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AXIAL’S LATEST SCX24: THE 2021 FORD BRONCO 4WD RTR

Text and Images by Jerry Tsai

Hands down one of the most exciting off road vehicles to hit the trails in recent years is the all-new Ford Bronco. This purpose designed and built off roaders is the first serious challenger to Jeep’s dominance in the adventure rig, trail crawling and overland genres. We’ve been out on the trails in the Bronco and can report that the vehicle definitely lives up to its hype.

Another new Bronco release that has been garnering plenty of hoopla is Axial’s 1/24-scale version of the popular go-anywhere SUV. Based on Axial’s SCX24, the miniaturized RC platform is a 1/24-scale version of the company’s hugely popular SCX10 line of scale crawlers. Replicated in a size that can tackle the outdoors as well as desktop trails, this pintsized crawler can keep the fun going indoors as well as out. Designed to replicate the latest generation Ford Bronco, this detailed scale replica is perfect for Ford and off roader enthusiasts alike.

The SCX24 runs on a fourwheel drive drivetrain that can take it anywhere you dare to drive it. It comes as a ready to run (RTR) kit so there’s no building involved. Just charge up the batteries and it’s ready to go. If you’re a beginner or looking for a good ride to entrust to a beginner RC driver, you’ll be glad to know that no previous radio control experience is needed because this Jeep JT is easy to drive. That’s not to say that expert drivers won’t have fun with it either, because we’re sure they will. We sure did.

FULLYCAPABLE

The Bronco is based on the well-proven Axial SCX24 chassis, which means that it not only looks great but performs well, too. To keep the body proportions correct for the Bronco, Axial chose a shorter version of its SCX24 chassis to act as its foundation. We like design details like this. The smaller 1/24-scale means it measures just shy of 9-inches in length. This allows the rig to be just the right size to make any spot a great setting for your RC adventures. We even drove it on piled up books on our desk at work. If you’ve got a messy room, you’re hard work has paid off. You already have a crawling course that’s ripe for the crawling.

Thanks to its full-time 4-wheel drive and articulating 3-link front/4-link rear suspension, the SCX24 is capable of tackling some real trails. Bronco features realistic steel frame rails for rigidity and worm gears on its axles increase ground clearance. The SCX24 is motivated by

LED lights come standard on the Bronco.

A full-sized spare tire is mounted on the Bronco’s rear door.

a Dynamite 88T motor and is powered by an included 2S LiPo battery. An Axial 2-channel radio system also comes with the RTR kit for easy control.

Axial calls this kit an RTR and when they say RTR, they really mean it. It comes with not only the vehicle’s LiPo battery and USB charging cable, but AA batteries for the transmitter as well. The Bronco’s body is secured with Velcro in the front with hinges in the rear. To access the chassis, you pull the front up to release the Velcro and the body simply scissors open. It’s quick, easy and there are no body clips to lose.

ALL IN THE DETAILS

The Bronco is endowed with an ABS hard plastic scale body and includes a driver figure and a detailed interior. The hard body is a first for the SCX24 line and we hope to see more like it in future releases. Being molded in hard plastic allows the Bronco’s body to be even more detailed than the SCX24 models that came before it. The SCX24 Ford Bronco achieves a whole new level of scale realism by including

The Dynamite 88T brushed motor may be small, but provides enough power to get this rig anywhere it needs to go. The Horizon AS-1 steering servo’s front mounted position provides ideal weight distribution for the crawler.

details such as molded door handles, mirrors, and roof rails.

Other scale details you’ll find on the Bronco include Scale Tuff Stuff Overland accessories that are mounted on the roof rack. The rig is also fitted with officially licensed Nitto Trail Grappler tires on replica Ford Wildtrak wheels for a good dose of realism and confident grip onand off-road. There’s also a mounted fullsize spare tire, plus an optional second decal sheet for adding your personal touch. This Ford also comes with working LED lights on the front corners of the scale Ford Bronco body and in the front bumper. All four corners of the body feature molded lenses. The Bronco is available in your choice of three colors based on the current factory colors, Race Red, Cactus Gray and Velocity Blue.

THE DRIVE

We took the SCX24 out for trail runs in several areas including, as we mentioned earlier, on our work desk and at the local park. We even crawled it on a pile of pillows on top of our bed at home. It’s easy to have fun with it just about anywhere. We found that the Bronco likes to shy away from being too aggressive on drastic inclines and descents. It does have an ABS body and carries accessories on its roof after all, so it tends to be a bit top heavy. Adding some weights down low might resolve this issue. Overall it’s a really fun rig to run, especially for those just getting into the hobby or for the little ones.

Scale details such as recovery boards and gas cans are found on the roof rack.

AXIAL SCX24 2021 FORD BRONCO 4WD RTR SPECS

Height: 4.625 in. (117mm) tLength: 8.75 in. (222mm) Width: 3.875 in. (98mm) Wheelbase: 5.19 in. (132mm) Ground Clearance: 1.06 in. (27mm)

Scale: 1/24 Price: $159.99 P/N: AXI00006T2 Chassis: Steel C-Channel Chassis Frame Rails Shocks: Friction Coilover Shocks Suspension: 4-wheel independent Differential: Front and rear differentials, worm gears Driveshafts: Splined Body: Pre-painted, decorated, pre-cut polycarbonate Wheels: Ford Wildtrak Tires: Nitto Trail Grappler M/T Speed Control: Horizon HRZ00015 Motor: Dynamite 88T Brushed Electric Motor Steering Servo: Horizon AS-1 Radio: Horizon 2.4GHz 2-Channel Radio System Receiver: Horizon HRZ00015 Battery: Dynamite 350mAh 2S LiPo 7.4V

FINAL WORD

With an allinclusive retail price of only $160, this miniBronco is an incredible value. Axial’s SCX24 is a platform that has already won over many crawler enthusiasts and now it’s available in the latest Ford Bronco body style; what’s not to be excited about? We sure are.

Source: Axial axialracing.com

Horizon Hobby horizonhobby.com