Evan’s 5 Minutes…on JConcepts Lowered Body Mount Kit for the Stampede 4×4
In the beginning of May, Brian posted his review on the Traxxas Stampede 4×4. We actually have a couple of these trucks floating around the office and they really are a great vehicle. However, Brian made mention of a major design flaw (aesthetics wise) in his review that seems to be a common theme; the way the body sits on the truck. The stock body posts are very tall, making the body sit extremely high on the vehicle. In most people’s opinions, too high. Brian also pointed out that the fenders don’t line up with tires. The body looks almost silly sitting on the truck, like it doesn’t fit. While, you can’t exactly fix the fender alignment issue, there is an option for lowering the body. JConcepts has created a Lowered Body Mount Kit for the Stampede 4×4, and here is 5 minutes…on it!
The kit comes in around $18 bucks. It includes 4 semi-gloss black aluminum body posts. I’ve been known to grind body posts off like I held them on a belt sander, so these being alloy are a huge plus. The JConcepts posts measure just .19 inches while the stock Traxxas post measure just over .75 inches from bottom to the base where the body will rest. They are a direct replacement for the stock posts, and include the little groves cut into the bottom to help them line up on the body mount bar. They also have holes drilled through in a 4-way design instead of a 2-way design like the stock posts. This just means you can orient them however you want on the body mount bar and can change the placement of your body clips with ease.
Installation was a snap. Just remove the stock posts, put a little threadlocker on the stock hex screws, and reinstall the new JConcepts posts in the same places you removed the stock posts from. It’s good to do these one at a time, that way you can be sure you line everything up correctly. Nothing ticks you off more than getting everything tightened down just to find out that your posts no longer align with the holes in your body… Am I speaking from experience? What do you think… 🙂
Now for the real test… The before and after shots!
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Some of this relies on personal preference, but I believe the JConcepts Lowered Body Mount Kit drastically improves the overall appearance of the Traxxas Stampede 4×4. It doesn’t quite slam the body down so low that it looks like a buggy, but it doesn’t leave it sitting up so high that it looks like your ‘Pede 4×4 has the wrong body posts on it either. It’s a little hard to tell in the pictures, but from some angles it almost looks just the tiniest bit Revo…ish. Either way, unless you want the serious jacked-up monster truck look, these body posts are a great investment for anyone who has a Stampede 4×4.
In case you were wondering, since the photo shoot, my ‘Pede 4×4 has been out and about quite a bit. I’m happy to report that the body posts are still intact and in perfect working order despite the miscalculated backflip attempts, full speed roof slides on tarmac, and several run-ins with first-time drivers and hard things like trees, fence posts, and a car tire or two. All in all, the JConcepts Lowered Body Mount Kit is just one word…TENTACLES! Make sure you head over to the JConcepts website or visit your LHS to pick up a set of these babies!
Got something you want to hear about in 5 minutes or less? Do you have some feedback on something I’ve said already? Are you just lonely? Shoot me an e-mail at evan(at)bigsquidrc.com (replace the (at) with @) and let me know! I’d be glad to hear from you. Bash heavy!
