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Upgrades For My Hornet

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Hi guys. Im pretty new to this. I dug out my hornet about a year ago after having a nitro car. Electric is so so much simpler and a lot cheaper to fix too!

Anyway, i have fitted ballbearings and lunchbox wheels and a 19t motor but tie steering and suspension cant really handle it. I have seen some hornets with heavy duty steering tie rods instead of the plastic ball joints. There is a kit to buy in tie U.S with all the bits in.

There is also a heavy duty front suspension upgrade kit too. Where you cut off the original mounts and use a metal braket. Does any one know where i can buy these two kits on the internet?

I hope you guys can help me.

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Hi guys. Im pretty new to this. I dug out my hornet about a year ago after having a nitro car. Electric is so so much simpler and a lot cheaper to fix too!

Anyway, i have fitted ballbearings and lunchbox wheels and a 19t motor but tie steering and suspension cant really handle it. I have seen some hornets with heavy duty steering tie rods instead of the plastic ball joints. There is a kit to buy in tie U.S with all the bits in.

There is also a heavy duty front suspension upgrade kit too. Where you cut off the original mounts and use a metal braket. Does any one know where i can buy these two kits on the internet?

I hope you guys can help me.

Hi ya,

loads of great threads on here about gh's hornets etc, check out http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=51666 for a start, good option as you can order it tonight, metal crp kit your refering to is vintage and you'll have to search a long old while and pay for it. HD steering kit also on the bay, on your start, get set, dremals away!

Dean

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Welcome !

the Hornet is a classic Tamiya and can certainly entertain.

It's not really well suited to hopping up alot thought. Sure you can do it, but for the cost, effort and ? of reliability once modded you may be better off spend a small amount on another offroad Tamiya chassis. Second hand or new - you can get alot of value second hand these days.

Just a thought.

Tie rods are simple - just measure how long you need and check your local hobby shop or the internet. You will likely need new need ball nuts and ball cups as well.

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Years ago there were some Ebay sellers that made heavy duty tie-rod kits for the Grasshopper and Hornet.. I could not find the parts on Ebay today, but I might still have a spare kit at home I can sell.

The Team CRP shock kit you mentioned is long gone.. It may appear on Ebay from time to time, but it is very rare. Some of the Tamiyaclub members have made their own heavy duty shock conversions for the Hornet chassis.. Check the showrooms for both Grasshopper and Hornets with custom parts.. You should find what you are looking for.

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Thanks for all the help everyone. Im so glad i joined tamiya club. 3 replies to my questions in less than 12 hours. Excellent.

If you do still have a kit laying around at home that would be good. Id be interested in buying it.

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Hi,

i´ve some hornet parts & hornets here.

One in good conditions (a little bit rebuilt and clean) with body, alu bumpers on rear, original white rims, 540er motor, steering servo,

some scratches chassis, an some other parts from another chassis. The body isn´t the best but good for a rebuilt or to drive.

Both are original vintage no re-releases!

When anyone is interested sent me a message.

Pics can sent by mail tomorrow.

Best regards...

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the crp futaba fx10 front end upgrade fits the hornet well:

IMG_2195.JPG

it's even better than the old crp hornet alloy shock tower kit.

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the crp futaba fx10 front end upgrade fits the hornet well:

IMG_2195.JPG

it's even better than the old crp hornet alloy shock tower kit.

Hi Kaiser. Thanks for that. I've found the kit on ebay nice and cheap. Doesnt seem to have tie rods with it tho. Did yours come with the kit or did you buy them elsewhere? Cant wqait to get the kit now, it looks really good on your picture.

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the upper rods in the pic came with the kit but they are actually too long. i put them on temporarily.

i made some upper arms out of stainless 4/40 rod and dubro ends.

the stock steering tie rods are too short to fit this widened front end, so i made new ones out of 4/40 rod as well.

keep in mind that if you order this from ebay (teamcrp) you need to order the hardware kit too.

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I just bought a Team Axiom Atlas 19 T motor. I wasnt sure if the standard esc would work. No suprise it keeps cutting out coz its gettin very hot. I'm on such a small budget. £20 ish. Can anyone recomend a cheap and cheerfull esc please?

I got the motor from ebay for £3 icl postage. I didnt think it was a bad deal. Any thoughts?

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some people have had luck attatching heat sinks to the tamiya esc.

i'm running a futaba mc330 with a 19turn motor in my frog with no issues.

i think you can get them for about 30 usd.

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try modelsports uk. They are selling their own brand eac at a fraction of the costs of branded items. I run their chapeat model and it really is a cheap no frills option to consider.

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Excellent. Just bought a modelsport esc. Modelsport UK Sniper RV-12. Suitable for 12 turn with forward and reverse and waterproof. I hope it comes soon. Thanks for the great tip Clossie!

post-31465-1253900735_thumb.jpg

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You're wellcome. Mine went in a hornet I am building up for my daughter. The auto setup makes it a breeze. To install also. I am no expert, but it seriously only took me 5 mins to install and be running. It came practically next day also.

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i've always wondered how those esc's worked. i mean they don't have any heatsinks, do they get very hot?

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i mean they don't have any heatsinks, do they get very hot?
They have bigger heatsinks than most ESCs. The whole case is a heatsink with the top sealed with potting compound to waterproof it.

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Today im on a mission to sort out my steering. The front end suspension can wait for a while but the steering linkage with the crappy white plastic ball cups have to go. Can anyone help me. I'm not too good at working out sizes and ****. so if anyone could tell me exactly which bits i will need and, if possible, where i can order them from id be very very gratefull!!

:)

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Today im on a mission to sort out my steering. The front end suspension can wait for a while but the steering linkage with the crappy white plastic ball cups have to go. Can anyone help me. I'm not too good at working out sizes and ****. so if anyone could tell me exactly which bits i will need and, if possible, where i can order them from id be very very gratefull!!

:lol:

just be aware that the stock length steering linkage will be too short for the new front end.

you'll need to make your own from scratch, it's not hard at all.

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The DT02 turnbuckle set will work for the steering and upper links. I have these fitted on my Lunchbox (same steering geometry and same CRP FX-10 front suspension).

I too have fitted the FX-10 suspension to the front of my Grasshopper. It is an extremely robust chassis, my most used (I drive ALOT), and it's never once broken or failed with all the punishment that's been dished out to it. It's well worth the modifications and the finished product handles quite well for such a primative design. Add weight to the rear of the body if you want the rear suspension to work. The spare tyre on the rear of mine is filled with lead weights.

TA-Mark-CRP_Grasshopper_Front_End.jpg

Right after front end conversion.

TA-Mark_58346-05.jpg

Lunchbox wheels and front steering knuckles fitted.

img20319_01092008073419_1.jpg

Yes!! That's a MambaMax 4600Kv brushless bolted into it!

There is also a short video of my Grasshopper wheelstanding on take off in my showroom.

Cheers, Mark

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Is there any easy way to convert the front axel to 12mm hex? Is there a front knuckle set I can grab from a n other model. I recently purchases a frog hop up to convert the rears to hex, but i cannot find anything after market for the front.

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Hiya guy. Ive got my modelsport sniper rv 12 esc on along with the 19turn motor. Im still using the same rx but moved it towards the front of the car to keep it away from the esc and the motor wires.

The car cuts out and stutters when it is about 5 feet away from me. The steering servo still works a long distance away so that makes me think its not the rx or the tx. I dont know though.

PLEASE can somebody help me with this. The battery was fully charged 3000 mah.

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and it all works ok when closer than 5ft?.

Have you run the motor on a stand for a minute or so at full pelt to see if it stutters even when closer than 5 ft? I guess you only notice something like that when the motor has been running for a bit and the car is a way away (hence the consideration that perhaps distance is at fault, when clearly it may not be if your steering servo is still working a long way out..)

Perhaps the esc is at fault...? What elsae can I think of... nowt at this moment in time. oh yes... how is it in reverse.. can you reverse more than 5 feet?

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thanks for the reply. I have had it on a stand and tested the motor full pelt and slowly but it works perfectly.

I hope its not the esc at fault as i cut the wires and changed the switch so my warrenty will be void. :lol:

Reverse also stutters. Tomorrow i will put the standard esc back on to see if that makes any difference.

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One quick other test for you... Swap your channels over on the receiver... I know it sounds crazy, but it may be your receiver thats struggling, not the esc. It may be weird controlling the speed via the left/right channel but its only to test.....

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