16mm EVO Shock Springs for 8IGHT 4.0

Howdy Gents!

     Today we released new springs for the 8IGHT 4.0 buggies that we are referring to as EVO springs.  This is a full line of springs that are closer together in rate for finer tuning as well as a constant coil diameter and longer in length.  Between the constant coil diameter and the frequency we have chosen for these, these handle much better in all conditions we have found, especially when it comes to bumps and landing.  They are part numbers TLR344016 through TLR344028.

     There are a couple of changes needed in order to run these springs on your TLR 8IGHT vehicles.  You will need to use the spring cups that come with the shock ends in LOSA5435 that were for the older 1.0 and 2.0 vehicles.

     You will also need to flip your shock collars over so the lip is on the top.

Here are a couple shots of the entire line.  You will notice the coloring to be a bit different so it is easy to tell that you are running these.

Rear set.

Front set.

Thank you for reading and good luck out there with your racing!

TLR 22T 4.0 setup from Horizon Midwest Classic

Hello everyone,

I’m finally getting caught up from last weekend’s trip to the Midwest classic at Leisure Hours Raceway. Good weekend overall with Dakotah Phend showcasing his talents in the 2wd and 4wd mod classes as well as other TLR drivers doing the same in the 17.5 buggy, 13.5 4wd, 4x4 SCT, and Stadium Truck classes. Along with the great racing action, the TLR/Horizon Hobby crew hosted a Q&A session and raised money for the Hobbies for Good. This week, I would like to share my TLR 22T 4.0 setup from this event.

JR Mitch 22T 4.0 Horizon Midwest Classic setup

JR
#22empire

TLR 8IGHT E 4.0 setup from Fall Brawl

Hello everyone,

This past weekend, I attended the 2017 Fall Brawl in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and I had a great result in both ebuggy and nitro buggy classes. The track was super fun and it had super high grip levels at times. Today, I’m off to Leisure Hours Raceway for this year’s horizon classic. Upon my return, I will have my nitro setup posted from the Fall Brawl, but in the meantime here is my winning TLR 8IGHT E 4.0 setup. 

JR

#8realm

New for the 22 Series - Aluminum Trail Inserts

Good Day Racers!

We've been working hard to improve the durability of the trail inserts for the newest 22 spindles.  These spindles have been included on the 22 4.0, 22SCT 3.0, 22T 3.0, 22T 4.0 and the 22 4.0 SR, and have adjustable trail (2mm-4mm) and different ackermann inserts for adjustable ackermann feel as well.  

On occassion, we've seen the outer bearings pop through the inner lip of outside trail insert, particularly on impacts that hit the outside of the axle directly.  We have since released improved inserts and spindles, both of which help increase the durability of the molded parts - those are available now.  We also worked on Aluminum versions of the trail inserts in parallel to give the ultimate option for durability.

Available now are:

- TLR334048, Spindle Insert Set, Aluminum, 3mm Trail: All 22

- TLR334049, Spindle Insert Set, Aluminum, 2/4mm Trail: All 22

Each of these includes two machined aluminum trail inserts per package, as the aluminum inserts are only needed for the outer bearings on the left and right spindles.  We recommend continuing to use the molded composite inserts for the inner bearings on each spindle.

TLR334048 - 3mm Trail Inserts

TLR334049 - 2/4mm Trail Inserts

8IGHT Air filter tip

Hello everyone,

This week as I get ready for the trip to the 2017 Fall Brawl at Badlands RC Supercross in Myrtle Beach, SC, I wanted to give everyone a little tip for installing a new air filter (LOSA9151) on any TLR 8IGHT Nitro vehicles. Apply a small amount of black grease (TLR77000) to the front and rear of your air filter to maximize the filtered air going into your engine. If you’re at the Fall Brawl December 1st – 3rd stop by the JConcepts tent and say HI.

JR
#8realm

Horizon Hobby Midwest Classic and TLR Cup

Leisure Hours Raceway is again Honored to Host The Horizon Hobby Midwest Classic and TLR Cup for 2017 one of the most Prestigious events in the Midwest. Come see some of the best racers including Dakota Phend and JR Mitch, these racers will be on hand with a Drivers Track walk on Friday and a question and answer session .There will be a Raffle and a Special Dash for cash Race. Spectrum Service Center will be on site to answer any questions. We will have Bimp ups and Triple A mainsFood will a be served by Annabell's BAR-BQ

https://www.rcsignup.com/events/displayEvent.cfm?ID=6024

JR
#22empire

Mud guard with a fan mount (22 4.0 & 22 4.0 SR)

Hello everyone,

This past week TLR released the 22T 4.0 (which we will take a closer look at in next week’s blog post) and with that release came the addition of a mud guard with a fan mount included in the TLR 22T 4.0 kit. TLR has just released this for the 22 4.0 and 22 4.0 SR buggies (part number TLR231071). This is a great upgrade for stock racing and helps hold your fan in a fixed location without the worry of it coming off during a race.

JR
#22empire

This weeks new 8IGHT parts: LLRC Rear Hinge Pin Brace Set and Aluminum Adjustable Rear Hub with Inserts

LLRC rear hinge pin brace set and Alum adjustable rear hub with inserts

Howdy Folks,

Today I wanted to go over a few parts we released that can provide even more tuning options for your 8IGHT vehicles.  We are constantly looking for more ways to give all of us an advantage out there and we feel some of these parts can help for sure.

LLRC rear hinge pin brace set(TLR344010):  This set is a purpose-built set of C and D blocks for the rear of the 8IGHT line that provides you with the corrected parts for getting that lower rear roll center many of us have been trying by flipping blocks.  Lowering the rear roll center can really help through the bumps and landing jumps.  Having the purpose-built C block helps maintain the proper anti-squat adjustments we are all used to having with the 0 insert now being back to 3 degrees of anti-squat.  Please be sure to read the directions when installing these as there is some dremeling of the chassis that is necessary for proper clearance.

Aluminum Adjustable Rear Hubs with Inserts(TLR344008):  These hubs provide all sorts of different options not available before to us.  First off, they are aluminum for durability sake but with Delrin inserts, so they still feel like a plastic hub around the track and should they show signs of wear, you can simply replace the inserts (TLR344009).  These offer 2 different hub heights with 2 sets of camber link holes.  What this allows is for you to adjust the roll center of the rear hub now and then have 2 options for camber link placement.  We found that raising the hub on high bite surfaces is very helpful.  In the raised or +4mm position, you can then also either run the camber link in what would be the normal position or you can now run it raised as well.  Raising the entire rear camber link can aid in forward grip typically.

You will notice these hubs also come with 3 different bearing inserts.  The different inserts offer you yet another tuning option.  The front bearing will always use the smallest of the inserts.  However, the rear bearing has 2 different inserts that can be used.  There is a thicker one which is used when you wish to run the CVA or the short universal (TLR342011) that comes with the tuning kit.  There is also a thinner one which is used if you wish to run the longer universal (TLR342010) so that you can now run the same length front and rear universal if you are running the optional front spindle TLR344006 with the universals up front.

Hopefully, with these options, you can be even faster out there and have even more fun folks.  I wish you the best in racing and thank you for using TLR products!

2017 Masters of Dirt

Hello everyone,

This week for me it’s off to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the 2017 Masters of Dirt at BeachRC. I’ve been to this great east coast facility once for a club race. A new track layout is being put in as we speak and from their past layouts, I’m sure it will not disappoint. This will be my first Masters of Dirt and after a post on the #22empire on FaceBook, it looks like we will have an awesome turnout of TLR racers/customers. Tyler Jones and I will be on hand to race and help support our brands, so feel free to stop by our pits at BeachRC this weekend.

JR
#22empire

1/8th Carbon Fiber shock towers

Hello everyone,

This week I asked TLR’s Ryan Dunford to share a little insight into the newest release from TLR which are Carbon Fiber shock towers for TLR’s 8IGHT T 4.0, 8IGHT E 4.0, and 8IGHT 4.0 vehicles. Below are part numbers and a little description of each item.

TLR344011 Carbon Front Shock Tower: 8/E 4.0 This is made out of carbon fiber for increased durability and it is light Weight. This is made out of thick 5mm material for added durability. This tower is 7 grams lighter than the stock tower.

TLR344012 Carbon Rear Shock Tower: 8/E 4.0 This is made out of carbon fiber for increased durability and is light Weight. This is made out of thick 4mm material for added durability. This has additional tuning options for use on different track surfaces. This tower is 13 grams lighter than the stock tower.

TLR344013 Carbon Front Shock Tower: 8T 4.0 This is made out of carbon fiber for increased durability and is light Weight. This is made out of thick 4mm material for added durability. This has additional tuning options for use on different track surfaces. This tower is13 grams lighter than the stock tower.

TLR344014 Carbon Rear Shock Tower: 8T 4.0 This is made out of carbon fiber for increased durability and is light Weight. This is made out of thick 4mm material for added durability. This tower is 14 grams lighter than the stock tower.

JR
#8realm

Starter Box Positioning Mounts: Fluorescent Yellow

Howdy folks!

I wanted to take a quick minute to make you aware of a new product released.  These are our new positioning mounts that are nice and bright florescent yellow for the TLR starter box TLR99059.  These are part number TLR70004.  These are for those of us that are maybe struggling to see to properly position our buggy and truggy as it starts getting dark out.  These provide a nice high contrast between the dark black starter box and the dark black of the side guards and hard anodized other goodies on your TLR rides.  These come with a bunch of parts but the intent is really to utilize the front and rear outer positioning mounts.

Let me show you the contrast here:

To change these out, you start off by removing the two screws on the top plate nearest the rear mount as shown:

Then you flip up the top and remove the front mount as such:

Next, remove the rear mount:

Close the lid and replace the two screws you started with and here is the finished product:

Nothing too crazy here but helpful nonetheless.  Enjoy the races folks!!!

Hex Diff Wrench

Hello everyone,

Today I would like to show a different use of TLR’s Hex Differential Wrench (TLR2950). If you don’t have this tool already for it’s easier adjustment of any TLR ball Differential without removing of a tire or a ball cup, maybe this blog post will put it on your list of must haves. Last Thursday here in Florida at Newred hobbies for some club racing I changed my anti-squat rear suspension inserts and used TLR’s Hex Differential Wrench tool to help remove the inserts without damage or removal of the anti-squat block.

JR
#22empire

Nitro Setups

Hello everyone,

This week I would like to pass on a couple of TLR 8IGHT setups from our teams both here in the US and overseas in France. First, we asked Spencer Heckert to send over his setups from this past weekend’s race at LCRC. Spencer had an outstanding performance taking 2nd in nitro buggy and the win with the TQ in the nitro Truggy class. Next it is off to France and team driver, Reno Savoya, who won round five of the French Nationals. Below is his setup from this event that was on his TLR 8IGHT 4.0. Great job guys! Keep up the good work!

JR
#8realm

Turf set-ups

Hello everyone,

 

This week I reached out to team driver Anthony Mazzara after his awesome finish at last weekend’s JConcepts Turf Nationals at RC Madness with over 300 entries.

 

Anthony TQed and won the 40+ 2wd mod. class,   3^rd in the Pro 2wd mod. class  and 5^th in the Pro 4wd mod. class.

 

I asked Anthony to share his setups for his TLR 22 4.0 and TLR 22-4 2.0 from this event. 

JR

#22empire

Rear bumper mod

Hello everyone,

 This week I would like to share a little bumper mod on the TLR 22 4.0, 22 4.0 SR, 22T 3.0 line of vehicles. Sometimes trying to install the rear toe-in block with the bumper can be a little tough and this mod helps with that. Frist remove the material shown in the picture below. With this material removed you can install the toe-in block first using the center 2x6mm Flat Head Screw then sliding the bumper into its location and then installing the two 3x12mm Flat Head Screws securing everything together.

JR
#22empire

TLR 22-4 2.0 front spindle height

Hello everyone,

 Today I would like to talk about raising the front spindle height on the TLR 22-4 2.0/22-4. This is a fairly easy mod and can improve the steering and help the car drive better/easier on higher bite tracks such as turf and carpet. First remove 2mm’s of material from the bottom of the front caster blocks and add a 2mm spacer to the top of the caster block (see picture). After this is done I went to a 1mm spacer on the spindle steering turnbuckle and added 2mm’s more of drop to the front shocks to compensate the added spindle height. Another thing to keep in mind is this mod woks great with TLR’s Gen II +3.5 Rear Hub Set part number TLR234088.

 JR
#22empire

JP Richards setups

Hello everyone,

JP Richards TQ’s and wins two classes at the 2 annual Beat the Heat showdown event at Sparks RC Raceway in Columbus, Ohio. JP has shared his setups from this event.

 JR
#22empire

Inside JR Mitch’s TLR 8IGHT 4.0

Hello everyone,

 Last weekend I attended The Wicked Weekend in Gainesville GA. which had over 500 entries. My TLR 8IGHT 4.0 worked great all weekend and was able to get 5th overall in pro nitro buggy. I’ve snapped a couple of body off shots and have included a setup sheet from this event.

 JR
#8realm

TLR 22 4.0 SR

Hello everyone,

We take a closer look at TLR's newest release the 22 4.0 SR on display here at the 2017 Roar 1/10th scale electric off-road nationals. 

JR Mitch

#22empire

22-4 Low Profile Body

Hello everyone,

 Making its debut today at the 2017 ROAR Nationals, is an all new prototype body for the TLR 22-4 2.0. Unofficially dubbed the "Low Profile 22-4 Body", TLR used the fan favorite styling of the 22 4.0 body as the basis for this new body shell that will fit the 22-4 1.0 and 2.0 4wd buggies. With a lower cab section, and no vertically fin, the style is matched by a more flowing and better rotating body when compared to the cab forward offering. JP Richards was the first to don the body in practice and had this to say, "First glance, the body has that new sleek and edgy design. Then you hit the track and it really helps the car have a fluent feel, with a good balance of steering, stability, and traction without the overbearing feel of a tall front cab."

 The Low Profile Body is still in the prototype stage, but is roughly scheduled for a late 2017 release. Check TLRacing.com this fall/winter for further details.

 JR
#22empire

1/10th scale Nationals week

Hello everyone,

The TLR team is off to the 1/10th scale nationals in Gaithersburg, Maryland. TLR is coming off an awesome 2016 1/10th scale national with three modified class wins in 2wd, 4wd, and truck classes. This year our team doesn't have all the big name guys like some of the other teams, but don't count us out. Dakotah Phend, with two of those national titles from last year, is looking for more this year. JP Richards has been super fast this year with some great wins under his belt like the 2wd mod victory at Motorama and truck mod title at the Chitown Shootout. Tanner Denney, just off an awesome performance at the E-nats in 4x4 SCT, is looking for more at this year’s Nats. We also have TLR's very own Frank Root at this year’s event to help the team and participate in the mod 2wd SCT class. This is just some of the hot drivers flying in and driving to this year’s event. I'll try to get some inside looks at some TLR rides and post them up here on the TLR team blog during the week. Good luck to all!

Please be sure to keep up with all the week and weekend’s action on TLR's Facebook page and Instagram pages.  

JR

#22empire

Turf/Carpet steering mod

Hello everyone,

Last Wednesday night, I made the trip to Beachline Raceway in Cocoa, Florida and I ran some tests on turf, while Frank Root did some carpet racing in California. The team has found a steering rack modification for higher spindle heights on your 22 4.0 or 22 3.0 vehicles that will help fix the bump out setting. Currently, if you run spindles with 4mm (or more) on top, the only available Ackermann setting with acceptable bump steer is the #2 Ackermann arm. By flipping the bell cranks upside down, and mounting the rack on top of the bell cranks, you can now achieve the correct bump setting when run the #1 and #3 Ackermann arms, or the 22 2.0 spindles which Frank found to be really good with his testing (TLR234007). This raises the inter-steering link to compensate giving you the right bump steer when running 4mm on top for spindle height.

With the rack flippers, some Dremel work is necessary to the steering rack arms and front bulkhead for clearance. Please reference the pictures below for details.

JR
#22empire

Stiffezel Front Wheels

Hello everyone,

This week we will do a product spotlight on TLR’s new Stiffezel front wheels for the 22 line of buggies. I asked TLR’s Frank Root for his opinion on the Stiffezel front wheels and here’s what he had to say: FR Using the same design as the standard TLR wheels, the Stiffezel front wheels have been molded from stiffer composite, which allows the wheel to flex less under higher load. During testing, the team has found these wheels to create more consistent at high speed, while adding more steering in longer, high load turns. The best analogy used by a tester was, "The Stiffezel front wheels make it feel like I tightened a servo saver, even though the 22's don't have one." These wheels are highly recommended, especially for use on higher grip clay, carpet, or astroturf tracks.

JR
#22empire

Gear diff maintenance and rebuilding

Hello everyone,

This week I would like to cover the next question that came up on my recent post on the #22empire and that’s 1/10th scale gear diff maintenance and rebuilding. In the picture below, I’m rebuilding my gear diff and I’ll give a description for some key items when rebuilding a gear diff. A) Disassemble and clean all parts thoroughly with motor spray (do not clean o-rings with motor spray). B & C) Show all parts after cleaning. D) Reapply new high-pressure black grease and the O-rings followed by the flat washer on both sides of the diff. E) Reapply threadlock to the outdrive setscrew. F) Refill your gear diff with your diff fluid of choice. G) Tighten the four outer case screws in a cross pattern. This will give you a nice new freshly rebuilt gear diff ready for racing.

JR
#22empire

Diff maintenance and rebuilding

Hello everyone,

This week I would like to cover the next question that came up on my recent post on the #22empire and that’s 1/10th scale diff maintenance and rebuilding. In the picture below I’m rebuilding my diff for this weekend’s Hot Rod Shootout race at Hot Rod Hobbies and I’ll give a description for some key items when rebuilding a diff. This diff has about three large race events and some club racing events on it and you can feel it’s a little gritty. Picture A1 and A2 shows “flipping” the drive rings and trust washer for a new surface area; this is key because not doing this will result in having the same gritty feel you're trying to get rid of in the first place. Picture B shows cleaning of the internal parts of the diff (I.E. outdrives, rings, trust and diff balls). Picture C shows reassembly of the diff with new silicone grease. Picture D shows reassembly of the trust washer assembly with new high-pressure black grease. This will give you a fresh new diff ready for racing.

 
 JR
 #22empire

LRC vs. HCR

Hello everyone,

Recently I asked the #22empire for some feedback on what they would like to see covered here on the Team Losi Racing blog. I received multiple questions and I will cover them all in the next couple of weeks. Out of those questions, a majority would like some input on LRC vs. HCR and which conditions work best for each. LRC lowers the inner hinge pin which equals more roll for added grip and a softer suspension feel on the track. HRC raises the inner hinge pin which equals to less roll for less grip and a stiffer suspension feel on the track. Overall I wish this was a cut and dry question but it’s really a decision setting for which track you’re on and how you like the feel. I’ve raced on tracks where HRC should be the best and felt better racing with LRC. Here are some key points I associate when I need to decide on LRC or HRC.
LRC = if the track is lower grip/bumpy
HRC = if the track is super high grip/smooth (like a condition when front and rear sway bars are needed)

JR #22emire

Throttle linkage and dead band

Hello everyone,

Well we’re back from the Roar Fuel Nationals and ready for this week’s blog post. First off, I want to give a shout out to thank Frank Root for covering last week’s blog post as I was on the road at the nationals. This week I would like to give everyone a little insight on what I do with my TLR 8IGHT 4.0 and TLR 8IGHT T 4.0 throttle linkage and why the dead band is needed. This is mostly needed so the carburetor stays shut under chassis flex. Picture one shows no dead band at all and the carburetor can still open under chassis flex. Picture two shows 1mm of dead band which can still leave the carburetor open under chassis flex. Picture three shows 2mm’s of dead band which is what’s needed for keeping the carburetor closed under chassis flex.

 JR
 #8realm

22T 3.0 Laydown?

Since its release in February, the 22T 3.0 has taken quite a few victories in hands of the TLR Race Team and Consumers alike, especially JP Richards.  One of the more popular setup options the last several months that has increased the maximum performance is converting the kit 3-gear standup transmission to a 3-gear laydown transmission.  This moves the motor forward quite a bit, which reduces wheelies, increases stability and side bite, and improves landing.

JP has mentioned that the truck was really good from kit setup, but the balance and speed increased noticeably for him when switching to laydown.  Given this feedback, we release a new part, TLR338006.  This is the machined laydown kit we used for the 22 3.0, but without the body or chassis to help reduce the cost.  Check out the conversion below:

http://www.tlracing.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=TLR338006

For a good starting setup, I would suggest JP's setup from the JC Nationals hosted by SMAC Trac.  Although he was running stand up at that event, he has not changed his setup to accommodate from the mid motor configuration.

Race On!
Frank

Servo Mount, Chassis Brace servo options

Hello everyone,

This week I would like to talk about TLR’s option part Servo Mount, Chassis Brace (TLR331019) for your TLR 22 4.0, 22 3.0, 22 3.0 SR, and 22T 3.0. This option part allows the customer to run his or her servo either in the stock forward position or move the servo back in the car 4mm’s. Moving the servo to the optional back location requires some trimming of different components.

1. Trimming of TLR231065 Mud Guard in locations indicated in picture below.

2.Relocated servo horn ball stud to the front of the servo horn see picture below.

 3.Trimming of TLR1052 Front Bulkhead in location indicated in picture below.
                                                                         Before trimming

                                                                    After trimming

JR
 #22empire

8IGHT 4.0 E clutch/diff shimming

Hello everyone,

This week, I would like to talk about the E clutch and aligning the clutch bell with the center diff better. During this past weekend's club racing in Florida, I noticed this to be an issue with a racer and I would like to share with everyone what I do to help with this issue. The 8IGHT E 4.0 center diff comes with two aluminum shims on each side of the center diff behind each diff bearings (TLR242008). Before building the center diff I don’t add the aluminum shim to the diff gear side and I add rear diff shims (LOSB3951) to the other side (the none gear side) of the diff. This moves the diff slightly more forward giving you better gear to gear alignment. This week the team is in Cullman, Alabama for AMS 8.0. Be sure to check out our FaceBook and Instagram for videos and photos from this weekend’s event.

JR #8realm