Do you want your Tacon Thriller to run faster? Run longer? Have you broken the shell or cracked an axle? Did you twist the knob off of your controller trying to eke out just a bit more speed? Well, fear not. You can replace all those parts and many, many more.
The best place to find Tacon Thriller (and lots of other RC car) replacement parts for a fair price is NitroRCX.com. Second best, but with more parts available at the moment is Amazon.com
What Are Some Common Upgrades To Tacon Thrillers?
By far the two most common upgrades are upgrading the engine and upgrading the battery, both of which I did after having the Thriller for about 6 months.
Before getting into upgrades, let’s look at what the Tacon Thriller comes with out of the box.
The stock Tacon Thriller comes equipped with…
- A 2838 4500 KV brushless motor.
- 2-channel 2.4 Hz transmitter
- 7.2 volt, 1100 mAh NI-mH battery
- Standard 100-240v charger
Tacon Thriller Engine Upgrades
The 4500 KV motor that comes standard is quite a powerhouse and really does not need an upgrade. Actually, there are few choices to upgrade this engine to. But I wanted my truck to have all the power I could afford so I added upgraded to a 5200 KV motor.
The results on the driveway were not earth-shattering, to say the least. I barely knocked off one second over 100 yards, but that would undoubtedly be worth the upgrade if I were racing. Make sure when ordering your Engine, you get the proper size. The Tacon Thriller is a 1/14th scale, which can be harder to shop for at times.
Tacon Thriller Battery Upgrades
Battery upgrades are a good idea for anyone. The 7.2 v, 1100 mAh battery provides about 8-10 minutes of run time, which isn’t horrible. I also bought an extra battery for my truck (the same 1100 mAh), so I could double by drive time. But it still takes several hours to charge so I wanted to upgrade to something that would last longer.
I chose a 7.2 v 4200 mAh and it increased my run time by over double to about 28 minutes. I was hoping for 4x run time, but no such luck. With this battery and a backup that I bought at the same time, I can now drive my truck for almost an entire hour. The only downside I have seen is that the 4200 is quite a bit heavier than the 1100, but it fits into the Tacon Thriller like a glove.
While we are talking about batteries, let’s talk about the 2 AA batteries that you will need for the transmitter. While more expensive to buy initially, you can buy rechargeable AA batteries at NitroRCX. You can also find them on Amazon, sometimes for a better price. The Charger below with 4 AA batteries is a solid choice and will save you tons of money if you run your RC truck a lot.
Other Tacon Thriller Replacement Needs
Upgrade Charger
The charger that comes with the Tacon Thriller is a bit slow and if you plan to run your truck a lot, you might want to upgrade your charger. This will give you more time on the road and less time plugged into the socket.
I, however, never saw the need to upgrade my charger. Once I got new batteries that lasted 3 times as long, I just didn’t see the need to go from a 5-hour charge to a 3-hour charge. If you do, check out the quicker chargers at NitroRCX.com or these on Amazon
Replacement Transmitter And Receiver
I have twisted my steering knob clean off of one of my transmitters before. It was one of my very first RC cars more than a dozen years ago before I understood that it wouldn’t do me any good to turn the wheel any farther than the radio would allow. That is when I found out how to change out radios and receivers in my RC toys.
Everybody has a particular feel that they like their transmitter to have. The good thing is if you don’t like what you have, just replace it with one of the dozens of styles you can find on Amazon.
Since most RC cars and trucks only need 2 channels, the trigger and wheel design is predominant. However, if you are coming from an RC plane background, you may prefer the dual-stick design better. It’s up to you and your preferences.
Replacement Body Parts For The Tacon Thriller
Let’s face it, even though the Tacon Thriller is built to withstand high speeds and punishing racing, things still wear out, break, and need replacing. Here are a few items I have found handy for my Trucks at NitroRCX.com.
- I once took my Tacon full speed into a wall at about a 45-degree angle and I snapped my steering post. I was able to replace that for under $10.
- You can order different wheels for your truck, ranging from super knobby for extra traction or slick tires for extra speed on pavement.
- My battery mount also broke and a replacement can be found for less than five bucks online. being the cheapskate that I am, I used a rubber band for over a year after my second one broke.
Final Thoughts
The Tacon Thriller is a really fun RC truck and I have enjoyed mine for several years. Over the course of those years I have needed many parts and several upgrades. With just a bit of searching Amazon.com and NitroRCX.com have been able to fill all of my needs.
Thanks for reading Y’all! Now, go do something Snazzy and Cool!
Tom