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Ready-to-run (RTR) vehicles make up most of the type of vehicles that are sold today. Newcomers and even enthusiasts appreciate the quick from-the-box to behind-the-wheel time that RTRs offer. Plus, some RTRs have a relatively low price point since they are a baseline model equipped with inexpensive components to keep the overall cost down like the Losi 22S SCT RTR. A vehicle like this allows a person to try out a specific style of vehicle before they go all-in and drop a big wad of cash on a top-of-the-line version. If the vehicle is the right fit, then that vehicle can be modified instead of buying an entirely new car or truck. To give you an idea as to what can be done, here are five guaranteed performance upgrades for Losi 22S short course truck that will make this SCT a serious contender at the track over its stock out-of-the-box setup.
About the Losi 22S SCT RTR
We selected the Losi 22S SCT because it is an ideal vehicle for the following reasons. It comes fully assembled as an RTR so it is ready to go as soon as you drop in a charged battery pack. Its off-road capabilities allow it to be driven nearly anywhere. The straightforward 2WD drivetrain is uncomplicated therefore making it easy to work on. Short course trucks are an absolute blast to drive, especially when racing against other short course trucks.
Furthermore, the Losi 22S SCT has a price tag under $230 and all you need to get it up and running is a battery pack, compatible charger and AA batteries for the transmitter. Out of the box, it is relatively fast, offers responsive handling and can tackle big air thanks to the fact that it is based on the proven Team Losi Racing 22 race platform. Losi engineers then applied race winning suspension geometry taken from their successful TLR short course trucks. All this makes the 22S SCT right at home bashing around your home or when some key upgrades are added, it becomes the perfect short course truck to seriously compete at the local track.
Losi was able to keep the price affordable for the 22S SCT by carefully picking the components that make up this off-road truck. A Dynamite 12-turn 550-size brushed motor system provides the go and is a big money saver over a brushless motor setup. Similarly, a basic Spektrum waterproof servo with plastic gears is spec’d for the steering duties along with the entry-level Spektrum STX2 radio system that gives you basic features. You will also find the shocks are plastic units as an alternate for higher end aluminum, threaded-body shocks and fixed plastic links are used for all the camber and toe links. Along with the officially licensed Magnaflow version shown here, Losi also sells a version with the Kicker Audio livery.
Spektrum Firma 85A Brushless Smart ESC / 4000Kv Sensorless Motor Combo—#SPMXSEMC02
Experience the largest change in performance by swapping out the stock brushed motor system for the Spektrum Firma 85A brushless Smart ESC / 4000Kv sensorless motor combo. Making this upgrade will definitely give the Losi 22S SCT more acceleration, higher top speed and be much more efficient while doing it. And that is not all. Along with those notable benefits, the Firma 85A ESC /4000Kv motor combo is waterproof and is equipped with the Spektrum Smart all-in-one telemetry. It is a one-wire solution so that you can obtain telemetry data such as RPM, temperature, battery voltage and capacity. You will just need to utilize a compatible Spektrum radio system and battery pack.
Spektrum’s engineers put in the extra effort and give you an ESC that is loaded with features. The Firma 85A Brushless Smart ESC is easy to program and there are multiple options for programming it. Plus it is fitted with a fast and powerful 32-bit ARM M4 processor, has multi-point protection, is equipped with a high current adjustable BEC and an aluminum heat sink and cooling fan to keep the ESC running cool.
Receiving the input from the ESC is the Spektrum Firma 4000Kv sensorless brushless motor that is perfect for placed the 550-size brushed motor that comes stock on the Losi 22S SCT. It is built with a high-quality 4-pole sintered rotor, precision ball bearings, hardened steel shaft and 4mm gold plated bullet connectors to securely and efficiently attach to the ESC.
Spektrum S6240 High Speed, Digital Racing Servo—#SPMSS6240
It is common for manufactures to equip a baseline RTR vehicle with a basic steering servo like what Losi did with the 22S SCT. You can inject some serious performance by installed this Spektrum S6240 high speed, digital racing servo. It boasts a .08-sec transit time and 208 oz.-in. of torque which will be instantly apparent when you drive the truck. This standard size servo features a 7075 hard anodized aluminum output shaft and main gear along with a compliment of steel internal gears and supported by ball bearings. You will notice that the Spektrum S6240 comes with a removable wire harness where you can change it with optional wires that have differing lengths and this is ideal in case the wire is damaged for a no fuss replacement.
Pro-Line Pre-Cut Flo-Tek Fusion Tough-Color black body—#PRO345818
Some may question how a body upgrade can lead to performance gains, but it definitely can. With that said, it is 100-percent dependent on the body you pick. One of the guaranteed performance upgrades for Losi 22S short course truck is this Pro-Line pre-cut Flo-Tek Fusion Tough-Color black body. To start off, Pro-Line designed the Flo-Tek Fusion body to be incredibly aerodynamic specifically for racing by utilizing the best features from its proven EVO body. Things like kick-ups on the roof and rear fenders will help keep your truck sucked down onto the track for enhanced traction thus making it easier to control. But by far, the stand out feature are the large vent holes located in the front, middle and rear of the body that work together to drastically reduce the parachuting effect which is common on short course bodies.
By using the Pro-Line pre-cut Flo-Tek Fusion Tough-Color black body, you will be able to hit the track even quicker. It comes not only pre-cut (including all the vent holes), but it is also molded in black so no painting is required. The black color is not just your standard polycarbonate painted black. This body uses a special type of polycarbonate that is already colored black named Tough-Color polycarbonate and affords you the peace of mind that you will never have to worry about the paint chipping or peeling off. All you need to do to get the body mounted on the Losi 22S SCT is to place the Fusion wrap decals that are already precut for you and make the body post holes. The decals feature Blue Wrap speed lines to make your Flo-Tek Fusion body truly your own. And since the windows are black, Pro-Line gives you realistic looking window stickers complete with faux window net and roll-bars.
Pro-Line Pre-Mounted Trencher X SC tires—#PRO119010
Seriously improve traction and durability by installing these Pro-Line Pre-Mounted Trencher X SC tires. They feature super tall treads that are made up of wild looking horizontal “H” shapes that will give the Losi 22S SCT loads of forward bite and ridiculous amounts of side-to-side stability. You will also find that the Trencher X tires can tackle all kids of surfaces like loose or hard-packed dirt, sand, snow, street or gravel.
With these pre-mounted tires, Pro-Line took the guesswork out of your tire gluing ability and have the Trencher X tires already mounted onto Pro-Line Raid 22”/3.0” Removable Hex wheels that work on all short course tires. The removable hex wheels allow you to be able to replace a damaged wheel hex without needing to replace your glued tires. They also permit you to change the offset to fit different applications. Pro-Line gave the Raid SC wheels its unique 6×30 interlocking hex design that is secured to the wheel by six M3 screws that are spaced 30mm across.
The Raid wheels are constructed from high-strength and very durable DuPont nylon material which will stand up to serous off-road racing abuse. It is obvious that Pro-Line took its time to create a mold that would give the Raid wheels a lot of detail. In fact the 10-spoke wheel design mimics full-size racing wheels and they look great in their dark black color. By adding this wheel/tire combo to the Losi 22S SCT, you gain not only performance and durability, but also the convenience of having the wheels mounted to the tires.
Pro-Line PowerStroke Shocks—#PRO606300 (Front) / #PRO606301 (Rear)
The last of the guaranteed performance upgrades for the Losi 22S short course truck will for one add some style points to the chassis and two, and more importantly will enhance its off-road handling prowess. We are referring to the Pro-Line PowerStroke shocks sets which are available for the front and rear of the 22S SCT. These shocks will work on many other vehicles as well and if needed, Pro-Line offers a Pro-Line PowerStroke SC Universal Shock Mounting Hardware Kit (#PRO606305). The mounting kit includes high quality 3mm hardware and machined Delrin pivot balls for smooth action.
As for the shocks, they feature aluminum shock bodies and caps, stout 3.5mm shafts, true dual-stage spring rate, injection molded, super durable spring perches and shock ends, bladder sealed shock cap and dual O-ring seats and upper and lower shock shaft guides. A welcome feature with the PowerStroke shocks is that Pro-Line sells them assembled so all you have to do is add oil. If you need more tunability for your short course truck, there are PowerStroke Spring Assortment packs for the front (#PRO606303) and rear (#PRO606304) shocks. The packs include six primary springs and six secondary springs which are color coded to easily identify spring rate. It makes it possible to further adjust ride heights and dual-rate spring rates almost infinitely.
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