Breaking in a brand-new RC car isn’t just about pulling the trigger and sending it around the track. To get the most out of your vehicle long-term, you’ve got to take the time to wear in the driveline, set a solid baseline, and fine-tune the setup so you know exactly what you’re working with. In our latest video, Jacob takes the TLR Tuned Typhon out for its very first day on the track—and walks through the process step by step.
Why Break-In Matters
When you build or buy a fresh car, everything from your diffs to the driveline is tight. The pins, gears, and outdrives need time to wear together to eliminate “perfect circle” contact points that can cause unnecessary stress and limited grip. Breaking in helps smooth those connections, reduces mechanical bind, and sets your car up for a longer lifespan and more predictable handling.
After that? A good rebuild to flush out any metal particles and refresh diff oils. That’s when you’ve got a car that’s really ready to race.
Step 1: Baseline Setup
Before heading to the track, Jacob dialed in three key areas:
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Droop – Set to a starting point of +2 in the front and -4 in the rear for a balanced suspension feel.
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Ride Height – 25mm up front and 27mm in the rear, a solid outdoor track setup that would naturally settle during break-in.
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Camber – The rear camber was adjusted to a more manageable angle to improve stability, while the front pillow ball setup was left factory for now.
Finally, the steering was centered, endpoints adjusted, and the Typhon was ready for its first laps.
First Packs on the Track
The first battery pack revealed a few issues. The included ESC tape didn’t hold, and a fan mount needed Loctite. More importantly, front droop went missing mid-run, throwing off handling. After resetting droop and ride height, the car was back in business.
The stock tires, however, didn’t hold up—coming unglued and even ripping foams. Jacob swapped them out for a used set of green Reflex tires, and instantly the car’s performance jumped. As he puts it: “A good set of tires is 75% of your setup.”
How Did It Drive?
By the end of the day, the Typhon was running strong. Steering felt a little numb at first, but with adjustments and better tires, the car handled consistently—even as the Reflexes wore down fast. For a box-stock setup with only geometry tweaks, the performance was impressive.
What’s Next?
The next steps in this build series will include:
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Rebuilding the front, center, and rear diffs with fresh oil.
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Cleaning out any break-in debris.
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Installing a Hot Racing servo saver to improve steering feel as track grip comes up.
From there, we’ll start gathering baseline data and experimenting with setup changes to really dial in performance.
Final Thoughts
Day one with the TLR Tuned Typhon showed us just how capable this buggy is right out of the box. With just a few setup tweaks and a better set of tires, it went from unpredictable to consistent and smooth. The break-in process set a strong foundation, and now the fun begins with dialing in the car for peak performance.
Items Included in the Build So Far:
TLR Tuned Typhon: https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/arrma-tlr-tuned-typhon-1-8-4wd-roller-pink-purple
Cayote Crest 8 ESC : https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/cayote-crest-8-1-8-200a-sensored-brushless-esc-w-bluetooth
Tekin T8 2050kv Motor : https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/tekin-redline-t8-gen3-2050kv-4030-1-8-buggy-brushless-sensored-motor Tekin T8 1900kv Motor : https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/tekin-redline-t8-gen3-1900kv-4030-1-8-buggy-brushless-sensored-motor
USRC 1776 Servo : https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/usrc-usa-1776hts-high-speed-torque-steering-servo
ProTek 30x30 Fan : https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/protek-rc-30x30x10mm-aluminum-high-speed-hv-cooling-fan-blue-black
ExoTek 1/8 Fan Mount : https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/exotek-1-8-exo-fan-mount-v2-clamp-on-set-for-1-8-trucks-and-buggies?variant=43820363251849
ProTek Dual Sided Servo Horn : https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/protek-rc-dual-offset-heavy-duty-clamping-servo-horn-standard-25t
Tekno 17T Pinion Gear : https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/tekno-rc-m5-hardened-steel-mod1-pinion-gear-w-5mm-bore-assorted-sizes?variant=41351694385289
Sanwa Receiver: https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/sanwa-airtronics-rx-493i-m17-mt-5-2-4ghz-4-channel-fhss-5-telemetry-receiver
Protek 4s 6500 Mah Battery: https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/protek-rc-4s-120c-low-ir-si-graphene-hv-lipo-battery-15-2v-6500mah-w-5mm-connector-roar-approved
Green Reflex: https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/jconcepts-reflex-4-0-1-8th-truggy-tires-2-green
Mono Wheels: https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/jconcepts-83mm-bullet-1-8th-buggy-wheel-4-yellow?_pos=1&_fid=dc90d9106&_ss=c
Tire Glue: https://www.adrenalinercracing.com/products/jconcepts-advanced-formulated-tire-glue-medium