Buying guides
Axial Gilamon upgrades.
The right mods, in the right order, at verified prices.
The AXP8 Gilamon is Axial's big, strange, brilliant 1/8 trail buggy — and owners tend to report the same first problem: it tips sideways too easily, then feels reluctant to articulate. The best axial gilamon upgrades attack those linked problems in order. Brass goes low, forward, and out at the wheels; inserts keep the tall tires from folding; a stronger servo turns the heavier front end; and the Fusion 8IGHT arrives only after the chassis behaves. Four-wheel steering is the final lever, not the first bandage.
Stage 1: brass low, forward, and out at the axles
Weight placement matters more than weight total. A Gilamon wants roughly a 60/40 front-to-rear bias, with the added mass below axle height. Start at the front, drive the same side hill, and add rear weight only in a smaller proportion.
Axial AXP8 Gilamon Brass Counterweight & Axle Upgrade Parts — $20.15
The budget entry: $20.15 is the catalog card's counterweights-pair option. The same card lists a rear axle seat at $30.39 and warns, by its options, not to drift into the expensive full-set option before comparing dedicated sets.
Treal Brass Outer Portal Covers (2) for Axial AXP8 Gilamon — 281g Total — $39.98
The clean mid-step: 140.5g per cover, 281g across the axle, placed low and outboard where it directly resists roll. Use it when you want one substantial change instead of several small ones.
MEUS Racing Brass Steering Knuckles & C-Hubs Set / Rear Stub Axle Carriers for Axial AXP8 Gilamon — $28.99
Read the option before the price: $28.99 is the rear stub axle carrier option on this catalog card; the steering knuckles and C-hubs option is $69.99. Together they are the heavy, balanced MEUS route.
All Gilamon brass we track is gathered on the brass and weights page, and the measuring method is in our weight balance guide.
Stage 2: inserts, tires, and a servo that can turn them
A tall 2.2 tire is part of the suspension. If its sidewall folds, the truck leans, unloads, and gives the suspension nothing clean to work with. Support the tire first; then buy grip; then give the steering enough torque for the heavier, grippier front end.
INJORA Silicone Rubber Inserts for 2.2" (146-149mm/5.75" OD) Tires (2203) (4) — $28.99
Sized for 146–149mm tires and sold as four. Choose Green for soft support or Blue for medium; either is a direct side-hill fix because the downhill tire keeps its shape.
Pro-Line Mickey Thompson Baja Pro X 2.2" G8 Crawler Tires (2) — 149mm/5.88" Tall — $27.99
The proven tire at a near-stock 149mm height, in Pro-Line's G8 compound with sidebiters that keep working on a traverse. Sold per pair; a full truck needs two pairs, $55.98 in tires.
INJORA INJS235 35KG Waterproof Brushless Servo — $33.99
The value steering step: brushless, waterproof, metal-geared, and rated 35 kg-cm at 8.4V. It is the servo to buy before the stock unit is asked to swing brass and sticky 2.2s all day.
NSDRC RS800 V2 Ultra High Torque Brushless Servo — $124.99
The no-compromise steering pick: 600 oz-in at 8.4V, hardened stainless gears, and direct-power flexibility. Choose it for a heavy final build or a future 4WS truck that needs two serious servos.
Stage 3: Fusion 8IGHT power — and the pinion that makes it work
The stock brushed system is honest, but FOC brushless control changes how a big truck starts, holds, and descends. Buy the 1/8-sized system, not a smaller 540-class unit working at its limit, and settle the pinion question before the motor is on the bench.
Hobbywing QuicRun Fusion 8IGHT 2-in-1 FOC 2300KV — $169.99
The correct Fusion for this truck: a 550-class motor and ESC in one unit, 2300KV, FOC low-speed control, and a 5mm shaft sized for 1/8 crawler loads.
Robinson Racing Extra Hard Steel 32P Pinion Gear, 14T, 5mm Bore (RRP8614) — $10.99
The matching pinion: 32 pitch, 14 teeth, 5mm bore. The Gilamon's spur is 32P; the similarly numbered Mod 1 RRP1214 is the wrong tooth profile and does not belong in this build.
Set gear mesh with a paper strip, threadlock the set screw, and re-check after the first pack. The wider system field is compared in our brushless crawler motor guide.
Stage 4: four-wheel steering, the big final lever
Rear steer lets the Gilamon crab across ledges, pivot in tight rock, and steer into a side hill instead of merely enduring it. There is no casual kit: Axial's steering axle goes on the rear, titanium links set the geometry, and the radio has to run and mix the extra channel.
Axial Steering Axle, Assembled, AF16P (AXI-2206) for AXP8 Gilamon — $128.99
The hardware core of the conversion: a complete assembled AF16P steering axle intended to be swapped onto the rear of the Gilamon.
Axial Rear Upper/Lower 4WS Links Set, Titanium (AXI-2207) for AXP8 Gilamon — $41.99
The geometry half of the package: titanium rear upper and lower links made to pair with the AXI-2206 steering axle.
FlySky FS-GT5 6CH Transmitter with FS-BS6 Receiver — $49.15
The channel budget: six channels for steering, throttle, ASD, rear-steer mixing, and accessories. The stock radio runs out of room before a full 4WS and winch build does.
The axle, links, and radio total $220.13 before the second steering servo. Add another INJS235 and the package is $254.12; add an RS800 V2 instead and it is $345.12. Either way, it is a weekend project, not a first-week purchase.
Sample build and lowest-cost route
The anti-tip core — $123.11 total
AliExpress counterweights ($20.15) + INJORA 2203 inserts ($28.99) + Treal portal covers ($39.98) + INJORA INJS235 servo ($33.99). Weight, tire support, and steering — the three fixes that make the stock truck behave.
The performance path — $430.92 total
Treal portal covers ($39.98) + INJORA inserts ($28.99) + two pairs of Baja Pro X tires ($55.98) + NSDRC RS800 V2 ($124.99) + Fusion 8IGHT ($169.99) + RRP8614 pinion ($10.99). Buy it in stage order and stop whenever the truck does what you bought it to do.
Axial Gilamon upgrade FAQ
Why does my Axial Gilamon tip over on side hills?
It is a tall 1/8 trail buggy carrying too much stock weight high and in the middle. On a traverse the uphill tires unload, the downhill tire folds, and the truck rolls. The fix is not random weight: put brass low, forward, and out at the axles, then add inserts with real sidewall support. Start with the AliExpress counterweights ($20.15) or Treal portal covers ($39.98).
What is the first Gilamon upgrade I should buy?
Front brass. The AliExpress counterweights option is $20.15 on the catalog's Gilamon brass card, and the Treal outer portal covers add 281g across an axle for $39.98. Tire inserts are second: the INJORA 2203 silicone inserts ($28.99 for four) stop the tall 2.2 tires collapsing under a roughly 7 lb truck.
Which Hobbywing Fusion fits the AXP8 Gilamon?
The Hobbywing QuicRun Fusion 8IGHT 2300KV ($169.99), a 550-class 2-in-1 built for 1/8 crawlers with a 5mm shaft. Check the pinion before you install it: the Gilamon uses 32P gearing, and the matching catalog pinion is the Robinson Racing RRP8614, a 32P 14T gear with a 5mm bore ($10.99). Do not substitute the Mod 1 RRP1214.
Should I buy tires or inserts first for a Gilamon?
Inserts first if the stock tires still have tread. The stock tire size is close to the Pro-Line Baja Pro X 2.2 ($27.99 per pair), but unsupported sidewalls waste that size on side hills. Fit the INJORA 2203 inserts ($28.99), drive the same traverse, and only then decide whether you need two pairs of Baja Pro X tires for another $55.98.
Is four-wheel steering worth it on the Gilamon?
It is the biggest mobility change available, but it belongs last. The hardware path is Axial's AXI-2206 assembled steering axle ($128.99), AXI-2207 titanium links ($41.99), a second steering servo, and a radio with channels and mixing such as the FlySky FS-GT5 combo ($49.15). Do brass, inserts, tires, and the front servo first; 4WS cannot fix a truck that is still tipping.
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