Typhon In all seriousness, competitive buggy?

[TyphonTLR]

I have a few arrmas at this point but am looking to get into racing. Realistically how competitive and or worth it is to make something like a typhon race worthy or is it better to pick up a Losi 8ight etc and go that route? So many other brands have teams etc and invest in the race side of rc instead of the break poop and fix it, don't get me wrong it's awesome, just looking for advice from the collective here.

 

[dure16]

A buggy is a buggy for the most part. You get more tuning options with the race brands but that’s the primary design difference.

However, the typhon is chunky. Too heavy to be competitive IMO.

 

[3x9rtse]

I'm guessing you're talking about dirt / clay surface ? While I have never raced on those surfaces , I do race on high grip Ozite carpet and turf 1/10 scale . The Typhon would fall into 1/8 scale buggys , and IMO all the race kits are far ahead of design VS. the TLR Typhon . For the record I have a TLR Typhon , and while it does have a bunch of better parts and means of adjustments compared to a RTR Typhon , it wouldn't be my choice for a race rig . Tekno / Losi / Xray would be the best choices .

 

[Diem Turner]

I think that's going to depend on your wallet and how competitive you want to be. It might be worth going to your local race track, seeing what everyone else is running and just talk to some of the guys there.

Personally, if I wanted to get serious about competitive racing in 1/8 scale off-road, I'd probably be looking at cars like the Mugen Seiki, Mayako MX-8 or XRAY.

But I'm sure others will chime in with more experience on the topic. I recall a thread where someone was racing competitively with a Typhon TLR, though I can't remember who it was.

 

[TyphonTLR]

I'm kind of in a dead zone in Central VA as far as tracks go but the closest tracks are outdoor and indoor clay. I'll have to just go and see.

 

[3x9rtse]

Clay would be my next choice of surface , I love watching the 4wd SCT's on clay !!!

 

[Smilinbri]

Tekno / Losi / Xray would be the best choices

 

[fastasscrass]

A buggy is a buggy for the most part. You get more tuning options with the race brands but that’s the primary design difference.

However, the typhon is chunky. Too heavy to be competitive IMO.

And it steers like crapola!

 

[K-BASH]

I got a tekno eb4.3 roller on a trade an after disassembling it an useing the parts on other arrma cars it was very much better built than the typhon......only room for small pack ,esc,an motor,shocks,towers,arms ,pins etc all built much better than arrma.all bigger bearings in hubs an steering blocks,lighter an stronger.heres some tekno buggy parts from it

 

[davidg]

If you already have the typhon put a good set of tires on it and go try it out. That way you can find out how far you want to go. You can always get another buggy later, if that's what you want.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

There was a dude posting up that he was winning big regional races with his Typhon.
I believe he was only changing the shocks to Losi shocks and electronics to a proper 4s race setup.

 

[joshludden]

There was a due posting up that he was winning big regional races with his Typhon.
I believe he was only changing the shocks to Losi shocks and electronics.

Think he might've even sold that typhon here in the classifieds, I think I remember seeing it for sale, just can't remember who it was

 

[Diem Turner]

Appears that we're all remembering the same unknown member

 

[Hector_Fisher]

There was a dude posting up that he was winning big regional races with his Typhon.
I believe he was only changing the shocks to Losi shocks and electronics to a proper 4s race setup.

Though that could be entirely down to the skill of the driver, the track type, and the skill level of the competition he was racing against.

 

[SrC]

And it steers like crapola!

My 4s TLRT steers fine in Clay. Because I dialed her in. Running the right tires. There are many Pill mounts to dial her in. Many Race spec rigs offer the same. The TLRT manual is set up as a race manual of sorts. You need to follow the Manuals chart for Pill Mount configurations. If you never built a race spec rig before, you won't understand it well. Need to dial in Roll center and Ackerman. TLRT has a TLRT Ackerman Plate for this. Extra holes for dialing in.
When you race, you ONLY use 4s Lipos. A strict rule. Speeds are usually no faster than 30-35 mph on technical tracks. So if you are bashing your TLRT out in the wild on 6S, sure it will be a bear and not steer great. That is just Bashing.
TLRT is well balanced and follows the same platform as TEAM Durango did years past. A Kit built Race spec Arrma, when Hobbico owned Arrma.
The Typhon TLRT is a true 1/8 Buggy. It meets track specs down to the MM. Rear wing and all. The Cross Weight out the box is a perfect 50/50 with 4s electrics.

The TLRT is kind of heavyish, yes. But I feel it can hang with most any Club level event. There are ways to keep it light. Again, using only 4s electrics and keeping with the Plastic front and rear braces. You don't want to add any Alloys or bumpers and skid plates. If anything use CF. Can't set it up as a basher. It will end up being a heavy Tank. NG for the track.
I know there are drawbacks with the TLRT for racing however. IMHO the Pivot ball design could use some revamping. Hasn't been updated in years. It is just fine for Bashing. Fr. Roll center needs to be dialed better. If you never raced before and want to casually give a try, the TLRT is an inexpensive way to start. Parts are in abundance compared to many $Race Kit$ brands. TA, TLR, Tekno, etc.
TLRT can be competitive.
Much is driver control in the end. Practice on the track. A pro driver can make any rig shine.
You really can't poopoo the TLRT. A Good value.
Want a real Track rig, better have some real coin in your wallet.
Tekno Buggy rules IMHO. It is not a Baller. ( No pivot balls, uses a C-hub front end)
I feel Ballers are harder to dial in. But the best Race Buggies out there happen to be ballers. Think $Mugen$. They have balling down to a science.


Edit.
Race kit brands have better track support compared to the Arrma TLRT. For instance, TA, Tekno and TLR have Proven Setup sheets available by the pros to guide you with different tracks. Seems the TLRT is just a blank setup. And you start blind for the most part. Little track support. Arrma does not sponsor racing at the track. They are a Basher brand.
FWIW, you cannot compare the TLRT to a TLR buggy by any means. Two completely different designs/brands. HH owning both brands. They both share nothing, parts wise.
Arrma just used TLR branding to market this Typhon.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Though that could be entirely down to the skill of the driver, the track type, and the skill level of the competition he was racing against.

From memory it was a big race against serious racers.
Some sort of aMain event or something...

99% sure he is an absolutely amazing driver.

 

[SrC]

The best drivers started at a young age and never put it down. As drivers get old, their reaction time can't keep up with the younger crowd.
Takes hundreds of hours across different tracks to be proficient as a driver. Doing it every weekend for years. It gets quite expensive when you get to pro level point class races. Traveling and all. Racing has petered out. I am all for Club level events.
No more tracks by me anymore. My clay track closed. It was a large regional sanctioned track at the time. Sponsored by Reedy, TA, TLR , Tekin, etc.
It was half acre indoor track. Well groomed.

 

[TyphonTLR]

Yeah not looking at anything pro just for fun weekend stuff. Not looking for the Ferrari here just don't want to show up underprepared with the civic lol.

 

[3x9rtse]

Yeah not looking at anything pro just for fun weekend stuff. Not looking for the Ferrari here just don't want to show up underprepared with the civic lol.

TyphonTLR , do you already have a TLR Typhon , or you have to go buy one ? If you already have it , go with it . As others said , I'd take a trip to the track and hang out on a race night and watch what goes on . Build the buggy and go there on practice days to run it , there should be other racers there to ask questions to . At my LHS racetrack we were always willing to help out the newbies .

 

[K-BASH]

When I had a off road typhon my absolute favorite setup was car on 4s geared for like 60-65mph.the weight diffrences between 4s vs 6s changes car performance big time...roughly 1lb .handles much better,less strain on drivetrain, even wrecks are noticely less violent....car wound probly smoke a typhon on 6s on the track.