Best RC Crawler Upgrades in 2026: Where to Spend First

A capable RC rock crawler out of the box can become a trail monster with the right upgrades — but not every hop-up is worth the money, and the order you buy them in matters. Here's where to spend first for the biggest real-world gains on the trail.

LockTech & Gear is an authorized Redcat Racing dealer with crawler parts and hop-ups shipped free.

1. Tires (spend here first)

Nothing changes how a crawler performs more than tires. The stock tires on most ready-to-run rigs are firm and low-grip. Swapping to a soft, sticky compound on a quality foam dramatically improves traction on rock, wood, and concrete. If you make one upgrade, make it tires — it's the cheapest path to a transformed crawler.

2. Brass and weight

Adding brass knuckles, a brass diff cover, or brass portal covers lowers the center of gravity and puts weight down low and out front — exactly where a crawler wants it. The result is better stability on side-hills and steep climbs. Brass is inexpensive, easy to install, and one of the highest-impact upgrades after tires.

3. A quality steering servo

Stock servos are often underpowered and slow. A high-torque servo (think 20+ kg-cm) holds steering angle on technical lines and stops the rig from washing out when a tire is loaded against a rock. This is the upgrade that makes a crawler feel precise.

4. Shocks and tuning

Aluminum oil-filled shocks with the right spring and oil weight let the chassis flex and keep tires planted over uneven terrain. Even just re-tuning your existing shocks with thinner oil and softer springs can unlock noticeable articulation before you buy new ones.

5. Motor and electronics (last)

Crawling is about torque and control at low speed, not top speed — so a sensored brushless system or a lower-turn motor is genuinely useful, but it belongs near the end of the list. Get grip, weight, and steering sorted first; a more powerful motor on a rig that can't put power down just spins tires.

The smart upgrade order

Tires → brass/weight → servo → shocks → motor/electronics. Follow that order and every dollar improves how the rig actually crawls. Shop Redcat crawlers and parts at LockTech & Gear here. New to the hobby? Start with our beginner's guide to RC rock crawlers.