Tutorial 1:28 XMODS Evolution Stiletto Installation

The Stiletto is not difficult to install, but there are a lot of steps to it. It is 100% laser cut and assembles with great precision, so follow along carefully and you will be rewarded with perfection.

If you break or loose any of the screws, we offer the XMOD Evo Car Stiletto Hardware Kit.

For those of you who like to make your own battery packs, check out the Lithium Ion Single Cell with Solder Tabs, or you can buy our Ion Pro 2S for Stiletto Chassis which is pre-engineered to fit the Stiletto perfectly. You should seriously consider the XMOD EVO Car Motor Wire Upgrade as well.


Step 1


This is the included hardware from left to right and row by row.

1) Long Pan Head Screw
4) Jam Nuts
3) 7mm M-F Standoffs

2) 4mm M-F Standoffs
2) 15mm F-F Standoffs
2) 14mm F-F Standoffs

9) Med Pan Head Screws

9) Short Countersink Screws

Note: When referring to a 7mm M-F Standoffs we will not count the protruding threaded shaft.


Step 2


Remove the motor tab screws.

Step 3


Remove the front motor strap screw.

Step 4


Pull out the crystal.

Step 5


Remove all the top cover screws, the rear chassis spacer, and the antenna.

Step 6


Remove the rear chassis screws.

Step 7


After you have the rear driveline case assembly removed, take out the screws holding the spacer.

Step 8


Separate the driveline case from the spacer as shown.

Step 9


Remove the screws from the battery tray.

Step 10


Lift off the top cover.

Step 11


Remove the center screw that holds in the mainboard.

Step 12


Unsolder the battery wires as shown. Don't use solder wick, just melt the solder and remove them.

Step 13


Remove the tie rod cover screws, which will allow removal of the chassis / battery holder from the rest of the car.

Step 14


This is what you should have so far.

Step 15


Remove the tie rod.

Step 16


Install the 4mm M-F Standoffs into the bottom of the servo case.

You can get them about 90% of the way with a 3.5mm Nut Driver, but will need the Flat Nose Pliers to finish the job. Be careful not to over tighten since the plastic threads are weak here.


Step 17


Install the 15mm F-F standoffs on the bottom of the servo and the 7mm M-F standoffs on the top threading into one another, as shown.

Make sure you use the longer 15mm F-F standoffs here. If you mix them up with the 14mm F-F standoffs it will not fit right, and you will feel like an idiot when you call us to complain only to find out that you screwed up.


Step 18


Tighten them with your 3.5mm Nut Driver or Flat Nose Pliers until it feels snug. Be careful not to over tighten or you will deform the plastic.

Step 19


Install the 14mm F-F standoffs in the rear driveline case assembly as shown.

Step 20


Again, tighten them with your 3.5mm Nut Driver or Flat Nose Pliers, but not so much as to damage the plastic.

Step 21


Now is a good time to solder the board harness onto the main board. Stand it straight up so the wires are perpendicular to the board surface.

Step 22


Once they are soldered, bend them over as shown.

Go ahead and plug the crystal back in now.

This is very hard to mess up, but you should try the new battery pack to verify you have servo response so you know its right before proceeding. If you have no servo response, check the servo wires as they can to come off if you are not careful. Get the remote close since you have no antenna.


Step 23


Now grab your main chassis, your Ion Pro 2S for Stiletto Chassis and some Side Cut Nippers.

Step 24


Insert the 4 Ty-wraps as shown.

Step 25


Strap the batteries down and snip off the Ty-Wraps with the side cut nippers.

The Ty-Wraps should be loose enough that you can roll the batteries, but snug enough to keep them in the slots.

You need to roll the Ty-Wraps to the inside, as shown, so they clear the main board.


Step 26


Install the rear driveline case using the short countersink screws as shown.

Step 27


Install the short countersink screws into the 14mm F-F standoffs as shown.

Step 28


Now that the rear of the car is secured to the Stiletto Chassis, let’s make sure our rear battery wire clears the drive shaft.

This photo shows plenty of driveshaft clearance.


Step 29


Thread the board through the battery pack power harness, as shown.

Step 30


Put the tie rod back on.

Step 31


Secure the front end to the chassis using the short countersink screws, as shown.

Notice that we no longer need the tie rod cover, because this function is now handled by the chassis.


Step 32


These short countersink screws thread into the 15mm F-F standoffs that are connected to the servo.

Step 33


If you don't have a 3.5mm Nut Driver use a pan head screw to hold the 7mm M-F standoff while you attach the jam nut.

Step 34


Use the flat nose pliers to hold the 7mm M-F standoff so you can remove the pan head screw without loosening the jam nut.

Step 35


Hold the front 7mm M-F standoffs so you can snug up the Stiletto top brace.

Step 36


Secure the rear 7mm M-F standoff to the top brace with a pan head screw, as shown.

Step 37


You need the long pan head screw and the nylon washer.

Step 38


Use the long pan head screw and the nylon washer to secure the rear of the top brace to the top of the motor strap as shown.

Step 39


This is how things should look so far. The purpose of the curve in the top brace was to allow the wires to route up and over smoothly as shown.

Step 40


You really should solder the wires directly, because if these come loose and touch, it will create dead short and fry the FETs in a heartbeat. Also, direct soldering yields better performance.

If decide to stick with the factory motor wires with the bolt down tabs, grab 2 jam nuts and medium pan head screws.


Step 41


Now you simply bolt them on with the supplied jam nuts and medium pan head screws.

Step 42


Once again, make sure these are tight, and check them periodically. If they get loose and touch, since there is no plastic barrier between them, you will have a fried MainBoard on your hands.

You really should get rid of these and install the XMOD EVO Car Motor Wire Upgrade.


Step 43


Grab your antenna, a jam nut and a medium pan head screw.

Step 44


The tricky part is getting the jam nut in place. You can slide it into place with your finger.

Step 45


Be sure to snug it up.

Step 46


Pat yourself on the back. You are finished!

The car used for this tutorial was a stock Mustang. We added the Stiletto Chassis, the Ion Pro 2S for Stiletto Chassis and the Motor Wire Upgrade. It not only performs much better, it looks fantastic!