Frog or Crab?!

[580frog41 2]

Not sure if this is often the case, or if its one of the drawbacks/ advantages of fitting a larger motor but my Frog seems to be almost trying to run in circles, ie when going forward at higher speeds I am almost always having to correct the steering path, its a 27 T with Carson wheels - would changing one of the gears make any difference? Don't get me wrong it's great fun, very fast and it seemed to run for twice as long with the new battery but I was having to correct the steering like mad!!

[Static Age 66]

Thats typical of a Frog with a hotter motor, you are experiencing the "vintage" handling. Its has a short & narrow wheel base compared to modern buggies, its never going to handle as well or get the same level of traction.

Its even worse with the stock 1.5 inch front wheels. I have pretty much every mod possible on my frog & the handling is better but still comical, it also is very difficult to keep in a straight line.

With such a open rear diff its very easy for the wheel with the least grip to spin up like crazy. A ball diff would help but they are as rare as hens teeth. You could lock the diff if you only drive on loose surfaces.

I have been thinking about a locked diff for beach running.

[580frog41 2]

Thats typical of a Frog with a hotter motor, you are experiencing the "vintage" handling. Its has a short & narrow wheel base compared to modern buggies, its never going to handle as well or get the same level of traction.

Its even worse with the stock 1.5 inch front wheels. I have pretty much every mod possible on my frog & the handling is better but still comical, it also is very difficult to keep in a straight line.

With such a open rear diff its very easy for the wheel with the least grip to spin up like crazy. A ball diff would help but they are as rare as hens teeth. You could lock the diff if you only drive on loose surfaces.

I have been thinking about a locked diff for beach running.

Ah cheers, that's cleared that up. To make it even more hilarious, I took it out in the rain and it was spinning around like a dying fly! Also, the rear ball joint bit keeps coming out - any ideas how I could keep that firmly in place? I walked for miles the other day to try out the new motor and it popped out again!

[Static Age 66]

Do you mean the rear drive shaft?

[TongueTied 56]

So that was the issue. Here I was, a 13 year old, thinking I was just a cr@p driver! Don't recall my set up but I couldn't drive a straight line except on pavement. I had wide tires on the front and rear rather than the narrow front tires normally used. I remember entering one of my first and last races on a dirt course where all the cars were doing 20 or so laps and I managed to do 4! Okay, so maybe it was both the overpowered frog and the cr@p driver!

[Static Age 66]

The Frog is very light, even more so with modern electrics.

With a decent battery & any motor hotter than a silver can it becomes a handful.

[B.M.T. 127]

I got my first proper rc when I was your age (a Fox) and ruined the 540 when I assembled the gearbox wrong. My parents decided to get it all corrected by a local repairer (smart move) who fitted it with a RS540SD Black Endurance motor ( the lower level of Tamiya's hot motors in the day, about the equivalent of the Sports Tuned now). The kit tyres were really rubbish on my local track, but being a complete n00b, I struggled on and got lapped constantly while spinning out and loosing control. My next error to the key of n00bular was to buy a second hand Technipower from a guy at the track, thinking more power would help me get more laps down.

So, I struggled on for 6 months, then the coin dropped. I got decent tyres, had a rethink about my suspension settings and slipped the Black back in. I went from 5 laps a race to 14. Instantly.

You are on the right path, you are thinking and asking questions. Keep that behaviour up and you will be enjoying the sport for a long time. People will generally be more willing to help someone who thinks before they ask and take in the reply. There are too many beginners who will post a question without thought and never seem to be bothered coming back for the answers these days.

All the best, and I am sure you'll get a handle on your Frog soon.

OH, btw, if the Carson tyres are the ones I am thinking they are, they are rock hard and won't be giving you any joy. I guess you are using the Tamiya 12 hex wheel adapters? If you are, get a pair of Kyosho Lazer rear wheels (from the current model) they have the right amount of dish for a vintage with those adapters and are under $10 a pair and a set of good soft Proline or Losi 2.2 rear tyres for buggies (not trucks). You will notice the difference.

[Static Age 66]

^good advice^

Some times we can all get a bit carried away with speed. My Wild One has a Super Stock RZ in it, its too much for the small track I hve been using it on. I only hit full throttle for a second, if i tone it down a bit I know the car will be much more controlable & i'll get quicker laps in.

I then have the option of going back to the RZ for much bigger tracks.

[TongueTied 56]

I think I might have given the wrong impression and after rereading my post, I can see why. When I said I was a 13 year old, kid I was referring to way back when I was a 13 year old kid. I'm now in my late 30s and reliving the nostalgia of those days when the most important thing in my life was my rc cars. I can still remember the day I first saw the Frog. It was in a hobby store in Melbourne. The guy in the store was jumping it on a ramp that was on about a 50 degree angle with hardly any run-up at all and this was in the middle of the store. He would jump the ramp in one direction and then come at it from the other side and the car took every jump as if it was nothing. I was smitten on the spot, what a car! I should really get the rereleased version.

[580frog41 2]

I got my first proper rc when I was your age (a Fox) and ruined the 540 when I assembled the gearbox wrong. My parents decided to get it all corrected by a local repairer (smart move) who fitted it with a RS540SD Black Endurance motor ( the lower level of Tamiya's hot motors in the day, about the equivalent of the Sports Tuned now). The kit tyres were really rubbish on my local track, but being a complete n00b, I struggled on and got lapped constantly while spinning out and loosing control. My next error to the key of n00bular was to buy a second hand Technipower from a guy at the track, thinking more power would help me get more laps down.

So, I struggled on for 6 months, then the coin dropped. I got decent tyres, had a rethink about my suspension settings and slipped the Black back in. I went from 5 laps a race to 14. Instantly.

You are on the right path, you are thinking and asking questions. Keep that behaviour up and you will be enjoying the sport for a long time. People will generally be more willing to help someone who thinks before they ask and take in the reply. There are too many beginners who will post a question without thought and never seem to be bothered coming back for the answers these days.

All the best, and I am sure you'll get a handle on your Frog soon.

OH, btw, if the Carson tyres are the ones I am thinking they are, they are rock hard and won't be giving you any joy. I guess you are using the Tamiya 12 hex wheel adapters? If you are, get a pair of Kyosho Lazer rear wheels (from the current model) they have the right amount of dish for a vintage with those adapters and are under $10 a pair and a set of good soft Proline or Losi 2.2 rear tyres for buggies (not trucks). You will notice the difference.

Cheers B.M.T that's a real help- I guess it's a case of either keeping it stock or once you go down the modified path opening up to tips and gear that's gonna help. Yeah, I always try to think out and search the forums before I go asking, as with many other forums there is nothing quite as annoying as someone who joins up and doesn't even bother looking for answers, I always have a good rummage around and if I can't find what I'm after or have too little knowledge I'll ask around.Yes, I have the 12 hex adapters and I'll try out the Kyosho Lazer wheels with Proline or Losi 2.2 rears- will keep you posted on my progress. Thanks again.

[580frog41 2]

I think I might have given the wrong impression and after rereading my post, I can see why. When I said I was a 13 year old, kid I was referring to way back when I was a 13 year old kid. I'm now in my late 30s and reliving the nostalgia of those days when the most important thing in my life was my rc cars. I can still remember the day I first saw the Frog. It was in a hobby store in Melbourne. The guy in the store was jumping it on a ramp that was on about a 50 degree angle with hardly any run-up at all and this was in the middle of the store. He would jump the ramp in one direction and then come at it from the other side and the car took every jump as if it was nothing. I was smitten on the spot, what a car! I should really get the rereleased version.

I think all of us are in our 30's!! This stuff is way too good for kids ha ha!!

[580frog41 2]

I got my first proper rc when I was your age (a Fox) and ruined the 540 when I assembled the gearbox wrong. My parents decided to get it all corrected by a local repairer (smart move) who fitted it with a RS540SD Black Endurance motor ( the lower level of Tamiya's hot motors in the day, about the equivalent of the Sports Tuned now). The kit tyres were really rubbish on my local track, but being a complete n00b, I struggled on and got lapped constantly while spinning out and loosing control. My next error to the key of n00bular was to buy a second hand Technipower from a guy at the track, thinking more power would help me get more laps down.

So, I struggled on for 6 months, then the coin dropped. I got decent tyres, had a rethink about my suspension settings and slipped the Black back in. I went from 5 laps a race to 14. Instantly.

You are on the right path, you are thinking and asking questions. Keep that behaviour up and you will be enjoying the sport for a long time. People will generally be more willing to help someone who thinks before they ask and take in the reply. There are too many beginners who will post a question without thought and never seem to be bothered coming back for the answers these days.

All the best, and I am sure you'll get a handle on your Frog soon.

OH, btw, if the Carson tyres are the ones I am thinking they are, they are rock hard and won't be giving you any joy. I guess you are using the Tamiya 12 hex wheel adapters? If you are, get a pair of Kyosho Lazer rear wheels (from the current model) they have the right amount of dish for a vintage with those adapters and are under $10 a pair and a set of good soft Proline or Losi 2.2 rear tyres for buggies (not trucks). You will notice the difference.

Are these what you mean?

Losi

[TamiyaDan 8]

.

[bakaguyjean 7]

Just thought I would add my two cents.

The Frog is a very good car.

Here are a few things that will help.

Rear suspension.

It needs softer springs,changeing to different tires and wheels helps,but the frog has no rear suspension with the spring that come with it.Sure you can push it down with your hands but when driving it the whole rear end bounce. Softer springs help with seperating the rear swing arms.Also the softer springs allow some weight transfer to the rear when you floor the throttle.

One more thing about the rear arms,they need to be in the same position. Usally the Left side sets higher as the right arm rest on the motor. Adding a spacer inside the shock to level the rear of the car helps with balance and keep the arm off the motor.

The Front suspension

It is also to hard.It is very hard to find spring to replace the stock front ones. There are many different ways to get around it. But usally involves using a different set of shock up front to use softer springs. The front does the same as the rear,you can push it down with you hands but it just sort of locks when it being drove.

Basically the whole car is a table and drives like one,with the hard springs.

The whole car needs to have give when you set it down. Put it on your desk and if the suspension doesn`t drop a good bit its way to hard.

The front suspension is nice for about a week.The Alloy parts wear out very fast. IF you really want to run it often then buy several of the alloy parts bags off ebay. The plastic holds up great. The whole front flops around when the parts get worn and even ruins your tires.

Buy a real servo saver. Tamiya servo savers are bad,even the high tourque servo saver wear out because it plastic and the springs dig into the plastic causeing it to be sloppy. Kimbroughs work great. There might be others out there but Tamiya servo savers are just bad. You should also thing about new tie rods that put the servo in the center,so both wheels move the same when the suspension moves up and down.

I run my Frog as a Brat.

You can see my chassis here.

http://tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?c...21&sid=6590

I learned soon after these picture to ditch the Tamiya servo saver

[580frog41 2]

Just thought I would add my two cents.

The Frog is a very good car.

Here are a few things that will help.

Rear suspension.

It needs softer springs,changeing to different tires and wheels helps,but the frog has no rear suspension with the spring that come with it.Sure you can push it down with your hands but when driving it the whole rear end bounce. Softer springs help with seperating the rear swing arms.Also the softer springs allow some weight transfer to the rear when you floor the throttle.

One more thing about the rear arms,they need to be in the same position. Usally the Left side sets higher as the right arm rest on the motor. Adding a spacer inside the shock to level the rear of the car helps with balance and keep the arm off the motor.

The Front suspension

It is also to hard.It is very hard to find spring to replace the stock front ones. There are many different ways to get around it. But usally involves using a different set of shock up front to use softer springs. The front does the same as the rear,you can push it down with you hands but it just sort of locks when it being drove.

Basically the whole car is a table and drives like one,with the hard springs.

The whole car needs to have give when you set it down. Put it on your desk and if the suspension doesn`t drop a good bit its way to hard.

The front suspension is nice for about a week.The Alloy parts wear out very fast. IF you really want to run it often then buy several of the alloy parts bags off ebay. The plastic holds up great. The whole front flops around when the parts get worn and even ruins your tires.

Excellent advice there, cheers -I'll check the suspension and check the height and space it. I had noticed it looked like it was sitting higher on one side, but wasn't sure how to rectify it.

Buy a real servo saver. Tamiya servo savers are bad,even the high tourque servo saver wear out because it plastic and the springs dig into the plastic causeing it to be sloppy. Kimbroughs work great. There might be others out there but Tamiya servo savers are just bad. You should also thing about new tie rods that put the servo in the center,so both wheels move the same when the suspension moves up and down.

I run my Frog as a Brat.

You can see my chassis here.

http://tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?c...21&sid=6590

I learned soon after these picture to ditch the Tamiya servo saver

[580frog41 2]

Just thought I would add my two cents.

The Frog is a very good car.

Here are a few things that will help.

Rear suspension.

It needs softer springs,changeing to different tires and wheels helps,but the frog has no rear suspension with the spring that come with it.Sure you can push it down with your hands but when driving it the whole rear end bounce. Softer springs help with seperating the rear swing arms.Also the softer springs allow some weight transfer to the rear when you floor the throttle.

One more thing about the rear arms,they need to be in the same position. Usally the Left side sets higher as the right arm rest on the motor. Adding a spacer inside the shock to level the rear of the car helps with balance and keep the arm off the motor.

The Front suspension

It is also to hard.It is very hard to find spring to replace the stock front ones. There are many different ways to get around it. But usally involves using a different set of shock up front to use softer springs. The front does the same as the rear,you can push it down with you hands but it just sort of locks when it being drove.

Basically the whole car is a table and drives like one,with the hard springs.

The whole car needs to have give when you set it down. Put it on your desk and if the suspension doesn`t drop a good bit its way to hard.

The front suspension is nice for about a week.The Alloy parts wear out very fast. IF you really want to run it often then buy several of the alloy parts bags off ebay. The plastic holds up great. The whole front flops around when the parts get worn and even ruins your tires.

Buy a real servo saver. Tamiya servo savers are bad,even the high tourque servo saver wear out because it plastic and the springs dig into the plastic causeing it to be sloppy. Kimbroughs work great. There might be others out there but Tamiya servo savers are just bad. You should also thing about new tie rods that put the servo in the center,so both wheels move the same when the suspension moves up and down.

I run my Frog as a Brat.

You can see my chassis here.

http://tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?c...21&sid=6590

I learned soon after these picture to ditch the Tamiya servo saver

t needs softer springs,changeing to different tires and wheels helps,but the frog has no rear suspension with the spring that come with it.Sure you can push it down with your hands but when driving it the whole rear end bounce. Softer springs help with seperating the rear swing arms.Also the softer springs allow some weight transfer to the rear when you floor the throttle.

One more thing about the rear arms,they need to be in the same position. Usally the Left side sets higher as the right arm rest on the motor. Adding a spacer inside the shock to level the rear of the car helps with balance and keep the arm off the motor.

The Front suspension

Do you have any photos of this please? I am trying to visualize it, It makes sense but I would like to see a pic. Also how can I stop the rear ( I think they are called dog bones or wishbones!!) coming out?? Mine came out three times today

[TamiyaVancouver 5]

t needs softer springs,changeing to different tires and wheels helps,but the frog has no rear suspension with the spring that come with it.Sure you can push it down with your hands but when driving it the whole rear end bounce. Softer springs help with seperating the rear swing arms.Also the softer springs allow some weight transfer to the rear when you floor the throttle.

One more thing about the rear arms,they need to be in the same position. Usally the Left side sets higher as the right arm rest on the motor. Adding a spacer inside the shock to level the rear of the car helps with balance and keep the arm off the motor.

The Front suspension

Do you have any photos of this please? I am trying to visualize it, It makes sense but I would like to see a pic. Also how can I stop the rear ( I think they are called dog bones or wishbones!!) coming out?? Mine came out three times today

Do you have the little rubber o-rings iside the drive cups coming out of the gearbox/ I think there is one on one side and two on the other. Maybe they fell out when the dog bones came out?

Mark

[580frog41 2]

Do you have the little rubber o-rings iside the drive cups coming out of the gearbox/ I think there is one on one side and two on the other. Maybe they fell out when the dog bones came out?

Mark

I'll have a look I am pretty sure I have one each side- cheers

[TamiyaVancouver 5]

I'll have a look I am pretty sure I have one each side- cheers

According to the instructions, the right side should have two 4mm o-rings in the gearbox joint and one in the wheel axle. On the left side, it is one in the gearbox joint and one in the wheel axle.

Mark