TA-03

[Pablo68 1049]

Ok, not sure if vintage or not but wth.

I took a punt on a TA03 on Evilbay the other.....month, and won it. (Took a while to get here, don't ask).

To put it simply, it's slow, real slow. I don't think I've ever come across a drive train as draggy in all my natural. I went through it all and cleaned it and re-greased it all. Bit by bit it feels ok, and even when all together feels ok......
I've turfed the motor it came with and put a brand new silver can in. I have a set of bearings (it still has bushings all the way through) and a larger pinion to come.

Was I expecting too much? I have watched the odd TA03 vid on Youtube and they seem ok. Also I've seen a few people talk them up as a good chassis for what they are/were.

Hard to believe an RC company would release a car that is so slow in standard trim.

[Pablo68 1049]

This is the car in question. Don't get me wrong, I do like it, and it was dirt cheap. The MSC is a distant memory btw.

[XV Pilot 1936]

I believe the TA-03 was released with the expectation that, unless built purely for display, bearings would be fitted throughout in place of the stock bushings. It was positioned as a racing chassis, and what racer would willingly run bushings?

I am sure you'll notice a distinct improvement when you fit the bearing kit.

[Percymon 2184]

Sounds like you are doing the right things, just wonder whether you've tried another battery ?

If the drivetrain is free running you could hook up a part charged battery direct to the motor, just to see what a direct power feed does - I wouldn't attempt this with a fully charged pack but if you have a partly discharged NiMh, or 6 x AA batteries in one of the old receiver packs it might be worth a try.

Bushing won't help, so moving to bearings can only help but they shouldn't be introducing a whole lot of drag if greased properly.

[chickenman242tk 266]

Also check the belt tension, if it's too tight it will cause drag.

The ta03 is a great chassis, i started with mine it was a pig , but now its a great on road car , there are still some good hop ups around too.

If it doesn't have ball diff i wouldnt worry too much , packing the front diff with thick grease will help and it heaps cheaper

[Pablo68 1049]

Thanks guys, helpful info.

I've just put a different ESC on it too (Tamiya TEU 101) it seems to have helped a lot.

Just for ****es and giggles I threw some drift wheels on it. It was actually a lot of fun. Very driftable.

[firefoxussr 482]

Thanks guys, helpful info.

I've just put a different ESC on it too (Tamiya TEU 101) it seems to have helped a lot.

Just for ****es and giggles I threw some drift wheels on it. It was actually a lot of fun. Very driftable.

It is a nicely engineered chassis and great for drifting being a front-mounted motor in the TA03F configuration. I only sold my TA03R-S when I found a TA05 could be converted to short wheelbase (239mm).

[tonysmini 19]

As said, the belt tension puts a lot of drag on the drive train, as does using too much grease in the gear boxes. I only use Tamiya's white grease in mine and only a couple of blobs per gear too.

Check the pinion/spur mesh is loose too, the paper trick is the best way (put it between the pinion and spur, tighten the securing screws and take the paper out, you should have a tiny gap between them)

Great for drifting, I love mine. (I have four in each set up.

[Pablo68 1049]

Sooooo, bearings arrived as did a larger pinion gear.

I put them in and took the TA03 for a spin. The difference was night and day. Heaps less drag in the drive line, much quicker even though it's only TEU 101 and a silver can.

Overall it amazes me that the previous owner used it at all in it's original set up.

For all that, the chassis itself is pretty darn good, fun to drive, handles well.

And what kind of rank amateur has his car go roaring across the table while he's setting it up sending bits and pieces flying everywhere? .......(ahem)

[cjm_wales 9]

Sooooo, bearings arrived as did a larger pinion gear.

I put them in and took the TA03 for a spin. The difference was night and day. Heaps less drag in the drive line, much quicker even though it's only TEU 101 and a silver can.

Overall it amazes me that the previous owner used it at all in it's original set up.

For all that, the chassis itself is pretty darn good, fun to drive, handles well.

And what kind of rank amateur has his car go roaring across the table while he's setting it up sending bits and pieces flying everywhere? .......(ahem)

brass and nylon bearings are crap. Transmissions are always designed with proper bearings in mind. After a few runs all the tolerances are out and various gears fail to mesh properly.

it sounds like you've sorted the problem, but have you tried taking the pinion off the motor & giving the chassis a push on a smooth, flat surface? if it rolls freely that's a good indicator that the drivetrain is free of drag.

[Pablo68 1049]

brass and nylon bearings are crap. Transmissions are always designed with proper bearings in mind. After a few runs all the tolerances are out and various gears fail to mesh properly.

it sounds like you've sorted the problem, but have you tried taking the pinion off the motor & giving the chassis a push on a smooth, flat surface? if it rolls freely that's a good indicator that the drivetrain is free of drag.

Yes I did do that (pushed it without a motor in it) it rolled very nicely.