Welcome back to the Adrenaline RC blog! In this installment of our ongoing TLR Tuned Typhon series, we’re back on our indoor track continuing the grind—testing, adjusting, and learning what it really takes to extract speed from this platform. Even while feeling a bit under the weather, the mission stayed the same: keep pushing the car forward and keep getting faster.
Picking Up Where We Left Off
In the previous session, we focused on front kick-up, which helped sharpen initial turn-in and improved corner entry. That change alone picked up a couple tenths, but the car was still missing that last bit of steering we needed to truly unlock the next level.
One factor that keeps coming up is weight. A heavier car naturally wants to push more than a lightweight race build, and while we haven’t put this Typhon on the scale yet, you can feel that mass—especially when grip levels go up. That’s something we’ll quantify soon, but for now, we stayed focused on tuning what we already have.
Today’s Plan: Front Sway Bar Change
For this session, the main change was swapping to a lighter 2.2mm front sway bar, down from a 2.4mm. The goal was simple:
➡️ Increase front roll
➡️ Improve front bite
➡️ Reduce mid-corner push
We considered removing the front sway bar entirely, but on our indoor layout that often leads to inconsistency and a car that’s harder to drive at the limit.
Track Conditions & Tire Choice
The track was wet and freshly watered, which usually means more grip and quicker lap times—but also different balance characteristics.
We ran Dirt Web 2 tires that were already well broken-in. With the wet surface, lower tread depth actually works in our favor, offering consistent grip without dust buildup. As testing with our race cars has shown, these tires often get better as they wear during a run.
Baseline Results: More Rear Grip, More Problems
Right away, it was clear something interesting was happening.
While overall grip was higher, the rear end gained a ton of traction, which actually made the front push more. The rear stayed planted under throttle, refusing to rotate, while the front struggled to bite.
Baseline lap times landed around:
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19.0 flat (best baseline)
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Consistent low 19s
The takeaway?
👉 The rear grip was overpowering the front, turning the car into a bit of a tank in tighter sections.
Sway Bar Test Results
After installing the lighter front sway bar, we went back out hoping to crack into the 18s.
Initial impressions:
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Slightly better turn-in
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Minor improvement in feel
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Still lots of push overall
Lap times told a mixed story:
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Multiple 19.0 flats, matching baseline
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A few inconsistent laps as the balance shifted
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Then—right at the end of the pack—an 18.7
That last lap was a big moment. The battery was nearly dead, power was down, and suddenly the car rotated better and flowed through the track more naturally.
What We Learned
This test was very much a 50/50 result.
The sway bar did make a difference, but not enough to be a silver bullet. The car went faster, but not consistently faster, and the overall balance still leaned toward excessive rear grip.
The biggest lesson from the day:
It’s time to work on the rear end.
Upcoming areas to test include:
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Rear toe
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Anti-squat
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Link positions
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Hub height
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Wing setup
Freeing up the rear should allow the front to work more effectively—and once that happens, we may even need to calm the front back down to maintain balance.
Progress Is Still Progress
Even though this wasn’t a massive breakthrough, it was meaningful:
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First time consistently running 19 flats
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First time breaking into the 18s with an 18.7
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Clear direction for future testing
That’s how real development works—small gains, clear data, and a better understanding of what the car wants.
What’s Next?
Now that we’ve validated the sway bar change, we’ll be:
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Testing rear-end tuning options
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Continuing to chase consistency in the 18s
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Working toward making this Typhon competitive with the upper end of our expert class
We’ll also be getting these sway bars added to the website soon so you can try them on your own builds—because every track is different, and sometimes that small change is exactly what your setup needs.
Thanks for following along with the series. The grind continues, and we’ll see you in the next one. 🏁