In this week’s episode, we continued testing our TLR-Tuned ARRMA Typhon to see if we could squeeze out more efficiency and runtime. In our last video, we took the Typhon out for its first race ever — and while it performed great, we noticed a few things that could improve the car’s handling and power efficiency.
Today’s goal? Gearing tests. Specifically, we’re swapping out the stock 50-tooth spur gear for a 46-tooth gear to see if that smaller gear can help us use less throttle to cover the same ground — and hopefully get more runtime per pack.
Why Change the Gearing?
The stock Typhon comes with a 50T spur gear, which is quite a bit larger than most 1/8-scale buggies (most run a 46T). The theory here is pretty simple:
if I can use less throttle to get from point A to point B, I’ll draw less power and, in turn, get more run time.
It’s a solid hypothesis, but I’ve never tested it before. So this video was all about finding out if the theory actually holds up.
The Setup
We started with two freshly charged battery packs, both with similar cycles and conditions. The plan was to do a baseline run with the stock gear, record the run time, then swap in the 46T spur gear from ARRMA — which drops in perfectly, no modification required — and do another full run under similar conditions.
And yes, you can grab that gear right here, if you want to try the same setup yourself.
A Few Hiccups Along the Way
The first attempt didn’t go quite as planned. About halfway into the test, my steering decided to explode (okay, maybe not explode, but it felt like it). The upgraded servo saver link split in the cold weather, leaving me with zero steering.
We paused testing for the day, got a replacement part from our other store, and came back the next day for take two.
This time: colder, windier, and even tougher track conditions. But we were determined to get clean, consistent data.
Test #1: Stock 50T Spur Gear
Despite the cold and wind, the Typhon handled itself decently. The surface was loose, making it hard to push to full pace, but the baseline run came in at 10 minutes and 45 seconds of drive time before hitting low-voltage cutoff.
That gave us our benchmark.
Test #2: 46T Spur Gear Installed
After swapping the gear (and refilling the center diff for consistency), we noticed something interesting right away — the car felt smoother and more balanced. Acceleration didn’t seem to suffer much, and I could roll on the throttle more deliberately.
The smaller gear also means less rotating mass, which helps efficiency and drivability. On track, the Typhon felt more stable and composed — especially through choppy sections. Even though top speed didn’t skyrocket, it carried its momentum better and felt easier to control in rough patches.
When the battery finally hit cutoff, the timer read 11 minutes and 11 seconds — a gain of about 26 seconds over the baseline!
Results and Takeaways
✅ +26 seconds of runtime with the 46T spur gear
✅ Smoother throttle response and better drivability
✅ Reduced rotating mass = more efficient drivetrain
✅ Lower motor temps due to reduced strain
It’s not a massive change, but in racing, those extra 20–30 seconds can mean an extra lap or more buffer at the end of a run — and that’s a big deal.
Next up, we’ll start diving into suspension tuning to get this TLR-Tuned Typhon dialed in even further. This will likely be our last outdoor test before we move to indoor track conditions for winter, where we’ll establish a new baseline.
The B4.1 Waffle Giveaway
At the end of the video, we also announced something special — we’re raffling off (or as we like to say, waffling off) my Team Associated B4.1 buggy that’s been featured in past races like Motorama and the Mugen Challenge.
This buggy comes almost ready-to-run — complete with motor, ESC, servo, and fan (just add your receiver, transponder, and battery).
🎟️ 100 tickets available at $10 each
💻 Once all 100 sell, we’ll do a live spin-the-wheel on the channel to pick the winner.
📦 Shipping is free within the U.S.
You can grab your tickets (and the 46T spur gear we tested) via the links in the video description.
Final Thoughts
This test showed that even small tweaks like changing gearing can have a measurable impact on performance and runtime. It’s a simple, drop-in upgrade that anyone can try without modifying the car — and it’s available right from our store.