XV02 new owner - do I need hop ups?

[lowoodhouse 0]

Hi everyone

First post here 

I am looking at a new XV02 and I have all the electronics already. I have a Absima Brushless Combo Set Thrust BL ECO 1:10 set already will I need any drivetrain hop ups to avoid damage to the diffs etc?

is there any “essential” hop ups I should go for?

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/product/404844?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItYPKjePs-QIVx-3tCh3jIgjqEAQYASABEgLjVPD_BwE

Thank you in advance. 

[Superluminal 3750]

Unlike most Tamiya kits out of the box it comes with ball bearings as standard so aside from a steel pinion I wouldnt think any of the other hop ups were "essential" other than nice to have if you got funds to spare. Its a fairly high spec kit from the off.

Worth a read of a couple of the build threads currently in the builds section of the forum

[toyolien 4680]

@lowoodhouse Welcome to Tamiya Club.

 

I can concur with @Superluminal. Only hop up really needed is a steel pinion. The other hop ups are either for bling or to offer more adjustments etc. As long as your are running the same gear ratio in the front and rear diff you won't need the center oil diff or slipper clutch either. 

[TenzoR 62]

If I had an XV02, the first thing I'd swap out would be the suspension blocks from plastic (or fibre reinforced) to the aluminum ones for added durability. I find it odd Tamiya left that out for the XV-02 Pro. 

[Nicadraus 6198]

I have seen a couple of XV-02 owners complaining how weak the steering cranks are. People have requested this to be made in aluminum as the plastic breaks easily during off-road bashing or racing.

But if it were mine, I'd build it according to these parts.

• Aluminum suspension mounts - As proven, this is way better than any plastic even the carbon reinforced ones. Sturdy and will keep your suspension intact with super minimal slop and the have very minimal or zero chance of popping out during hard crashes.
• Carbon fiber shock tower/damper stay - Light weight and strong. Keeps your shocks firm and no flexing.
• Aluminum steering set - Precise and very minimal slop. Works really well.
• Steel differential gears - Gives that right amount of weight and sturdiness and works much better with gear oil than the plastic ones.
• Aluminum spur gear adaptor - Supposing it doesn't come standard with the kit, add this and get no wobbling and keeps the spur gear precisely inline
• Universal CVD/DCJ - if it doesn't come as standard - eliminates the standard dogbones from flying out during hard impact crashes.

Then later on, I will start replacing these parts:

• Aluminum turnbuckles - Lightweight and blue bling! 
• TRF420 open face ball end adjusters - No popping out and keeps your ball connectors intact without slops
• Steel 5mm hex ball connectors - Easier to work with during maintenance without popping out and loosing the tightness of ball end adjusters.
• Aluminum/titanium screws - Aluminum screws on top of the chassis and titanium screws underneath. Both lightweight and sturdier (Ti)
• Aluminum servo mount - more intact and looks nicer (if blue ) 
• Aluminum servo horn - I was never a fan of servo savers and replace it with actual horn instead.

Also posted here:

You may also want to follow @Juls1's build thread.

 

[lowoodhouse 0]

8 hours ago, toyolien said:

@lowoodhouse Welcome to Tamiya Club.

 

I can concur with @Superluminal. Only hop up really needed is a steel pinion. The other hop ups are either for bling or to offer more adjustments etc. As long as your are running the same gear ratio in the front and rear diff you won't need the center oil diff or slipper clutch either. 

Thanks for the helpful responses.

 

could anyone advise which steel pinion to use with my motor on XV02?

it has a steel pinion on already, but I don’t know how many teeth I should run. 
 

I am just using it for a bit of fun on gravel and grass. 

[Smirrors 186]

22 hours ago, lowoodhouse said:

 

I am just using it for a bit of fun on gravel and grass. 

Just keep it stock.

[OoALEJOoO 3127]

I'm a bit confused on which adjustable suspension mounts the XV-02 needs. I just studied these very helpful articles that explain how adjustable suspension mounts work:

https://www.thercracer.com/2017/01/tamiya-suspension-mount-ultimate.html

https://www.thercracer.com/2019/10/tamiya-adjustable-suspension-mounts.html

This is where I am a bit confused: Tamiya's table of XV-02 option parts calls for 54379 "XJ" (super narrow) for the rear-rear and 54884 "A" (neutral) for the rear-front. Wouldn't this create significant toe-out on the rear? Is this desirable?

I would think you want to have a bit of toe-in on the rear, thus considering (which would allow adjustability around a positive toe-in region):

• 54884 Adj. Separate Susp. Mounts A (Rear Front)
• 54882 Adj. Susp. Mount E (Rear Rear)

For the front, perhaps a bit more neutral would be best (which would allow a bit of toe-in, toe-out or neutral):

• 54881 Adj. Susp. Mount A (Front Front)
• 54884 Adj. Separate Susp. Mounts A (Front Rear)

Would the above work and make sense?

The part that would also like to check is the overall track width. Would the above combination work with the kit's universal shaft length? What would be the minimum & maximum track widths that the kit universals would work?

One more question, brass or aluminum? Brass seems to be a bit more expense and I would think it is more durable. Is this correct?

Thanks for your help

*EDIT: I'm not too much concerned about tuning but more on durability. The consensus seems to be that these mounts can take a lot more wear & tear than the standard kit mounts. However, since parts will be bought, I would like to get the ones that make more sense.

[Juhunio 6830]

@OoALEJOoO here's the instruction leaflet from the specific suspension mounts for the XV-02 that shows how the front (22055) and rear (54884) work together  

[OoALEJOoO 3127]

@Juhunio Thanks for the info. Looks like the 54881 and 54882 parts I had in mind are actually not compatible with the XV-02.

The one you show, 22055 is "XH", and here is where I am quite confused now. I am guessing "XH" means it is quite narrow, following the logic from this table (grabbed from the articles I mentioned earlier):

I'm assuming "XH" is even more narrow than "XD" (shown on the table). Wouldn't that create a massive toe-out when paired with the 54884 "A" mounts?

The 22055 instruction photos you shared shows that:

• For the front wheels, if both the "XH" and "A" use N3, then a 0deg toe is achieved. It seems either the XV-02 follows a different logic than the one in the table or the "XH" somehow has the same width of the "A".
• For the rear wheels, the "A" now uses N2's which would make it one notch wider on each side. The photo notes a 1.5deg toe-out is achieved. Compared to the front, one notch difference achieves 1.5deg, while on the table one notch achieves only 0.5deg. Does this mean that the XV-02 has its mount-holes for the separate suspension mounts already with a 1.0deg pre-built rear toe-out?

Man I'm lost

Tamiya also lists the non-adjustable 54379 "XJ" for the XV-02. I am guessing that one is on step narrower than the "XH" when the "XH" is fitted the N1 bushing 

*EDIT: I am guessing there is something non-standard about these XJ and XH mounts since they are only meant for the XV-01 and XV-02

[Juls1 1661]

Unless you really want the adjustability (and understand what it all does) the non adjustable units will likely be a more reliable and easier to deal with option. The plastic separate mounts tend to be pretty tough it’s the XJ one piece that is easily broken as it’s the one that cops it when you go head first into something, slide backwards into something or cartwheel the car. 

I’m yet to decide if the adjustable mounts will be more reliable, they do away with the balls, which are annoying, but they also give another rotation point to keep the suspension smooth. The adjustable mounts prevent the shaft rotating (at least I hope they do or they’ll wear and go crappy quickly) meaning only the arm holes will rotate rather than the pin. 
 

I think the main upgrade I’d go for is either the slipper clutch or the centre diff, tamiya writes in the manual these are suggested if you intend to use the 40t diff gear. 
 

if you want to run softer suspension or grippier tyres than stock then sway bars will most likely be needed.

A steel pinion or a coated aluminum pinion isn’t a bad idea. Also steel diff cross pins are a good idea as well, the stock plastic parts fit poorly. 
 

Other than those few things, honestly the car doesn’t “need” more than that. 
 

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t want more than just that…