What after TT-02?

[Siclick33 240]

I have just finished my first TT-02. It is great value for the money but, having completed the RC setup, it already has quite a bit of slop in it (particularly the steering) and some of the plastic parts (the tub and the battery posts) have likely stripped as the plastic is made of butter! I am also coming towards the end of a TT-01 build and I think that might actually be a bit tighter.

I do have a TT-02R to build next, and I also have the upgraded metal steering kit which I may fit, but I'm trying to decide where to go next. I like the TT-02 as it has a lot of different body options and is relatively cheap, but I'm not sure if I want lots of them in my collection.

What would you suggest for a path from here, in terms of touring cars? I'm not sure I want to make the giant leap to something like a TRF421, and I do tend to prefer shaft drive. 

Is it worth upgrading the TT-02, is there something else I should take a look at, or am I going to have to look at a different manufacturer (if there is anything else out there)?

[lentner3 346]

My vote is a TA05

[svenb 4677]

All depends on budget 

[Kowalski86 4987]

20 minutes ago, Siclick33 said:

Is it worth upgrading the TT-02, is there something else I should take a look at, or am I going to have to look at a different manufacturer (if there is anything else out there)?

If you want a kit, I'd go straight to one of the XV chassis before doing any more upgrades. Otherwise the Kyosho Fazer isn't a bad alternative to the TT line-up.

[Otis311 421]

TC-01 looks pretty interesting.

[lentner3 346]

7 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

If you want a kit, I'd go straight to one of the XV chassis before doing any more upgrades. Otherwise the Kyosho Fazer isn't a bad alternative to the TT line-up.

Good shout the XV01 and 2 are really good option. 

[alvinlwh 8001]

3Racing Cero

[Siclick33 240]

Thanks for all of the replies. 

Having done a bit more research I see that there are actually quite a few options.

Firstly, I wasn't aware that a 'Hard' chassis tub was available for the TT-02. I might try that on my TT-02R with the upgraded metal steering hop-up and see how that works out. I'm not sure the TT-02S/SR/SRX are the way forwards but I'll have a deeper look into those as well.

XV-02RS could be a contender but there is also the TA08 PRO so I'll have to do some more research into them. If anyone has any opinions on the pros/cons of each of them that would be great.

I'm not into racing. These will just be for running on smooth roads.

[lentner3 346]

I have the TA08 but I haven’t built it yet.

if I build it soon I’ll let you know.

[chris.alex 1936]

14 hours ago, Siclick33 said:

What would you suggest for a path from here, in terms of touring cars? 

XV02 RS 

[OoALEJOoO 3640]

@Siclick33 Your next step would depend on what you want to do with the car. The good thing is that the TT-02 is perhaps the most versatile touring car among the Tamiya options given it has plenty of variants and is easy to mod.

Having said that, the bone-stock TT-02 excels at being a non-competitive carefree runner. Low cost, easy to find parts, reasonable performance. Its downsides are that it is imprecise compared to more advanced options, unpredictable when pushed to the limit and less adjustable. I go with fairly basic TT-02 cars when setup as rally cars given they can take abuse, and you don't require racetrack precision to go around a made-up rally course. You will only really notice the limitations of a TT-02 once you have a parking lot track and start tracking lap-times. Once you start to push the car to its limits to get increasingly better times, only then you'll see that on its basic form it won't go too far. My recommendation is to get to this point and only then see what's next.

The good news is that you already have a TT-02R, which is a step up. Those 3deg rear toe uprights on the TT-02R kit make a significant difference on the track. You'll see controlling the car and preventing spinouts on corners are greatly enhanced by the 3deg rear toe. The CVA shocks are also quite the step-up handling wise all around. You'll see that the limit of the TT-02R is above the TT-02 and therefore will lap better times. It will still have a limit though and eventually you will start to start to think about oversteer & understeer, on-power vs. off-power, front toe... and therefore step into the realm of wanting adjustability. The steering kit you mention already have for the TT-02R is good that it will reduce slop (although a similar amount of slop reduction can be achieved through shimming) plus give you the ability to tune front toe. My recommendation again would be to only think about next steps when you think the TT-02R can't squeeze any more perfomrance but you crave more. I did, which is why I do have better cars.

The TT-02S family of cars take it one step further by having suspension that can adjust camber settings, therefore tweaking rear or front grip, and therefore be able to adjust the over/under steer balance of the car. You could also get this adjustability on the TT-02 or TT-02R by getting the adjustable uprights, but the type-S suspension is more precise. Is the TT-02S a good option? It depends. You could definitely go this route after your TT-02R and you'll get the benefit of being able to share spare parts. Or you could go to a different chasis, a TA, TB, TC or XV as others have suggested, each with their own advantages. The TA, TB or TC cars will in general be lighter, lower CG, less slop, better plastics and more adjustability. The XV cars are also a step-up but have higher CG as they are rally-oriented, which means if you want to lap fast on nigh-grip surfaces, you might be limited by body rollovers.

Long-story short, my recommendation is that you will best enjoy and understand a better car after you understand the limits of your TT-02 and TT-02R. Run them, enjoy them, put them through their paces, then think about upgrading.

[CMshooter 166]

Build run and learn to maintain the TT02s.  If you want something different, try it.  I wouldn't got to the higher priced on road chassis unless you are racing at a track.  Even then you won't know what you need until you see what classes they run and have good attendence.

[Siclick33 240]

 

2 hours ago, OoALEJOoO said:

Your next step would depend on what you want to do with the car. The good thing is that the TT-02 is perhaps the most versatile touring car among the Tamiya options given it has plenty of variants and is easy to mod.

Having said that, the bone-stock TT-02 excels at being a non-competitive carefree runner. Low cost, easy to find parts, reasonable performance. Its downsides are that it is imprecise compared to more advanced options, unpredictable when pushed to the limit and less adjustable. I go with fairly basic TT-02 cars when setup as rally cars given they can take abuse, and you don't require racetrack precision to go around a made-up rally course. You will only really notice the limitations of a TT-02 once you have a parking lot track and start tracking lap-times. Once you start to push the car to its limits to get increasingly better times, only then you'll see that on its basic form it won't go too far. My recommendation is to get to this point and only then see what's next.

The good news is that you already have a TT-02R, which is a step up. Those 3deg rear toe uprights on the TT-02R kit make a significant difference on the track. You'll see controlling the car and preventing spinouts on corners are greatly enhanced by the 3deg rear toe. The CVA shocks are also quite the step-up handling wise all around. You'll see that the limit of the TT-02R is above the TT-02 and therefore will lap better times. It will still have a limit though and eventually you will start to start to think about oversteer & understeer, on-power vs. off-power, front toe... and therefore step into the realm of wanting adjustability. The steering kit you mention already have for the TT-02R is good that it will reduce slop (although a similar amount of slop reduction can be achieved through shimming) plus give you the ability to tune front toe. My recommendation again would be to only think about next steps when you think the TT-02R can't squeeze any more perfomrance but you crave more. I did, which is why I do have better cars.

The TT-02S family of cars take it one step further by having suspension that can adjust camber settings, therefore tweaking rear or front grip, and therefore be able to adjust the over/under steer balance of the car. You could also get this adjustability on the TT-02 or TT-02R by getting the adjustable uprights, but the type-S suspension is more precise. Is the TT-02S a good option? It depends. You could definitely go this route after your TT-02R and you'll get the benefit of being able to share spare parts. Or you could go to a different chasis, a TA, TB, TC or XV as others have suggested, each with their own advantages. The TA, TB or TC cars will in general be lighter, lower CG, less slop, better plastics and more adjustability. The XV cars are also a step-up but have higher CG as they are rally-oriented, which means if you want to lap fast on nigh-grip surfaces, you might be limited by body rollovers.

Long-story short, my recommendation is that you will best enjoy and understand a better car after you understand the limits of your TT-02 and TT-02R. Run them, enjoy them, put them through their paces, then think about upgrading.

Thanks very much and that is a great answer.

My response is relatively easy as I don't think I'll ever get to the driving 'limit' of the stock TT-02, let alone the upgraded versions. I don't intend to race and am more interested in the engineering/build side.

This thread was largely a result of a few problems I had with the initial setup of the TT-02. I had already stripped the battery post plastic despite being very careful when screwing them in (they are now metal). I then had a problem with the steering end point setup which may be down to the TX and maybe not the car (I'm likely to go back to Futaba as I'm more familiar with those) and then the final straw was slop in the steering. I then realised that the step screws on the bridge weren't fully screwed in to the steering links, and when I tightened them up I stripped the plastic again. 

At this point I just thought that it would be nice to have a build that was a bit more 'engineered', not because of the driving but because of the build. I'd like to be able to build something that I don't have to worry about stripping out the plastic, and large amounts of slop etc. I had a HPI RS4 nitro back in the day and remember that being quite nice. I also have a Schumacher CAT SX3 (which I can't run as I can't get any more saddle packs ) and that was very nice. HPI doesn't sell any kits other than the huge Baja but Schumacher still has a couple of kits. I do have a Kyosho FW06 arriving soon so it will be interesting to see how that compares to Tamiya.

It looks like some of my issues will be fixed with TT-02 hop ups. However, I'm still on the lookout for nicely engineered kits that won't break the bank! I will continue to 'bash' my TT-02s 

[OoALEJOoO 3640]

@Siclick33 The best way to prevent stripping plastic is to make sure you go slow while turning. Remember you are screwing into a soft material, sometimes very soft plastic where the threshold of tight vs. stripping can be very small. Once you feel a slight increase of torque, go very carefully until you shoulder and then only tighten slightly and no more.

To prevent re-threading a hole multiple times and eventually stripping it, use the counterclockwise technique to catch the first thread every time you re-insert a screw. This involves trying to slowly turn the screw counterclockwise with a slight axial push until you feel it drop into the first thread. After this, you start turning clockwise to tighten.

With the above guidelines, it will be extremely unlikely for you to strip any plastic thread. Even if you do, they can be easily repaired.

[TurnipJF 10946]

On 12/16/2024 at 4:48 PM, Siclick33 said:

 

Thanks very much and that is a great answer.

My response is relatively easy as I don't think I'll ever get to the driving 'limit' of the stock TT-02, let alone the upgraded versions. I don't intend to race and am more interested in the engineering/build side.

This thread was largely a result of a few problems I had with the initial setup of the TT-02. I had already stripped the battery post plastic despite being very careful when screwing them in (they are now metal). I then had a problem with the steering end point setup which may be down to the TX and maybe not the car (I'm likely to go back to Futaba as I'm more familiar with those) and then the final straw was slop in the steering. I then realised that the step screws on the bridge weren't fully screwed in to the steering links, and when I tightened them up I stripped the plastic again. 

At this point I just thought that it would be nice to have a build that was a bit more 'engineered', not because of the driving but because of the build. I'd like to be able to build something that I don't have to worry about stripping out the plastic, and large amounts of slop etc. I had a HPI RS4 nitro back in the day and remember that being quite nice. I also have a Schumacher CAT SX3 (which I can't run as I can't get any more saddle packs ) and that was very nice. HPI doesn't sell any kits other than the huge Baja but Schumacher still has a couple of kits. I do have a Kyosho FW06 arriving soon so it will be interesting to see how that compares to Tamiya.

It looks like some of my issues will be fixed with TT-02 hop ups. However, I'm still on the lookout for nicely engineered kits that won't break the bank! I will continue to 'bash' my TT-02s 

Sounds like you are in a similar position to the one I was in not long ago. I was after an engaging build with quality plastics that didn't break the bank and resulted in a car suitable for outdoor running. The RBP and ERBP series are about the extent of my racing these days, so I wasn't looking for anything TRF level, but I did want to have something race-capable with plenty of setup options to play with out of the box and no need for extensive hopups. 

The car I decided on was the TC-01 in Mercedes CLK GTR guise. It ticks all of the above boxes, including being eligible for both RBP and ERBP races, and with its in-board shocks it is an interesting build with loads of things to fiddle with. 

[Siclick33 240]

I have been very lucky to be able to acquire some very nice kits over the past couple of years. I have a habit of getting a kit, admiring the box, and then storing it for future use. The replies have been great as they have encouraged me to go and look through my 'old' (NIB!) kits and I realise that the future is now!

I already have a TC-01, but with the Formula E body, and that is a good shout for the next build. I also have a Lancia 037 on TA02S in the queue for something a bit different. You've all reminded me that what I need to do is stop looking for new toys and build up the ones I have first!!

[Howards 896]

F E body TC-01 kit comes with all the bits to fit touring car shells. It's a fun build and can be hopped up in to a bit of a monster.

[Old_Corny 363]

On 12/15/2024 at 10:33 PM, Siclick33 said:

I have just finished my first TT-02. It is great value for the money but, having completed the RC setup, it already has quite a bit of slop in it (particularly the steering) and some of the plastic parts (the tub and the battery posts) have likely stripped as the plastic is made of butter! I am also coming towards the end of a TT-01 build and I think that might actually be a bit tighter.

I do have a TT-02R to build next, and I also have the upgraded metal steering kit which I may fit, but I'm trying to decide where to go next. I like the TT-02 as it has a lot of different body options and is relatively cheap, but I'm not sure if I want lots of them in my collection.

What would you suggest for a path from here, in terms of touring cars? I'm not sure I want to make the giant leap to something like a TRF421, and I do tend to prefer shaft drive. 

Is it worth upgrading the TT-02, is there something else I should take a look at, or am I going to have to look at a different manufacturer (if there is anything else out there)?

I was in exactly th esame position - having built a TT-02D I was lloking for something more "engineered" and interestin gto build. Following recommendations from @TurnipJF and others on here I chose the TC-01. It is much more involved and a nice challenge with far more set-up capability. Unfortunately, the build has gone on holde for a while but I am looking forward to getting back to it.

I know you said you didn't want to race, but the RBP is great fun and helps to improve your driving skills to boot

[Siclick33 240]

So, I have now built the chassis for the TC-01.

I must say that it's a beautiful kit compared to the TT-02 (even the 'R' version). It's quite an involved build and I really enjoyed it, although I still have the Formula E body to complete which I've heard is a bit of a nightmare. I' would definitely recommend a TC-01 after a TT-02 but I'm now thinking about what next. Maybe a TA-08? 

[Kpowell911 2597]

If you have to stay Tamita look at the TA08 or XV

[njmlondon 805]

Do you have any photos of the TC01. It looks very cool, much cooler than most other chassis out there.

[Elbowloh 1486]

If you do stay in the TT02 family, the type S  (if you can get it) is the cheapest route to improved suspension which comes from  the TRF line of cars, still has the same steering though.

They're not easy to find now, but similar in price to the R.

Outside of that the TC01, TA08 and Xv02Rs are all good shouts, but considerably more expensive than the TT02 type S.

[Old_Corny 363]

I was in the same position a couple of months ago and after asking on here settled on the TC-01. Lovely kit with plenty of opportunities to hop-up if you wish.

Unfortunately, it's taking longer to build than I would like due to my recent back poroblems, but it goes together very well!