In praise of the TT02

[Rinskie 860]

I know I am super late to the party because the TT02 is a been there-done that model but I recently built I just want to share my experience with mine. I just built a TT02R. Not sure what made me decide to order one but I figured everyone sooner or later needed a TT02. I am normally the type to bypass the beginner stuff and jump straight to something a little more "advance" which is what I did early this year when I decided to get another car after 12 years away from the hobby. I purchased a M08 and never really got on with it. I tried to love it but the thing liked to spin around at the slightest misstep and I found the car actually tiring to drive so the hunt was on for something a little more basher like. I was considering a 4 wheel drive classic like the Hotshot or Boomerang but deep down inside I like the looks of an on road car and kept being drawn to the price and clean lines of the R variant. 

So onto the TT02R. Everything about it has been a pleasurable experience from building it to driving it and everything in between. I did modify it during the build but not crazy. I added the stainless suspension balls, universals on all 4 corners and the upgraded steering rack. I ended up pulling the low profile servo I had in the M08 along with the 1060 speedo and the silver can motor. The diffs are stock with a heavy amount of AW grease in the front and a light amount of AW grease in the rear. The biggest mod by far is the TRF shocks I pulled off the mini. I will admit to being lazy and not rebuilding them after the swap but they are more or less brand new anyway. 

So the drive, either I got super lucky with the build and stuff I added or the car is just really well sorted and balanced. It accelerates in a straight line with zero steering input, stops in the same straight line with nary a wobble. It will not spin out under acceleration no matter how hard I huck it around. It is absolutely planted. Left turn radius is the exact same as the right. I can really concentrate on the drive lines and breaking points or I can just drive it like a kid. It's smooth and quiet. I mean seriously, apart from not being sexy and carbon it's a joy all the way around. 

The only thing I have left to do is finish the Subaru Impreza body. I have it cut out and mounted but the paint will have to wait for the weather. It's been a little too cold to paint the thing. 

Anybody else have a love for the lowly TT02 in any of its variants? 

[Nick-W 1790]

The TT02 (in SR spec) is the first car I’ve ever raced. I’ve only done 6 race meets so far and I’m certainly not a natural but I love it. The chassis is lovely, tractable, and if something is going wrong I’m almost certain it’s my fault rather than the car. It’s a great little package. 
She’s showing her battle scars but still looking good. 

[Grumpy pants 5251]

Nice thread 👍

[markbt73 5700]

I've got a box-stock-except-for-bearings TT02 that I'm still getting to know. It drives pretty well, even with the pogo sticks and sloppy steering. So far my only complaint is th same complaint I have with most longitudinal motor shaft-drive models: it turns easier one direction than the other. Not torque steer exactly, it doesn't pull, but if you try to turn at speed one way, it turns, but go the other way (right I think) and it just understeers unless you hit the brakes. It's frustrating.

But overall, I think it's a worthy successor to Tamiya's entry-level lineage. Tough, simple, inexpensive, and easy to fiddle with. I'll probably end up hacking it all to bits and doing something weird with it eventually, but not yet.

[Pylon80 3438]

1 hour ago, markbt73 said:

So far my only complaint is th same complaint I have with most longitudinal motor shaft-drive models: it turns easier one direction than the other. Not torque steer exactly, it doesn't pull, but if you try to turn at speed one way, it turns, but go the other way (right I think) and it just understeers unless you hit the brakes. It's frustrating.

This can happen to any car when the suspension is tweaked; typically when the left and right shocks are not exactly the same length on a given axle. It doesn't take much to make the car behave that way.

On another occasion I have had the car steer asymmetrically (understeer one side and oversteer the other side!) after hitting a curb with made caster different on the left compared to the right. Again it doesn't take much to affect the way the car steers.

[Kowalski86 4076]

It's difficult for me to praise or really knock the TT-02, it's a decent entry level chassis that has its place, and it's certainly a better choice over a 4TEC or the Thunder Tiger Apex2.

Recently I grabbed one just to replace my M chassis, its much easier to find wheels and tires for "proper" touring cars along with having better tire life and ground clearance.

The main thing that I like about the TT-02 is that it's easy to work on, diff access is easier than say...my M05. Heck, accessing the diffs is easier than my 2WD Traxxas stuff.

My main gripe, and this pertains to most on-road Tamiyas, is the 0.6 module gearing. The tooth size and what not work perfectly fine, it's just not a very "normal" pitch. Oh, and Tamiyas fascination with plastic bearings.

Mine always end up looking like this at the end of a run. I wouldn't do the same with a "proper" race-grade touring car.

[Otis311 265]

My Type S Drift Spec is pretty sweet. I put 64 pitch gears in it so it at least sounds expensive. Flies with a Castle 4600 4-pole, stops on a dime. I don't have much to compare it to. My only other 1:10 on-road car is a TT-01E type R, which is also nice. The only thing it needs is the aluminum Type S steering bridge but I have trouble dropping that amount of cash. I have two other TT-02 unassembled that I purchased for the bodies mostly (Carrera RSR and '99 Impreza). I need to build one for rally driving.

It is quite a versatile chassis. Not amazing at anything but can be modified like crazy. I have heard mixed reviews of the buggy setups.

[87lc2 2833]

Glad you like it, the R is a great kit and was my first TT02 a few years back.  I never had an interest in on road and bought it on sale at Tower for next to nothing back in 2017 or so.  I built it, put a body on it, ran it once and shelved it for 5 years.  About 3 months ago out of nowhere I got into on road racing and its been a lot of fun and love running my TT02s.   The R is now a Tamiya Pro Spec car, I run the SRX in VTA, and we also run "stock" TT02s int he Tamiya Production Class.  I love the production class, stock motor/ESC and even stock friction shocks.  It's been a lot of fun and very competitive racing.   Plus I finally have a use for TT02 spares, haha. 

 

[qatmix 822]

Despite being a TRF onroad racer, I would quite easily agree that the TT02 is probably the best rc car on the market.

I love how easy it is to make it into anything. I’ve even seen a amphibious one  

 

In stock form it’s great fun to drive (Just glue the servo horn). I like digging mine out at the track and posting times against other drivers and their pro  chassis. 
 

I have a few, from very basic runners to over developed race cars. I still have a few more bits I’m designing for them.

 

 

[Sogogi 3359]

On 11/17/2023 at 4:44 PM, Otis311 said:

My Type S Drift Spec is pretty sweet. I put 64 pitch gears in it so it at least sounds expensive. Flies with a Castle 4600 4-pole, stops on a dime. I don't have much to compare it to. My only other 1:10 on-road car is a TT-01E type R, which is also nice. The only thing it needs is the aluminum Type S steering bridge but I have trouble dropping that amount of cash. I have two other TT-02 unassembled that I purchased for the bodies mostly (Carrera RSR and '99 Impreza). I need to build one for rally driving.

It is quite a versatile chassis. Not amazing at anything but can be modified like crazy. I have heard mixed reviews of the buggy setups.

I see that case quite often.. assuming it is tamiya’s marketing tactic, but at least you should have enough spare parts for a while.

[TurnipJF 9872]

I really like my TB-03. It is a solid, reliable runner that turns in some good lap times, is forgiving of mistakes and responds predictably to setup changes.

I am fond of my TT-02 Type S (which uses the same suspension components) for all the same reasons. Plus, due to having more plentiful spares, I have fewer qualms about running it. The TB is reserved for prepared tracks, but I am happy to run the TT almost anywhere where there is room. 

[Kowalski86 4076]

I should've shared this analogy in my previous post, but for me, hopping up a TT02 (or really many modern Tamiyas) feels like a videogame.

You want tunable diffs? $20

You want tunable shocks? $20

You want tunable gearing? $15

You want adjustable toe? $10

You want metal balls? $10

It's like Gran Turismo the RC car, except each upgrade is "real", but it costs real money and it isn't always in stock. It's also a terrific example of a nickel-and-dime scheme in action.

[alvinlwh 7063]

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[Kowalski86 4076]

1 hour ago, alvinlwh said:

Pay to win, Tamiya style!

That's basically TCS in a nut shell.