53430 TG10 & TB-01 Long Suspension Arm Set
Although these seem to be getting rarer nowadays, I thought I'd post this for those that still have interest in the TB01 / TG10 chassis series.
If you've ever built or driven the TB chassis, the first thing that becomes apparent is the lack of sophistication in the stock suspension setup. Short arms and chunky plastic make for a durable design, but the handling leaves quite a bit to be desired.
With Tamiya's race-inspired intentions for the TG10 it became necessary to create a solution without releasing an entirely new chassis. As a result, the suspension upgrade set is extensive: Every single component from the suspension pins to the axles have been replaced with this kit. Most dramatic is the use of larger 6mm axles sourced from the exotic 1/8 TGR nitro-fueled race car, which also provides the matching fiber-reinforced hub carrier and hubs. The upper arms are traded in for fully adjustable rods with 6mm ball ends, and the clunky old U-shafts are dumped in favor of stainless suspension pins and stamped aluminum stays.
As previously stated, the main purpose of this upgrade is to provide better precision to the suspension, which is accomplished by extending the pivot points further out on the arms. As a side effect of this new geometry, the added leverage becomes a problem in terms of durability (imagine how a longer lever amplifies force), so stronger parts were employed throughout.
The result of this 'trans kit' is a much improved design that allows for full adjustment, added strength, and most importantly, a touch of realism! When in motion, the long-throw suspension cycles in a very pleasing way that appears more life-like than the bouncy stock configuration. For this reason the long arm set remains to be one of my favorite hop-ups for the TB01!
If you liked those pictures, you should see these...
My Rally Runner
Comments
Skottoman
I have a few of these sets installed on my old TG10's. I actually was able to buy some of the parts individually and piece together a few. It's true they significantly help. I have tons of TG10 rare hopups, and this kit is in my NIB TG10 Pro I believe as well. Nice to see some TG10 action! I also have a TB01 brushless that I've upgraded to Nitro driveline spec to handle the power! Thanks for posting this up! Reminds me of a few years back!
OCD
Thanks for the feedback, Skottoman
I should have mentioned that this kit is stock material in both the TG10 TRF and TB01 EVO 1 kits. Apparently this was the hot setup if you dared racing one of these early 'shafties' 
Origineelreclamebord
I have this set on my TB01 - It's pretty neat
Indeed both for looks as for the handling of the car. There is quite a lot of slack from front to rear, but it's still better than the original. Regarding the reliability, was this solved by the metal plates on the front and rear, or are you referring to stronger gearboxes?
OCD
@ Origineelreclambord: In addition to the metal plates, you get stronger plastics (fiber reinforced) and the 5mm axles are upgraded to 6mm with e-clip retainers.
Dante77
Mmh, nice! I think I have a set of the longer universals (53431) tucked away somewhere. Do you need these too?
Origineelreclamebord
I assume then you mean the suspension arms themselves
They are indeed extremely rigid, and the axles are very solid too. What I did find odd though is that Tamiya somehow decided not to include universal shafts in this kit - which are very important on the TB01, because it's ground clearance compared to the angle of the suspension and driveshafts is pretty bad and not really suited for regular driveshafts 
Wyoming
Cool thanks for the useful info Steve, I've had about ten TB01s and a TG10 Mini Cooper but I actually never tried this kit because I wrongly thought it made them wider and I didn't want to loose the scale looking width so I never bought one back when they were sold at Tower, now I wish I had tried one.
OCD
@ Dante77: I do have a couple pair of 'long' universals already installed on my TB01 Celica runner, but thanks for the offer.
Out of curiousity though... Do your OP431 universals include the splined aluminum wheel hexes?
OCD
@ Origineelreclamebord: Your handle is difficult to spell!
I agree that this kit truly deserves the universals, but I imagine the exclusion of them was mostly to keep the kit MSRP at a reasonable amount. What is strange to me is that they decided to go with the TGR axles rather than gong with a more common design that has plenty of spares available. TGR axle aren't exactly common, lol!
OCD
Thanks for the input, Seth
Sadly these kits are becoming harder to find, but the parts can still be collected 'ala carte' -- you just have to know what to look for. For example, the hinge pins and plates can be bought as #53830 for the TNS!
Skottoman
I've posted some comparison pix of the stock and LA suspension to show the pivot points and that it actually doesn't make the track wider. Thanks for getting me started on my older skool stuff! - [Click here]
Dante77
Steve, my 53431 do not include aluminium hexes.
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