FMS FCX24M Land Rover Upgrade Guide — Wheels, Tyres, Brass, Steering & Bumpers
The FMS FCX24M Land Rover family is unusually upgrade-friendly, but the Discovery, Range Rover, Defender 90 and Defender 110 should not all be treated as the same crawler. Wheel size, wheelbase and some chassis components differ between versions, so the best upgrade path starts with compatibility — then moves through grip, wheels, steering, brass weight and scale protection in the order that actually improves your build.
The FMS FCX24M Land Rover Camel Trophy family combines four officially licensed Land Rover bodies with the scale-focused FCX24M chassis, metal C-channel frame rails, a two-speed transmission and hard-body interiors.
That common platform can make the upgrade catalogue look simpler than it really is.
It is not.
The short-wheelbase Defender 90 uses different chassis-link dimensions from the other three Land Rovers, while Discovery and Range Rover use a different stock tyre size and wheel route from D90 and D110.
This guide therefore starts with the exact vehicle before deciding which parts are worth changing.
FCX24M Land Rover parts and upgrades
Browse the current FairRC catalogue for the Discovery, Range Rover, Defender 90 and Defender 110.
Start Here — Which FCX24M Land Rover Do You Have?
This is the most important compatibility check in the article.
| FCX24M Land Rover | Wheelbase | Stock Tyre Size | Main Upgrade Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | 134mm | 48 × 17mm | 0.8-inch wheels; shared Discovery / Range Rover / D110 chassis-link group |
| Range Rover | 134mm | 48 × 17mm | 0.8-inch wheels; shared Discovery / Range Rover / D110 chassis-link group |
| Defender 110 | 135mm | 50 × 20mm | 0.9-inch wheels; shared Discovery / Range Rover / D110 chassis-link group |
| Defender 90 | 111mm | 50 × 20mm | 0.9-inch wheels; D90-specific chassis links |
Compatibility rule: do not buy FCX24M parts simply because the package says “Land Rover”. The Defender 90's 111mm wheelbase makes several chassis components different from the Discovery, Range Rover and Defender 110 group.
If you are still separating FCX24M from the original FCX24 and FCX18 platforms, read our FMS FCX18 vs FCX24 vs FCX24M platform guide before choosing parts.
Upgrade 1 — Tyres Before Brass
If the stock truck is struggling primarily for traction, tyres are the most logical place to start.
They directly affect the contact patch between crawler and terrain without requiring you to add a large amount of permanent chassis weight.
The key is choosing the correct diameter family.
The stock specification uses 48 × 17mm tyres.
The BATRAZZI 48 × 17mm Country Claw A/T 0.8-inch tyres are therefore the most direct BATRAZZI size match for these two bodies.
The stock specification moves up to 50 × 20mm tyres.
FairRC's FCX24M catalogue therefore places these vehicles primarily in the 0.9-inch wheel and tyre route rather than the Discovery / Range Rover 0.8-inch setup.
Changing tyre diameter can alter more than grip. It can affect ride height, body clearance, gearing load and the visual proportions of a highly scale-focused model.
That is why keeping close to the original size is the conservative first approach unless you deliberately want to change the truck's stance.
Upgrade 2 — Match the Wheels to the Exact Land Rover
The FCX24M Land Rover range effectively splits into two main BATRAZZI wheel routes.
| Vehicle | Relevant BATRAZZI Wheel Route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | 0.8-inch 4-Slot Road Wheels | Matches the 48mm tyre scale and the Discovery / Range Rover fitment group |
| Range Rover | 0.8-inch 4-Slot Road Wheels | Same 48mm stock tyre family as Discovery |
| Defender 90 | 0.9-inch Star Road Wheels | Designed around the D90 / D110 wheel-size group |
| Defender 110 | 0.9-inch Star Road Wheels | Designed around the D90 / D110 wheel-size group |
The 0.8-inch BATRAZZI 4-Slot wheels are CNC-machined aluminium beadlocks. FairRC lists the wheel itself at 6.1g and offers optional brass wheel weights of 18.1g.
That distinction is important.
An aluminium wheel gives the crawler a more scale metal-wheel appearance and reusable beadlock construction without automatically forcing maximum weight into the rotating assembly.
Adding brass wheel weights is a separate decision.
Upgrade principle: do not add the maximum amount of brass simply because it fits. Use additional low weight when you are solving a stability or centre-of-gravity problem, not as a substitute for good tyres and balanced setup.
Upgrade 3 — Steering Precision Before Maximum Weight
Once grip is adequate, steering is one of the more useful areas to evaluate.
The FCX24M steering system has several separate components available in aluminium or brass, which means you do not have to replace everything at once.
BATRAZZI Brass Steering Link Set
The BATRAZZI Brass Steering Link Set for FCX24M targets the linkage itself.
The reason to consider it is not simply that brass is a more expensive material. A more rigid link can reduce flex in the steering path while also moving some additional mass low on the front axle area.
BATRAZZI Brass Servo Horn
The BATRAZZI Brass Servo Horn Set is a smaller change. FairRC lists a 28T spline and a total weight of 5.5g.
This is more relevant when you specifically want to change the servo-side hardware rather than rebuilding the entire steering system.
BATRAZZI Brass Steering Servo Mount
The BATRAZZI Brass Steering Servo Mount fits all FCX24M chassis vehicles and replaces the stock mounting structure with a CNC-machined brass component.
FairRC lists the mount at 5.2g.
The sensible sequence is therefore to identify where the steering system is actually moving or flexing before replacing every component together.
Leave it alone. Tyres or wheel setup may produce more obvious value.
Start with the steering-link route before adding unrelated chassis weight.
Look at the servo horn and servo mount individually.
Only then does combining links, horn, mount and other brass components become a coherent system.
Upgrade 4 — Chassis Links: D90 Is the Compatibility Trap
This is where buying by the generic phrase “FCX24M Land Rover” can go wrong.
The Defender 90 has a much shorter 111mm wheelbase, while Discovery, Range Rover and Defender 110 sit around 134–135mm.
BATRAZZI therefore uses separate lower-link sets.
| Link Set | Compatibility | Important Point |
|---|---|---|
| Brass Lower Chassis Links — Long Group | Discovery / Range Rover / Defender 110 | 59.2mm listed link length; set listed at 19.8g |
| Brass Lower Chassis Links — D90 | Defender 90 only | Dedicated to the short-wheelbase D90 geometry |
FairRC also offers aluminium versions if the goal is replacing plastic links with metal construction without adding as much brass mass.
This choice is worth thinking about before automatically choosing brass.
Brass shifts weight lower and can help stability, but every added gram changes the vehicle. Aluminium can increase rigidity and durability while keeping the build lighter.
Upper Links — More Weight Is Not Automatically Better
For the Discovery, Range Rover and Defender 110, BATRAZZI also offers CNC-machined brass upper links.
FairRC lists the complete upper-link set at 16.5g, representing approximately 13g more weight than the stock components.
Combined with lower brass links, steering hardware, a brass skid mount and weighted wheels, the amount of metal added to a 1/24 crawler can become substantial very quickly.
That can improve low-centre-of-gravity stability, but there is a point where adding weight stops being a free improvement.
The motor still has to accelerate it. The suspension still has to control it. The tyres still have to turn it.
Think in systems: tyres create grip, wheels influence rotating and unsprung mass, chassis links change weight distribution and rigidity, and steering parts affect precision. Do not evaluate each upgrade as though the rest of the crawler does not exist.
Upgrade 5 — Bumper and Grille Protection
For a scale-focused Land Rover build, bumper upgrades can make more visual sense than adding hidden brass throughout the chassis.
The BATRAZZI HD Bumper and Grille Guard is designed for all four Land Rover bodies — D90, D110, Range Rover and Discovery.
FairRC describes it as a CNC-machined aluminium assembly that mounts without drilling and protects the grille, lights and front bodywork.
This is a different type of upgrade from chassis brass.
Its purpose is a mix of scale appearance and front-end protection rather than simply changing centre of gravity.
But the Brass Front Bumper Mount Is Different
The BATRAZZI Brass Front Bumper Mount has a narrower compatibility list.
FairRC specifies compatibility with:
- Discovery
- Range Rover
- Defender 110
and explicitly states that it is not compatible with the Defender 90.
D90 warning: the HD Bumper and Grille Guard supports D90, but the separate brass front bumper mount does not. These two products should not be treated as having the same compatibility.
Should You Buy a Complete Upgrade Set?
If you already know that you want to replace several areas at once, buying components as a coordinated set can make more sense than building the same package part by part.
The BATRAZZI Brass Upgrade Set for Discovery, Range Rover and Defender 110 combines several parts into one route, including:
- brass front bumper mount;
- brass steering servo mount;
- brass chassis links;
- brass servo horn;
- brass steering links;
- brass centre skid-plate mount;
- stainless-steel universal joints.
That is a major change to the vehicle's hardware and weight distribution.
It makes sense for a deliberate full build.
It makes much less sense if you have driven the stock crawler twice and do not yet know what you want to improve.
FairRC also lists a BATRAZZI Aluminum Upgrade Set for FCX24M Land Rover, which provides another route when metal construction is the priority but maximum brass mass is not.
The Upgrade Order That Makes the Most Sense
| What You Notice | Upgrade to Consider First |
|---|---|
| Truck loses traction before anything else limits it | Tyres |
| You want better scale wheels or beadlocks | Correct 0.8- or 0.9-inch wheel set |
| Steering flex or play makes line placement inconsistent | Steering link / servo hardware |
| The crawler feels too top-heavy on side slopes | Selective low brass weight |
| You want stronger chassis links without maximum weight | Aluminium links |
| You deliberately want more low-mounted chassis mass | Brass chassis links / skid mount |
| You want more expedition-style front protection | HD bumper and grille guard |
| You already know you want a major metal build | Complete aluminium or brass upgrade set |
A Sensible Build for Each Land Rover
Start with 48 × 17mm tyres or 0.8-inch wheels. Add steering hardware only if needed. The longer-group links and brass bumper mount are compatible if the build later moves towards heavier trail hardware.
Follow essentially the same mechanical route as Discovery: 0.8-inch wheels, 48mm tyre family and the Discovery / Range Rover / D110 chassis-link group.
Use the 0.9-inch wheel route and the longer Land Rover chassis-link group. The D110 also supports the brass bumper mount and HD grille guard.
Use the D90-specific chassis links and 0.9-inch wheel route. Do not assume longer-body link or bumper-mount compatibility simply because another FCX24M Land Rover uses the part.
What I Would Upgrade First
For a stock FCX24M Land Rover that already runs correctly, I would not begin with a complete brass conversion.
I would drive it first.
If traction is the limitation, start with tyres.
If the stock visual setup is what you want to change, choose the correct 0.8- or 0.9-inch beadlock wheel route.
If steering flex becomes obvious, move into steering hardware.
Only after that would I start deliberately shifting significant weight into chassis links, mounts and full brass packages.
This keeps each modification tied to a reason rather than turning the crawler into a catalogue of metal parts.
Build your FCX24M Land Rover one problem at a time.
FairRC currently groups the Land Rover parts into a dedicated catalogue covering wheels, tyres, steering, links, chassis parts and scale accessories.
How This Fits the Wider FCX24M Ecosystem
The Land Rover family demonstrates why FCX24M should be treated as its own platform rather than simply another FCX24 body.
The stock models combine detailed hard bodies and model-specific wheelbases with the FCX24M chassis architecture, while FairRC and BATRAZZI extend that platform through wheels, tyres, steering hardware, chassis links, metal mounts and body accessories.
Our recent FMS 1/24 Scale FairRC guide places the Camel Trophy Land Rovers alongside the FCX24M Tacoma and FCX24S models.
For the wider manufacturer ecosystem, see our FMS Hobby RC Crawlers, Cars, Airplanes, Parts & Upgrades Guide.
Final Thoughts
The strongest FCX24M Land Rover upgrade path is not the one with the most parts.
It is the one that preserves the scale character of the truck while fixing the areas that actually limit the way you want to use it.
Discovery and Range Rover naturally lead towards the 0.8-inch wheel and 48mm tyre ecosystem.
Defender 90 and Defender 110 use the larger 0.9-inch wheel route, but their chassis compatibility then separates again because the D90 uses a much shorter wheelbase.
Tyres are normally the cleanest first performance change. Wheels follow when appearance, beadlock construction or additional low weight matter. Steering upgrades become valuable when flex and accuracy are the issue. Brass links and complete metal packages make the most sense once you deliberately want to change chassis weight distribution rather than simply because brass parts are available.
Most importantly, check the exact Land Rover before ordering. The FCX24M name describes the family; it does not make every part universal.
Browse FCX24M Land Rover UpgradesBrowse the Scale & Motion Catalogue
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Further Reading
- FMS 1/24 Scale Sale at FairRC — FCX24S & FCX24M Crawlers Plus BATRAZZI Upgrades
- FMS FCX18 vs FCX24 vs FCX24M — Platform Differences, Chassis & Which to Buy
- FairRC — The Complete Buyer's Guide to RC Crawlers, Scale Mods, BATRAZZI Upgrades and Accessories
- FMS Hobby — Complete Guide to RC Crawlers, Cars, Airplanes, Parts & Upgrades
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