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markbt73

Re-hotshot Build

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So my wife got me a Hotshot for an anniversary present (because she's cool like that ;) ).

I'm pretty excited, since it's one of 2 cars I always wanted when I was a kid, but never got. I'm looking forward to the build, but I don't have any experience with these older Tamiya 4wd designs. The only 4wd buggy I've ever had was a Manta Ray. The Hotshot is going to be a runner, so I'm adding ball bearings, but is there anything else I should do right away, for the sake of durability or driveability? I'd like to keep it stock, at least for now, but I know there are little tweaks you can do to some cars to help out (down-travel limiters on the Lunchbox front end, for example).

Anything I need to know, or do, or watch for?

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My advice would be to coat front & rear differential bevel-gears with Tamiya Anti-Wear grease (not the plastic running gears). This stuff is VERY sticky, and does a great job of removing that "open diff power loss" when turning. I did this in my original hotshot, and the difference was instantly noticeable. Only coat the teeth of the large out-drive bevel gears, but complete coat the small ones.

Other than that, keep an eye out on eBay for the old Parma "bump-steer eliminator kit". This makes the car much more predictable. Also, I suggest any of the front upper control arm braces that either Parma or CRP made back in the day. This mod helps protect your front end, and also eliminates caster change when braking & accelerating. Both kits still turn up on eBay all the time. Although I haven't been keeping an eye out since the re-release...

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The steering uprights Tamiya tell you to use in the manual improve the steering over the originals supplied on the sprues.Front arm brace,Hotshot hop up shock kit if you want four shocks instead of mono.I use alloy wheels on my runner now,as the plastic ones can go oval and rub the wishbones(something that used to annoy me rotten back in the eighties!)Give it about 1to2 degrees toe out to give more steering otherwise you`ll be coming off the throttle too much to turn tightly.I used to have front oneway wheel adapters years ago,got them from SRM Racing in Fareham.Dont think ive ever seen them since,on ebay or anywhere!! They were great though,they widened the front and changed the running characteristics completely.Anyway,thats enough from me,im getting a nostalgic tear...gotta go! haha

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Cool, thanks. Got the bearings yesterday, and will be starting the build this week.

I don't have any of the Tamiya anti-wear grease, and my LHS didn't have it, but I have some Associated blck diff grease that should fit the bill.

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i noticed that in the rerelease there is no battery post, but there is an alloy antenna holder for the ariel pipe. so use that as the battery post as well as the provided foam. there are two holes on the bottom of the chassis, these were where the original speed controller plate would have been screwed to the inside of the chassis. i would recomend that you cover these up from the inside with electrical tape to keep water out, or maybe thats just me because mine heads off for the nearest puddle as soon as i turn it on! andy.

post-3547-1192476727.jpg

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i noticed that in the rerelease there is no battery post, but there is an alloy antenna holder for the ariel pipe. so use that as the battery post as well as the provided foam.

I tried that when I first got my original Hotshot from my uncle. It was missing the battery post, so I installed a spare antenna mount. After 1 single run in the dirt, the alloy antenna mount had cut a nice deep gash into my battery pack.

I say skip the post completely. There is a reason they left it out. Just put foam strips in front of the battery on the radio box, and behind the battery on the gearbox. It's okay if the battery can shift a little. It's not okay if the battery gets destroyed by a metal post...

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i have been running a supershot for the past 3 years and i have never had a nicad gash because of the battery post, there is just one thing that destroys my battery=water! i had a hotshot off ebay a while back that was missing the battery post, i charged a nicad and took it for a test run and guess what, the nicad slipped out the side and ripped the speed control battery connector clean off the wires.

It's not okay if the battery gets destroyed by a metal post... yes i agree this might happen and then again it might not, any way markbt73 its up to you and your hotshot build!

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Well, last night I got the gearboxes and suspensions assembled and mounted on the chassis. I can't remember what step I stopped at, but the next step is building the shocks.

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a build as much. It's really amazing how overly complex this vehicle is. The parts count must be twice what a modern 4WD buggy is, and putting those pivot balls for the front suspension together actually tried my patience a little. But I'm loving every minute of it.

And now, after twenty years, I finally understand how the linkage on the rear suspension works. I could never get it before, just looking at pictures. But last night, as soon as I hooked up all the linkages and moved the suspension up and down, it suddenly became obvious. I love "aha" moments like that. It's such a joy to watch a pile of parts come together to make an intricate mechanism.

Thanks for all the tips. I assembled the diffs with Associated black grease, and I'll toe-out the front whels instead of in, and as for the battery, I'll just have to test-fit it and see which way works best.

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The balls for the front suspension are a dream compared to the old versions with just a slotted top.The new ones make it so much easier with the allen head.I use associated grease in most gearboxes,its good stuff.Ive even used vaseline in a gearbox when i didnt have any grease.

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The balls for the front suspension are a dream compared to the old versions with just a slotted top..

LOL! I just went through that a couple nights ago when I rebuilt my original Hotshot front end. It helps when you closely follow the instructions, and use the wheel axle and allen wrench to cut a thread into the hubs first. But even still, it's an absolute pain in the butt to screw in a round ball with a flat-head screwdriver...

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Actually, it wasn't screwing in the ball joints themselves that gave me fits; it was keeping everything aligned while I got those little 2mm screws started.

But hey, it's now a runner. Just needs the body trimmed/painted. Thanks for all the help and advice!

I'll post a photo when it's all done.

One more question before it goes on its maiden run this weekend: the front suspension seems a lot "springier" than the rear, like it's under-damped by comparison. It feels like it could bottom out easily. Is that typical? Is it a problem? Should I go with heavier oil in the front shock to compensate?

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One more question before it goes on its maiden run this weekend: the front suspension seems a lot "springier" than the rear, like it's under-damped by comparison. It feels like it could bottom out easily. Is that typical? Is it a problem? Should I go with heavier oil in the front shock to compensate?

If it's already put together, you should probably just run it "as-is" to give it a try. Get used to how it drives before you go changing it. That way you will really know exactly how upping the front damper stiffness effects the overall handling. The factory kit settings are always setup to make the car easy to drive...

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The front isnt that heavy and u dont want it too stiff for cornering,it needs to bite.It should have a slow doughy rebound feeling to it,so yours sounds about right.

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Try removing the spring and stretching it out a little, I did this and it is much better now, it will have the same rebound damping from the shock, as that is a fixed quantity relating to the oil viscosity and the orifice size, but you regain your original ride height/suspension travel.

Matt

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My advice would be to coat front & rear differential bevel-gears with Tamiya Anti-Wear grease (not the plastic running gears). This stuff is VERY sticky, and does a great job of removing that "open diff power loss" when turning. I did this in my original hotshot, and the difference was instantly noticeable. Only coat the teeth of the large out-drive bevel gears, but complete coat the small ones.

Other than that, keep an eye out on eBay for the old Parma "bump-steer eliminator kit". This makes the car much more predictable. Also, I suggest any of the front upper control arm braces that either Parma or CRP made back in the day. This mod helps protect your front end, and also eliminates caster change when braking & accelerating. Both kits still turn up on eBay all the time. Although I haven't been keeping an eye out since the re-release...

I believe I have a spare Parma Bump-Steer Eliminator kit if your interested. Let me know.

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