Rlaarlo AM-X12 Top 10 Tuning and Upgrade Tips

If you are looking for a review of the Rlaaro AM-X12 then check out Geoffrey's Chan's super in depth review of this mid-spec 1/12 RC buggy here. If you are looking for his to 10 tuning tips the read on...

Here are 10 tuning tips to help get the most out of your Rlaarlo AM-X12. I’ve made all of these adjustments and changes and I find the car performs much better compared to when it first came out of the box. Mass produced RC’s are never perfect, so it is always worthwhile to take the time to take things apart and do a good check-over before running your car.

1. Suspension Setup
​With most mass-produced RC’s, oil levels aren’t always correctly filled from the factory and will require topping off or bleeding off in some cases. Mine required a bit of a top off as right off the bat, I could hear air bubbles squeezing through the shock pistons. QuadifyRC has written about addressing shock absorber oil levels in a handy guide that you can check out if you encounter issues with yours. Having the right oil levels will let the shocks fully compress and decompress more consistently. Also, if you want to extend the service cycles on your shocks, throw some balloons over the lower portion to keep the oil clean longer. My other suggestion is to do a check of the alignment and make sure the toe and camber settings are adjusted accordingly. Mine came relatively square, but the front was slightly toed-in.

2. Differentials Need Grease
Not surprisingly, the differentials and differential bevel gears needed more grease. I topped mine off with marine grease which has worked well for me and sticks well to the metal to provide consistent lubrication. After a few packs, the gears have broken in nicely and are very smooth. The grease in the diffs add a nice level of resistance and help prevent diffing out (where power gets pushed to a single wheel). A definite must do in my book. Check out QuadifyRC’s guide for WLToys and follow the same steps.

3. Pinion Swap
As I had eluded, the 27t pinion is much too big and the 17t is much too small for the 3200KV motor. I recommend trying a 19t pinion from a WLToys model for a more well-rounded balance between acceleration and top speed. The adjustable motor makes installation easy and quick.

4. Slipper Clutch Tuning
The slipper clutch is a great addition, but from the factory it is overtightened. I would suggest backing it off as far as it can go and gradually tighten as needed. If left at the factory setting, there is virtually no slip and defeats the purpose of having the slipper clutch. If you hear a high pitch squealing all the time, then it will mean the clutch can use a tightening but do so in quarter turns to avoid overtightening.

5. Better Wheels and Tires
If you’re looking for some better tires, the Remo Hobby P6973 tires come highly recommended. You can check out the review here. If you want some added ground clearance and better traction on very loose conditions, QuadifyRC’s preferred tires perform great. Check out the full review here.

6. Upgrade the ESC
The stock 45A ESC does the job, but the lack of adjustability and modulation hold it back. A Hobbywing Quicrun 10BL120 or 10BL60 would make a great upgrade with more fine tuning and better throttle control. I’ve tested out a Quicrun 16BL30 and it works well enough with the 17t or 19t pinion without getting too hot. However, if you want to use the speed pinion, then a 60A or 120A ESC would be highly recommended.

7. Transmitter 
The stock transmitter using the DumboRC protocol makes swapping out to any other DumboRC transmitter easy. I noticed while testing there is a bit of throttle hesitancy while the car is in motion in the stock transmitter compared to what I am accustomed to. Changing to my DumboRC X6 improved this quite a bit. It’s an incremental upgrade, but if you don’t have anything to compare it to, it likely isn’t going to be a noticeable issue.

8. Protect those shock towers
Not so much a tuning tip, but more of a durability tip if you want to protect those beautiful carbon fibre shock towers. Get a set of inexpensive protectors and they will take the hits and keep the top of your shocks and your towers looking new. If they break off, just replace, and keep rolling. I use these on all my off-road buggies that I run outdoors. Easier to replace a $0.50 part than the top of a shock or the tower itself!

9. Battery Tray Placement
If you received an AM-X12 with the rear mounted battery tray, shifting the tray to the front is an easy 10–15-minute job. Use a piece of paper and shade in the location of the holes for the battery holder, shift it towards the front of the car and tape it down. Use an appropriately sized bit and drill throw the holes. Flip the chassis and use a larger bit to slowly countersink and you now have your battery in a position that keeps it away from the centre drive cups and also provides a more even weight distribution.

10. Steering Assembly Binding
My top deck was rubbing against the carbon fibre Ackerman bar and binding the steering. My fix for this was to add a thin shim on the steering columns and just under where the top deck and front diff housing meet. It raised it just enough that everything now moves smoothly. It doesn’t seem like all cars have this issue, but if you do encounter this on yours, this is an easy fix that will free up the steering and prevent wearing out your servo.

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