Play In Frog Uprights?

[Wandy]

Just putting together a Frog for the first time and there seems to be lot of play at the uprights between the two step screws....was this designed in? It looks like there should have a couple of washers to take this play away.

[Live Steam Mad]

Just putting together a Frog for the first time and there seems to be lot of play at the uprights between the two step screws....was this designed in? It looks like there should have a couple of washers to take this play away.

I just had a look on mine and I can't see what difference it makes to the operation / running of the Frog. Mine has a fair amount of play (maybe 1.75mm or so) and it still works well so I wouldn't worry about it.

BTW the re-re Frog uses redesigned uprights which look similar but are not the same as the originals in the 1983 Frog.

Cheers,

Alistair G.

[Live Steam Mad]

Forgot to mention, mine is a re-re Frog with quite a few 1983 parts on it to try and make it into an original as much as possible but the uprights on mine are re-re.

Cheers,

ARG

[mongoose1983]

Just putting together a Frog for the first time and there seems to be lot of play at the uprights between the two step screws....was this designed in? It looks like there should have a couple of washers to take this play away.

I have noticed the same thing when building my Subaru Brat (1983 version). I used original step screws that were bought in Deutschland, just to find out they have this horrible "play". I will use some thick plastic washer to solve it. Not a big problem, but still a strange thing, because I have a Frog and it doesn't need any washers there!

[bugjammer]

My re-re Brat has a frightening amount of up and down movement in the front uprights, I packed mine out using some small O rings

[terry.sc]

Yes the excessive play is normal, and it's always been there. It's not deliberately designed in (who would design in that much play!) but it's a result of Tamiya using standard step screws rather than screws designed for the job.

Model Cars magazine even published a method of removing it, along with a whole load of other modifications:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/article.asp?id=123

[mongoose1983]

...Model Cars magazine even published a method of removing it, along with a whole load of other modifications...

THANK YOU, TERRY! VERY useful information!!

[Wandy]

Yes the excessive play is normal, and it's always been there. It's not deliberately designed in (who would design in that much play!) but it's a result of Tamiya using standard step screws rather than screws designed for the job.

Model Cars magazine even published a method of removing it, along with a whole load of other modifications:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/article.asp?id=123

Another great piece of info Terry.

[bugjammer]

Awesome bit of vintage info and funnily enough I was checking out my Brat this afternoon with a view to ballracing the rear arm pivots