Drop a Furitek brushless system into your TRX-4M crawler
A TRX-4M Furitek brushless conversion swaps the stock brushed can for a Lizard Pro ESC and a Micro Komodo 1212 3450kv motor. The stock 2-in-1 board cannot drive the new ESC, so you also need your own receiver. Budget for brass and steel gears too, because brushless torque chews plastic.
Key Takeaways
- Furitek is the default brushless path for the TRX-4M.
- Pair a Lizard Pro or V2 ESC with a Micro Komodo or Stinger motor.
- The stock receiver won’t run the new ESC, so plan a radio swap.
- An app-tuned drag brake beats raw speed on a crawler.
- Add brass and steel gears so the drivetrain handles the torque.
Why a Furitek brushless conversion is the first TRX-4M upgrade
The TRX-4M leaves the factory with a brushed motor and a combined 2-in-1 ESC and receiver board. That board is cheap, sealed and fine for a first weekend. However, it gives you almost nothing to tune, and the brushed can runs out of finesse the moment the rocks get technical. That trade shows up clearly when the truck is set beside the FMS FCX18 , which ships with more tuning out of the box.
On a 1/18 crawler, brushless mostly buys control. You get smooth power right off idle, proportional throttle, and a drag brake you can set to hold the truck on a descent. The stock Traxxas ESC does none of that.
Furitek has become the default name here. Jean Galea’s brand-by-brand guide to the TRX-4M aftermarket calls the company practically synonymous with mini crawler electronics.
Pair one with a Furitek Micro Komodo or Stinger brushless motor and the TRX-4M transforms into a completely different machine.
What Furitek ESC and motor should you pick?
The Lizard Pro and Lizard V2 are built for 1/18 and 1/24 crawlers, with drag-brake tuning and proportional throttle control. The Lizard Pro runs 30A constant and 50A burst on field-oriented control. It takes 2S or 3S LiPo and carries a 5V or 6.5V 2.5A BEC plus a power switch on board.
The Micro Komodo 1212 is a 12-pole 3450kv can weighing 17.5 grams, rated 2-3S. It ships with a spacer that mounts straight to the TRX-4M motor plate. Low kv and high pole count is what you want for a slow technical crawler. The same can does similar work in the SCX24, where its torque delivery has been measured against the stock motor.
The 7500kv Greyhound belongs in the geared monster-truck conversion, where the truck is asked to move quickly and gearing has already been changed. In a stock-geared trail truck it mostly makes heat.
| System | Motor | ESC | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furitek Stinger 118 | Micro Komodo 1212 3450kv | Lizard Pro 30A/50A | Stock-geared trail crawling |
| Furitek Monster combo | Greyhound 1410 7500kv | Lizard Pro plus CNC steel pinion | Monster-truck conversion |
| Micro Komodo motor alone | Micro Komodo 1212 3450kv | Bring your own Lizard V2, Pro or Ultimate | Builders who already own an ESC |
The Stinger sells for $124.99, the Monster combo for $99.99, and the bare Micro Komodo motor for $39.99.
The receiver the stock TRX-4M board will not run
The stock 2-in-1 board is the ESC, so once a Furitek unit replaces it, the stock receiver has nowhere to send throttle. Furitek’s own product pages say the stock receiver isn’t compatible and the conversion needs an external radio and receiver.
The stock TQ setup has no second channel free for an external ESC. Furitek’s fix is a Traxxas TRA6519 micro 3-channel receiver, or any other 2-channel transmitter and receiver pair you already own.
A brushless TRX-4M costs you an ESC, a motor and a receiver, and possibly a new transmitter as well. Add it all up and the total can rival a ready-to-run crawler near $200 .
Furitek’s own TRX-4M combo collection includes ESCs with the receiver built in, such as the MicroPython RXF at $99.99. Other bundles ship with a transmitter and receiver together. Pick one of those and the radio problem disappears from your shopping list.
App tuning is where a crawler gains the most
Every Furitek ESC in this family has a Bluetooth module inside and pairs with the FURICAR app on Android and iOS. You set drag brake, throttle curve and BEC voltage from your phone, all of which are fixed on the stock board.
On a crawler, a tuned drag brake beats any amount of extra speed. Dialling one in takes a few passes, and you can make them with the truck sitting on the rocks instead of on the bench. The ESC also streams real-time telemetry at up to 10Hz and takes free firmware updates for life.
Upgrade the drivetrain to survive the torque
Brushless torque arrives fast and the stock plastic gears feel it. Steel gears are the sensible companion purchase. Fit them in the same session, rather than after something strips.
Portal covers, knuckles and diff covers from Treal, Injora and Meus Racing put weight down low and out at the axles, which is where a crawler wants it. They are among the most-bought TRX-4M upgrades for that reason.
Steel and aluminium drive shafts from MIP hold up to the extra stress. A full bearing kit from a shop like 1UP Racing then cuts friction through the whole drivetrain for very little money.
Galea puts tires and brass weight ahead of everything else, since those two changes alone transform trail capability. Electronics and aluminium chassis parts come after.
How to convert a Traxxas TRX-4M to Furitek brushless power
Pick your Lizard ESC and motor
Choose a Lizard Pro or Lizard V2 and pair it with a Micro Komodo or Stinger motor for trail use. Save the Greyhound 1410 7500kv for a geared monster-truck conversion.
Buy the combo or the parts
Order a pre-configured combo with the ESC, motor and harness to skip the wiring guesswork. Source the parts separately only when you want a specific kv the combos don’t offer.
Add a compatible receiver
Add a separate 3-channel surface receiver, and a new radio if your transmitter has no spare channel. An ESC with an integrated receiver saves you this step entirely.
Reinforce the drivetrain
Fit steel gears, brass portal covers and diff covers, and stronger drive shafts. Do it now, while the truck is already apart.
Install and wire the system
Mount the ESC, connect the motor and BEC, bind the receiver to your transmitter, and route the wiring clear of moving parts.
Tune with the FURICAR app
Connect over Bluetooth and set the drag brake, throttle curve and BEC voltage to suit how you drive. Then take the truck out and adjust it again on real rocks.
A Furitek swap is an electronics package with a drivetrain bill attached, so price the whole thing before the first order goes in. Done that way, the TRX-4M ends up quieter and far more controlled at walking pace, which is the speed a crawler lives at anyway.