InsaneJim69

Finished work at 6am and then managed to extend the wheelbase of my CEN solid axle monster truck upto 12.5 inches. Which is just about right imo. 👍 Looking forward to next week as I have a few new parts coming including some new big bore dual rated dampers. James.

Finished work for a long weekend 👍 yay. Anyways, got onto this thing for a wee while and decided to extend the wheelbase. Tad more. Successfully got it from 12 inches upto 12.5 inches. I tell ya that half an inch has made a big difference to the stance imo. Used temp hardware, plastic bushes and a load of nuts (all the same width) . So once I am happy I can take measurements and order some threaded steel tubing or actual alloy M3 spacers for a more permanent and secured fitment for the 4 links. 👍 Also cut the wheelarches a little bigger as clearance was an issue. And took a few snaps, it is 6.30am after all. (Please excuse the poor lighting). I have ordered a selection of 106mm and 109mm driveshafts to compensate for the extra wheelbase adjustments, so the driveshafts are removed for now. 👍 Also excuse the crudely drawn panel lines. My eldest son really wanted to help and tbh he did not bad, I might actually keep them like this as it is a runner. 🤔. I also messed with the damper placement, as I have ordered 4 big bore dual rate dampers which are anodised a nice gold colour. Hopefully be here next week. So hoping to fit those but maybe add 4 of the original dampers along side them (minus springs) anyone know of anyway to remove anodising if I plan this? As not a fan of the red damper caps tbh. Anyways, I am happy with the stance ATM, the new dampers might raise it a few mm which will be perfect. Also ordered Tamiya Reinforced 5mm adjusters for the anti roll bar links. Love them as they look big and heavy duty. Hope you all like, and will update as the new parts arrive. This has gone from a "ah I will just run it how it arrived to me RTR" to a "really need to make it look and run like a real monster jam truck" so hopefully the new dampers are soft enough and get rid of that horrible bouncy feel it has at times. It's not quite stock clod buster bad mind you 😂😂👍 James.

Yeah just thinking that. The piston rod will be putting the o rings under pressure meaning they will fail prematurely and get messy with damper oil. If you could make the top mount a floating one, a bit like Tamiya ball connectors that allow slight play in all 360 degrees, it will take the stress off the rod and allow the damper to sit perfectly straight in relation to it's piston rod. James.

As above that's actually a good idea. My local home bargains has those trays for £2 or something silly cheap. 👍. I have always wanted a Tamiya truck, but I think I will wait until I have time to build it in peace, aka when the kids are more grown up 😂👍 James.

A nice upgrade for the front of a TL01 is the U shaped shaft to hold the bottom arms in place instead of the 2 long screws. I believe the TL01B came with it, the front bumper holds it in place. 👍 . Adds alot more strength to that weak lower arm link. James.

Haha, I am planning on getting the new Technic BMW 1000RR as it looks very cool. But decided to polish and clean up my Modified Lego Technic Ducati Panagale. Added a front mudguard, brake caliper, brake levers and rear caliper too. Also took 4mm off the rear spring so it sits more realistic. James.

I believe the Madcap ran dogbones at the rear and had splined hexes and outdrives. 🤔 James.

I mean just look at that beauty !! James.

I actually love the Tamtech F1 cars. They look so scale model looking it's crazy. Far better than Kyoshos mini Z F1 series imo. Pity they never re released the series with more modern GT and F1 cars 😕 James.

Yeah tried that but for some reason once flipped mines makes the gearbox clicky as if something is sticking somewhere, only once for every rotation. So turned it back and it works fine. It's still fast enough on 2s. 👍 James.

Thanks guys. I was eyeing one up for a while and at £279 RTR is seemed a good deal, then one came up on eBay starting bids at £125 and £12 postage bnib. I bid and I was the only bidder 😀👍. So grabbed a bargain there as I had planned on buying a new 2.4ghz radio for my son. So the radio and receiver this came with went to him. And I had my first solid axle monster truck 😁👍 Out of the box is alot of fun but far far too bouncy. I have removed 1 spring from each corner which has helped alot. Along with adding thinner sway bar tensioners to make the sway bars softer. The wheels and tyres are 2.2's and of good soft quality rubber, no inserts. I have drilled 2 extra holes inside the wheel rims to help with landing jumps, just to stop that bouncy nature. Again out of the box the steering as a bit iffy and vague due to the servo being mounted up high and having to through a few tie bars to get down to the steering. However keeping the servo up high in kit form means you can add the optional 4ws system if you wanted to. The gearbox is all metal gears, apart from the spur gear which is hard plastic (but seems good quality) stock motor is a 550 which is nice, not too fast and plenty of torque to pull wheelies and stoppies very easily. My next mod will def be a good set of softer shocks, maybe a set of 4 big bores in place of the kit stock 8 standard oil filled shocks at 100mm in total length. I mean the standard shocks are good enough quality but the springs just seem like generic springs found anywhere and just seem to make it bounce about a bit too much for my liking, pity they never released a spring tuning kit or something. 🤔 James.

Yeah, that's the one. I was only half finished as well in that pic 😂🤦‍♂️. The body is more a blob, a bit like the Parma one from years back, here is what it looks like. And here is my 97 one 👍 James

Thanks guys. 👍 So I cut the back doors off, Monster Jam style, surprisingly the body is still pretty rigid. Also added a few more small detail decals. James.

Well not Friday, but Saturday just passed was horrible. The in-laws were watching our 3 boys for the weekend so the wife and I could have some nice free time alone. After supper we watched a film with a few drinks and was just cuddled up on the sofa when the wife started to experience chest pains. She has had this before but it comes and goes and lasts around 5 mins max, was told it's possibly heartburn / indigestion. After 15 minutes and the pains still there, I decide to phone for an ambulance. Luckily the paramedic put my mind at ease and confirmed that it wasn't a heart attack after doing an ecg. But that she would take her to hospital for some checks etc just to make sure everything is ok. Of course with the whole COVID thing I wasn't allowed to come along or visit her at all. Anyways, 2 days later, countless ecg's and blood test after blood test and a CT scan for good measure. They found it to be ...... Nothing . 🙄😕 , The say it could just be muscular skeletal pains that can be very much like a heart attack and she was released. She had to go to the doctor today to give 4 seperate blood samples for tests, and she has an appointment with the hospital next week too. So what was meant to be a nice relaxing weekend with no kids, turned into a right nightmare. She is doing fine, just more tired than usual and dubious about what it could be. So roll on this weekend and let's hope it's a non eventful and relaxing one 👍. James

Is that plastic shock pliers included in the kit? 😳 👍 James.

Uk mobiles pretty much all start with 07 . So should be 07xxx xxxxxx . Should be 11 digits in total. 👍 I genuinly find l&l very unreliable, only bought twice but don't think I would be in a rush ever again tbh, especially after they have stole a few of my photos for their BTCC Laguna body that actually looks nothing like the pics they advertise it as 🤦‍♂️🙄 James.

Yeah a BTCC Civic and maybe BTCC BMW 320i. The lack of GT cars or LeMans cars is disappointing considering how many good examples Tamiya have done over the years. The GR010 and Glikenhaus would be nice additions on the TC-01 chassis imo, knowing Tamiya they will ignore everyone and will release an Alpine on the undriveable F103GT chassis 🤦‍♂️🙄 James.

Those Schumacher shocks are some of the best I have ever used. I would even go as far as saying they were better than my DB01 Big Bores !!! Gorgeous buggy 👍 James.

After all my monster truck prep it's around 6 degrees here in Aberdeen, Scotland. 😕 Climate change for you ....... James

For me it's got to be my 1997 and 1998 Kyosho BTCC Renault Laguna . The 1998 car being a particular favourite as it took so long to find a body and to get someone to make the decals. Strangely both are on Tamiya chassis 👍 James.

Tried that and everyone went back to the old ones when fixed 🤦‍♂️ absolutely no idea why tbh. Just archive them for goodness sake and open new ones !!!! James.

That's a good point actually. 🤔 Myself and my 3 young boys do love our Monster Jam even if we are all here in not so sunny Aberdeen, Scotland 😂👍. James.

This 100% !!! I feel sorry for people who buy a r/c or a real car for that matter and even before trying it they mod it to death. I used to love running my standard TA03 and adding one hop up at a time and seeing exactly what difference each item made to the car. Tbh some of Tamiya's hop ups made it slower over a race lap !! I mean imagine buying something like a new style Civic Type R and then just dropping it on coil overs, adding extra power and then wandering why it doesn't quite handle as good as everyone says it does 🤦‍♂️🤔 James.

Home from work and white done, a few decals added and painted the kickplates. Still to do - paint the window surrounds, and back windows black. Add the separate front Polycarbonate light panel. Along with some detail decals (don't want to clutter it up) And maybe add a home made cockpit set and driver bust. 👍. It's going to be a hard runner so I am not looking for perfection here. Oh and I wish I had finished those copper lines into the grille instead of above it now 🤦‍♂️🙄 James.

Yes PS4 is way off in colour, it's really really dark when applied. PS16 is the correct colour match, it's what Tamiya suggest in the manual . 👍 But I would also back it with silver so as not to be opaque. James.