Setting up and running an M-06

[Grumpy pants]

I bought these 2 from my mate @Busdriver very recently.

Having now stripped them down, cleaned, and replaced any missing or broken parts they are almost ready to run.

I get the M-06 is not a great favourite, but any tips on how to get the best out of them?

I’ll probably go no better than silver cans or TT motors and both chassis’ have bearings and CVA’s already.

I still use NiMH and we are talking about light car park duty, I’ve got servos and ESC’s as well.

They both have AW grease in the diffs too.

Any tips welcome on set up or hops ups 👍

 

[Guest]

M06: Front and rear carbon shock towers. I have them on mine, I broke the kit ones. I put 55mm shocks on the rear.  I also installed an aluminium servo horn. Bearings obviously are a must if you don't have those fitted. I also ditched the alucheesium kit pinion in favour of a Schumacher one.

[njmlondon]

I spent ages setting mine up for light rally duty under the Alfa shell and loved it. Still furious with myself for selling it to part fund another project that I now cannot be bothered with.

Same as Dangerous Beard, I swapped in the carbon towers and used 55mm shocks all round. I think I made the fronts 52mm to get the chassis level. I used soft springs and harder oil in the rear so the rear would squat under acceleration and stiffer springs with lighter oil up front.

It comes with softer tires at the rear than the front and you need that dynamic so make sure they are the right way round.

A sport tuned was more than enough.

I also added some weight to it. Sounds odd but I was chasing realism rather than racing lightness. 
 

And finally, if you have the right body, set it up for 239mm wheelbase, it is far more stable than 210.

 

[Juggular]

2 hours ago, Dangerous_Beard said:

alucheesium kit pinion

That's brilliant. What a perfect description. I've got to follow your lead and call it that. lol...

As for M-06, the front chassis tend to fly up.  The front is as light as the Grasshopper (which is why it has ball-point pen springs).  Even with the lightest oil in the front shocks, the slightest bump on the road made the front jump (some weight on the nose would help if you don't mind some extra mass).  Tires are only useful when they are in contact.  Draining oil from the front shocks allowed them to respond better. ("Oil shocks" don't need to be filled with oil when it's clearly doing disservice.)  I found that tires stay in contact for longer if front are gas shocks (only a drop of oil remains for lubrication).  And I took out the foams from front tires also.  I have 3rd party 55mm shocks.  

Since it likes to fishtail, you could do some Expo on your radio to start softly.  At my current skill level, a stronger motor won't help. So I'm staying with the silver can.  With some tweaks, it's a good chassis. I envy you got 2 of them. 

 

[MadAnt]

I do like my M06 Beetle (longer wheelbase), it took a little bit of figuring out for a parking lot runner, but it was easy. The first thing that should be upgraded if not already done is the tires. The fronts are usually like a medium compound on a stock configuration, they suck for this application and scrub too much, I recommend S Grip front and rear. For the shocks or dampers I run mini CVA's in the rear and Super mini CVA's at the front with bump stops. The parking lots here are rough sometimes and it's not fun when the chassis smacks the ground. The springs are standard from the factory, gold at the rear and chrome in the front. For weight distribution I have the battery almost all the way forward, just one position back or forward, so the middle I guess. BTW, I'm using a standard size LiPO pack. To help keep the front wheels on the ground when cornering hard I have a rear sway bar, it's the silver one which is stiffer if I remember. Also, yes, controlling the body roll in the rear helps with cornering traction in the front. 

If you plan on driving the cars a lot, it's a good idea to get multiple tire sets. Tires will wear fast unless you are just parading around. There are even stickier compounds if you want to go that route, I have a set off HPI slicks that get real sticky and grip really good when hot.

[Kowalski86]

Initially I built my Super Mini CVAs with stiffer shock oil in the back and stiff silver springs (like TT02 friction shocks), but this lead to a car without much rear grip. If I did it again, I'd just use the longer lower eyelet on the back spring. The stock steering is acceptable if you have a good servo.

Some QoL changes that I made were hex ball connectors for the screws, and a foam block to hold the battery in its place (vs the plastic piece that needs to be screwed in and out).

Be warned that these eat through tires up front of you run them frequently. I always keep a set of "dud" tires, just for doing donuts and silly stuff.

[OnTheTrail]

1 hour ago, MadAnt said:

To help keep the front wheels on the ground when cornering hard I have a rear sway bar, it's the silver one which is stiffer if I remember. Also, yes, controlling the body roll in the rear helps with cornering traction in the front. 

Anyone know if anyone has the M06 sway bar in stock?   Been trying for a few years but can't seem to find a set.  Tamiya no longer makes it ( 54295 ) .   Aftermarket..???

[Grumpy pants]

These are all excellent tips, exactly the advice and help I was hoping for, thank you 👍

I suspect hop ups and after market upgrades are going to be hard to source now, carbon shock towers and sway bars maybe have to wait, everything else is easily doable though.

Both chassis’s have been set up LWB, as the plan is to run one as a Beetle and the 2nd chassis is either going to be sold or it will have a Karmann Ghia shell.

These are most modern chassis’s I have pulled apart and put back together, I’ve enjoyed the process and felt I’ve learnt some new stuff along the way.

I’m looking forward to running it now and setting it up using the advice shared. 

[OoALEJOoO]

11 hours ago, OnTheTrail said:

Anyone know if anyone has the M06 sway bar in stock?   Been trying for a few years but can't seem to find a set.  Tamiya no longer makes it ( 54295 ) .   Aftermarket..???

I looked for 54295 for almost two years without luck. I finally used the 54514 XV-01 stabilizer set to make a set for the M06. You just need to bend the wires one extra bend each side. You will also need 53827 (only for rear bar) plus some bits of common RC hardware.

@Grumpy pants It depends on how you want to run the cars. The higher the surface grip, the twitchier the M06 seems to be at high speed. My experience to setup the M06 for hotlapping on a very high-grip abrasive basketball court has been to reduce front grip, otherwise the car would oversteer on mid-corner and corner exit. My best setup so far is soft springs rear, harder springs front, 400 oil front & rear with two-hole pistons, hard sway bar front, front toe-out. Make sure spring preload is not too high so that there is some droop. I run 1.9" M2 Grip radials both front and rear because this is what I have on-hand.

Edit: Unless you have tires wrapped in gecko's skin, I think a Torque-Tuned motor is the most power this chasis can take to expect a good drive.

[MadAnt]

13 hours ago, OnTheTrail said:

Anyone know if anyone has the M06 sway bar in stock?   Been trying for a few years but can't seem to find a set.  Tamiya no longer makes it ( 54295 ) .   Aftermarket..???

I did not realize that it was discontinued, it had been years since I bought mine. I guess if you can get the bits to mount it, a sway bar can be custom made to fit.

[Grumpy pants]

Small amount of progress this morning, battery stops, and tyres now correctly fitted , rear body posts flipped round. 

Herbie body shell delivered by @Busdriveryesterday - traded for a couple of pints of Guinness 😂

Electrics next and I’ll order some body posts. 
 

An 8 yard skip arrived today at home, so there be no Tamiya for a bit 😳

[Busdriver]

5 hours ago, Grumpy pants said:

Small amount of progress this morning, battery stops, and tyres now correctly fitted , rear body posts flipped round. 

Herbie body shell delivered by @Busdriveryesterday - traded for a couple of pints of Guinness 😂

Electrics next and I’ll order some body posts. 
 

An 8 yard skip arrived today at home, so there be no Tamiya for a bit 😳

Also had a great RC day with @Grumpy pants at two locations near him. RC cars are so much more fun when run with friends!!! Good Guinness as well!!

[MadAnt]

10 hours ago, Grumpy pants said:

Small amount of progress this morning, battery stops, and tyres now correctly fitted , rear body posts flipped round. 

Herbie body shell delivered by @Busdriveryesterday - traded for a couple of pints of Guinness 😂

Electrics next and I’ll order some body posts. 
 

An 8 yard skip arrived today at home, so there be no Tamiya for a bit 😳

Sweet!

[Grumpy pants]

The M-06 is still on the ‘pick up again soon’ list…

But I have now packaged up our tax returns and filled the 1st skip - which meant getting out the jack hammer, breaking up concrete and dismantling a timber decked area the size of a small flat.

Family life 😂 

[Andreas W]

Things has to be done. But the trusty M-06 is going nowhere, so there comes time. I love the Beetle body together with the Minilites.

 

I see you got one of the VAG triplets. Igot a Skoda Citigo e a couple of weeks ago. Great car and I have thought it would be perfect for commuting and as a daily since my neighbor got one in 2020. We used to have a VW Lupo and still have the white 16" OZ Superturismo WRC wheels, which will be perfect on the Citigo. Everyone who has seen the pics of the rally prototype from the meeting at Wörthersee will think it makes sense . 

[Grumpy pants]

Getting closer to being able to have some ‘T’ soon, I’ve said to my wife after this current round of DIY is done - no more this year unless it is essential 😆

2nd skip almost full, patio to clean next, trellis to source and fit, then a damaged 1:1 car door to swap over 😳

 

[Grumpy pants]

2nd skip filled, ready to go, patio cleaned and car door swapped - getting closer to some ‘T’ time 🎉🎉🎉

[JimBear]

15 minutes ago, Grumpy pants said:

2nd skip filled, ready to go, patio cleaned and car door swapped - getting closer to some ‘T’ time 🎉🎉🎉

As a sequence, It looks like you took off a perfectly fine BMW door, took a sledge to it and then threw it in the skip.

(which I do hope you didn't!)

[Grumpy pants]

14 minutes ago, JimBear said:

As a sequence, It looks like you took off a perfectly fine BMW door, took a sledge to it and then threw it in the skip.

(which I do hope you didn't!)

I noticed the photo order had loaded back to front and thought Mini Moke 😂

[Grumpy pants]

I’ve picked this back up and expect to finish before starting anything else 😉

RW steel pinion, servo, servo saver and ESC out my spares, body mount extensions new from (TTP). 

[Grumpy pants]

I’ve got a few tyre sets now, courtesy of @toyolien 

This chassis will be light to moderately run on tarmac - which tyre combo would you recommend? 

54995 M-Chassis 60D Super Radial Tires (Soft) 

54999 M-Chassis 60D Super Radial Tires (Hard) 

50684 M-Chassis 60D M-Grip Radial Tires 

Any combo of tyres + or - foams? 

[MadAnt]

 

1 hour ago, Grumpy pants said:

I’ve got a few tyre sets now, courtesy of @toyolien 

This chassis will be light to moderately run on tarmac - which tyre combo would you recommend? 

54995 M-Chassis 60D Super Radial Tires (Soft) 

54999 M-Chassis 60D Super Radial Tires (Hard) 

50684 M-Chassis 60D M-Grip Radial Tires 

Any combo of tyres + or - foams? 

Soft front and rear, stock recommended foams. 

[Otis311]

Yep. Softs all around for me too. I've settled on the "54590 M-Chassis Inner Sponge Super Hard". The "50686 Rc M-Chassis 60D Inner Sponge" are fantastic when new but wear out and become ineffective in my experience. The hard foams stretch the tires a little when new but break in. The soft tires are very soft and have no sidewall strength. On pavement, my M06 is on rails and puts the silver can power down no problem with minimal traction rolling. The soft tires only last 20 or 30 packs though, even when rotated regularly. The tread just wears through to the foam. 

[Grumpy pants]

On 6/5/2025 at 10:34 PM, MadAnt said:

 

Soft front and rear, stock recommended foams. 

 

On 6/6/2025 at 2:40 AM, Otis311 said:

Yep. Softs all around for me too. I've settled on the "54590 M-Chassis Inner Sponge Super Hard". The "50686 Rc M-Chassis 60D Inner Sponge" are fantastic when new but wear out and become ineffective in my experience. The hard foams stretch the tires a little when new but break in. The soft tires are very soft and have no sidewall strength. On pavement, my M06 is on rails and puts the silver can power down no problem with minimal traction rolling. The soft tires only last 20 or 30 packs though, even when rotated regularly. The tread just wears through to the foam. 

Do you glue your tyres on?

The manual says yes 😳

[Otis311]

On 6/11/2025 at 2:07 AM, Grumpy pants said:

 

Do you glue your tyres on?

The manual says yes 😳

Yep I glue them with CA. I think they would fall off immediately without some sort of adhesive. I try to do it sparingly though so I can reuse the wheels, especially with the short life of the soft tires. I have glued them heavily before and they basically become one with the wheel.

Here is what my tires look like when they have exceeded their useful life.