glancyguy

I just recently built the TT-02 Mustang kit. I am not a racer, but I do like to tinker. I also struggled forever to get my TT-01E and TT-02 cars to handle the way I wanted. I rated the hop up impact (High, Medium, Low) of the steering, stability, and drivability of my TT-01E & TT-02 from my experience. * Low - 64T Spur (TB03 I believe - I had to order from HK) and 29T Pinion - 5.74 FDR * Low - 12KG high torque servo (Amazon Special) * Low - Hobbywing Quicrun ESC with 13.5T motor * Low - Tamiya Aluminum motor mount * Low - Tamiya aluminum hex hubs * Medium - Yeah racing universals/outdrives * Medium - Tamiya Aluminum propeller shaft and drive cups * Medium - Tamiya aluminum steering w/turnbuckles * Medium - Tamiya high torque servo saver * Medium - Tamiya aluminum server mount * Medium - Full ball bearings * High - Yeah Racing 2 Degree Toe in rear uprights * High - Tamiya TT-02 Mini CVAs with 2 hole piston up front and 3 hole piston in the rear with around 2MM of rear droop * High - Contact 26MM foam tires (37) in front and 30MM (35) tires in rear (you have to use some 5MM shims to get the tires to clear the rear arms) * High - Shims everywhere I could find steering slop Amazing handling in the straights, for the kind of cornering I do it is sufficient - definitely not a suited for a highly technical short track. My diff is completely stock. Having gone through enormous expense, trial and error, I would recommended the following for a street racer: ball bearings, CVA shocks, foam tires, and shims. The kit included HW1060 is great. I think the Torque Tuned (and Sport Tuned) motor is underrated, especially if you use a 3S lipo!

@TurnipJF thank you! I had looked at Bitty Design before and I chose the M410 Pre-cut. Seemed to be a good balance of stability and cornering.

Hello Tamiyaclub, Kinda odd seeing me post 10 YEARS later on a thread. After 6 years of RC inactivity, I dusted all my cars off when my 6th grade nephew showed interest. Over the last 2 months, I have been upgrading and refurbishing my entire fleet: Novafox, Hotshot, M05, 2x Super FighterG DT-02, Rising Storm DF-02, Madbull, and a TT-01e Toyota 86 Kit #58529. In the last two months, I built my first new kits in 6 years - a Boomerang I bought on the initial re-re and a TT-02 - Mustang GT4. I still have an FF-03 & Wild One kit from years ago and splurged to pick up a few new kits - a Hot Shot 2 Blockhead, Terra Scorcher, Avante MK 2 DF-03, Durga DB-01...and the BBX-01. Have a wish list of M07 Pro, TA-08, and a Thundershot...it doesn't end...does it? While there is sooooo much I could talk about, I actually wanted to reply to this thread. About a month ago, I had installed a brand new Hobbywing 10BL60 + 10.5T in the TT-01e and I was frantically looking for advice on FDR and gearing. I found THIS POST, my own...from 10 years ago and read through it. It took about 5 minutes to realize the guy asking the questions was ME. So, I thought I'd give everyone here an update on what happens when a TT-01E sits on a shelf for 8 years or so. Where I started... 2013 Specs TT-01E almost stock - I had installed: bearings, aluminum drive shaft and 1 of the drive shaft aluminum cups Stock pogo stick shocks, steering, tires (or tyres for my friends across the pond and down under) Reedy Radon (version 1) 17T motor Duratrax ESC rated for 15T motors 25T/55T pinion/spurt Tower Hobbies analog steering servo (I think they were $9) & 2TXP Radio 7.2 Nimh batteries When I took the TT-01E out in July and ran it on any asphalt, it was an oversteering mess that was beyond nervous in the straights and bouncy. Basically like driving it on a frozen lake. The FDR was way too tall for the motor and all components generated excessive heat. So, 8 years later with a little more disposable income (nearly grown kids) and much more info on Youtube + reading a lot on this blog, here is where I ended: 2023 Specs Installed the OTHER aluminum cup Yeah racing universals all around w/steel outdrives Aluminum motor mount 2 degree rear toe in uprights (a MUST HAVE for stability) Yeah Racing front aluminum steering assembly + turnbuckles w/1 degree toe out (a must have for stability in the straights) High torque low profile brushless digital servo (off of Amazon) High Torque Tamiya servo saver TT-02 oil dampers - 1 hole piston + medium oil up front and 2 hole piston + soft oil in the rear - same black springs all around 26MM 37 shore Contact foam tires in front 30MM 35 shore Contact foam tires in rear - I used some washers to shim the rear tires - (another MUST HAVE for stability) Tamiya Aluminum 12MM wheel hexs Hobbywing 10BL60 + TT-01E sensored combo FlySky GT3 Transmitter + receiver 25T/55T pinion/spur - the brushless can handle the 5.72 FDR Tamiya motor heat sink 3S 50C lipos of various makes - Gens Ace and even a few of my son's airsoft batteries Deans T-style connectors all around The difference is NIGHT AND DAY! There are no clubs by me for racing, so I am primarily doing parking lot (or car park) and streets...and with my nephew. I need a new GPS, but my estimate is that on 3S, the TT-01E is doing around 50MPH. It runs completely stable in the straights, with zero steering play. The wide 30mm tires sacrifice quite a bit of oversteer/pull/on power steering in the corners, BUT perfectly acceptable for asphalt and nowhere near the understeer of any vintage RE RE Tamiya buggies. I hope this is helpful to anyone who is like me - somewhere in the middle - enough experience to be dangerous, but also overwhelmed at the same time. However, this would not be a real post if I did not ask a question... The stock Tamiya 86 body makes the TT-01E unstable, I have it as low to the ground as possible, but I sacrifice at least 30% stability with it on. So...what is the most aerodynamic Tamiya Touring Car body out there that will generate the kind of downforce needed to keep it stable?

Folks, I went for the Quicrun 1060 ESC, Tamiya BZ, and 13T pinon for my re-re Hotshot. Started building this in 2013 and sat on the shelf half built until last week. My gracious artist wife finished the shell for me (less the headlamps). Took it out this afternoon in a massive dirt field and it was pure bliss. Durable, controllable, stable. Didn't end up on its shell once. Just enough speed to scratch the racer itch and enough torque to break free for some fun rooster tails.

Thanks. This makes sense. Yes, I ordered steel pinions for all these hotter motors and also bought the right smaller tooth size based on some threads I read over the last few days.

Thanks a bunch for the responses! This is what I need to know. It looks like Tamiya finally got into the brushless game and expanded options. I have a box of those TEU-101BK ESCs and silver can motors still sealed in factory packaging from the last few years. Again, I may be a bit behind here. Last time I did this, it was not recommended to put anything hotter than 20T or so motor in cars like DF-02 or DT-02. There were also very few options for brushless that wouldn't wreck the gearboxes back then. I know KV doesn't map completely to turns so a 13.5 brushless is not exactly equal to a 13 turn motor. However, a 13.5T brushless seems hot. What has changed in the last 3 years that would enable me to do this?

Folks, Been away from bashing for 3 years. My boys have shown a renewed interest in the hobby. We dusted off the Hotshot, Rising Storm, Mad Bull, Super Fighter G, TT-01, and M-05 these last few days. It has been very fun. I have a Novafox half built and multiple kits in boxes including a brand new Bigwig. Many of my esc, motor, and radio combos are dated or dead. I was running combinations of 20T - 25T brushed motors and ESCs from Tamiya, HPI and Duratrax. I even have a few of those analog Tower Hobbies transmitters and receivers. Towards the end, I started buying 2.4 ghz systems from Hobby King and Reedy Radon 17T motors. If I wanted to start upgrading and standardizing brushless motor/esc combos, what should I choose? I am not looking for speed, but bashing fun easy to control. Something in the 17T - 21T range. As for price, I would like to stay at under $100 per combo. Also sticking with NIMH batteries, no Lipo. It looks like many of you have been going with the HobbyKing ESC/Motor combos. Excited to be back in this and with middle school boys now interested again!

Great advice. Keep the tips coming. Yes, my wife does not understand that it is about the build for us. I told her that I'd take a job as an RTR builder at some plant somewhere in the world if I could match our current living. She did not think that was funny - "keep dreaming". I figured the 9T is too much. It seems to be too much for all low - mid Tamiya buggies. The kit comes with some 25T tuned motor. How is its bashing resilience with the included motor? My 8 and 6 year old can handle DT-02s and DF-02s with 23T stock BZ motors and our stock Mad Bull very well. They are down to turning a car on its shell every other run or so. We have not had to replace any parts on any kits in 30+ runs. That is a record for us. How is the maintenance on the ball diffs over time for this platform? I switched to all kits with bevel gear boxes simple because they are super low maintenance. Thanks!

Team Tamyiaclub, I went ahead and bought one of those Vajras on TamiyaUSA.com on Black Friday. My hope was that I could sell it a few days later and make some bucks (also bought the TRF801Xt) to buy a Hotshot (what I really want). However, it looks like these are both in the sunset. The prices remain the same and I assume Tamiya will sell them until the stock is gone and then mark them as "Discontinued". So, to build or not to build... The TRF801XT has no interest for me at this point. The Vajra does…. So, I read all the scathing reviews you guys gave this thing…a bunch of parts, etc. Seems to be completely true on one hand. On the other hand, it is basically a Tamiya Avante which appears to be a very decent buggy. Looking at the manual, it looks like a mid to high range club buggy build. I usually stay away from these kinds of buggies, opting for bevel gears, dog bones, and friction shocks - simple things instead of ball diffs, universal shafts, adjustable camber/caster. So, if I actually choose to build this thing, I would be interested in opinions, experiences, etc. 1. I have an old EZ Run 9T. yes? no? too hot? 2. How well can this car bash? Is it sturdy? Carbon fiber chassis hold together? Shock towers sturdy? etc? 3. Should I convert it into a buggy? Does it actually handle with those truck tires? 4. Should I just sell it to one of you in the UK or Canada for what I paid + shipping? Any thoughts or opinions would help. As I said, I focus mostly on the DF, DT, and TT type chassis and run them stock. Building this would be a bit out of my wheelhouse. Thanks!

dyahipfakta, I hear you. I don't think the Mad Bull was engineered for that kind of brutal speed. I have learned that Tamiyas are fun to build (really fun and addictive - that is why we all buy them!) and fun to bash. The buggies hold up so much better when they are stock. I got to a point with all my off road buggies: DF-02 and DT-02 where SOMETHING would break every other run as a result of too much speed and inappropriate handling. I have found it much more enjoyable to ride them now as stock cars without constantly having to order parts trees from Hong Kong. We are a curious bunch, aren't we?

I picked up one of each and will probably hold onto them for now. I am not familiar with the Vajra. It looks like an Avante and those go for $489 in the States. So, I would assume picking up one for $159 is a good deal. For our friends across the pond, what does it usually cost to ship from the US to the UK?

Team, all I added was ball bearings to mine. I left motor and steering stock. It is plenty of power and control for bashing. After multiple packs, I have yet to put it on its shell. With stock steering and 540 silver car, it is actually one of the most satisfying buggy builds I have done. My sense is that if you add more speed, then you have to add more steering, then more shocks. Not sure if the $100 US investment is worth it for this one. I believe this is a buggy you can "let be" with the stock parts and still have a very satisfying experience. Compared to my Hornet and LunchBox stock runs, this was far more satisfying.

Folks, Thanks to Speedy_w_Beans, here is the TT-01E I built. It has the 22T/25T combo, Radon 19T, and a Duratrax ESC. I also dropped in the alloy drive shaft because the plastic was bowing under the RPM and torque of the 19T Radon. While it is definitely a hot motor, I have learned after a few battery packs to get a very good handle on it. It is a completely different experience than buggy bashing. I kinda *really* like it. Much more precision and control on asphalt surfaces. A shout out to my wife that selflessly took almost 8 hours over a weekend to make the body - painstakingly following the instructions, trimming decals, complete precision on her part. There is simply no way I could have ever produced anything this nice. Here are some pics:

I had all kinds of issues with the DF-03 MS - diffs, slipper, one way, stripping, etc. The entire kit could simply not handle a brushless (EZRun 9T) with the right gearing (I did my homework...on this forum). I remember years ago others having similar problems. I sold mine for a paltry $100. Maybe if you run yours with the silver can or with a BZ/RZ/TZ, you may have no problems and maybe rally/onroad may be less punishing than offroad bashing.

Speedy and team, It took 2 months, but I finally got on my wife's schedule to finish the body of the Mad Bull. She does all these for me as I am truly terrible at painting and applying decals. She is almost finished with my TT-01E Toyota 86 shell and that may possibly have to become a shelf queen.