Astute Runner

[Boothy]

What tyres are those fitted to the blue car when it had flames? They look beefy, I quite fancy some on my holiday buggy

[Thommo]

They are Tamiya Hybrid Spike Tyres from the Egress fitted to DT02 off road dish wheels. They are a bit of a stretch getting 2 inch tyres on 2.16 inch wheels and the fronts in particular needed foams inside to keep their shape. Holiday Buggy front wheels might be a bit too narrow but the rears will go on OK.

[Boothy]

So the front tyres are 4wd tyres? they look good on the 2wd DT02 wheels

So are the dish DT02 fronts much wider than the star dish ones? I have both white and yellow star dish, just looking at the smaller spike tyres shown lower down on the star dish alloys as those fronts look pretty wide.

[Boothy]

Ahhh just spotted the star dish look like 4wd fronts on a hub conversion?

[Thommo]

I know, I have really confused things with that car.

OK so the DT02 front 2WD off road dish wheels are wider than 2WD front star dish wheels but not quite as wide as 4WD front star dish wheels.

Its all about the wheels...

[Thommo]

This car has had more face lifts than Joan Rivers but this time I decided to tidy it up with a new body and simplify the running gear and make it more sensible for a vintage runner. Sensible..... but still Awesome !

Kept the Madcap arms and C hubs, Super Astute steering arms, CVA II dampers with CC01 front springs, DT03 turnbuckle set, Futaba servo with Tamiya hi torque servo saver and Super Astute front brace.

Madcap arms and hubs again, also Madcap arm mounts. CVA II dampers with DF03 hard setting springs rear. Ditched the brushless for a GT Tuned motor and quicrun ESC. Other than the Super Astute battery tray, the rest of the car is standard Astute.

Now running twin set ups. The Super Astute has a hotter 17x2 motor and the Hi-Cap dampers that were previously on this car.

New replica body and decals and kept the black wheels for Astute box art theme. Thanks for checking it out !

[Crash Cramer]

Still looks awesome, now it looks even closer to the original with those yellow shocks.

[Foxaddict]

This looks like the prefect thread to ask a question.  I'm rebuilding a a super astute, and have gone the Hi cap route for the shocks, because they look so good!   The question is, what parts do I need to mount the top of the shocks?  I

 

[Thommo]

The top mount for Hi-Caps is a steel ball and some rubber and metal bushings.  If you don't have these with your Hi-Caps, you might want to post your own Wanted topic.  Sorry, I can't be more helpful.

[Crash Cramer]

Don't quote me too much, but it seemed that I might have found a few of those pieces also found in Dyna Storm parts bags. I was working with the blue Sleeved Dampers a while back and needed the appropriate mounting hardware.

[Foxaddict]

Many thanks guys......I had the dyna Storm brain wave last night, and did a bit of digging on Google to find the parts I needed in Germany.  So they're on their way to me, and I can relax again!  

 

I always wanted an astute as a kid, having seen one at my local hobby shop, but I never quite saved enough to get it.   Then the tamiyaclub chat room came to my rescue last year, because someone had spotted one going for a low buy it now on flea bay, so a couple of clicks later and my wife was moaning about another car in my collection.  It's taken me a year to start the build.....so now I need to finish it.  I'll get some photos up when done.  

[Thommo]

Update for @CKU87

Shame about the old pics....

 

[CKU87]

4 hours ago, Thommo said:

Update for @CKU87

Shame about the old pics....

 

Oh thanks, yes this looks brilliant Just started to collect the bits for the Egress front dampers! Thats the way I will go. Thank you!

[Thommo]

 

Slowly edging towards being an OG Astute again.  I found the suspension arms and a NIP front stabiliser bar amongst my spares.  Swapped in a Mabuchi 540 also and replaced the wing mount and wing end plates with some new ones also from spares.  Tie rods and all of the 5mm adjusters replaced also back to OG parts. 

 

[Thommo]

 

Now with Futaba MC330CR and a Mabuchi 540.

 

[Thommo]

 

For  @ruebiracer  and anyone interested in converting Astute / Super Astute to accept shorty LiPo.  This conversion can be done with no drilling, using the existing holes in all Astute chassis' including the Xtra Speed carbon chassis.  The start point is to use a regular size servo, (Futaba 3003 shown) and remove the rear bulkhead and the SA rear battery holder G5.  Remove the front battery holder G2.  Use sponge sheet on the chassis as required.

Parts list :

Avante / Egress / Astute chassis stay x 2

Top Force J parts - J5 x 2.  (These are Not Used parts for a Top Force build).

Top Force screw hex mounts or use Xtra Speed aluminium body mounts x 2.

Top Force battery plate or Xtra Speed carbon battery plate for Top Force (shown) x 1.

Any servo stay x 1.

Hardware so screws, tapping screws, sponge sheet and snap pins.

With the battery holders removed and sponge sheet in place, replace the rear battery holder with 2 x chassis stays.  The OG Astute already has these as standard (shown).  Fit the 2 x screw hex mounts or body mounts to the 2 x J5 parts and fit those to the chassis to replace the front battery holder.  The existing holes in the chassis match the Top Force battery plate so it's a perfect fit.  Then mount the 1 x servo stay as shown.  This is the existing hole for the OG mechanical speed control mount and just happens to be in the perfect location to act as the rear battery stop.  Then just add sponge sheet to the servo at the front and this acts as the front battery stop.  I used another sponge sheet on the rear battery stop to get it snug.  

[ruebiracer]

@thommo: Nice solution, very clever. Do you have a little fear, that the battery can lift upwards in the rear without a little upwards stop? Jumps etc.?

Thanks for your parts list, 

Matthias

[Thommo]

All good, the front strap height is perfect with sponge tape under the battery.  If anything it can kick out a bit but not much.  A better rear stop would sort it.

 

[Thommo]

 

This Technigold was sitting idle in my OG Egress when it dawned on me it could be in a better place.  It was only ever lightly run but I opened it up for a refresh anyway.  Magnets still felt nice and strong.  The comm and brushes were carboned a little as per below but not worn so they got a clean up with a pencil eraser first then some contact cleaner.  Oiled the bearings and rebuilt with 10 degrees advance timing and fitted a 23t steel pinion.  Here it is apart.

  

[Thommo]

 

At the same time, I dragged out my box of treasures and found I had a full set of NIP screws so went about removing every hex screw and replacing with shiny silver and gold screws, tapping screws, press and flange nuts all straight out of OG Astute and Super Astute screw bags.  While the gearbox was out, I replaced the rear bulkhead (D4) new from a 2018 D parts tree and then found a real gem.... an original counter gear support (A1) new condition so that went in too.  Note the rear suspension mounts are the Madcap type that are found as a NOT USED part on the Blitzer series so I have quite a few of these but have never broken one.  Always fitted with longer machine screws and this time a flange nut on the front screw.  These are OG Madcap rear hubs too which is one of the very first Hop-Ups for any Astute bitd... simply because the Astute rear hubs crack if you fart too loud.

I've given her a shakedown run since photos.  Run with the 3000mah shorty for near 15 minutes and the Technigold was only warm so very happy with 10 degrees and 23t pinion.  Amazingly quick for a vintage runner and the diff in this one is still sound, staying locked on dirt and no barking.... much happy !