SupraChrgd82

The last Tamiya 200-ish electric chassis I recall is the the TL-01RA TL-01 Ra - Tamiya chassis database - TamiyaBase.com

Are you gonna crawl with it, Turnip? If so, anything that will add weight down low will add to stability ( stainless husky links, weighted wheels and steering blocks, steel prop shafts). Though I don't have a CC02, I hear the gearing puts it at a rather brisk pace. A small pinion and hight turn motor, maybe even a 1000-ish kV outrunner will add some low speed fidelity to the throttle. I also hear bump-steer is a thing. A servo-on-axle mount will add predictability to driving it. Regarding plastic pivot balls, I have found that they wear fast and get sloppy. Several of us in my local group try to build following a plastic-metal-plastic-metal format as parts seem to wear slower and stay tight. Metal-to-metal connections loosen quickly and plastic-to-plastic wears quickly.

I really like the schoolbus yellow for sporty cars. Some race decals may break up the yellowness and add a more aggressive look. https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/Details/57417/lotus-europa-sold

Went camping with the family. This guy cut thru our camp and laughed at me for showing up with 22 dead batteries and 4 crawlers and nowhere to charge.

Lovely. The only 2 things that help me maintain my sanity as well......

On past touring cars I would use Team Associated's chassis protector film. I assume it is an adhesive backed Teflon sheet. It works quite well to prevent scratches on flat chassis pans and does not create much drag when scraping across pavement. FT Chassis Protective Sheet, 6.5 x 18 in | Associated Electrics For abused Lexan bodies Shoe Goo and drywall mesh tape applied to the inside of the body are the "industry standard". E6000 is a slightly softer/lesser alternative if Shoe Goo is unavailable. It is wise to apply this to bodies prior to use if they are destined for a rough life.

The Ninja is unique in the way that it has separate splayed rear damper towers. The Tamiya 4wd buggy models all look to have a single towers of varying heights. The VQS or Bigwig look like canidates to fitting the Ninja body but some unique trimming around the rear damper tower would be needed. Of all the current Tamiya line up available, I’m betting the Bigwig would land you closest to reasonable body fitment. The Bigwig wheels are similar too.

There’s one on eBay with an exorbitant markup https://www.ebay.com/itm/165560447854?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=165560447854&targetid=1262749491342&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9031050&poi=&campaignid=15428034462&mkgroupid=133947154481&rlsatarget=pla-1262749491342&abcId=9300763&merchantid=6296724&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2eT0zMCG-QIVjMLCBB1yoQ17EAQYAiABEgIcNfD_BwE

If it's for the kiddo, I really suggest building one with a Lexan body. It will be durable and keep the center of gravity low, overall yielding a more gratifying drive for the little one. Regarding the chassis, use what is readily available in your area. In the US Element and Axial are the big names, but from what I see on the forums MST is a big name in Europe. The availability of aftermarket and replacement parts will expedite repairs and hold the kid's interest.

Mardave or Kamtec "Bangers"

Hmmmmmm. That’s an astute observation. Many early RC’s resemble scaled up versions of slot cars with similar mechanical attributes.

Not sure which is more exasperating…..no answer vs. dozens of “why don’t you do it my way instead of your way” answers that don’t even address the original question.

Clamping hubs for The Hornet. Such a fine car that takes to modifications so……..poorly. But it’s so dear to my heart I can’t help but give ‘er the red carpet treatment.

Call the shots when those situations arise - “Sorry dude, I’m not here to discuss politics.”

What battery do you intend to use? If it’s within the ratings for the ESC, has reasonable ventilation, 27t or greater motor I presume it would be quite adequate. https://www.tamiyausa.com/media/files/45057ml-801-efb9.pdf

Noted by runtime. If the 5000’s sit for a month (ish), the distance the crawlers travel is about 1/3 of what they travel with a fresh peak charge. The 3000’s go about 3/4 of their peak charged distance.

That’s exactly how I run my cars, mostly crawlers. Batteries are charged and shelved, then topped off only if they sat for more than a month. Not sure if it the right or wrong way to go about it, but the system works. My family and crawl 1-2 times per month using a pile of 10 NiMH packs. We average 2 packs each and go about 2.5 miles. I notice that the 5000mAh packs self-drain faster than the 3000mAh packs. Regarding your 3000mAh, your runtime will depend on your motor (# of turns) and driving surface (grass vs hard surface). I can say that that I use 3000mAh Tenergy packs in several M-chassis cars on asphalt at 17t brushless and get 45-60 minutes of runtime.

The “ultra lightweight pinion gears” and hybrid pinions used by racers tend to be pretty narrow. Would those suit your application, Saito2? You’re not the sort to abuse the drivetrain, so the small teeth would be of little consequence…

Y’all are really getting creative with the inspiration for tracks! It is very appreciable to be able to “race” internationally with everyone here and that everyone keeps the dream alive. I feel guilty that I haven’t participated as much as I would like to, but everyone in this thread should be acknowledged for the effort. Especially TurnipJF.

Batteries with low internal resistance tend to dissipate a charge faster whilst in storage. The downside to the low storage discharge rate is a low discharge rate (punch). Not that NiMH has much punch compared to LiPo. But that’s irrelevant and I’m not going anywhere with that statement about punch. The point is that higher mAh and performance-oriented NiMH have relatively low internal resistance and will self discharge comparatively faster than “general use” NiMH packs. Batteries are chemistry. What’s a catalyst in chemistry? Heat. Batteries have the potential to discharge faster when warm. The opposite is cold. Store them in a cool dry place, maybe even the fridge, to slow that chemical reaction. I’m with you though. I have a stack of NiMH packs that are stored after being peak charged.

Dark silver, maybe even gunmetal

That’s quite nice. Any more pics of that lovely chassis?

The reasoning behind the <6v servo; Savox also makes high voltage only servos. If you mistakenly purchase one it will be obsurdly slow, as in 10-15 seconds to full travel. Note that in your screenshot above it gives a “Speed 60* @ 6.0v” rating. The high voltage servo description will only have “Speed 60* @ 7.4v”. (I made this mistake some time ago)

I’ll vouch for Savox. One of several benefits of an upgraded servo is the ability to purchase and replace components inside the servo. The servo will no longer be a disposable item. Look for one that operates at <=6.0v, not a high voltage (7.2v). I also suggest you use a glitch buster capacitor in the RX 3rd channel slot to guarantee zero brown-outs. What servo arm/saver will be used in the TT-02? You’ll note a marked improvement in steering response and steering speed by using an upgraded servo.