Best BATRAZZI Upgrades for the FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100

FMS 1/18 FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushless RC crawler

The FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 already arrives as a highly developed 1:18 scale crawler, particularly in the brushless version shown here. Its second-generation LCG chassis, 1312 brushless power system, two-speed transmission, straight axles, metal chassis components, oil-filled shocks and licensed BFGoodrich KO3 tyres give it a strong factory baseline. BATRAZZI therefore makes most sense as a way to tune the truck around a specific goal rather than as a list of parts that need to be replaced.

FairRC lists a substantial range of BATRAZZI components alongside the FCX18 II Ford F-100 as optional accessories, including tyres, beadlock wheels, steering links, shock mounts, brass components, skid plates and scale bumpers. These are separate aftermarket parts rather than components included with the standard FMS RTR.

The useful question is therefore not “What can I replace?” but “What does my F-100 actually need?”

Explore the FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushless at FairRC

If you are still choosing between the two factory versions, see our FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushless vs Brushed comparison.

What the FCX18 II F-100 Brushless Already Has

Factory Feature	FCX18 II F-100 Brushless
Motor	1312 brushless
ESC	10A brushless ESC with separate receiver
Chassis	Second-generation FCX18 II low-centre-of-gravity chassis
Axles	Straight-axle suspension
Transmission	Two-speed transmission
Suspension	Threaded metal oil-filled shocks
Chassis Components	Metal rails, suspension links, gears and bearings
Tyres	Licensed BFGoodrich KO3, 58 × 19 mm
Wheelbase	199 mm

This is why an upgrade plan should be selective. The F-100 does not need aftermarket parts simply to become a usable crawler.

Best FCX18 II F-100 Upgrades — Quick Answer

Your Goal	Start With	Why
More grip	Tyres	Changes the contact patch and tread without redesigning the chassis
More precise steering	Aluminium steering links	Reduces linkage flex and creates a more direct steering path
Cleaner breakover	POM central skid	Provides a smooth central surface for sliding across obstacles
More suspension adjustment	Shock tower mounts	Adds multiple shock positions for geometry tuning
More low-mounted weight	Brass brake discs	Adds weight directly at the wheel ends
Track-width tuning	Brass wheel hexes	Two thicknesses allow a small change in track width while adding low weight
More scale character	Cowboy bumpers	Changes the truck's appearance while retaining the F-100 body
No obvious limitation	Keep driving it	There is little value in changing a part before you know what you want to improve

The best first upgrade is the one that solves the first limitation you actually find. Grip, steering precision, breakover, suspension tuning and weight distribution are different problems and should not automatically receive the same solution.

Start with the Factory Truck

The FCX18 II F-100 is already built around a low-centre-of-gravity chassis, two-speed transmission, straight axles and adjustable oil-filled shocks.

The brushless version also places its 1312 motor at the front of the chassis and separates the 10A ESC from the receiver, leaving a clean electronics layout.

Before changing anything, use the truck on the terrain you actually intend to drive.

Try low-speed technical sections. Watch what happens on side slopes. Look at where the chassis contacts ledges. Notice whether grip disappears before clearance does, and whether steering response remains precise when the tyres are loaded against an obstacle.

Once the limitation becomes obvious, the upgrade choice becomes much easier.

For a closer look at the brushless factory specification, see our FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushless Guide.

Upgrade 1 — Tyres for More Grip

Tyres are one of the most direct ways to change crawler behaviour because they determine the vehicle's contact with the terrain.

The factory F-100 uses licensed BFGoodrich KO3 tyres measuring 58 × 19 mm. They also contribute strongly to the truck's convincing scale stance.

BATRAZZI offers several larger alternatives that take the truck in progressively more aggressive directions.

BATRAZZI Precipice 60 × 23.5 mm M/T

The Precipice stays relatively close to the factory tyre diameter while increasing width and using a more aggressive mud-terrain tread pattern.

That makes it an attractive first step for a truck that should retain its scale proportions while gaining a larger footprint for mixed trail surfaces.

View BATRAZZI Precipice 1.0-inch Tyres at FairRC

BATRAZZI Mudboy 62 × 26.5 mm A/T

The Mudboy increases both diameter and width more noticeably.

At 62 × 26.5 mm, it creates a broader footprint and a more aggressive stance than the factory 58 × 19 mm KO3.

This route makes more sense when trail capability is beginning to take priority over retaining the original narrow-tyre appearance.

View BATRAZZI Mudboy 1.0-inch Tyres at FairRC

BATRAZZI Outrider ZR 64 × 24 mm

The 64 mm Outrider takes the diameter increase further.

Larger overall tyre diameter can increase axle clearance, but it also changes effective gearing, body clearance and the visual proportions of the truck.

This is therefore a more deliberate choice for an aggressive trail or technical build rather than an automatic upgrade from the stock tyre.

View BATRAZZI Outrider ZR 1.2-inch Tyres at FairRC

For a deeper look at wheel diameter, tyre sizing and crawler setup, see our BATRAZZI RC Crawler Wheels and Tires Guide.

Upgrade 2 — Beadlock Wheels for Setup and Scale Appearance

Beadlock wheels change more than appearance. They also make tyre combinations easier to experiment with and can alter wheel-end mass depending on the wheel construction.

The BATRAZZI 1.0-inch Revolver beadlocks are a natural match for an F-100 that should remain relatively close to the factory tyre proportions.

View BATRAZZI 1.0-inch Revolver Beadlock Wheels

BATRAZZI also offers a 1.2-inch 8-Lug Revolver wheel, which makes more sense when the build is intentionally moving towards larger 1.2-inch tyres such as the 64 mm Outrider.

View BATRAZZI 1.2-inch 8-Lug Revolver Beadlock Wheels

Bigger is not automatically better. One of the F-100's strongest features is the relationship between its classic pickup body and realistic tyre size. An aggressive wheel-and-tyre package deliberately changes that character.

Upgrade 3 — Steering Links for More Direct Steering

The BATRAZZI aluminium steering link set replaces the flexible steering linkage with CNC-machined aluminium components designed specifically for the FCX18 II platform.

This is most useful when steering precision becomes a real limitation — especially once tyre grip or wheel-end weight has increased.

If the truck already follows steering input cleanly, there is no urgency. If you can see the linkage deflect while the tyres are loaded against an obstacle, a more rigid link becomes a much more logical upgrade.

View the BATRAZZI Aluminium Steering Link Set

Servo Mount and Horn — Aluminium or Brass?

BATRAZZI offers both aluminium and brass steering-servo components for the FCX18 II.

The choice is not simply between a cheaper and more premium metal.

Aluminium is the more neutral route when the goal is rigidity without deliberately adding much extra mass.

Brass combines rigidity with additional chassis weight.

That makes brass useful as part of a deliberate weight-distribution strategy, but there is little reason to add it everywhere automatically.

View the BATRAZZI Aluminium Steering Servo Mount

View the BATRAZZI Brass Steering Servo Mount

Upgrade 4 — POM Central Skid for Breakover

The BATRAZZI central skid is CNC-machined from POM and designed specifically for the FCX18 II.

This is the sort of component that becomes interesting when tyre grip is sufficient to reach an obstacle but the centre of the chassis becomes the limiting point.

POM provides a smooth, low-friction surface, helping the centre of the truck slide across rock rather than relying only on more tyre diameter or more suspension travel.

If high-centering is not a problem on your terrain, this can stay much lower on the upgrade list.

View the BATRAZZI POM Central Skid Plate

Upgrade 5 — Shock Tower Mounts for Suspension Tuning

The BATRAZZI aluminium shock tower set creates significantly more adjustment than a fixed mounting position.

The front mounts provide nine shock mounting positions and the rear mounts provide eight.

That gives the owner room to experiment with shock angle, effective suspension response and body movement without replacing the complete shock system.

This is particularly useful for someone who enjoys chassis tuning rather than simply fitting stronger-looking parts.

View the BATRAZZI Aluminium Shock Tower Mount Set

Upgrade 6 — Brass Brake Discs for Low-Mounted Weight

The BATRAZZI brass brake discs combine visual detailing with functional weight placement.

Each CNC-machined brass disc weighs 5 g, placing additional mass directly at the wheel end.

That can contribute to a more planted chassis, particularly on climbs and side slopes.

There is also a trade-off: wheel-end mass is unsprung and rotating weight, so more is not automatically better.

The useful approach is to add brass where the chassis benefits from it rather than turning every available component into brass simply because the option exists.

View the BATRAZZI Brass Brake Disc Upgrade

Brass Wheel Hexes — Track Width and Weight in One Small Part

The BATRAZZI 7 mm brass wheel hex adapters are available in two versions: a standard 4.3 mm thickness and an extended 5.3 mm version.

That makes them useful for more than simply replacing the stock hex.

The extended version can slightly widen the track, while both versions add a small amount of brass mass directly at the wheel mounting point.

A wider stance can help stability or tyre clearance, but it also changes the visual stance of the F-100, so this is another setup choice rather than a universal improvement.

View the BATRAZZI Brass Wheel Hex Adapters

Upgrade 7 — Cowboy Bumpers for Scale Character and Protection

Not every upgrade has to be about climbing performance.

The BATRAZZI aluminium Cowboy bumpers were designed specifically around the FCX18 II Ford F-100 and are available as front, rear or complete sets.

The front bumper includes an integrated push bar and angled lower profile, while the rear uses a classic step-bumper design. Both preserve the F-100's pickup identity while giving the truck a more customised trail-build appearance.

They also use the stock mounting locations, making this a relatively straightforward visual transformation.

View the BATRAZZI Cowboy Bumper Set

Four FCX18 II F-100 Upgrade Paths

Scale Trail Build

Keep the factory chassis and drivetrain. Add restrained 1.0-inch tyres, beadlock wheels and Cowboy bumpers while preserving the F-100's classic proportions.

Technical LCG Build

Focus on the POM skid, steering links and adjustable shock towers. Add weight only after identifying where the chassis actually needs it.

Aggressive Trail Build

Move towards larger tyres, 1.2-inch beadlocks and selected brass components. The result gains a more purposeful trail stance and moves further from the factory scale look.

Stock-Plus Build

Keep almost everything original and change one component at a time only when the terrain exposes a clear limitation.

What I Would Change First

My first move would be to drive the F-100 exactly as FMS supplies it.

If grip became the first limitation, tyres would be first.

If steering flex became obvious, the aluminium links would move up the list.

If the truck consistently reached the top of a ledge and then became hung up through the centre, the POM skid would become particularly attractive.

If the suspension behaviour needed more tuning, the multi-position shock towers would provide far more adjustment.

Brass would come later, once there was a clear reason to change weight distribution.

That sequence keeps the build understandable. Every part has a job rather than simply becoming another item added to the truck.

Brushed vs Brushless — Does the Upgrade Path Change?

The brushed and brushless FCX18 II F-100 use different power and electronics packages, but many of the BATRAZZI parts in this guide are specified for the FCX18 II chassis itself.

Tyres, wheels, steering links, shock mounts, skid plates and several brass components therefore sit outside the motor choice.

The distinction becomes important when moving into drivetrain or electronics components, where the exact brushed or brushless configuration needs to be considered.

This article uses the brushless F-100 as the main reference vehicle because it is the model shown in the hero and the FairRC product page already presents the BATRAZZI accessories alongside it as optional additions.

For the factory-version decision itself, see our FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushless vs Brushed comparison.

Browse the FCX18 II Ford F-100 and BATRAZZI Upgrades

Explore the FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushless at FairRC

Explore the FMS FCX18 II Ford F-100 Brushed at FairRC

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