The chassis is the foundation of every SCX24 build. Battery, electronics, links, skid, body posts, suspension mounts, all of it bolts to whatever frame you choose. Most builders start with an LCG kit that drops the battery and electronics lower on the stock frame. From there the category opens up into full chassis replacements that change geometry, mounting points, and feel. This article covers the whole landscape, with the chassis I actually run.
The short version: what I actually run
Across my fleet:
- MofoRC Ugly AF (UAG) Chassis. This was my first non-stock chassis with a better center of gravity, and I still love V3 and V4 of the chassis. Just got a V5 and it runs great on my course.
- Mazz Designs Cheat Code v3. My next favorite chassis kit. I have three of these with the Pro-Line Cliffhanger body and it's a line slayer.
- NerdRC Gizmo Chassis. I just got this as of May 2026. Loving the build process so far and the verdict is out on how it'll perform.
- LGRP Comp Frame. Little Guy Racing Parts' comp-grade frame. Strong, predictable, well-supported. Despite the name, I really wouldn't say this is comp-ready. Makes a great shelf-car chassis.
- LGRP Eliminator Chassis. LGRP's higher-tier offering. More features and tunability than the Comp Frame in my opinion. Love putting the Gladiator bodies on these kits.
What “center of gravity” means
The vertical center of mass of the truck. The point gravity acts through. On a stock SCX24, the CG sits high and slightly toward the rear because of where the battery and 2-in-1 ESC live. Two physics reasons it matters:
- Static tip-over angle. The side-slope angle at which gravity through the CG falls outside the contact patch and the truck rolls. Math: tip-over angle is approximately
arctan(track_width / 2 / CG_height). Track width is fixed on a stock SCX24, so the only way to widen the tip-over window is lower the CG. A 5mm drop on a 50mm CG can shift tip-over from 43 degrees to 48 degrees. The difference between making the side-hill traverse and rolling. - Usable articulation. Suspension that can flex 60 degrees does nothing if the body tips first. Low CG lets you actually use the travel you paid for.
Why the stock SCX24 chassis is high
Three reasons:
- The battery tray sits above the chassis rails.
- The 2-in-1 ESC and receiver sit in the front hood tray, also above the rails.
- The plastic rails are thick and push every mounting point higher.
An LCG chassis kit replaces just the frame rails. A full chassis replacement changes everything: rails, cross-braces, battery mount position, ESC mount, skid angle, sometimes even the suspension link mounts.
LCG chassis kits (the cheaper first step)
An LCG kit replaces the stock frame rails with thinner carbon fiber or aluminum and drops the mounting points for the battery and electronics. Net result: 5 to 10mm of CG drop without changing anything else. Typical kit contents:
- Left and right side plates
- Two or three cross-braces
- Battery tray plate
- Receiver and ESC mount plates
- Angled skid plate (5 to 12 degrees)
- Velcro strap for the battery
- M2 and M1.4 hardware
Solid LCG kits if that's the route you want:
- INJORA Universal LCG Carbon Fiber. Around $18. Cheapest functional option.
- Treal LCG Carbon Fiber. $35 to $50. Better fit and finish.
- RCAWD aluminum LCG. $30 to $40. More impact resistant than carbon.
I've tried the RampCrab kit and personally thought the hardware was horrible, which made the build process not enjoyable. Different hardware might have changed that. The magnet mounts at the price are a real win, and the rails themselves aren't bad.
Full LCG buying guide is in the best LCG chassis buying guide.
Full chassis replacements (where my picks live)
Full chassis replacements go further than LCG kits. You're not just lowering the battery on a stock frame, you're replacing the whole frame with something built from scratch around comp geometry. What changes:
- Frame geometry. Wheelbase, mounting holes, skid angle, body post positions.
- Material throughout. Usually carbon fiber and aluminum, sometimes titanium.
- Suspension link mounts. Most comp frames let you choose link positions for different setups.
- Shock mounting. More options for shock position and angle.
- Build process. You strip the stock chassis completely and build the new one from raw plates and hardware. Plan a few hours.
Worth it if you want a comp truck, or if you've outgrown what an LCG kit can do on the stock frame architecture. Overkill for a casual trail rig.
MofoRC Ugly AF (UAG)
Hand-built by Mofo RC. Bare-bones comp focus, low CG by design, minimal weight. The name is a joke about the function-first aesthetic. On the rocks it's legitimately one of my favorite builds.
Mazz Designs Cheat Code v3
Comp chassis kit with thoughtful comp-builder geometry. Excellent flex characteristics on technical lines. The v3 revision cleaned up a few small things from earlier versions but isn't a huge difference from previous versions.
NerdRC Gizmo
Small-shop comp chassis. Clever geometry, fun build process, less common at events which is part of the appeal. If you like running something not everyone else is running, this is a good pick.
LGRP Comp Frame
Little Guy Racing Parts' comp-grade frame. Strong, predictable, well-supported. Despite the name, I really wouldn't say it's comp-ready. Makes a great shelf-car chassis.
LGRP Eliminator Chassis
LGRP's higher-tier offering. More features and tunability than the Comp Frame. Worth it if you want to dial things in further than the Comp Frame allows and like the Gladiator and longer bodies.
Material trade-offs
- Carbon fiber. Lightest. Looks great. Can crack on hard impacts. Best for comp builds that prioritize weight.
- Aluminum CNC. Heavier than carbon. Practically indestructible. Good for trail builds where impact protection matters more than weight.
- Titanium. Premium machining. Expensive. Mostly aesthetic at this scale.
Install considerations
An LCG kit is a fun day of building.
- Tear down everything. Body, battery, electronics, links, shocks, skid, body posts. Plan to rebuild from the ground up.
- Photograph as you go. Wire routing on a comp chassis is tighter than stock.
- Purple or blue threadlock on every M2 and M1.4 screw. Vibration backs out hardware on these little trucks fast.
- Body fitment. Some bodies sit too high or too low on a new chassis. Spacers on the body posts usually fix this.
- Re-set shock pre-load. The chassis sits differently and the shock geometry changes.
- Re-check link length. If the frame moves the mounting points, your links may need a different length.
When to do which
- Casual trail driver who wants to tip less: LCG kit. INJORA Universal at $18.
- Trail driver running heavy brass and big tires: LCG kit, possibly aluminum (RCAWD) for impact protection.
- Comp builder: Full chassis replacement. MofoRC UAG, Mazz Cheat Code, NerdRC Gizmo, or one of the LGRP frames.
- Building a fleet: Mix and match. I have LCG kits on some builds and full comp frames on others.
Where chassis upgrades sit in the overall plan: Stage 6 in the staged upgrade path. For comp builds, often done alongside portals or as an alternative. For trail builds, often the last upgrade before you call the build done.