Top Force (Evolution & Beyond) Build Chronicles

[djmcnz 755]

Well, it's been a long time coming but I thought I'd post pics of my Top Force re-re build and conversion to a Top Force Evo hopped up even further.

The idea to post the pics of the process was inspired by Corpse Thrower and his Dyna Storm build chronicles here.

I acknowledge outright that my photographic effort is beaten hands-down by the class of Corpse Thrower but I'm not intending to compete or compare, rather just post for the information or enjoyment of forum browsers.

Below are pictures of the various key stages of the build, with any special notes and part numbers used. If you're building a Top Force or hopping one up, using this as a rough guide should help smooth the way. At the bottom of the post there's a list of all the required part numbers. If you're going to jump straight into building please note, this is not a full build with every step and I do recommend you read the whole thing before starting as I go back and replace some parts.

So it begins.

To start you need a 58100 Top Force or a 58362 Top Force Re-release. At this stage, assuming you're going all out you need the lightweight screw bags for the Top Force Evo: A - 9465407, B - 9465408, C - 9465409, D - 9465410 and the Tamiya blue sealed bearings: 4 x 53008, 3 x 53030, 1 x 53047 (now, these are expensive, you can get an alternative brand of Top Force/Manta Ray sealed bearings from eBay - just make sure they come with 12 x 850 bearings as you'll need 4 for the steering).

First step in the manual is to assemble the ball diffs. The Evo diffs use lightweight aluminium parts so you'll need 2 x 53219 Touring Car Aluminium Pressure Plate Sets. These come with a one piece thrust bearing to replace the rather **** plastic ball retainer in the Top Force AND Evo kits. The alternative is to pick up 2 x 9805420 which are the aluminium pressure plates without the accessories, you'll need some of the box parts to complete the diffs. If you find these you can, if you choose, add 2 x 53136 One-Piece Ball Thrust Bearings which gives you the best setup and will cost a lot less than the 53219 kits:

You can see the primary differences in this pic:

And the completed diff (you need two):

Steps 2 through 6 are the rear gearbox and motor assembly. I skip the motor step here and install that when I do the electrics, your choice. Both the Top Force and the Evo use hollow aluminium gear shafts, but we can do better so we add 1 x 53164 4WD Touring & Rally Car Hollow Carbon Gear Shaft Set and 1 x 53127 Skyline Speed Tuned Gear Set (change the kit pinions to match your motor and ESC to these spurs). Later on we'll use a stronger and lighter aluminium prop shaft from Carson instead of the kit one BUT, my preference is to use the kit supplied prop shaft joints as shown in the pic below. I find the Carson ones aren't machined as well and can bind on the gearboxes causing you to strip gears. Also the kits come with aluminium drive gears (as in pic) but the Hop Up spurs are one piece, don't despair, in this case the one piece, all plastic spur/drive is much better, aluminium on plastic at 100's (1,000's?) of RPM can be disastrous:

Assembled:

I skip steps 7 through 11 now and move to the front gearbox. All the right parts and tools are out and my hands are greasy and it makes sense to do them back to back. Steps 12 through 14 complete the front box. For this I use one of the ball diffs made above, the remainder of the carbon gear shafts and add 1 x 53071 Manta Ray Torque Splitter Set to bring it up to Evo spec:

Another great improvement is to use an aluminium lower front gearbox cover from GPM (I don't know of any other brands and these fit perfectly) this is GPM part TA2012 (from the TA02 catalogue). This effectively prevents this part from breaking and in worst case crashes, the D part suspension arms split instead of the gearbox hinges and the D parts are easy to find replacements for.

Assembled:

Now back to step 7 when we assemble the rear end suspension. More Hop Ups here to bring us up to Evo spec. Despite what you read the front and rear shock towers on the Evo are NOT carbon fibre, they're FRP just like the Top Force but with different designs and mounting positions. This won't do so we upgrade to carbon fibre towers from Fibre-Lyte, part number TOP04C for the rear unit and you're a step ahead of the Evo. Add to this turnbuckles from 1 x 53109 Turnbuckle Shaft Set:

Instead of mounting the rear tower to the gearbox using 3 x 10mm tappers, I use 3 x 12mm tappers with a bevelled head (from Evo screw bag C, but then you'll run out so just use the ones from the Top Force kit, screw bag A) with wing washers as pictured here. This fixes a weak point on the Top Force range:

Steps 9 through 11 are the rear arms where there are more Hop Ups including a set of universal shafts to match the front. Many fit here but I prefer the 53028 Thundershot Universal Shaft and Cup Set as recommended by Mr. Tamiya. You'll now have spare "cups" or outdrives but these are a wear item so it's worth having a few around. You get the hardened ones with the 53028 pack, bonus. Add to this two metal wheel adaptors from the 53056 Pin Type Wheel Adaptors set and you're away laughing, again ahead of the Evo which uses plastic adaptors. Finally we add aluminium rear uprights (knuckles) from GPM to replace the plastic ones. If you get the GPM parts with "2005 New" on the packet they actually fit, many of their older parts were pretty average quality. You'll need 1 x TA1022 and we have the following:

Which all adds up to this:

To the front end again, steps 15 through 19 are assembly of this. Hop ups include the Fibre-Lyte front tower TOP03C, some more of the turnbuckles from the previously used 53109 Turnbuckle Shaft Set as per this pic:

To this we add 1 x 53226 1/10 Touring Car Aluminium Front Hub Carrier (1 pair) or, because these are stupidly priced, a set of the same from GPM, part number TA1020 or TA2020 (TA01 and TA02 parts seem the same here) - don't forget to use your bearings here, both of these kits come with bushings! Add front aluminium knuckles, again from GPM's new range, part number TA1021 and finally 1 x 53141 Touring Car Lightweight King Pins. Use the remaining metal wheel adapters. (credit to rich_f here for picking up my error)

As a result:

Steps 20 through 27 hook up the suspension and guess what? More Hop Ups of course! The well respected 53037 Hi-Cap Dampers (Short) are used here, you'll need two sets. You can optionally use the 53125 Sleeved Damper (Short) kits from the Dyna Storm but I prefer the Hi-Caps for their original look and they have less parts to break. I found the springs in the Hi-Cap pack way, way, way too soft, they hardly provided any preload. You can use the Top Force kit ones which are stronger but that's hardly cool. So we also need at least 1 x 53054 Short Hi-Cap Damper Spring Set, there are two different packs of these with the same part number, the springs included are identical. One pack has settings for the Top Force/Evo and recommends the soft springs for the front and the mediums for the rear (the other pack doesn't mention the Top Force/Evo) however, I find that medium/medium or medium/hard works best. If you want to go medium/medium you'll need 2 x 53054 Short Hi-Cap Damper Spring Sets. These springs also have a square section which looks quite cool IMHO.

The end result is this:

However, if you want to be Evo original you'll need to replace the spacers that came in the Hi-Cap packs with 1 x 53111 Damper Spring Spacer Set from the Dyna Storm Hop Up list. These include easier to use (and lose!) spacers and more effective upper spring retainers. These are the N parts tree from the Top Force Evo and don't come with the Top Force kit. You'll see I've added these in later pics:

Things are starting to come together now and it is primary chassis assembly time. Cast aside those FRP chassis plates and bring along 1 x 53100 Top-Force Carbon Graphite Chassis Set. Some people would say you need to get a genuine Top Force Evo top plate which has a different inscription. I see no need as a) I'm not trying to pass this off as a New Built Evo, there's no difference except the inscription and c) it's expensive and I've just dropped good coin on the set. But that's personal opinion only.

The steel prop shaft in the Top Force kit is the same as the Evo one but we can do better. A lighter version is available from Carson (and other manufacturers, including GPM, some of which have universal joints - not needed IMHO). Note the Carson shaft (#13708) includes prop joints, I've found these to suck (they're too wide and too long) and the shaft fits the stock joints perfectly.

Pull this all together and you get:

I did decide to replace the kit ball connectors with better ones of the later cup design so most of the balls and cups have been replaced with 2 x 50875 5mm Ball Connectors and 2 x 53598 Fluorine Coated Aluminium Ball Connectors as per this pic:

Add some Evo wheels 1 x 0555073 (Front Wheels) and 1 x 0555074 (Rear Wheels), paint and decal the body, undercowl and wing as you wish and you'll end up with something that might resemble the following pic, note that I've installed the 53111 Damper Spring Spacer Set.

I have a CPR160 and Dynatech 02H to go in yet and this will be installed with 1 x 53142 4WD Touring & Rally Car Aluminium Motor Mount. You can get GMP aluminium motor mounts but the Tamiya one is adaptable to far more spur/pinion combinations. You need 2 different GPM ones to give you the same options as the Tamiya one.

I want to keep the Evo wheels in pristine condition and since I've gone nasty black I thought I'd try a set of Dark Impact wheels and tyres to match

So the look is now:

What do you all think?

I've not pictured every Hop Up I've used but have them all and pictures so if you need me to post something else just ask. If you have any questions ask away and equally, if you have any suggestions I'd be glad to hear them!

Parts Used

1 x 58362 Top Force (Re-release)

1 x 9465407 Top Force Evolution Screw Bag A

1 x 9465408 Top Force Evolution Screw Bag B

1 x 9465409 Top Force Evolution Screw Bag C

1 x 9465410 Top Force Evolution Screw Bag D

4 x 53008 RC 1150 Sealed Bearing Set

3 x 53030 RC 850 Sealed Bearing Set

1 x 53047 RC 730 Sealed Bearing Set

2 x 53219 Touring Car Aluminium Pressure Plate Set

- (or 2 x 9805420 Top Force Evolution Pressure Plate Bag & 2 x 53136 One-Piece Ball Thrust Bearings)

1 x 53164 4WD Touring & Rally Car Hollow Carbon Gear Shaft Set

1 x 53127 Skyline Speed Tuned Gear Set

1 x 53071 Manta Ray Torque Splitter Set

1 x 53109 Turnbuckle Shaft Set

1 x 53028 Thundershot Universal Shaft and Cup Set

1 x 53056 Pin Type Wheel Adaptors

1 x 53226 1/10 Touring Car Aluminium Front Hub Carrier

- (or 1 x TA1020 or TA2020 GPM Front Hub Carriers)

1 x 53141 Touring Car Lightweight King Pins

2 x 53037 Hi-Cap Dampers (Short)

2 x 53054 Short Hi-Cap Damper Spring Set

1 x 53111 Damper Spring Spacer Set

1 x 53100 Top-Force Carbon Graphite Chassis Set

2 x 50875 5mm Ball Connectors

2 x 53598 Fluorine Coated Aluminium Ball Connectors

1 x 0555073 Top Force Evolution Front Wheels

1 x 0555074 Top Force Evolution Rear Wheels

1 x 53142 4WD Touring & Rally Car Aluminium Motor Mount

1 x 45015 CPR Unit P 160F

1 x 53044 Dynatech 02h Motor

1 x TA2012 GPM Front Lower Aluminium Gearbox Cover

1 x TA1022 GPM Rear Knuckles/Uprights

1 x TA1021 GPM Front Knuckles/Uprights

1 x TOP04C Fibre-Lyte Rear Shock Tower/Mount

1 x TOP03C Fibre-Lyte Front Shock Tower/Mount

1 x 13708 Carson TA01 Aluminium Prop Shaft

Whew.

If you got this far, thanks to everybody on this site thats helped me with info, thanks to those with showrooms that have inspired me and thanks to those that appreciate this post!

Edited August 22, 2021 by djmcnz
Replaced Photobucket Images

[Corpse Thrower 16]

Bravo mate, well done on this!! I []

I like the hop up portion of it......Good info and pics there, and the end result had me drooling!! Love that chassis!!

If I may be so bold as to ask, what does something of this caliber cost to build?

Nice work!!

[barney buggy collector 0]

do fibrelyte have a website?

 

the top force looks good, very well done 

[djmcnz 755]

Corpse Thrower... thanks dude, $? waaaay too much... I think in the order of US$600 including the Top Force kit, perhaps even a little more.  But the fun of hunting down all the parts, some of which took months of waiting, and then the unboxing and building make it all worth while!

Barney buggy collector, Fibre-Lyte are at http://www.fibre-lyte.co.uk/ nice guys with good service.

 

[martinjordt 0]

What a cool post!

I hope others will take the time to do as you and Corpse Thrower did. It makes for some very interesting reading and viewing. The end result - in both cases - is very impressing.

Way to go!

/Maritn

[Corpse Thrower 16]

There should be a seperate forum for these build chronicles....not everybody has the dosh to splash out on kits like these, and this way everybody gets to experience the build.

If we had a seperate forum here it might inspire more of these. Personally I want to see a scorcher get built from a NIB!!!

[monster_beetle 2]

Wow, respect man. this is an awesome car. I personally will also build one like this, but with TA01 alloy front and rear arms and an alloy motormount.

[djmcnz 755]

Cheers man, I am using the alloy motor mount... can't for the life of me find alloy arms... looked high and low too.  I may have a problem using alloy arms though, if I hit something I don't know what parts would break if there was no plastic to absorb the impact.  I may end up tweaking the chassis.

[rich_f 255]

Very nice! are you planning on running it? cos if so i think the gear ratio will be too long with those skyline speed tuned gears, as they are meant for the touring car version ot this chassis (hence skyline) with smaller wheels. i race my top force and i use the standard size spur (albeit the one piece version from a ta02) with the smaller size pinions ~ 16t-19t.

about the gpm motor mounts, they do 2 types as you said, but only one of them is different to the tamiya mount, the other is an exact copy, but with cooloing fins, so you can get all the ratios on just one.

i found that ta01 kingpins (53141) are quite easy to get hold of as they are the same ones that fit the m03 chassisand others. also its not the c- hubs that determine the type of kingpin needed, its the steering knuckle, due to the different depth of recess at the top and bottom.  using the ta02 type may cause a bit of rubbing since they are shorter, and they may not tighten fully to the end of the thread.  i think the ta01 and ta02 c hubs are the same part.

[monster_beetle 2]

The alloy arms from the TA01 or TA02 doesn't they fit?

And the universal shafts, i saw on a site a long version (48mm) and a short version, whish one do you need.

[djmcnz 755]

rich_f:

Thanks and yes I will run it.  I've used the speed tuned gear set before and eked out a few more clicks at the top end without too much drama.  I've got 16t - 23t pinions and am using 22t I think in my other runner with the same setup.  I'd really like to know the internal gear ratio of the TA01 so I could actually calculate the best setup.  Seat of the pants (so to speak) suggests it's probably personal opinion - motor and ESC don't get particularly hot which is my only real gauge at the moment.

On the motor mounts, we could both be wrong?  My Tamiya one does 16t - 25t, the GPM ones are 18t - 22t and 16t - 21t no?  So no 23t+ with the GPM ones?  I'll update the thread nevertheless.

Finally, you're 100% correct on the front knuckles/c-hubs and kingpins!  Thanks, I wrote this section up by memory and have checked and it is the depth of the recess in the knuckles that determines the kingpin length, the c-hubs are the same.  And I didn't know the aluminium kingpins for the m03 were the same.  I think I worked backwards, lost a kingpin got a new pack (TA02), found they didn't fit, got the new knuckles.  So I'm running TA02 knuckles and kingpins.  Will update the original thread!

 

monster_beetle:

Long TA01 arms will work, I've seen heaps of touring car arms, no long buggy ones though...

 

[rich_f 255]

To clarify on the motor mounts, the tamiya one is 16 - 21 when using standard spur gear, and up to 25 teeth when using the speed tuned gear set. this is the same as the 16 - 21 gpm mount.  if you still have the instructions for the speed tuned gear set, i think it states all of the final ratios for every spur and pinion that will fit.  These will be the same as the top force because the gears are the same. (tyre size is not part of the calculation so ratios are the same regardless or wheel/tyre size.)

Also, unfortunately the ta01/m03 are not aluminium like the ta02 ones but are steel with the core drilled out for lightness.  I have some titanium ones that were fitted to a car i bought off ebay but i dont know who makes them.

i agree about keeping plastic suspension arms. if you had a crash with all aluminium then some of it would surely bend out of shape, rendering it useless anyway.

[peejay 0]

...  I'd really like to know the internal gear ratio of the TA01 so I could actually calculate the best setup.  Seat of the pants (so to speak) suggests it's probably personal opinion - motor and ESC don't get particularly hot which is my only real gauge at the moment...

TA01/TA02 internal ratio is 2.436 to 1 []

HTH

 

[peejay 0]

The alloy arms from the TA01 or TA02 doesn't they fit? And the universal shafts, i saw on a site a long version (48mm) and a short version, whish one do you need.

The universal shafts for the Top Force are the Thundershot type part # 53028, and they are much longer than 48mm  [].  JR has had some of them fairly recently.

 

HTH

 

[monster_beetle 2]

Ok thanks.  []

[nigeninja 0]

Nice wright up mate really useful stuff,well done

[djmcnz 755]

Thank you, my pleasure and hopefully will provide assistance to others.

Now I will have to do one for my brand new TRF501X...

 

[Corpse Thrower 16]

Yes you should!!

Like, right now!!![H]

[[]TEX[] 0]

Very nice TF you have ther, looks like you spared no expense!

[Needler56 0]

great build! did you happen to notice that in the thrust bearing there seems to be space for at least another ball? i noticed that on mine, but wasn't sure if it was supposed to be like that.

[matisse 1695]

fantastic work, nice one.

[TA-Mark 196]

This is a great build and can be applied to all of the DF01 buggys. I used this 'how-to' myself to assemble my Blazing Star. Fantastic buggy now and unbeaten on the track to date since the upgrades.

I've been searching for over 2 years now and not found a full set of alloy arms, only rears. GPM did make them, but not many. An alloy top gear cover would go well too. Yeah Racing make the rear diff cover in alloy, don't know about you but I've never broken one of the plastic ones before.

[Bjoern 0]

Hi,

does anyone know where to buy alloy suspension arms (front and rear) and alloy steering arms?

Thanks!

Regards

Bjoern

[TA-Mark 196]

Hi,

does anyone know where to buy alloy suspension arms (front and rear) and alloy steering arms?

Thanks!

Regards

Bjoern

Asiatees.com has the alloy knuckles, C-hubs, and steering arms (CF/FRP chassis type only. The plastic tub type steering arms are discontinued). DF01 uses a combination of TA01/TA02 parts from there. The part numbers are in my showroom entry. The alloy arms have not been made for many years and are very rare for DF01. Some people use DF02 arms and add a spacer to the front hinge pin.

Tamiya TA01/02 alloy C-hubs and knuckles are a touch harder to find and a much more expensive.

[Power Surge 0]

Asiatees.com has the alloy knuckles, C-hubs, and steering arms (CF/FRP chassis type only. The plastic tub type steering arms are discontinued). DF01 uses a combination of TA01/TA02 parts from there. The part numbers are in my showroom entry. The alloy arms have not been made for many years and are very rare for DF01. Some people use DF02 arms and add a spacer to the front hinge pin.

Tamiya TA01/02 alloy C-hubs and knuckles are a touch harder to find and a much more expensive.

Mark, what's the benefit of alloy arms? Obviously I know the difference between plastic and alloy, but is that something you really want? An alloy arm has no give, so impacts and stresses are now 100% transfered to the mounting points and chassis. And I would think some flex in the arms on hard landings would help to dampen them out.

Of course alloy arms look cooler