Review: Axial Racing Jeep Wrangler Wraith Poison Spyder Edition

Axial’s Wraith has always been one of my favorite RC cars to drive. Its combination of speed and crawling ability allows me to drive it just about anywhere depending on my mood or who I’m driving with. Playing with the crawler group? Gotcha covered. Throw on some softer tires and limit my throttle and I’m up and over any instance the group is tackling. Want to show some speed in the dirt or sand? Put on the harder tires and an 11.1V LiPo and I’m shredding the land. So, how do you make it better? Step 1: Take a killer rig and outfit it with a top tier King of the Hammers (KOH) racing livery. Step 2: License the wheels, tires and body, then install. Step 3: Sit back as everyone buys one because it’s freakin’ cool! For the 2013 season, Axial has teamed up with the Poison Spyder crew and released a Wraith with the new, blue Poison Spyder paint. Now I can ravage the landscape while feeling like a part of the King of the Hammers event!

AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Axial Racing
WHO IT’S FOR: Everyone
HOW MUCH: $399.99
BUILD TYPE: RTR

FACTS
• Axial went all out by licensing the Jeep body, the BFG’s and the Trail Ready wheels. All three are spot-on in looks, and when combined they make it hard to tell if you’re looking at the real thing or an RC car!

• Speaking of the wheels, Axial has molded them as a three-piece group. The central ring has multiple holes drilled into it and, depending on how you assemble them, will give the tires a softer or harder feel. This is a cool tuning adjustment depending on the surface you are running
on.

• The electronics haven’t changed from earlier Wraiths, but there’s really no reason to. The vertically-mounted AE-2 ESC and 20T brushed motor provides plenty of power on a NiMH or LiPo battery, and the receiver is nestled away in a sealed little box.

• The 4-link suspension is one of the Wraith’s strong points. Lots of articulation coupled with some simple key adjustments and you have yourself a truck that can tackle everything from fast dirt areas to rocky hill climbs. Threaded shocks help adjust ride height and solid links ensure no bent turnbuckles or stripped threads during your runs.

• Beefy axle housings help protect the steel driveshafts and locked differentials. Removing the four screws holding the differential covers in place allows access to the diffs and idler gear for both maintenance and repair.

• Axial includes their AX-3 2.4GHz transmitter system with the Wraith. It’s a good radio that fits your hand nicely, but only comes with the standard features (trims, duel rate and reversing switches). The AS-3 servo sports an acceptable 132 ounce of torque.

PROS
+ The Wraith was modeled after the real rock racers. They’ve added a licensed Jeep body (wrapped in the Poison Spyder theme), trail ready wheels and big ol’ BFG’s, giving you a truck that could rival the real thing!
+ New, three-piece trail ready wheels have multiple holes drilled into them to change the ‘softness’ of the tire.
+ Great power, even with the brushed 20T motor.
+ Tons of articulation in the suspension, allowing the Wraith to be extremely versatile on any terrain.
+ Durable chassis skidplate helps the Wraith slide over obstacles while keeping the center transmission safe and sound.
+ Battery tray is, thankfully, easy to get to. Change packs in a matter of seconds.
+ W8 splined driveshafts are uber-durable.
+ Locked differentials provide extreme wheel traction on any surface. An easy access cover lets you easily remove them for maintenance or repair.

CONS
– If you’re like me and want to run the battery wires under the interior for a more scale appearance (instead of through it), be prepared to have a heck of a time plugging the battery in.
– I want more bling! (I can also see a project in the near future.)

Having driven two Wraiths before (one prior to its initial release and one to review), I pretty much knew what to expect from this truck. It’s similar to a standard Wraith other than a new set of tires, wheels and bodywork. To put this puppy through the paces, I took a ride to one of my favorite crawler/trail truck stomping grounds, Holy Jim Trail. What I like about this place is that there is a myriad of different terrain types to test every aspect of any crawler or trail truck I get to review. I have my choice of rock gardens, single track dirt lanes, mud, water features and even hilly terrain.

Because I wanted to get the most out of the included Axial brushed motor setup, I chose to fit the Poison Spyder with a Duratrax Onyx 5000mAh LiPo battery. This battery gives the Wraith quite a bit of kick, and the 20T brushed motor/ESC combo not only provides long run times, but also includes a ton of ESC braking which is great for climbing up or descending down steep slopes. The servo specs out at 132 ounces of torque and a .16 transit speed, both pretty decent for a RTR rock racer. Finally, the 2.4GHz AX-3 radio system has enough features to get you started, including trims (both throttle and steering), dual rate and servo reversing. It’s not digital or high-end by any means, but you really don’t need that with the Wraith. Think of it as Axial saving you money by including just what you need.

Out on the trails, this truck has some boogie to it. The gearing is just right; allowing you to throw roosts of dirt in the open areas. Out on the rocks, a controlled throttle finger will get you climbing up and over like the big boys of the KOH do. The tires are Axial’s standard compound, making them last when driving on rougher terrain (likes rocks or pavement). A softer set would, of course, provide a better grip on rocks, but Axial has included a trick new wheel setup to help compensate for the harder compound. The licensed Trail Ready wheels are a true, three-piece beadlock setup. Multiple breather holes have been drilled into the center ring and, using the rotating inner and outer rings, you can cover up or expose these holes to allow more airflow. Exposing more holes will allow more airflow and, in essence, make the tires feel softer. While this is a little inconvenient to do out on the trail, if you know where you’re going to drive you can set it up accordingly beforehand. It does work though, and you can both feel and see the difference in the tires when driving.

The officially licensed Poison Spyder Jeep body also has quite an appeal when out doing its thing. A local who was out for a run up the trail in his 1:1 Jeep stopped and asked me some questions about the Wraith. When we got close he immediately noticed the Poison Spyder logo and asked about the affiliation. When I told him that Axial had teamed up with Poison Spyder, he pointed right to his PS bumpers and front fenders. He watched for a bit while I ran the Wraith over the rocks, through the small stream and up the short hills in the area. He was amazed at its articulation, the short bursts of power it had to ‘jump’ up rocky crevices (KOH style), and just the overall look of it. I handed him the wheel and within seconds he had a big ol’ grin on his face, constantly looking back to his wife (still sitting in their Jeep) and telling her he needed one of these. After about ten minutes of bashing, the wife thanked me for helping her husband spend even more money on Jeep stuff and I loaded the Wraith up and headed back home.

THE LAST WORD
As I said before, the Wraith is one of my favorite cars to drive simply because of its versatility. It’s one of those vehicles that makes the terrain the challenge instead of other racers. One of the best parts is that when you get a group of buddies together, you can be out tackling the terrain for hours on just two or three battery packs! Get yourself a Wraith, and go get your trail on!

LINKS
Axial axialracing.com, 949-642-9425