Tek Gruppë

Another 2wd short course headed home! 17mm easy conversion, new built transmission, new infraction 3s wing, and more gear!

A little wheel and tire swap on a Greet customers Mojave!

Play a little word association: summertime, cold lemonade, barbecue smoke in the air… and Losi.

Team Losi, TLR—whatever name is on the box—the 8IGHT platform changed how 1/8 buggies looked and drove, and now we’re deep into the 4.0 era. From the outside it still looks familiar, but underneath the driveline geometry evolved, shifting from that wild rear-biased feel to a more balanced four-wheel drive setup that’s faster for actual humans to drive. Bigger bearings, refined mounts, better shocks—the 4.0 is a smoother, more forgiving weapon on the track. Wait that was 10 years ago.

But rebuilding one in 2026? That’s where the romance meets reality.

Parts availability can feel like an archaeological dig through hobby shops and eBay listings. Half the screws are metric, the other half SAE, and somewhere along the line someone decided stainless steel screws were a good idea—because nothing says fun like rounding off heads on hardware that laughs at your hex driver. Yet somehow, after the hunt for parts, the sorting of hardware, and the occasional colorful language in the pit, the buggy is back to life. And when it does hit the track again, rotating through corners and flying triples like it was born yesterday, you remember exactly why the 8IGHT is still one of the greatest race buggies ever built.

And hopefully end up with a shelf queen that can still boogie on the track.

Race Report: ARRMA Talion 6S Converted Race Truggy — Chickasaw Shake-Down

The project began with a simple question: Can an Arrma Talion 6S be turned into a legitimate race truggy? After a full build and a proper shake-down session at Chickasaw RC Raceway, the answer appears to be a confident yes.

Build Overview

This Talion was converted from its stock configuration into a purpose-built race platform using a combination of competition electronics, suspension upgrades, and race-oriented bodywork.

Power was supplied by a Tekin 2250KV motor paired with a Fantom FR8 ESC, a combination that delivered smooth, controllable power with plenty of top-end speed for the long straight sections of the track. Steering duties were handled by a NitroPro FKN500ST servo, which provided precise and consistent steering authority throughout the session.

For aerodynamics and appearance, the truck was fitted with a Lead Finger Beretta body designed for the Mugen Seiki Racing MBX8-T, which complemented the aggressive stance of the Talion while improving airflow and stability.

Initial Track Impressions

The first shakedown laps at Chickasaw Trace Rc park revealed a chassis that had tremendous potential but required some tuning. The truck displayed excellent rear rotation, almost to a fault. While this helped the truggy pivot aggressively through tight sections, it also made the rear somewhat lively under acceleration and during jump takeoffs.

Another issue presented itself over jumps. The Talion exhibited a consistent nose-down attitude in the air, particularly on larger features. Investigation showed the rear suspension compressing excessively at the lip of the jump, allowing the tail to strike the face and pitch the truck forward.

Suspension Adjustments

A quick suspension adjustment addressed the issue. The solution was to increase rear spring rate to prevent the rear from collapsing during jump takeoffs.

The suspension configuration was revised as follows:

TLR Tuned Typhon rear shocks mounted to the front

Tekno truggy rear yellow springs on the front shocks

Arrma Big Rock 6S front shocks mounted on the rear

Tekno yellow springs on the rear

Shock oil was set to:

650 cSt in the front

500 cSt in the rear

These changes dramatically improved chassis balance and jump behavior.

Alignment settings were finalized at:

Front camber: –2°

Rear camber: –2°

Front toe-out: 2°

Rear toe: 3°

With the suspension and geometry dialed in, the Talion transformed into a surprisingly capable race truggy. Despite its weight compared to purpose-built race platforms, the truck moved around the track with a level of agility that seemed almost improbable.

Jump Performance

One of the most impressive sections of Chickasaw is the large triple jump at the far end of the straightaway. This feature is typically unforgiving, especially for heavier platforms.

However, once the suspension setup was dialed in, the Talion handled the triple effortlessly. The truck cleared it consistently and landed with remarkable softness, absorbing the impact in a way that inspired immediate confidence. The Arrma platform’s inherent durability also meant there was no hesitation when sending it off the larger features on the track.

Aerodynamics and Wing Tuning

The stock wing was removed and replaced with a J&T bearing wing, which immediately improved rear traction on corner exit. The additional downforce planted the rear tires effectively, giving the truck more drive coming out of turns.

However, this change introduced slightly slower rotation, resulting in mild understeer.

To correct this, the wing was moved slightly forward, which restored some of the truck’s rotational characteristics while still maintaining the traction benefits provided by the wing.

The wing has not yet been vented or clipped, which will likely be explored in future tuning sessions to further balance rear downforce and rotation.

Additional rear reinforcement came from RPM components, including the wheelie bar assembly, skid plate, and wing mount system. These parts significantly stiffen the rear structure, allowing the wing to work more effectively and contribute meaningful aerodynamic downforce.

Lap Times and Performance

Initial lap times during the early shakedown runs were in the 1:25 range, which was respectable for a fresh build with minimal tuning.

After two to three track sessions and incremental setup adjustments, the Talion began consistently running 1:20 lap times, with occasional dips into the 1:19 range while chasing some very fast Tekno and Mugen truggies on track.

For a converted platform rather than a dedicated race truggy, this level of performance was extremely encouraging.

Can It Compete?

With the addition of TLR Tuned shock towers and shocks, along with proper adjustments to kick-up, anti-squat, anti-dive, and toe settings, the Arrma Talion platform can absolutely be tuned into a machine capable of running with established race truggies.

The chassis responds well to setup changes, and once dialed in, it delivers speed, stability, and a surprising level of finesse for a 5000g running weight.

Durability and Cost Advantage

One of the biggest advantages of building a race truggy from the Arrma 6S platform is parts availability and affordability. Replacement components are widely available and significantly less expensive than many high-end race platforms.

Combined with the legendary Arrma durability, this makes the Talion an attractive option for racers who want competitive performance without the fear of destroying expensive race components during hard driving.

Future Plans

The next step in the evolution of this build will be upgrading to an M2C Speed chassis. While not intended for extreme bashing, the M2C chassis is stronger and more rigid, offering improved consistency and durability for racing applications.

Final Thoughts

The Arrma Talion 6S converted race truggy turned out to be one of the most enjoyable truggies I have ever driven. Once properly tuned, it combines durability, speed, and surprising agility in a way that challenges expectations for what this platform can do.

If you enjoy building, experimenting, and pushing platforms beyond their intended purpose, this conversion is absolutely worth doing.

Should you build one?

Without hesitation: Yes.

A little scale mod to fit “40s” on a JLU

1/18 1/10 and 1/8 scale short courses! Doing some parking lot racing!

A 1969 Chevrolet Nova action on a DR 10 chassis with some new shoes from Proline and J Concepts. Who’s ready to catch a lane and get taken to Gapple Bee’s. . You ready to take your build to the next level shoot us a message.