Review: Injora 40mm Internal-Spring Shocks for the Axial SCX24

By: Tim Gluth

It seems that the number of upgrade options for the Axial SCX24 grows larger by the day. Since the introduction of this small-scale R/C crawler (and its skyrocketing popularity), several brands have turned their attention to creating hop-ups for this model. One such brand is Injora, a name that I've known over the years for their 1/10-scale crawler upgrades.

Much like the overall SCX24 upgrade landscape, Injora's lineup of 1/24-scale upgrades is also growing rapidly. Shortly after launching their 40mm Internal Spring Shocks for the SCX24, they reached out to me with an offer to review them. At $11.99 for a set of four shocks, this is an attractive option for budget-minded hobbyists who are looking to keep upgrade costs low while still getting a great customization option for their small-scale crawler. After running these shocks on my Axial SCX24 Deadbolt for a while, here are my thoughts on this set of small-scale R/C crawler shocks.

What's Included:

2 or 4 Injora 40mm Internal-Spring Shocks (with "soft" springs)
1 set of "medium" springs
1 set of "hard" springs
1 Allen/hex wrench
Installation hardware (screws, o-rings, pivot balls)

Installation

Replacing a set of shocks on a 1/24-scale R/C crawler isn't a daunting task. In fact, if you've replaced the shocks on a 1/10-scale or larger model, you have a good roadmap to work from. That said, the hardware you're working with is quite small, so you'll want to make sure you have a container or magnet nearby to help you wrangle the small screws and other bits needed during installation.

For my installation process, I began by removing the wheels and then the stock shocks from the SCX24. The screw-in pivot balls included with the factory SCX24 shocks aren't needed for the Injora shocks to remain inserted into the stock shock caps. After removing the stock hardware, you'll need to install the rubber o-rings onto the new pivot balls included with the Injora shocks. These tend to fly off, so you'll want to keep an eye on your workspace and the surrounding area.

Once the pivot balls have been added to the shocks, you can secure them to the shock mounting holes found in the chassis of the SCX24. After you've completed one shock installation, repeat the process on the remaining four shocks, and you'll be ready to roll in no time.

Appearance

No matter the scale, internal-spring shocks bring a clean, sleek look to just about any radio-controlled vehicle, and Injora's 40mm Internal-Spring Shocks for the SCX24 are no exception. The shock caps and bodies all feature a gloss finish, and there are a variety of color options available to coordinate with your rig. I selected the red-bodied/black-capped style, which works beautifully with the fire truck red body on the Axial SCX24 Deadbolt.

One visual aspect of the shocks that I could do without is the "Mountain" text that's displayed on each shock body. While this can be turned inward (and out of immediate view), I'd almost prefer it not be included at all, or at the very least, replaced with the name "Injora."

Aside from the color of the shock bodies themselves, the most striking difference between these shocks and the stock set that come with every SCX24 is the length. At 40mm fully extended, these shocks are 8mm longer than what you're used to with a bone-stock setup. These taller shocks will give your rig a "monster truck" feel, greatly exaggerating the distance between the wheels and the bottom of the fenders. I'll admit that this visual change took me a while to get used to, but I've since come around to the taller stance that my crawler now flaunts.

Performance

Here is where this review gets tricky. In my opinion, you have to go to great lengths to beat the performance and handling offered by the SCX24's stock shocks. While they may not win any prizes for appearance, they are stellar performers and do a wonderful job recreating the experience of 1/10-scale crawling. From my point of view, this is a tall hurdle to clear for an aftermarket product and one that Injora just misses the mark on with its internal-spring shocks.

Putting aside the tall, "jacked up" appearance offered by these 40mm shocks, the performance that they bring to the table isn't up to par with what you get from the stock setup. Surprisingly, I haven't found the extra length of these shocks to impact the performance of my SCX24. The largest performance impact that I've encountered focuses on the springs.

Injora includes three sets of springs with their 40mm Internal-Spring Shocks, with each set rated as "soft," "medium," and "hard." By default, the soft set of springs has been pre-installed into these shocks, and you can easily swap them out with another set to fine-tune your driving experience. However, I'd caution against using either of the other spring sets if you're looking for an ultra-responsive setup.

The default soft springs themselves aren't as soft as the springs found on a set of stock SCX24 shocks, so you'll lose out on some suspension articulation and flexibility. If a super-soft spring option could be made available, that might make these shocks the total package. Until then, they're an ok option for an upgrade.

The Final Verdict

Depending on your reasons for upgrading the shocks on your SCX24, this internal-spring setup might be perfect for you. While they aren't without issue, they are a stylish way to customize the look of your tiny truck. Since receiving this review set of shocks, Injora has introduced 32mm Internal-Spring Shocks, which measure the same length as the stock SCX24 shock.

Having said that, if you're looking to meet or exceed the performance found in the stock SCX24 shocks, you will need to make a few adjustments (softer springs, modified springs, etc) to make these work for you.

Where You can Buy Injora's 40mm Internal Spring Shocks for the Axial SCX24

Injora.com - $11.99 (set of 4)/$6.35 (per pair) Save 5% with one-time coupon code SMALLSCALERC5.