TT02 High Speed Gear Set Worth It?

[EmJayeX 21]

Hello everyone!

Had some questions...about the high speed gear set. First of all, just some info on me and my first TT02. 

Im not planning to do any sort of racing (but if I find one close to me, hey! Why not give it a shot for fun?) And im also trying to keep it as budget as possible. 

So far, everything is stock except for bearings. The stock TT02 is the fastest rc car Ive had (running on 2s). But I guess I feel like the motor just wants to give more speed. 

Now, to the questions about the high speed gear set. 

Is it worth buying a set? (I know its only like $10 (US)

Do I need (ABSOLUTELY NEED) any other upgrades with a high speed gear set? Or can the stock TT02 handle the extra speed?

And Im not doing any sort of speed runs, and I dont have any sort of speed gps, but is it visually and noticably faster than stock? 

If it gives maybe an extra 2-3mph then maybe I wont find it worth buying. But maybe 5 or more I might consider it 🤷🏻‍♂️ (again no way to measure the speed anyways)

Last question, is there any other cheap upgrades/mods to just make it more fun to drive? 

Also! I heard you can trim the steering limiters and get some more steering angle? 

Thanks in advance!

[alvinlwh 5895]

The speed gear set actually works better with slower motors like the stock motor. I once paired the speed gear with a 18T motor and blew it. So if you are planning to put in a hotter motor, it is better to stick with the standard gear as it has a closer ratio suitable for faster motors.

While there is no chart for the TT showing what motor is suitable for what, here is the TA one and it shows that the stock silver can is actually suited for quite a high gear ratio, far higher than the stock 74/18 one.

 

[Kowalski86 3034]

1 hour ago, EmJayeX said:

Last question, is there any other cheap upgrades/mods to just make it more fun to drive? 

Also! I heard you can trim the steering limiters and get some more steering angle? 

Thanks in advance!

The high speed gearing set won't give you any extra speed by itself (maybe 2mph at most), to get the most of it you need to buy a slotted motor mount, then different spurs/pinions, and it can end up a rabbit hole.

The cheapest, easiest thing to do for any on road car is to build a track (or at least put down some light obstacles) and drive around them.

[alvinlwh 5895]

19 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

The high speed gearing set won't give you any extra speed by itself (maybe 2mph at most)

Actually a bit more than that. Using the TA example above (I do not have the TT-02 to hand), the difference on paper between the stock 74/18T vs 66/24T (9.68 vs 14.47) is 4.79mph and at the extreme end of 74/16T vs 66/25T is 6.47mph.

[EmJayeX 21]

1 hour ago, alvinlwh said:

The speed gear set actually works better with slower motors like the stock motor. I once paired the speed gear with a 18T motor and blew it. So if you are planning to put in a hotter motor, it is better to stick with the standard gear as it has a closer ratio suitable for faster motors.

While there is no chart for the TT showing what motor is suitable for what, here is the TA one and it shows that the stock silver can is actually suited for quite a high gear ratio, far higher than the stock 74/18 one.

 

Interesting...I think I mightve skipped this section in my TT02 manual. Good to know, thanks!

[EmJayeX 21]

32 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

The high speed gearing set won't give you any extra speed by itself (maybe 2mph at most), to get the most of it you need to buy a slotted motor mount, then different spurs/pinions, and it can end up a rabbit hole.

The cheapest, easiest thing to do for any on road car is to build a track (or at least put down some light obstacles) and drive around them.

That makes sense. Rabbit hole doesnt sound too good 😂

I might just make some sort of track! Have a (mostly) empty parking lot across the street from my neighborhood. Other than cones, is there anything else I could use to fabricate some sort of track?

At least most pinions/spurs done seem to be that expensive. I might look into that too. And I know you guys have helped me on my other topics as well. Thanks for all the help with my new TT02! A lot of questions and things I wanna know about. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

3 minutes ago, EmJayeX said:

Interesting...I think I mightve skipped this section in my TT02 manual. Good to know, thanks!

This is the section in a TT-02 manual.

 And the high speed gear set one.

Nope, they do not give a suggested motor type but I use the TA one above as a guide.

4 minutes ago, EmJayeX said:

At least most pinions/spurs done seem to be that expensive

They are cheap and good to have a handful on hand to experiment with.

[Kowalski86 3034]

19 minutes ago, EmJayeX said:

That makes sense. Rabbit hole doesnt sound too good 😂

I might just make some sort of track! Have a (mostly) empty parking lot across the street from my neighborhood. Other than cones, is there anything else I could use to fabricate some sort of track?

At least most pinions/spurs done seem to be that expensive. I might look into that too. And I know you guys have helped me on my other topics as well. Thanks for all the help with my new TT02! A lot of questions and things I wanna know about. 

It mostly comes down to budget, but as said above it's very handy to have extra pinions.

You can use anything you want, boxes, garden hose, pipes, just preferably something that won't damage your car much if you hit it.

And I'm glad to help! Hope you enjoy your TT02.

[TurnipJF 9192]

8 hours ago, EmJayeX said:

Do I need (ABSOLUTELY NEED) any other upgrades with a high speed gear set? Or can the stock TT02 handle the extra speed?

The stock TT-02 can handle the extra speed, but will you be able to handle the stock TT-02 with extra speed? The bouncy stock spring holders don't do the handling any favours with their lack of damping, and their inadequacy will become more pronounced the faster you go. You don't ABSOLUTELY NEED oil-filled dampers, but they are a very good idea and will make the car more fun and less frustrating to drive.

You have probably heard of the"Big 3" upgrades that benefit any Tamiya that doesn't come with them as stock? These are bearings, oil-filled shocks and a steel pinion. I would start with these, then perhaps look at other upgrade options once you have the basics sorted. 

[alvinlwh 5895]

11 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

as said above it's very handy to have extra pinions.

@EmJayeX I will suggest a spread of 1 or 2T difference apart, looking at the common between all 3 gear sets. So the overlapping is 22 to 25, get 22 and 25 and then one more at the top and bottom end, say 28 and 19.

Alternative is choose the overlaps at the extreme end of each gear set. So 27, 25, 22 and 18.

This will give you a good spread to experiment as each pinion can be used with at least two different spur, if you ever decide to buy the speed gear set.

[EmJayeX 21]

11 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

It mostly comes down to budget, but as said above it's very handy to have extra pinions.

You can use anything you want, boxes, garden hose, pipes, just preferably something that won't damage your car much if you hit it.

And I'm glad to help! Hope you enjoy your TT02.

 

5 hours ago, TurnipJF said:

The stock TT-02 can handle the extra speed, but will you be able to handle the stock TT-02 with extra speed? The bouncy stock spring holders don't do the handling any favours with their lack of damping, and their inadequacy will become more pronounced the faster you go. You don't ABSOLUTELY NEED oil-filled dampers, but they are a very good idea and will make the car more fun and less frustrating to drive.

You have probably heard of the"Big 3" upgrades that benefit any Tamiya that doesn't come with them as stock? These are bearings, oil-filled shocks and a steel pinion. I would start with these, then perhaps look at other upgrade options once you have the basics sorted. 

Thats a VERY good question, and one that I dont think many ask (even for other things in life). Thanks for asking that question! I am learning and feel quite comfortable with my TT02 so far. So maybe thatll be a future upgrade then😅

Im only now figuring out that the "big 3" is a thing now. I have one of those already, bearings. My stock pinion seems to be holding up fine, so then next thing will probably be shocks. Thanks so much!

[Kowalski86 3034]

2 minutes ago, EmJayeX said:

 My stock pinion seems to be holding up fine, so then next thing will probably be shocks. Thanks so much!

If you go for shocks look for Tamiya 54753, they're the standard CVAs and they're pretty good in my experience.

[one_hit 1046]

Yes the high speed hear set is worth it whether just bashing or racing. For a silver can or 17.5 and above brushless, you need to be able to gear way lower than what the stock spur allows. Mine is currently running a 66T spur and 39T pinion for a FDR of 4.4 with a Tamiya 16T brushless motor with boost+turbo. 

[EmJayeX 21]

8 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

If you go for shocks look for Tamiya 54753, they're the standard CVAs and they're pretty good in my experience.

I hear theyre pretty good, but from what I can see, theyre about $40-$50. So maybe I might consider something like the Yeah Racing ones or something a little cheaper (not too cheap though 😅)

 

[EmJayeX 21]

7 hours ago, one_hit said:

Yes the high speed hear set is worth it whether just bashing or racing. For a silver can or 17.5 and above brushless, you need to be able to gear way lower than what the stock spur allows. Mine is currently running a 66T spur and 39T pinion for a FDR of 4.4 with a Tamiya 16T brushless motor with boost+turbo. 

Oh wow, yours must be blistering quick!

Ive seen it a couple times arounds here, but whats boost+turbo on an rc car? I know what that is on a 1:1 car, but not sure what that means with an electric motor. It makes sense if it was nitro though

[one_hit 1046]

Just now, EmJayeX said:

Oh wow, yours must be blistering quick!

Ive seen it a couple times arounds here, but whats boost+turbo on an rc car? I know what that is on a 1:1 car, but not sure what that means with an electric motor. It makes sense if it was nitro though

Boost adds timing throughout the rpm range while turbo adds more timing after a set amount of full throttle. I’m using a cheap Hobbywing clone and it is well worth the $13. You do need the program card to load the Hobbywing V3 mod firmware which adds the turbo function. 

[OnTheTrail 1152]

26 minutes ago, EmJayeX said:

I hear theyre pretty good, but from what I can see, theyre about $40-$50. 

They're only about $23 from Tower Hobbies (although out of stock at the moment).  I have several sets and they seem fine.  Most of the time, I just use the stock springs that come with the car kit and keep the others for tuning if needed.   There are other Tamiya oil shock kits that don't come with springs so those should be a little cheaper I'd guess.  I've gotten a few of those as well.   

If you've never assembled oil shocks before, do a search on here or YT.   Several good "how to" posts/videos.  

 

https://www.towerhobbies.com/product/cva-super-mini-shock-4-tt-02/TAM54753.html

 

 

[EmJayeX 21]

4 hours ago, one_hit said:

Boost adds timing throughout the rpm range while turbo adds more timing after a set amount of full throttle. I’m using a cheap Hobbywing clone and it is well worth the $13. You do need the program card to load the Hobbywing V3 mod firmware which adds the turbo function. 

Cool! Does the turbo thing actually make your car faster? Or just gives it variation making it a little more realistic?

Edit: Also! Would you be able to link that clone esc, JUST in case I would like to take a look? Thanks

Edited May 9, 2023 by EmJayeX
Wanted to add something

[EmJayeX 21]

4 hours ago, OnTheTrail said:

They're only about $23 from Tower Hobbies (although out of stock at the moment).  I have several sets and they seem fine.  Most of the time, I just use the stock springs that come with the car kit and keep the others for tuning if needed.   There are other Tamiya oil shock kits that don't come with springs so those should be a little cheaper I'd guess.  I've gotten a few of those as well.   

If you've never assembled oil shocks before, do a search on here or YT.   Several good "how to" posts/videos.  

 

https://www.towerhobbies.com/product/cva-super-mini-shock-4-tt-02/TAM54753.html

 

 

Thanks! It says it should be in stock in June. I might be ready to upgrade my stock shocks then. I havent heard of tower hobbies before. Do they sell other tamiya upgrades at a reasonable price? (Amazon seems to ridiculously mark up some things)

[EmJayeX 21]

Oh! And one thing I noticed when I was driving my tt02, theres a lot of understeer at speed. Is there any fixes for that?

[one_hit 1046]

19 minutes ago, EmJayeX said:

Cool! Does the turbo thing actually make your car faster? Or just gives it variation making it a little more realistic?

Edit: Also! Would you be able to link that clone esc, JUST in case I would like to take a look? Thanks

Yes it does make it go a lot faster. That’s why it’s not allowed in stock racing. For that you need an esc with “blinky mode” which as the name implies, has a blinking LED, indicating that timing is fixed. 
 

Regarding the clone esc, I got mine from a local e-commerce site. I can see that it’s available in amazon and ebay for $20-28. As with anything from China, make sure you get it from a store with a return policy just in case it is dead on arrival. I have bought four of them already and so far each one is working. Just search for “120A ESC” and look for the blue chrome one like this:

 

120A ESC

[EmJayeX 21]

9 hours ago, one_hit said:

Yes it does make it go a lot faster. That’s why it’s not allowed in stock racing. For that you need an esc with “blinky mode” which as the name implies, has a blinking LED, indicating that timing is fixed. 
 

Regarding the clone esc, I got mine from a local e-commerce site. I can see that it’s available in amazon and ebay for $20-28. As with anything from China, make sure you get it from a store with a return policy just in case it is dead on arrival. I have bought four of them already and so far each one is working. Just search for “120A ESC” and look for the blue chrome one like this:

 

120A ESC

Awesome, thanks! I see that it says brushless esc? Does that mean you have to have a brushless setup as well? Or will it work with the stock motor?

[alvinlwh 5895]

40 minutes ago, EmJayeX said:

Awesome, thanks! I see that it says brushless esc? Does that mean you have to have a brushless setup as well? Or will it work with the stock motor?

That is a brushless ESC that will not work with the stock brushed motor. 

[OnTheTrail 1152]

On 5/8/2023 at 11:28 PM, EmJayeX said:

Thanks! It says it should be in stock in June. I might be ready to upgrade my stock shocks then. I havent heard of tower hobbies before. Do they sell other tamiya upgrades at a reasonable price? (Amazon seems to ridiculously mark up some things)

Tower Hobbies has been around for decades.   They were around before the internet and use to mail hobbyists a sales catalog about once a month back in the day (yes, I'm showing my age..... ) plus huge multi-page advertisements in modeling magazines.   Their prices are usually reasonable and competitive.   As for Tamiya hop-ups, from my experience, they're spotty at best.   They have some items but not as many as we'd like.     

That said, Tower was bought out my Horizon Hobby a couple years ago.   Since Horizon is a distributor to most brick and mortar hobby shops in the U.S., that means if Tower or HH shows it on their site, your local hobby shop can get it for you as well.  May take and extra week to bring in your Tamiya special order but at least you'd save the freight.  

As for Amazon, your observations are correct.   I call bull on the "Amazon Prime" where shipping is free on everything.    Somethings yes, most things, no.   If the small Tamiya part is say $7 through your LHS, through Amazon, it's usually $14 with  <ahem> free shipping.    Due to my wife's years of Kindle book downloads, we have two Amazon accounts in our house.  One with prime and one without.  Very rarely do I see a net price that's truly cheaper when I check between the two accounts.   May get it a day or two quicker with Prime but legitimate free shipping...????   Not really in my experience.  

[droidy 91]

On 5/8/2023 at 11:57 AM, EmJayeX said:

cones

Like Kowalski86 said, use anything you've got.

But if you're thinking about cones, look for some flat rubber track and field markers instead. Cones are frustrating when you hit them and drag them along or knock them out of position.

Lots of good advice in the Racing by post thread on this forum. Racing by post also happens to be the most fun you can have by yourself with an RC in a carpark!