Typhon Typhon TLR - A Weekend Racer

[CosmoM3]

Chapter 7: New Power Unit

Today was an eventful day as I finally got the XR8 Pro G3 + 4268SD power unit installed, which turned out to be 150g lighter than the Max8 G2 + 4278SD motor that it replaced.. Also changed out the rear wing to a TLR wing (forget the model) but it’s 25g lighter as well so that was a nice surprise.

ESC size difference between the XR8 Pro G3 and the Max8 G2

Neat and tidy

Dialing in the setup with a new alignment, particularly the front to add additional camber by removing one of the 1.5mm washers on the top pillow ball. This gave me the front camber I wanted from 0-ish camber to -2.5. I also straightened out the front toe to zero.

I’m planning on hitting up the track this weekend and I’m sure there will be some additional fine-tuning once it’s pounding the dirt.

 

[CosmoM3]

Chapter 8: Weight Loss Program

Total Weight Savings (as of 8/11/2023)

Fully Loaded (Stock Spektrum Electronics + Stock dBoots + CNHL 4S 8000mAh)

• 4,284 grams
• 9.44 lbs

Weight Changes (loss)

• CNHL Racing 4S 5600mAh LiPo: (99g)
• Hobbywing Max8 G2 + 4278SD: (23g)
• JConcepts Mono Wheels + Ellipse Tires: (90g)
• Remove battery brace: (9g)
• Mugen Seiki Center Driveshafts: (13g)
• Aluminum Motor Mount (with front composite mount + hardware): (32g)
• Titanium Pillow Balls: (29g)
• Team Durango Front CVD Driveshafts: (8g)
• Team Durango Rear CVD Driveshafts: (16g)
• Hobbywing XR8 Pro G3 + 4268SD: (150g)- replaced the Max8 G2
  • Total weight lost XR8 Pro G3 vs. stock electronics: (173g)
• TLR Rear Wing: (25g)

Current Weight:

• 3,790 grams
• 8.36 lbs
• Goal: 3,500 g or 7.72 lbs

Net Weight (Lost): (494 grams) or (1.09 lbs)

Upcoming:

• Team Durango DEX8 Battery Tray (unknown weight)
• gensacearespammers Redline 4S 6000mAh HiLV (108g)

The weight loss was so dramatic that I had to do another alignment and ride height adjustments on the car. This could also possibly require changing the suspension setup as well.

 

[CosmoM3]

Chapter 9: More Progress

Had another successful track day and continued to dial in the car at this track and my driving preferences.

I went with a thinner front sway bar (GREEN) and added more front camber up front and it gave me significantly more steering for this tighter track (med grip, clay, smooth).

Overall, I liked how the car handled but the timer wasn’t available at the time since they were using it on the outdoor track during a regionals event, therefore I didn’t know how fast (or slow) I was going but based on feeling alone, it felt competent.

While at the pro-shop, I’ve decided to convert to using 5mm bullets from EC5 so that I can start using the lighter and LCG batteries (555g vs. 447-470g) so I’ve tried the Redline 4S LiHV battery, but it has a proprietary balance cable. This is an issue for me since my 100w iMARS charger uses XT60 and I plan to use a Maclan charger cable (XT60 to 4/5mm with 2S and 4S balance leads), but the Redline battery doesn’t work with these - you have to use their included balance cable.

This required me to switch to Protek LiHV 4S LiPos, which are unfortunately more expensive than the Redline. I wished CNHL made 4S LiHV batteries with 5mm plugs.

Coming home, I’ve made some additional changes, specifically the shocks and springs:

I’ve changed out the shock oil weights and while I was at it, I’ve changed out the front shock piston from the 4x1.4mm to 8x1.2mm (per @Yonic suggestion to give 1.2mm a try) as well as your front end kick up setup so I’ll give that a try at the track.

• Shock Oils
  • Front: 45wt (610cst) to 40wt (516 cst) with 1.2mm pistons - TLR oil
  • Rear: 42.5wt (563cst) to 35wt (420cst) - TLR oil
• Springs
  
  • Front: 4.76 lb/in (Stock)
  • Rear: 3.19 lb/in (Stock)
• Sway Bars
  
  • Front: 2.4mm (Yellow) to 2.3mm (Green)
  • Rear: 2.7mm (Yellow) - no changes
• Droop was adjusted as well, but I don’t have the best way to measure this
• Ride Height
  
  • Front: 22mm
  • Rear: 23mm

I have a new DEX8 Battery tray on the way to replace the stock ARRMA part, which is better suited for LCG batteries and replaced the wheel nuts with “closed” Tekno wheel nuts to prevent dirt and debris from getting inside the wheel hex.

My goal is to get everything dialed in and build up some driving skills before the annual Adrenaline RC Invitational series in October.

This was back in 2021 when YouTuber Ryan Harris was there.

 

[Yonic]

That's such a nice track! i'm so jealous.

Waiting to hear how'll you feel as you try more setup changes.

I must recommend David Ronnefalk way of measuring droop, it's the most logical way i found to measure it, and i find this setting really important.

I love mine with the front 4mm above the chassis and the rears 2mm below the chassis.

 

[CosmoM3]

That's such a nice track! i'm so jealous.

Waiting to hear how'll you feel as you try more setup changes.

I must recommend David Ronnefalk way of measuring droop, it's the most logical way i found to measure it, and i find this setting really important.

I love mine with the front 4mm above the chassis and the rears 2mm below the chassis.

Yeah I've been using a wooden block as my droop reference and using my ride height caliper.

I'm starting to dial back on the "stiffness" and reducing the shock oil weights as I feel the higher shock oils (42.5-450wt or 550-610 cst) was fine but unnecessary and I'm the type to go softer first before I go thicker when it comes to these things. @Yonic you're doing the right thing on depending on the chassis to handle the cornering as I also believe that the shock and spring should be tuned early (and once) as the foundation of a good car setup before you work on the rest of the car.

I went with the lighter oil all around with the 1.2 pistons up front like you had said and the car indeed stopped bottoming out, even with the lighter 40wt oil and springs (yellow). Since I feel that the ride quality should be pretty good, the rest will be making sure that the cornering is setup now.

For timing reference, I was able to hit the 21 second range (<21 seconds clean with smoother corners) and I know that I have a bit of on-power understeer so I have to depend a lot on off-power steering because then the car turns on a dime. The balance feels good overall but I have to careful not to get on the power too early on slow corners. ROAR Nationals level pros are able to hit the 17 second range on this same track.

I'm also thinking of going a little bit heavier on the differentials as the stock differential oils at the time (7k, 100k, 7k) didn't bother me too much and I can feel the front wheels balloon just a little bit on the straight. Right now, I'm running (7,7,3) and thinking of moving them up to (10,10,5).

 

[CosmoM3]

Chapter 10: Convenience

I was planning on swapping out the center diff to something heavier that 7K CST since I noticed the front end of the buggy lifting on the straights and maybe it's just me, but I was actually fine with the stock 100K CST that came with the RTR. I've ordered another complete OEM center diff with the stock 100K CST oil from Jenny's RC and I plan to use that again with this current diff setup: 7K, 100K, 3K or maybe even 10K, 100K, 3K.

To my dismay, I've also decided to go back to the original sliding motor mount design due to its convenience since swapping or changing the center diff is a complete pain in the ass with the older (32g lighter) aluminum motor mount since you have to literally remove everything. It got so annoying that I've decided to forego the lighter aluminum mount altogether.

@Yonic - I can confirm that the Team Durango DEX8 battery tray do not fit onto the stock TLR chassis because the holes do not line up.

The new to me Protek RC LiHV 4S 5600mAh LiPos are coming today that should save me another 80-90 grams of weight.

Overall, I shaved off approx. 480g of weight off the RTR.

Total Weight (without wheels or body):

• 3,304 grams

In comparison (difference):

• RC8B4e: 3,180 grams (124g)
• MBX8R Eco: 3,161 grams (143g)
• EB48 2.1: 3,124 (180g)

There are still some places where I could shave some additional weight if I really pushed it (Ti turnbuckles, CF shock towers....and going back to that aluminum motor mount), but I think at this point it's mostly going to be about setup and driving to keep up with these other kit cars.

 

[JREEVES]

Awesome tracks you have at your disposal Cosmo, wish we still had something like those here! Loved racing my Rangos!
Dumb question, way back when I raced last we were limited to 2s lipos, ROAR approved. Has that all changed now? Are classes set up by scale AND cell count?

 

[CosmoM3]

Awesome tracks you have at your disposal Cosmo, wish we still had something like those here! Loved racing my Rangos!
Dumb question, way back when I raced last we were limited to 2s lipos, ROAR approved. Has that all changed now? Are classes set up by scale AND cell count?

For 1/8 scale, it's 4S LiPos.

I'm loving my "Dingo" as well and I feel as though I can grow with this car without feeling FOMO about not getting a Tekno, TA or Mugen.

Tae

 

[CosmoM3]

I was bored at work and I started to calculate my theoretical spring rates for my current setup.

This is strictly theoretical based on the car's weight, suspension frequency and control arms. This same calculation is applied to real world racing cars.

 

[CosmoM3]

Update from the post above:

So I’ve decided to retune my suspension and went old school (auto racing) logic - determining the correct suspension frequency and I came down to the conclusion (with testing) that the red spring up front with the yellow springs in the rear (with the top shock tower mount moved out one hole), yielded the best results for this car with its current weight. The suspension frequency between the front and rear were perfectly aligned so that was a good sign and a good starting point.

I also originally went from the stock 42.5wt (550cst) front and rear, down to 40wt (516cst) front and 35wt (420cst) rear and noticed that the rears still looked over-dampened relative to the front. Therefore this time, I went with 30wt (338cst) in the rears with the same shock tower mounting position as before and the rear was finally more reactive and within the same frequency as the front. Ride height is set at 22mm in the front and 23mm in the rear - no bottoming out/chassis slaps after dropping it from 12 inches.

With both the drop test and the bottomed out and release test, the car was perfectly flat and level. I’m excited to go to the track and test out my new “zero” setup again this weekend.

 

[CosmoM3]

Chapter 11: Personal Best Times

I was at the track yesterday from opening to close and I put in my laps testing out my setup and practicing and pulled off some consistent times:

This was my first (cold) run of the day with the new setup

Front:

• Red Spring (3rd Hole shock tower)
• Green Sway Bar
• 40wt Shock Oil
• 7K CST Diff Oil
• Stock everywhere else
• Custom droop

Rear:

• Yellow Spring (2nd Hole out on the shock tower)
• Green Sway Bar
• 30wt Shock Oil
• 3K CST Diff Oil
• Stock everywhere else
• Matching front droop

Center:

• 100K CST Diff Oil

I did some minor adjustments since I noticed the car had a little more off power oversteer and some kick up in the rear when I brake on a face of a ramp:

Front:

• Red Spring (3rd Hole shock tower)
• Green Sway Bar
• 40wt Shock Oil
• 7K CST Diff Oil
• Stock everywhere else
• Custom droop

Rear:

• Yellow Spring (2nd Hole out on the shock tower)
• Yellow Sway Bar
• 30wt Shock Oil
• 3K CST Diff Oil
• Stock everywhere else
• Matching front droop

Center:

• 100K CST Diff Oil

This was my best time after changing a few things, especially the front spring since that specific spring matched my suspension frequency equation:

Front:

• Mugen Seiki Black Spring (5.4 lb/in) (3rd Hole shock tower)
• Green Sway Bar
• 40wt Shock Oil
• 7K CST Diff Oil
• Stock everywhere else
• Custom droop

Rear:

• Yellow Spring (2nd Hole out on the shock tower)
• Yellow Sway Bar
• 30wt Shock Oil
• 3K CST Diff Oil
• Stock everywhere else
• Matching front droop

Center:

• 7K CST Diff Oil

The new (heavier) front spring made the car feel completely balanced, which was the point and goal of the frequency equation and I had two sponsored pro drivers take it for a spin. They were monsters.

Pro Driver: Lee Setser (Team Associated, JConcepts)

His commentary: "It's good."

Pro Driver: Jacob Hardison (TLR, JConcepts)

His commentary: "It's a good car."

Knowing the fact that the Typhon can clock the 17 second range on an unconditioned track (it's been a few months), which is what the average pro drivers are getting with their RC8B4e, says a lot about how far the Typhon had come since I purchased it as an RTR.

With the suspension frequency being balanced front and rear (and each corner), the car looked like it was just gliding through the track with nothing looking too one-sided in terms of absorption of the bumps at full send. Dialing in this foundation was crucial for me as everything else will follow if your starting point is perfect, otherwise everything else you do to the car is a bandaid fix.

Bonus Photo of my JConcepts Ellipse (Silver) tire after I had Lee Setser drive my car:

Note: I never believed in following or copying another driver’s setup sheet (pro or otherwise) because of the following:

1. Even the pros do not have a balanced car from the start and all the adjustments they do are fixes for a preexisting problem that was never addressed. Like drinking coffee in the morning to keep you awake rather than focusing on why you’re not sleeping well in the first place.
2. Some of these guys don’t even know what the droop screw does or what a balanced suspension frequency looks like, they’re just really good at driving aggressively fast.
3. How you drive in a given condition is not the same as anyone else. There is no one size fits all. You can’t take one setup sheet as a gospel and expect it to work for you. You can, however, use it as a reference and look at things holistically, but you’ll never understand why their setup is a certain way if you don’t understand the fundamentals.

 

[CosmoM3]

Chapter 11: Just the little things add up

For this weekend, I'm making the following changes:

Front:

• Mugen Seiki Black Spring (3rd Hole shock tower)
• Green Sway Bar
• 35wt Shock Oil + 1.2x6 Pistons
• 10K CST Diff Oil
• Stock everywhere else
• Custom droop

Rear:

• Yellow Spring (2nd Hole out on the shock tower)
• Green Sway Bar
• 30wt Shock Oil + 1.4x4 Pistons
• 7K CST Diff Oil
• Stock everywhere else
• Matching front droop

Center:

• 10K CST Diff Oil

Again, this is my setup based off my driving style and track/conditions.

I also got rid of the crappy battery strap and replaced it using ARRMA 4x4 battery straps (2x) for a cleaner setup:

Also my current weight:

 

[SrC]

Nice thread. Much detailed info here.
Incredible TLRT setup. Nicest track Typhon I have seen.
Much wheel time and effort for sure.

 

[CosmoM3]

Some footage of picking the correct spring rates given the weight and estimated corner balance. This is all done without shock oil and you check for close to perfect spring frequency between the front and rear.

The results vary based on your weight and setup! My car is significantly lighter than it was stock, therefore the heavier springs and shock oil no longer applies to me.

Short drop test

Altogether (Previous Setup):

• Front
  • 468cst (37.5wt) Front + 1.2x8 Pistons
  • Mugen Seiki Springs
  • Stock Mounting Points
  • Shorter Droop
  • 22mm Ride Height
• Rear
  • 338cst (30wt) Rear + 1.4x4 Pistons
  • Team Durango Yellow Springs
  • 2nd Outer Hole on the Shock Tower
  • Matching Shorter Droop
  • 22mm Ride Height

The fronts are still just slightly lower at the bottom range compared to the balanced rears. I also have a set of OEM ARRMA 1.3x6 pistons coming in, which gives me more tuning ability.

It’s better to use the correct shock pistons rather doing a band aid fix on going with thicker shock oil if it’s available for your car.

Now what happens if I use my shock pack equation using my previous (almost perfect) balanced setup and taking account for shock pack and its surface area?

Using the calculations above using my previous setup as the starting point (30wt rear and 40wt front) and putting the stock 1.4x4 piston back to the front (these came stock this way) as they have more pack than the 12x8 pistons that were originally in the rear, my new setup looks like this now:

• Front
  • 420cst (35wt) Front + 1.4x4 Pistons
  • Mugen Seiki Springs
  • Stock Mounting Points
  • Shorter Droop
  • 22mm Ride Height
• Rear
  • 338cst (30wt) Rear + 1.2x8 Pistons
  • Team Durango Yellow Springs
  • 2nd Outer Hole on the Shock Tower
  • Matching Shorter Droop
  • 22mm Ride Height

Because I added more pack on the front shocks, instead of guessing and checking, I just reduced the shock oil weight based on the calculation above (I don't have 32.5wt on me at the moment, so I substituted it with 35wt). This was the result:

As you can see, perfect balance without the need of going heavier on shock oil (which would open another set of problems of running thicker oil) and instead used the shock piston before messing with the shock oil. Even with a 22mm ride height (on the lower end for most buggies that race), the car does not bottom out and perfectly level. Ideally, the shock oil for both front and rear should be the same and only tuned with shock pistons and I think I can do that once the 1.2x6 pistons arrive. With those in the front shocks, I could run the same shock oil as the rears (338cst/30wt) and achieve perfect balance.

I ordered another set of front and rear shocks from Jenny's RC (grabbed the last front pair they had in stock) and I plan to use those shocks for outdoor tracks, therefore I'll just tune the pistons and shock oils. The spring rates won't change (and they don't need to) as most of the tuning just comes down to the shock itself and adjusting roll centers.

My prior setup (a few posts up) felt great and the car felt planted through the track. The track was mostly smooth, but it hasn’t been conditioned since two months ago during JConcepts INS13 Spring Indoor Nationals, therefore it’s pretty rough in a lot of places. With the balanced spring and shock oil setup, the car was soaking up imperfections and able to put power down efficiently. What I’m working on now is cornering, which is mostly roll center tuning and messing with grip, but that's now easier to tune now because my foundation and starting point (shocks, pack, shock angle, shock oil, ride height and droop) are all dialed in that going forward, I don't have to rely on bandaid fixes due to an improperly setup car from the start. The only thing I really need to change now going forward based on track conditions, is shock oil and droop, making future adjustments a lot simpler with less guesswork.

 

[CosmoM3]

More shopping today, but with M2C without adding any real weight.

• M2C Delrin Pillow Ball Retainer Bushings
  • The stock ones suck and gets gritty and causes binding
• M2C Delrin Shock Cap Bushings
  • Stock ones suck
• M2C Pillow Ball Insertion Wrench
  • I'm already cross-threading one of the front hubs that hold the pillow balls in place
• M2C Carbon Top Plate
  • Jazzing things up and shaving off a few grams
• M2C Delrin Suspension Block Bushings
  • Probably won't work on the TLR, but it was $5 so I'll see

Also picked up a set of MIP Bypass1 pistons that will fit the stock shocks based on the feedback I received from the MIP team that should work.

Also it’s good to change your diff fluids if you track you car on a somewhat frequent basis. This was how they looked after a month of weekly driving:

 

[CosmoM3]

Had a solid day at the track today, but unfortunately my servo died on me (SAVOX 1211SG Black Edition) which was shocking to me. I replaced it with a SAVOX SW-2210SG and the car definitely felt more alive after the swap.

I was messing with the MIP Bypass1 High Flow pistons and I noticed that I did not like them on a smooth indoor track running on the same shock oil as my dialed in shock setup. The shocks were reacting too quickly and made the car edgy on a smoother track. This was with the same shock oil and spring package as before (I have a spare set for these situations) except for the MIP Bypass1 Hi-Flow pistons:

• MIP Piston 1.3x5 Front (Blue Valve) + 32.5wt (379cst)
• MIP Piston 1.2x8 Rear (Green Valve) + 30wt (338cst)
• Result: Felt too edgy and loose for a smooth/dusty indoor clay track

A Turning Point

What shocked me the most was its performance on the outdoor track where the track was a bit rutted and had a lot of imperfections everywhere.

The car performed flawlessly and I was actually lost for words. I had a pro driver and another experienced driver take the Typhon out for a couple of hot laps and they were both surprised on how smooth and easy to drive it was. The car was was just gripping everywhere and was able to put power down without wasting any energy from the chassis being loose. Something I learned from years of high performance track driving - all that power is pointless if you can’t put the power down to the track. You’re spending half the time just fighting to keep the car in control rather than focusing on actually driving the car. This was something I noticed at the track where racers would stab their throttle non-stop and they fight for traction….and they RACE that way.

The ARRMA just planted and I could get on the throttle all the time with very little drama, which gave me a lot more confidence to push it harder.

"This is definitely an A MAIN car," one of the drivers said after just 3-4 laps.

While my indoor (dusty) track training could improve, I feel as though the slicker conditions actually nurtured me and made me a better driver because the outdoor track was better maintained and I felt like the grip level increased on another level. So much so that I had to rewire my brain to get on the throttle more and turn later.

Tires: JConcepts Relapse

I remember when I brought the Typhon to the track in stock form and experienced guys just looked and nodded - thinking it was just an RTR and nothing serious. After weeks of tuning and dialing in the setup with simple physics and logic (with practice), It definitely had come a long way and the car had proven itself with a solid foundation and setup where even the pro drivers have acknowledge it as a competitive car, even within their league.

Tuning/setup is half the battle, but it’s not black magic. Copying other people’s setup doesn’t make sense most of the time because their foundations are most of the time are wrong (or just don’t know what they’re doing) - they’re mostly compounded band-aid fixes.

Batteries

I’ve made the decision to get out of the 4S LiHV battery with the 5mm bullet plug system because it became so annoying an impractical for me. The only reason I switched from EC5 to 5mm bullet plug were for two reasons:

1. LCG
2. Lower weight (<500g)
3. LiHV

However, CNHL offers all of these with their LiHV version of their Racing Series while still using the EC5 connector! Their 6000mAh version meets the weight requirement, they’re LCG and LiHV…while being HALF THE PRICE of the Protek RC LiHV 5200mAH batteries. I just purchased a set of three of the CNHL 6000mAH LiHV batteries for just over $200!

The equivalent Protek RC 6200mAh LiHV were close to $170….EACH.

Yeah no thanks Protek - I’ve been down that road with you and so far I haven’t been very impressed.

 

[bullanthony]

Had a solid day at the track today, but unfortunately my servo died on me (SAVOX 1211SG Black Edition) which was shocking to me. I replaced it with a SAVOX SW-2210SG and the car definitely felt more alive after the swap.

I was messing with the MIP Bypass1 High Flow pistons and I noticed that I did not like them on a smooth indoor track running on the same shock oil as my dialed in shock setup. The shocks were reacting too quickly and made the car edgy on a smoother track. This was with the same shock oil and spring package as before (I have a spare set for these situations) except for the MIP Bypass1 Hi-Flow pistons:

• MIP Piston 1.3x5 Front (Blue Valve) + 32.5wt (379cst)
• MIP Piston 1.2x8 Rear (Green Valve) + 30wt (338cst)
• Result: Felt too edgy and loose for a smooth/dusty indoor clay track

View attachment 320319

A Turning Point

What shocked me the most was its performance on the outdoor track where the track was a bit rutted and had a lot of imperfections everywhere.

The car performed flawlessly and I was actually lost for words. I had a pro driver and another experienced driver take the Typhon out for a couple of hot laps and they were both surprised on how smooth and easy to drive it was. The car was was just gripping everywhere and was able to put power down without wasting any energy from the chassis being loose. Something I learned from years of high performance track driving - all that power is pointless if you can’t put the power down to the track. You’re spending half the time just fighting to keep the car in control rather than focusing on actually driving the car. This was something I noticed at the track where racers would stab their throttle non-stop and they fight for traction….and they RACE that way.

The ARRMA just planted and I could get on the throttle all the time with very little drama, which gave me a lot more confidence to push it harder.

"This is definitely an A MAIN car," one of the drivers said after just 3-4 laps.

While my indoor (dusty) track training could improve, I feel as though the slicker conditions actually nurtured me and made me a better driver because the outdoor track was better maintained and I felt like the grip level increased on another level. So much so that I had to rewire my brain to get on the throttle more and turn later.

Tires: JConcepts Relapse

I remember when I brought the Typhon to the track in stock form and experienced guys just looked and nodded - thinking it was just an RTR and nothing serious. After weeks of tuning and dialing in the setup with simple physics and logic (with practice), It definitely had come a long way and the car had proven itself with a solid foundation and setup where even the pro drivers have acknowledge it as a competitive car, even within their league.

Tuning/setup is half the battle, but it’s not black magic. Copying other people’s setup doesn’t make sense most of the time because their foundations are most of the time are wrong (or just don’t know what they’re doing) - they’re mostly compounded band-aid fixes.

Batteries

I’ve made the decision to get out of the 4S LiHV battery with the 5mm bullet plug system because it became so annoying an impractical for me. The only reason I switched from EC5 to 5mm bullet plug were for two reasons:

1. LCG
2. Lower weight (<500g)
3. LiHV

However, CNHL offers all of these with their LiHV version of their Racing Series while still using the EC5 connector! Their 6000mAh version meets the weight requirement, they’re LCG and LiHV…while being HALF THE PRICE of the Protek RC LiHV 5200mAH batteries. I just purchased a set of three of the CNHL 6000mAH LiHV batteries for just over $200!

The equivalent Protek RC 6200mAh LiHV were close to $170….EACH.

Yeah no thanks Protek - I’ve been down that road with you and so far I haven’t been very impressed.

Just want to get on here and say i really appreciate you taking the time to post all of this knowledge and upgrades as well as your legit real world testing in detail. Man i just got an RTR typhon tlr two days ago haven't touched it and you had confirmed my initial changes out of the box i had planned + a million times more. If youre still testing keep it up as i am pinning your thread and would love to chat a bit more as i get into the 1/8 buggy game.

 

[CosmoM3]

Just want to get on here and say i really appreciate you taking the time to post all of this knowledge and upgrades as well as your legit real world testing in detail. Man i just got an RTR typhon tlr two days ago haven't touched it and you had confirmed my initial changes out of the box i had planned + a million times more. If youre still testing keep it up as i am pinning your thread and would love to chat a bit more as i get into the 1/8 buggy game.

I'm glad that this thread brings value to you and hopefully other TLR Typhon 6S owners as this buggy can be taken to the next level (or you could say, back to original form based on the Team Durango DEX8) as long as you're willing to put in the work.

I haven't gone to the track in awhile (I've been working on my other expensive hobbies), but I feel like I had bookmarked the progress at a good spot to re-approach this again.

 

[SrC]

Thanks man.

I was using the Porsche 911 GT3 RS comparison because it’s more known as a street legal race car with a license plate. I kind of see the TLR Typhon the same way - a basher track car. Not

I don’t plan on changing the body and I’m going to keep it as a buggy. Sorry if I confused you haha.


Chapter 2: Setting up for the next corner

After my first track day (almost 6 hours of non-stop driving), I’ve learned a couple of things and made some changes to my setup.

View attachment 314834View attachment 314835View attachment 314836View attachment 314837

I’ve made the following setup changes:

• Changed the Ackerman steering angle down to the lowest hole (#4)
• Rear inner camber link was raised up two holes
• Camber was changed in the rear to -2.0 degrees
• Front toe was set to 0 degrees (now my steering trim is perfectly centered without any adjustments)
• Front shock oil was changed out from the factory 42.5wt (550cst) to TLR spec 45wt (610cst)
• Ride height was lowered down to 22mm via spring preload and droop screw
• Differential fluids were changed
  • Front: 10K CST to 7K CST
  • Center: 100K CST to 7K CST
  • Rear: 10K CST to 3K CST
• Swapped out the tires from the JConcepts Ellipse (Green) to (Silver) on AKA Black Wheels, which is more suitable for indoor, medium to high grip tracks.
• CNHL Racing 4S 5600mAh LiPo packs
• Tekno 16T Mod 1 Pinion

View attachment 314839

Word of note....
My TLRT "Roller" came equipped with thinner 7k/10k/7k recommended diff oils. As per the "Roller"version manual.
The RTR TLRT Manual clearly shows 10k/100k/10k is now factory installed. Way too thick for confined technical track driving.
Arrma clearly drifted away from the "Race Ready" theme, once they went to the RTR TLRT variant. I bet to simplify mass production, save some coin, using 10/100/10 across the board. Of course if racing any version of the TLRT, Roller or RTR, a racer will absolutely go over the diffs anyway. The TLRT needs a Sensored ESC/Motor to even try to compete with other Track kit brands. The TLRT is still a pound heavier than most any other true racer platform. Leaving the Plastic Fr and Rr braces in place is a benefit for sure. Lighter than alloy. Most track guys don't race with alloy braces. They want some added Flex across the chassis. A benefit for traction. Some will even loosen up the rear brace chassis screw to get even more added chassis flex. A tuning aid this way.
BTW, Arrma-RC.com is showing an October/2023 availability date for the Roller TLRT variant. The best way to buy the TLRT Typhon, as a Roller, IMHO.
I thought it was discontinued altogether.
The TLRT is not best for hard bashing and 6s packs. Buy the standard RTR Typhon if for just bashing. Maybe just upgrade to the TLRT chassis if anything. And then maybe the TLRT shocks.
The adjustable Pill Mounts are quite fragile and break easily if bashing. The Hinge pins are shorter as well. Been there. More a liability for plain bashing. A PIA if you ask me. Bashers will never use the Pill mount adjustability anyway.
https://www.arrma-rc.com/en/product/1-8-tlr-tuned-typhon-4x4-roller-buggy-pink-purple/ARA8306.html#

 

[Man-child79]

Thanks man.

I was using the Porsche 911 GT3 RS comparison because it’s more known as a street legal race car with a license plate. I kind of see the TLR Typhon the same way - a basher track car. Not

I don’t plan on changing the body and I’m going to keep it as a buggy. Sorry if I confused you haha.


Chapter 2: Setting up for the next corner

After my first track day (almost 6 hours of non-stop driving), I’ve learned a couple of things and made some changes to my setup.

View attachment 314834View attachment 314835View attachment 314836View attachment 314837

I’ve made the following setup changes:

• Changed the Ackerman steering angle down to the lowest hole (#4)
• Rear inner camber link was raised up two holes
• Camber was changed in the rear to -2.0 degrees
• Front toe was set to 0 degrees (now my steering trim is perfectly centered without any adjustments)
• Front shock oil was changed out from the factory 42.5wt (550cst) to TLR spec 45wt (610cst)
• Ride height was lowered down to 22mm via spring preload and droop screw
• Differential fluids were changed
  • Front: 10K CST to 7K CST
  • Center: 100K CST to 7K CST
  • Rear: 10K CST to 3K CST
• Swapped out the tires from the JConcepts Ellipse (Green) to (Silver) on AKA Black Wheels, which is more suitable for indoor, medium to high grip tracks.
• CNHL Racing 4S 5600mAh LiPo packs
• Tekno 16T Mod 1 Pinion

View attachment 314839

I’m a long time “Open Track Day” junkie so when you referenced the GT3 RS comparison I was well on track with what you were trying to convey. You were just saying it wasn’t a caged VIN less enclosed trailer dedicated race car but a road legal car that will still return respectable lap times with heat, AC, traction control and in some cases even a radio.