TomGee

So…I finished the above build last weekend, took it to the garden for a shakedown and, probably unsurprisingly to most of you, came away with lots of jobs to do! All suspension mounts and anything under load unscrewed/worked itself loose (no threadlock for a test run). One of the ball head screws sheared off and now needs drilling out of the aluminium hubs. For now I’ve moved the rods to the other hole in the hubs but that means I’ll be running some serious negative camber! The motor moved in the mount so the pinion gear no longer engaged with the spur gear! On the plus side, I never had an RC car that could do donuts with ease and flip itself from standing simply by applying full throttle! The motor and ESC fans seemed to keep it pretty cool too. For info, I’m running a HW10BL 120A ESC, HW Quicrun 3650 G2 8.5t motor and 2s lipo (with a 21t pinion). So, my questions…should I stop trying now and put a more sensible motor in or do you think I could get the TT02B to handle the power? I had the 8.5t for use in a different project but thought I’d try it. Also, the pinion/spur teeth fit well (right pitch and adjustable Fastrax motor mount) but don’t feel at all smooth when hand turned - the transmission feels ‘notchy’. Is this normal? Or a problem (it was this way on the bench so the first run out isn’t to blame!).

Thanks, all. I got a bit ‘spec blind’ in the end and just picked something around 1800kv on the Holmes Hobbies recommended list for the kit that is available at my favourite store. So, I went for HW1080 and a TrailMaster Sport 550 21T. As suggested, I figured go basic and tweak later. I’ll be interested to see the difference later with a 5 slot of similar spec.

This is brilliant - thanks!

Looking at the Element RC Trail Truck Builders Kit 2. I must confess, some of my motivation is to get something I can buy lots of shells for so I can hone my painting skills! So, this might be a dreadful choice and I’m happy to be enlightened! RTR is out as at least 50% of the hobby for me is the build…

Hi all, I’m going to be dipping a toe into crawling for the first time ever. So, I am a bit lost as to which motor and gear ratios I should go for as a beginner. Put simply, I want it to be manageable but still relatively capable whilst I learn how to drive one (in case I learn quickly and get bored!). I understand the basics of turns to torque/top speed but not sure just how high I should go in terms of turns. I also appreciate a crawler is a bit more complicated in terms of gearboxes, overdrive etc than my usual buggies but any basic recommendations would be gratefully received. The kit has an 87t spur gear as standard and as it’s a first foray into this world, I’ll probably prefer a mid-range brushed setup… Cheers.

Interesting… Thanks all. The generic crawler route seems to offer the most readily available options with the biggest expanses of smooth lexan to paint on! So, I suspect that will be where I end up. I do like that Bronco though so who knows?!

Hi all, I’m firmly a 4WD buggy man but, on returning to the hobby, I find myself most enjoying planning and doing paintwork. However, I’m very much an amateur and want some nice ‘canvases’ to learn on. Buggies are fine but small and too angular. So, I was thinking a CC02 Baja Bronco or Toyota Land Cruiser would give me a bit of space whilst keeping it Tamiya. However, I’d like a chassis with more than one option so I can paint a variety and not just three or four of the same shell. Modelsport list the Bronco shell as a spare for the LC car so I assume they are interchangeable even though one is the short wheelbase and one medium…does anyone know for sure? And whether all CC02 shells have the same mounting points and fitment? Finally, anyone know of another chassis (from any manufacturer) with multiple shells that will give me plenty of decent expanses to try my airbrush on?! I know TT02 has lots of nice touring/road car and other shells but I really want off-road as I don’t have anywhere to drive something with such low ground clearance.

This post made me nostalgic and jealous at the same time - my first car in the 80s was a Boomerang, then I inherited an Avante from my older brother when he got his Schumacher Pro Cat. I couldn't keep up with the Schumacher so I demanded a new car and my dad duly obliged with an Optima Mid Custom Special! Never had an Egress but since returning to RC, it's the Tamiya car I've been most excited to try for the first time... I restarted the hobby about a month ago and have just about finished my third TT02B (two for my boys and a TT02BR for myself). Sadly, I fear this was a bit of a waste of cash as I intend to do exactly what you describe - Boomerang next then the Optima and probably an Avante when I get the bug to build after running these for a while.

That's a lovely looking bug! I've sent you a DM re: the PE2 shell...

Thanks, chaps. That’s good news. I couldn’t quite believe how much these receivers have shrunk…I thought it was missing when I first opened the box!

As a ‘returner’ to the hobby, I come from an era of crystals and interference when it comes to transmitters and receivers. So, I’m just getting my head around 2.4ghz… I bought a basic buggy for both my sons and a different receiver/transmitter set each. As expected, the transmitters and receivers automatically paired out of the box. However, is this because the two units are linked somehow by the manufacturer or does the receiver just detect a signal and ‘lock on’ to it? Would the two units still find each other if, for example, several transmitters were all switched on at once?! The reason I ask is that I’d like to buy one of the sets again and run it in my new car at the same time as my boys (IE three of us racing/bashing different cars at the same time, with the same model of radio gear in two of the three cars). Is there a chance the gear will interfere with each other, or will the two sets from the same manufacturer pair independently and operate fine alongside each other? If they do have some sort of link ‘out of the box’ does that mean that these budget sets cannot be unlinked and then paired to different gear later if, for example, one of us wants to go wheel instead of stick but only change the transmitter? For info, the set I’m thinking of getting two of is this cheap and cheerful fella: https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/absima-sr2s-2-channel-24ghz-radio-control-system-stick-radio-407387

Thanks. Is there a full part number ‘directory’ anywhere as I didn’t have much luck googling?

Hi all, I have just bought my third TT02B - one Neo Scorcher and one Plasma Edge 2 for each of my boys, and a TT02BR kit for myself (I might add some hop up parts to my boys' cars if they show enough interest but at 7 and 10, I am not yet sure they will stick with the hobby long enough for me to spend the money on any shiny blue bits...or a better kit in the future!). Having built the cars for the kids, I have decided I much prefer the Plasma Edge 2 shell and would like to put one of these on my car instead of the Neo Scorcher body the BR comes with (I may mix and match as I prefer the NS wing). The problem, however, is that I can only find pre-painted shells for the PE2 and I would prefer to paint my own. Does anyone know if unpainted PE2 shells are available and where I might find one if so? Cheers in advance.