lights such as the Angel Eyes & Demon Eyes LED Headlights.
Conclusion
In summary, an RTR crawler has different demands than an RTR RC. You need to consider the demands of torque. Moreover, the demands of high grip and weighted tires should also be kept in mind. Hopefully, this blog will provide you insight into these aspects of the ECX Temper Gen 2 crawler upgrade.
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