RedCat Volcano EPX 2S Lipo Upgrade: My Brushless Setup Experience
RedCat Volcano EPX 2S Lipo Upgrade
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I bought the RedCat Volcano EPX a couple of months after getting my daughter a Blackout SC Pro for Thanksgiving. I thought I’d leave the Volcano stock for a while, but that plan lasted about two weeks.
I ordered a 3300KV brushless setup from overseas, so I had to wait a while for it to arrive. That was the first upgrade I had in mind. While I was waiting for the motor, I replaced the stock plastic hubs with aluminum ones that came with bearings. I figured it made sense to take care of that before putting more power through the truck.
Does the Stock ESC Actually Handle 2S?
One thing I wanted to find out was how the stock ESC would handle a 2S LiPo. The RedCat Volcano EPX is rated for 2S, so I decided to try it instead of replacing the electronics right away. I’ve seen plenty of budget RC trucks that look fine on the spec sheet but start showing their limits when you push them. I haven’t had that experience with the Volcano EPX so far.
After installing the brushless motor and putting in a 2S LiPo pack like this one, the truck felt noticeably different from the stock setup.
Acceleration and Handling After the Upgrade
The biggest change was the acceleration. With the stock brushed motor, the truck was pretty slow getting off the line. It felt like there was a short delay every time I pulled the trigger. The brushless motor and 2S battery made a big difference. It responds much faster when I hit the throttle, and there’s a lot more speed to play with. It’s especially noticeable when I drive it in an open parking lot or on a dirt road.
I was also curious whether the extra power would make the truck harder to control. So far, that hasn’t been a problem. More power can put extra stress on the suspension and drivetrain, especially on a cheaper RC truck, and I was expecting that might become an issue after the upgrade. The Volcano EPX has handled the extra power without any major issues so far. The aluminum hubs may help with durability, although I can’t say how much difference they actually make. I haven’t felt the need to change anything else yet.
What It Cost
I didn’t do this to build the cheapest possible RC truck. Between the truck, the motor and ESC combo, and the aluminum hubs, I came in under $250 total. You can obviously spend more on better shocks, a more expensive motor, and other upgrades. This setup just made sense for what I wanted to spend. For the money I put into it, I’m happy with how the truck turned out.
My daughter was the one who really showed me whether the upgrade was worth it. She used to pick the Blackout SC Pro because the Volcano felt slow compared to it. Now she usually goes for the Volcano. She told me it wasn’t “slow as crap” anymore, which pretty much told me everything I needed to know.
If your Volcano EPX feels slow with the stock motor, I’d look into a 2S brushless upgrade before spending money on a different truck. The stock ESC can handle 2S, and the difference in acceleration and speed is easy to notice.
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