Tamiya Shocks Explained

[ALEXKYRIAK 1034]

Hi, this is going to potentially be a totally noob question...! Can someone explain the different Tamiya shocks, and how to select them as a hop-up for any given buggy?

Whenever I look at obtaining shocks for a given buggy, and whenever I look at Tamiya manuals, it doesn't seem to state what the dimensions and specs the shocks/dampers are.  For example, if I wanted shocks for a monster Beetle or a Hotshot or a Mad Bull, how do I know what dimension shocks they take? If I google the parts in the manual I either get a parts bag reference or a damper cylinder or a spring individually. I want to see the shock length and type, so I can order either CVA, or, another brand, which may not be the same overall dims as a Tamiya shock.

Is this all listed somewhere? People say 'get some CVAs', Google that and you get mini, normal, buggy, hi-cap, etc, there are many types. Am finding it hard to work out what's correct for any given buggy. Feel like I'm missing something obvious...!

Thanks

[Saito2 6035]

I'm sure others will chime in with specifics, but you can start by going over to Tamiyabase. Under the parts database tab you'll see a heading for dampers. It will give you the types Tamiya offered, what vehicles they were found on, lengths etc. For older stuff, it's pretty comprehensive.

[WillyChang 1809]

If you're talking CVAs ("Constant Volume" but taken to mean T's plastic shock) methink there's only like 4 sizes  maybe a 5th.

There's Mini & SuperMini which are same girth but these 2 are usually used mainly on touringcars (or off-roaders derived from tourers). 

Then there's a Large & Medium which differ in girth; the DF03 uses both sizes. I suspect there might be differing length bodies too  of each size.

CVAs used to be sold in pairs Retailpacked. It'll include a variety of spacers that you can install inside to limit the length, 2 different eyelets to lengthen. 

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TRF aluminium shocks usually ape latemodel CVAs in dimensions.

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Older T shocks start with the SRB shocker, all metal & also used on Hilux3spd.

Frog shock (rear, Brat had pogo spring) gets rehashed for Hotshot mono shock.

Hornet rear shock, gets borrowed by Briuser.

WildOne has Hornet fronts & a shaved variant of Frog at rear.

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HiCaps are a rarity & there's a couple of sizes only.

Avante & Egress got their own HiCap lookalikes but I think they're somewhat simplified compared to the real blue ones  

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Of the Monsters, TLT had its own unique gold alloy shock.

Can't recall Jugg's or TXT, the rest had CVAs or some form of friction shock.

[Saito2 6035]

I recall back in the day Tamiya started with 2 sizes of CVAs, long and short. Later they added mini and later yet they added super mini. Short always threw me off as I thought of them as "medium" in length. I seem to recall a gold monster truck damper set (possibly related to the TLTs) as an upgrade. Juggs came stock with fiction helper shocks for the leaf springs and TXT-1/2s have plastic bodied CVAs stock. There's also a newer reservoir shock meant for the TXT-2 Tamiya offers.

[WillyChang 1809]

I recall when TRF mini shocks were just TRF shocks & that was it, circa TA04 era  now there's so many different variants uncoated/fluorine/hardcoated, sealed/aerated, plus hop up shafts, seals, low friction eyelets etc etc there's probably enough unique combinations to build 10,000 units of none 2 alike. 

What about the big gasser trucks T did at one stage, with the funny flipflop gearbox... can't even remember their name nor chassis code anymore. Think they had fat CVAs, not sure if they were just the Large or if they made XL ones.

TamTechGear would have their own special size shock too 

[WillyChang 1809]

3 hours ago, ALEXKYRIAK said:

Can someone explain the different Tamiya shocks, and how to select them as a hop-up for any given buggy?

Finding Suitable Shock 101

 this is what I do

build car totally, leaving out shocks

once everything is in place & suspension functional, MEASURE the length of shock needed - measure MINIMUM length, MAXIMUM length and desired RIDEHEIGHT length (ideally with dogbones sitting level).

go fish around the boneyard & shelf victims , find shock that's closest to suit MIN & MAX lengths, bearing in mind it MUST be shorter than MIN (otherwise you'll bend a piston rod) but the MAX can be limited by spacers inside. 

Rideheight is set via spring rate & pretension collars. If your suspension involves droop then ideally the neutral point is somewhere middle of max & min.

If shelf victim don't agree to be a donor, go shopping for similar shock or parts to build same. PITA most aftermarket shocks only state their full extension length, often don't discover it won't compress down enough & bottoms out before full up travel of suspension. Running car like this especially jumpy off-roader always ends in tears.

in short, it's 99% trial & error  2% luck 

Dont forget some chassis also have alternate shock towers (lower/higher & flexy/stiffer) available, plus modern suspension arms have many different locations for shock holes. Every iteration is different measurement for shock to suit.

Hence there's probably at least a dozen sets of shocks on the workbench at any one time which I keep handy for whenever I'm tuning a newcomer chassis. Touringcars probably more sensitive to changes as tiny 1mm difference can be felt, whereas 3-5mm difference on an off-roader might not affect much.

 

 

[Mad Ax 8422]

I found a thread about this somewhere while searching for the period-correct hop-up option for Manta Ray shocks.  It was identifying the cross-over between the older hi-cap hop-ups and the newer CVA shock sets.

The newer CVA shock sets come with instructions to make various lengths of shock, based on spacers and different ball ends.

I've always measured the max length (as per Willy Chang's thread) and then found a suitable shock of that length or just under - usually using a pair of Tamiya's CVA shock sets as they seem to offer the best performance for their price.  (They're a lot more expensive than the ebay alloy shocks but you never know what you're getting, many of them are awful; and they're a lot cheaper than TRF shocks).  I've never measured the minimum length and haven't had issues with shocks bottoming out before the car does, but then I haven't done this with a whole lot of cars.

Some other RC circles seem to be able to find great-quality shocks from other brands like Kyosho, Traxxas and Schumacher but I guess my Tamiya-specific experience means I never know what to search for.

[ALEXKYRIAK 1034]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Seems like a bit of a dark art....! Checked out Tamiyabase, does have some useful info for some of them, thanks. Will keep persevering.

[Frog Jumper 3478]

8 hours ago, ALEXKYRIAK said:

Thanks for all the responses guys. Seems like a bit of a dark art....! Checked out Tamiyabase, does have some useful info for some of them, thanks. Will keep persevering.

The new Tamiya Hop-ups are the 50520 and 50519.  The 50520 are the longer ones.

Both can be built completely adjustable via the different number of holes in the piston head, the type of damper ends, and by the number of spacers (shortens stroke length).

Here are the total shock lengths and damper stroke lengths of each, in millimeters (mm):

50520:
94/28
91/25
87/21
84/18
87/28
84/25
80/21
77/18

50519:
70/16
67/13
64/10
61/7
64/16
61/13
58/10
55/7

The typical "Kit" CVA shocks for the re-re BFs and MBs are very very similar.  The only difference, AFAIK, are the pistons.  The Kit sets have a one-piece piston with an attached piston head.  The 50520 and 50519 have different piston heads that you attach with e-clips.    

You can get the 50520s in black (standard), or substitute the yellow bodies from the re-re BF/MB (tamiya 84365) or white (tamiya 84347).  For the 50519s, black is the standard color, or you can substitute white bodies (tamiya 49577) or translucent blue (tamiya 84225).  There may be some other colors out there, but these are ones that I've found recently...  I'd love to see a set of both in red!

I started off buying some flashy "yeah racing" aluminum shocks on FleaBheyz for cheap.  They looked cool, came in the proper lengths, and seemed to be functional.  But after about a year of very little driving, they all proved to be junk.  I bought (2) sets of 50520s for my Bush Devil (SBF) and they are working out great so far.  So much so, I just bought (1) each of 50520 and 50519 for my Frog...

Terry

 

[WillyChang 1809]

50519=mini black

50520=short black

50304=long yellow

50305= short yellow

50332= mini yellow

50746=supa mini

 

[ALEXKYRIAK 1034]

Frog Jumper and WillyChang, awesome posts, very informative. Exactly what I was after, thank you guys. 

[Jason1145 3984]

If only I could find those 84347 white CVA's in stock anywhere?

[ALEXKYRIAK 1034]

Keep seeing loads of comments around the net about many non-Tamiya not being up to scratch. Are there any that are good and reliable?

A few were recommended to me on another of my posts re: Hotshot hop-ups: Absima and GMade. But having ordered both (arriving soon I hope) I still won't be absolutely sure they will fit my intended buggy (Hotshot with RadshapeRC front and rear shock towers aluminium). Carson were mentioned in a mad bull thread also as being fairly dependable.

As stated previously in this thread I guess it's a bit hit and miss to determine actual length until you get a damper and measure it with it's options.

Are GPM any good? Thinking for TT-02B. What about Carisma?

[Buggyjam 143]

It's not the non Tamiya that aren't up to scratch I reckon, it's those generic brands you see all the time on eBay that have popped up that turn out rubbish.  Actually a lot of other mainstream car manufacturers shocks make CVAs look poor. 

 

I bought some generic alu ones (can't remember what) and they were absolutely terrible. Really awful. Came with no instructions on how to put them together apart from some tiny tiny awful graphics. Which maybe why they were terrible .  Threw them in the "spares" bin straight off. Stuck with CVAs. I think CVAS are actually quite expensive to buy after market for what they are. They work ok enough though. I have previously bought a set of Traxxas shocks for something else, and they are really nice. Very plush feel and nice materials. They were cheaper by half than the CVAs I bought for the lunchbox too. Won't fit much 1/10 Tamiya buggy wise as they're wide. Not sure really. They certainly won't  fit the TT02b! 

 

What about other  1/10th buggy manufacturers like losi/ AE or proline shocks Maybe? Could get some dimensions using a bit of research and check out the connectors? If you're going to that trouble though may as well go for CVAs for a basher. 

 

Fat lot of help I am 

[madmickmalone 75]

opening up this thread again.

Looking for Hornet replacement front and rear shocks.

 

Will the Tamiya 50520 suit rear?

or recommendations for after market front and rear?

 

all the best

MMM

[BuggyGuy 1090]

This probably won't help you MMM

But for anyone else who sees this and wants the best guide to buggy dampers, this is the thread for you: