Wheels/Tyres for DT03 Racing Fighter

[ninjin]

Just finished building the Racing Fighter and I find the front wheels lacking in grip. 

I considered a 12mm hex adaptor for the front but I think the majority of the wheels with 12mm hex fit will catch the steering rod assembly.

Can anyone recommend a tyre or wheel upgrade? Or will a 12mm hex adaptor be ok on clearance?

 

[alvinlwh]

42 minutes ago, ninjin said:

Or will a 12mm hex adaptor be ok on clearance?

It will not work at all. 

Here is how I changed the fronts to hex. 

There are other methods of course, I used this method because I happen to have a M-05 so have the parts on hand to measure and check if they will work or not. 

[ninjin]

Thanks for the link but that's way too more work than I want to carry out. Remember, I've only just got back into RC!

[ThunderDragonCy]

3 hours ago, ninjin said:

Just finished building the Racing Fighter and I find the front wheels lacking in grip. 

I considered a 12mm hex adaptor for the front but I think the majority of the wheels with 12mm hex fit will catch the steering rod assembly.

Can anyone recommend a tyre or wheel upgrade? Or will a 12mm hex adaptor be ok on clearance?

 

Those deep rib Racing Fighter tyres are useless on anything except deep sand. No need for new wheels, just get some good fronts for the surface you run on. Where are you using the car? It's also worth buying some stick on real car wheel weights and stick them around the front of the car. Around the servo, on top of the chassis, anywhere it will go. 40-50 grams up there really helps. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-Strips-x-60g-Adhesive-Wheel-Balance-Weights-for-Motorcycle-Cars-and-Vans-/402641953748?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

I run Schumacher cut stagger in yellow compound on mine astro. On grass some mini darts are good. 

[BuggyDad]

Yeah I found 4wd buggy front tyres (and not specifically "narrow" ones) fit the stock wheels fine. Tried Ballistic Buggy greens and Schumacher Mini spike yellow, both transformational compared to the stock tyres on short grass and dirt. They're also way less bad than the stock ribs on hard surfaces IMO even though it's not what they're for. I haven't tried astro or road type tyres myself. 

I too did a hex conversion, but it wasn't in an effort to get better performance from buggy wheels. The stock wheels are fine. It was to fit all sorts of different wheels, and for a perhaps marginal strength gain. Different conversion to @alvinlwh's but the same idea. Might be easier, not sure. If all you want is better grip just change the tyres and add some weights, agree 100% with @ThunderDragonCy. If you want to do loads of tinkering there's loads of tinkering you can do though... 

[Andreas W]

If you want more wheels to choose from JC Racing Products has some lovely ones. 

 

https://www.jcracingproducts.co.uk/tamiya/wild-one

 

If you combine them with Hornet or Fox livery (alternate colours from MCI) then you have a winner .

[Busdriver]

9 hours ago, BuggyDad said:

Yeah I found 4wd buggy front tyres (and not specifically "narrow" ones) fit the stock wheels fine. Tried Ballistic Buggy greens and Schumacher Mini spike yellow, both transformational compared to the stock tyres on short grass and dirt. They're also way less bad than the stock ribs on hard surfaces IMO even though it's not what they're for. I haven't tried astro or road type tyres myself. 

I too did a hex conversion, but it wasn't in an effort to get better performance from buggy wheels. The stock wheels are fine. It was to fit all sorts of different wheels, and for a perhaps marginal strength gain. Different conversion to @alvinlwh's but the same idea. Might be easier, not sure. If all you want is better grip just change the tyres and add some weights, agree 100% with @ThunderDragonCy. If you want to do loads of tinkering there's loads of tinkering you can do though... 

How did you do it?

[ThunderDragonCy]

Tamiya black dish front wheels are bearing fit and wider than the kit wheels. They aren't quite as wide as 4wd front wheels on a hex fitting, but they wear 4wd wide front tyres fine too and are cheap and easy to get hold of and don't need the hex conversion. I have a set for my Racing Fighter. You will have to change wheel colour if you want proper wide fronts on a bearing fit. Search "DN01 Dish front wheel" These need smaller 1050 bearings but will still be a direct fit for your car. Don't buy the matching DN01 rears though. They are pin drive and won't fit. 

[ninjin]

Thanks for all the tips.

Do the Schumacher tyres at 2.2" fit our tamiya rim?

[BuggyDad]

2 hours ago, Busdriver said:

How did you do it?

The hex conversion? Schumacher Cougar KR hex conversion kit is almost a drop in replacement. The stock C hubs don't quite fit the Schumacher uprights but you can either cut a bit of material out of the stock c hubs, fit aluminum ones or fit TRF201 ones. I did the latter, which also gives more caster and pushes the width out a little (which makes sense because most hex wheels have less offset than bearing ones, so net net you end up at about the same width). More info somewhere in this thread:

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/100078-my-dt-03-for-fun-driving-and-tinkering/

[BuggyDad]

56 minutes ago, ninjin said:

Thanks for all the tips.

Do the Schumacher tyres at 2.2" fit our tamiya rim?

Neo Fighter rims they fit perfectly. I assume racing fighter the same. 

[Wooders28]

I've just gone for a set of Kyosho Scorpion wheels, with 4 , 850 bearings ( 5 x 8 x 2.5mm), and going to use Schumachers cut stagger (yellow) on the front, and yellow Mezzos on the rear (for Astro).

[ninjin]

So here is what I have learnt so far (I think):

2.2" Schumacher tyres will fit onto Tamiya rims.

4WD Front tyres will also fit onto the Racing Fighter front wheel.

Looking at pics, the Neo Fighter rim looks wider than the Racing Fighter. Is just an illusion or does the Neo indeed have a wider rim?

[BuggyDad]

4 hours ago, ninjin said:

So here is what I have learnt so far (I think):

2.2" Schumacher tyres will fit onto Tamiya rims.

4WD Front tyres will also fit onto the Racing Fighter front wheel.

Looking at pics, the Neo Fighter rim looks wider than the Racing Fighter. Is just an illusion or does the Neo indeed have a wider rim?

Not sure. But I can tell you that the Neo Fighter rim is 24mm wide externally. 19mm internal. 

[ninjin]

juist seen this: 

 

 

Seems the Racing Fighter is only 14mm Up front. However, the offset if different, so the Racing Fighter rim actually has a wider track.

[ThunderDragonCy]

2 minutes ago, ninjin said:

juist seen this: 

 

 

Seems the Racing Fighter is only 14mm Up front.

Those black dish I mentioned (51304) are 19mm. Noticeably wider than the kit Racing Fighter wheels. 

[Kol__]

Hey guys, I fitted the 19mm wide Star dish wheels from the Holiday Buggy to my Madcap, they are the same with as the Racing Fighter stock black Star dishes. The Neo Fighter front rims are wider at 24mm.

On the 19mm, I fitted a set of the slim 2wd mini spike 2.2" Schumacher tyres...

On the 24mm I fitted the standard width front full spike 2.2" Schumacher's

[ninjin]

Thanks for the post, answers the question perfectly.

Racing fighter looks great on the orange wheels!

[ninjin]

I've ordered some Schumacher cut staggers to try onto the front rim. If the rim is too thin, then I'll get some JCracing Astute rims which ar F:21mm R:36mm.