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Hotshot Rear Suspension Options

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Hi,

I'm a bit new to all this, but have a question about the Hotshot Rear suspension for a runner I'm getting ready to build. I have the front end pieces from the HP upgrade, but nothing for the back. All of the threads on here seem to focus on either the RC Channel conversion or the HP kit, both of which have challenges (cost/weight & cost/availability)

Short of buying a full HP kit (which I've not seen available recently), is there any other reasonable (cost-wise) option for upgrading the rear? I'm not interested in going with the full metal setup. Can you use Boomerang (or any of the other more available car) parts (tower, brackets, arms)?

I have decent fabrication skills, but don't want to reinvent the wheel if there are things that can be modified/adapted more readily.

I guess an even more basic question would be, I know that the front has suspension issues, how bad is the back? Would a dual front/mono rear combo be a solid setup? I'm building this as a runner, and understand the limitations of the original design/era, but I'd like to get it close to the Supershot my buddy had when I was a kid.

Thanks!

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UK ebay has a boomerang/hotshot conversion with a tall plastic front shock upright mounted on the front of the gearbox and yellow cva shocks - looks a bit wrong to my eyes.

I have the hop-up carbon rear plate and yellow shocks on one i'm restoring. I'm in two minds what to do as the rear hop-up is OK but the original front metal shock is battered.

I've just managed to find and original innder damper parts set, and original metal damper cases and springs, so i may well go original monoshock front and rear yet. The other option is the metal supershot front suspension uprights and yellow cva shocks.

I'm sure there are others a lot better placed than me - i'm learning by the day as i rebuild my sad ebay excuse of a hotshot.

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UK ebay has a boomerang/hotshot conversion with a tall plastic front shock upright mounted on the front of the gearbox and yellow cva shocks - looks a bit wrong to my eyes.

I have the hop-up carbon rear plate and yellow shocks on one i'm restoring. I'm in two minds what to do as the rear hop-up is OK but the original front metal shock is battered.

I've just managed to find and original innder damper parts set, and original metal damper cases and springs, so i may well go original monoshock front and rear yet. The other option is the metal supershot front suspension uprights and yellow cva shocks.

I'm sure there are others a lot better placed than me - i'm learning by the day as i rebuild my sad ebay excuse of a hotshot.

Yeah, I'm good with the front - using the metal Supershot parts, although I will be using other shocks, but the back is what has me struggling. I'd like to convert to dual rear shocks, but short of the rear HP parts falling out of the sky...

Speaking of that, how did the rear shocks mount to the lower arms in the HP upgrade? were there new arms? or did the mounts just attach to the factory arms (like the fronts)?

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Ahh, thanks... missed that. Looks like a small metal bracket that attaches onto the existing arm... bummer, would have been nice to find out that it's as simple as adding a ball joint to the lower arm...

It is just as simple as screwing a ball joint to the lower arm, but it's Tamiya you are talking about here. Tamiya isn't going to tell their customers to mark out and drill a hole in the wishbone to modify it (imagine buying your first kit and the tools required includes a power drill!) so in typical Tamiya over engineering style they make a little bracket to position the ball joint in the right place. Just make sure when you drill the hole you can get a nut on the back of the ball joint as the plastic isn't thick enough to support the weight on the ball joint thread.

The tricky part is working out the upper mounts.

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You always have the Boomerang rear end to try.

You need Shocks, Tower and both upper, lower arms as well as the rear hub carrier ( Blue) and the longer step hinge screws.

Sounds a lot but isn't really. The arms are shaped different for the shocks and the blue hubs have 1degree more toe in the back as well. You can;t mix n match them.

Way better set up than the hot shot. ( has slightly more rear grip from the increase in rear toe.)

Hot Shot 2 is another option but is more rare. Again its the same story as the Boomerang with arms and hubs ( Red) but has the extra 1d of toe. Not interchangeable with Hot Shot 1

The rear tower is smaller as the shocks are as well. Boomerang and Hot Shot 2 are the same arms and hubs.

I have every set up on my hot shots and Super Shot. Have the rc channel set up too.

To me the Boomerang choice will be the cheapest option.

A well sorted out HP kit is slightly better but alot more $$$$$$ Here is a pic of mine with correct length front and rear shocks tuned with losi springs and a bell crank steering set up. ( No bump steer and massive lock)

BoondallvintagebuggiesSupershot.jpg

Photo155.jpg

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For my hotshot I used super sabre rear uprights and rere boomerang wishbones, along with a home made rear shock tower (The Super sabre tower would fit if you're prepared to trim off the anti roll bar retainers). I wasn't aware of the 1 deg toe in on the rear wheels compared with the hotshot I, so it will be interesting to try it and see how it compares.

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Thanks all,

so a combination of Super Sabre uprights/towers (for red vs. blue parts) & Boomerang arms/hardware would fit - would it make a difference if it's a rere or original Hotshot? Also, not clear on "step pins"? Which are these, and does anyone know which parts pack they would come in or where I could get them? I've seen the arms and uprights/towers.

Also, would that mean that the Radshape rear boomerang kit would also work in that setup? Seems like it would take care of the upright issue.

And also again..., what about Supershot arms/uprights - any reason why they wouldn't work, assuming I could sort out the upright issue?

Finally, what would the proper length of shocks be for:

1. The HP front end kit

2. The Boomerang/Hotshot II rear

3. the HP rear

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm in the project accumulation mode, and want to try to avoid too many dead ends. Most of my past working on RC cars was on RC10s, and everything pretty much interchanged across the better part of 10 years of cars...

Best,

Sten

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The Step Screws i was refering to is the Top Hinge pins ( Long screws that go all the way through. ) This is needed as they are slightly longer to go through the shock tower.

Doesn't matter what shock tower you use ( Boomerang, H/S 2, Super Sabre ) Not needed with HP kit.

You need to make your mind up what set up to go for. HP is good but has very limited front travel as Tamiya made the damper body too long and doesn't allow the the chassis to bottom out. Thats why you get cracked chassis . Rear end is very good. You can match up better front shocks but more $$$.

Cheapest and very good is Boomerang set up. Mono shock front works well.

If you use Boomerang rear set up just get the matching Boomerang rear shocks. Length i can't say as my cars are at my house.

Hp Rear end is i think 100mm or 110mm.

Hp front end i will have to measure again not with me.

Hot Shot 2 uses a shorter shock tower so different again.

Best tamiya front shocks is Big Wig. Which uses Boomerang rear end and well matched front shocks. mine has different shocks as the cva shocks aren't the best.

Photo161.jpg

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Best tamiya front shocks is Big Wig. Which uses Boomerang rear end and well matched front shocks. mine has different shocks as the cva shocks aren't the best.

Photo161.jpg

OH, WOW! That BigWig in black looks AWESOME!!!

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