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Man1c M0nk3y

Man1c’s DT03 - The Resurrection

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Little bit more playing about this morning before work. 

A bit more shimming, this time the front lower arm mount/U-shaft. 

41369425392_a75d4b9761_z.jpg

Ended up using a 0.3mm shim at the back. That gave the best compromise between removing play and the shaft still rotating smoothly and not binding.

Was unsure whether to actually reuse the standard mount. Was tempted by, and still am, by the GPM alloy lower mount. Want to get it all built back up ASAP though so if I do go that route it’ll be later down the line.

 

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Some bling then!

I wanted but originally decided against getting and fitting these whilst in buggy form. Rolling the buggy is the height of hilarity for the girls(!) and they wouldn’t have lasted two minutes, they still might not, however now it’s being converted to a truck/truggy I figure/hope that the shell will offer them enough protection to survive the girls of destruction 😂

Anyway, the goodies...

Front left, Rear right.

40684545505_0c9b8364d4_z.jpg

Front standard tower...

41577081741_0c01c1da2f_z.jpg

Front Carbon tower...

41577082591_0c9b8364d4_z.jpg

Same weight with shock hardware on my scales. Was never a consideration just curious. 

Rear standard tower...

39769403150_8bcf7b5a31_z.jpg

Rear Carbon Tower...

40684544975_a29bd2f931_z.jpg

Marginal difference but like front just curiousity. 

All fitted...

39769403510_7e83a37ff8_z.jpg

39769403160_f50eac07f7_z.jpg

Look good (imo) and give the option for shock mounting/tuning. 

Currently set in standard positions.

Glued edges as per instructions. Not keen on that! Goes against advice I was given by another carbon parts maker but went with Tamiya with this. 

Added some Tamiya Gel threadlock to the screw/ball and my now usual 3mm o-ring to the end of the ball connector too. 

Need to rebuild the shock now and get those fitted.

Unfortunately (apart from some bits already ordered and coming from Hong Kong) that will be it for a while as we have had an unexpected/out of the blue change in circumstances so will need to take stock. 🙄

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2 minutes ago, Granddad Stinky said:

Neat! I'm waiting on mine from Hong Kong as well.

Did I miss the O ring thing?

Thanks. I’ve really enjoyed building/tweaking and now changing this buggy. Gutted it’s going to get shelved for it bit. Plenty of other outlets to keep the girls occupied but still. 

The o-ring thing is just something I spotted on a different build and pinched! 

Its just simply a 3mm black o-ring on all the ball connectors either between shock eye or rod adjuster things(!) Takes the slop out and I suppose also acts as a dirt/dust guard to a degree. The top end TRF kits use a similar thing but with foam iirc. 

Doesnt work on all connections. The upper arm turnbuckles are too small for example and the adjusters pop back off but everywhere else has been fine.

Might make no real difference but a bag of o-rings is peanuts. I’ve been using Tamiya 84195. Probably cheaper but just what I spotted at the time so went with it. 

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38 minutes ago, Man1c M0nk3y said:

Thanks. I’ve really enjoyed building/tweaking and now changing this buggy. Gutted it’s going to get shelved for it bit. Plenty of other outlets to keep the girls occupied but still. 

The o-ring thing is just something I spotted on a different build and pinched! 

Its just simply a 3mm black o-ring on all the ball connectors either between shock eye or rod adjuster things(!) Takes the slop out and I suppose also acts as a dirt/dust guard to a degree. The top end TRF kits use a similar thing but with foam iirc. 

Doesnt work on all connections. The upper arm turnbuckles are too small for example and the adjusters pop back off but everywhere else has been fine.

Might make no real difference but a bag of o-rings is peanuts. I’ve been using Tamiya 84195. Probably cheaper but just what I spotted at the time so went with it. 

How interesting, I might have to look into that. I'll have a look through some of the industrial suppliers. 👍

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2 hours ago, Granddad Stinky said:

How interesting, I might have to look into that. I'll have a look through some of the industrial suppliers. 👍

No problem. Just something that kinda made sense in my head after seeing it!

Be interested if you find cheaper supplies. 

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So moving on then. The shocks. 

Would love some of the DF03 alloy shocks as used on the DT02-MS. One day!

However, there is nothing wrong with the CVA’s but like most things they can be improved. 

I actually sourced the parts for this a few months back then got distracted with other things and did nothing with them till today. 

For those of us that have DT03’s with the upgraded cva’s inside you already have some of the parts required for this upgrade, namely the piston caps with 1, 2 or 3 holes in. 

What we don’t have are the correct piston rods to make use of those caps as the kit pistons are a one piece design. 

Looking again at our now favourite donour The DT02 Sand Viper/Desert Gator which uses the better set up we can get the part numbers for the rods. 

Front are Tamiya 50601 and rear are Tamiya 9805917. 

Those two packs cost about £11.00 for the pair in the UK at least when I was looking.

Whilst also looking I came across Tamiya Parts bag MF9400414 which is the damper parts bag from the DF03 Dark Impact and includes both sets of pistons above. We also get rubber top caps (green and red), red o-rings, springs and oil and the e-clips for the rods. All this for £10.00. Bargain. 

The oil was 900cst though so doubt I’ll ise that and the springs are stronger than the kit DT03 ones. They may get used at some point.

So then, the rods...

26750413577_50370da58d_z.jpg

Kit on left, upgrade on right. Front slightly longer overall but build up the with cap in same place. 

26750416927_58397910cc_z.jpg

Ready to begin. I’ve used the two hole piston caps to begin with both front and back as per the build instructions on the DT02. Also using the red o-rings instead of kit black, I believe they are better but don’t actually know and also this time building using some Associated Green Slime. 

The 500cst (roughly 40wt) is going in the front and the 350cst (roughly 30wt) is for the rear. I’ve no experience of using this setup but have read it’s a good starting point so going to try it out. 

All built up and the same overall length as before the swap. 

Front 70mm. 

27749423908_804db43000_z.jpg

Rear 95mm. 

26750415457_6ed4fcbdf0_z.jpg

Initial impressions are improved rebound. Time will tell how that translates when out. The option to reduce or increase holes is now there though if it feels needed. 

So, anyone who has followed my progress with the build will know I’ve been eliminating play and slop between parts where possible. One such area this exists is the lower mounting screw for the front shocks. I’ve looked at it several times and not had anything that would work to remove/reduce the for/aft play. 

Reading @ALEXKYRIAK great DT03 build today and he has addressed this very point by using some brash bushes. Great, apart from I haven’t got any! What I did have was though was some black o-rings now going spare so figured let’s see. 

26750414177_19243ac3d6_z.jpg

Placed a single o-ring to the rear of each brass tube. 

26750412277_224df93b30_z.jpg

Result, and thanks from me to Alex for giving me the extra insight to ‘sorting’ this area. 

So here’s how it sits now...

27749425508_95deebb34f_z.jpg

Loving the look already and can’t wait to finish it.

Had plans for a new motor/esc/servo package but that’s now on hold due to life 🙄

Still need tyres and inserts. Have some in mind (Schumacher Vee2/4) but open to opinions if anyone wants to offer any!

A shell has been bought excited to play about with that.

Until then, thanks for reading as always.

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Nothing exciting today, just idle hands making work for me 😂

So, I’ve now fitted the carbon shock towers and when I finally get the truck body fully sorted they should be nicely protected from the kids best efforts at destroying them. Until then however the buggy body may go back in so they can still get some use out of it. Trouble is that leaves the lovely towers exposed. 

This then is my small attempt at some protection. 

All I’ve used is some car panel trim/edging I had left over. This stuff...

26800756077_a62ccfcd8f_z.jpg

Cheap and cheerful. Nothing fancy. Cut a strip off and test fitted...

40777555245_6dccf245eb_z.jpg

Needs a trim...

27799456058_891b91b942_z.jpg

And, behold..!

41667573901_855a9ee5f3_z.jpg

Self grips the tower so no glue or anything used. If memory serves its either 2 or 3mm internal. Not perfect, but should protect edges from damage and afford some roll over protection from all but the worst knocks. 

The rear was a little trickier to sit well due to the shock mounting. 

26800757407_fe1284d56f_z.jpg

All in I’m happy with it and hopefully it works. Cost me nothing as I’d already used it on what I needed it for originally and this was just leftovers. 

Opinions?

In other areas though I’m trying to figure out what these two shims that came in the bevel gear set are for. 

26800755357_17b72ea0d4_z.jpg

I’m thinking either play reduction or as a means of slowing the gears down similar to thick oil. Currently have no idea though so if you do, please comment.

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On 20/04/2018 at 10:39 PM, Man1c M0nk3y said:

Thanks. I’ve really enjoyed building/tweaking and now changing this buggy. Gutted it’s going to get shelved for it bit. Plenty of other outlets to keep the girls occupied but still. 

The o-ring thing is just something I spotted on a different build and pinched! 

Its just simply a 3mm black o-ring on all the ball connectors either between shock eye or rod adjuster things(!) Takes the slop out and I suppose also acts as a dirt/dust guard to a degree. The top end TRF kits use a similar thing but with foam iirc. 

Doesnt work on all connections. The upper arm turnbuckles are too small for example and the adjusters pop back off but everywhere else has been fine.

Might make no real difference but a bag of o-rings is peanuts. I’ve been using Tamiya 84195. Probably cheaper but just what I spotted at the time so went with it. 

Can you please post a pic of this? I think I know what you mean, my Kyosho Lazer has foam bits where I think you are talking about. I'm not 100% sure though so would like to see. My Ultima doesn't have them but if that can be improved then keen to see!

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On 24/04/2018 at 1:24 PM, Man1c M0nk3y said:

Nothing exciting today, just idle hands making work for me 😂

So, I’ve now fitted the carbon shock towers and when I finally get the truck body fully sorted they should be nicely protected from the kids best efforts at destroying them. Until then however the buggy body may go back in so they can still get some use out of it. Trouble is that leaves the lovely towers exposed. 

This then is my small attempt at some protection. 

All I’ve used is some car panel trim/edging I had left over. This stuff...

26800756077_a62ccfcd8f_z.jpg

Cheap and cheerful. Nothing fancy. Cut a strip off and test fitted...

40777555245_6dccf245eb_z.jpg

Needs a trim...

27799456058_891b91b942_z.jpg

And, behold..!

41667573901_855a9ee5f3_z.jpg

Self grips the tower so no glue or anything used. If memory serves its either 2 or 3mm internal. Not perfect, but should protect edges from damage and afford some roll over protection from all but the worst knocks. 

The rear was a little trickier to sit well due to the shock mounting. 

26800757407_fe1284d56f_z.jpg

All in I’m happy with it and hopefully it works. Cost me nothing as I’d already used it on what I needed it for originally and this was just leftovers. 

Opinions?

In other areas though I’m trying to figure out what these two shims that came in the bevel gear set are for. 

26800755357_17b72ea0d4_z.jpg

I’m thinking either play reduction or as a means of slowing the gears down similar to thick oil. Currently have no idea though so if you do, please comment.

That shock tower protection is great.

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1 hour ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

Can you please post a pic of this? I think I know what you mean, my Kyosho Lazer has foam bits where I think you are talking about. I'm not 100% sure though so would like to see. My Ultima doesn't have them but if that can be improved then keen to see!

No problem @Jonathon Gillham

This is the part in question...

https://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=53980

And a picture of it fitted from @Effigy3 trf201 build where I originally came across them...

Hopefully that links to the correct post!

I never ended up buying them though as I saw a thread on here iirc that used 3mm o-rings to similar(ish) effect and as I had some I tried that first. Here’s a close up...

40812381575_9689e63208_z.jpg

Seem to be working fine. 

Hope that helps. 

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1 hour ago, ThunderDragonCy said:

That shock tower protection is great.

Cheers. Hopefully it works out well. May end up needing a little something to keep it secure when running. 

I have some left over that I’ll no doubt forget about/lose/eventually bin. If you want to PM me your address I’ll pop it in post if you want to try some. 

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Great thread. I have an XB DT03 for my son. Am going to take a few of the tips from this thread and apply to his car. Was looking last week for some wider front wheels to help with turn in on a speedway oval track. Will keep an eye out for some of the Aqroshot ones on ebay.

 

Thanks for sharing

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Thanks, glad it’s of interest. Great buggies/trucks. Really enjoyed the limited play I’ve had. I generally get it back off the girls when all the batteries are flat 😂

The wheels are available on several chassis not just the Aqroshot. Other colours available too. Available here if you are in UK...

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F391983299081

or for some colour...

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F382436264303

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Little update. 

The truck shell arrived the other day. It’s had a slight trim to allow me to start positioning and thinking about any issue. One became apparent from the off. The standard DT03 kit supplied body posts at the rear are in line with a feature of the shell I don’t want to cut or drill. Had a look around to see if I could find a simple solution already available and came up blank. 

Decideed to step right out of my comfort zone and fire up the old laptop and created a TinkerCAD account and had a go at designing one. 

Five(!) versions later and I’ve settled on one that I’m hoping I’ve got right!

Body Mount Final.

Not a huge change. Steps in centre to centre of the uprights by 10mm which is all I needed with a little wiggle room to clear the shell feature. Also rotated the body pin holes 90deg for the same reason. It doesn’t need so many holes, but it’s cheaper with them(!) and as it’s an unknown for me cheap at this stage is good!

It has passed Shapeways automated and manual checks and is currently in the print queue. 

Certainly enjoyed figuring it out and thanks to @ThunderDragonCy and @WillyChang for their input/experience. 

Expected to post on 4th May. Hopefully I got it right 😂

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1 hour ago, Man1c M0nk3y said:

Little update. 

The truck shell arrived the other day. It’s had a slight trim to allow me to start positioning and thinking about any issue. One became apparent from the off. The standard DT03 kit supplied body posts at the rear are in line with a feature of the shell I don’t want to cut or drill. Had a look around to see if I could find a simple solution already available and came up blank. 

Decideed to step right out of my comfort zone and fire up the old laptop and created a TinkerCAD account and had a go at designing one. 

Five(!) versions later and I’ve settled on one that I’m hoping I’ve got right!

Body Mount Final.

Not a huge change. Steps in centre to centre of the uprights by 10mm which is all I needed with a little wiggle room to clear the shell feature. Also rotated the body pin holes 90deg for the same reason. It doesn’t need so many holes, but it’s cheaper with them(!) and as it’s an unknown for me cheap at this stage is good!

It has passed Shapeways automated and manual checks and is currently in the print queue. 

Certainly enjoyed figuring it out and thanks to @ThunderDragonCy and @WillyChang for their input/experience. 

Expected to post on 4th May. Hopefully I got it right 😂

226235DA-7325-4E51-B5B2-5E2425D36F3F.jpeg.1e7e75b15d8952aa50abe207ebc4bc81.jpeg

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6 hours ago, Man1c M0nk3y said:

Little update. 

The truck shell arrived the other day. It’s had a slight trim to allow me to start positioning and thinking about any issue. One became apparent from the off. The standard DT03 kit supplied body posts at the rear are in line with a feature of the shell I don’t want to cut or drill. Had a look around to see if I could find a simple solution already available and came up blank. 

Decideed to step right out of my comfort zone and fire up the old laptop and created a TinkerCAD account and had a go at designing one. 

Five(!) versions later and I’ve settled on one that I’m hoping I’ve got right!

Body Mount Final.

Not a huge change. Steps in centre to centre of the uprights by 10mm which is all I needed with a little wiggle room to clear the shell feature. Also rotated the body pin holes 90deg for the same reason. It doesn’t need so many holes, but it’s cheaper with them(!) and as it’s an unknown for me cheap at this stage is good!

It has passed Shapeways automated and manual checks and is currently in the print queue. 

Certainly enjoyed figuring it out and thanks to @ThunderDragonCy and @WillyChang for their input/experience. 

Expected to post on 4th May. Hopefully I got it right 😂

WELL DONE! Can't wait to see the finished items and the shell.

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2 hours ago, ThunderDragonCy said:

WELL DONE! Can't wait to see the finished items and the shell.

Cheers. Can’t wait myself. I’ve even treated myself to some proper lexan scissors to get the shell ready for when they arrive 😂

No doubt a lot of effort and needless expense but it would always bug me if I drilled the shell where the straight posts would be instead of at least trying to find a solution. 

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Nice Build! Looking forward to see the final result.

The DT-03 makes a nice Baja Bug, too - I converted mine using the body mount extensions that come with the kit and e set of Proline Truck Tyres.

20180428_210320.jpg

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40 minutes ago, NeonScorcher said:

Nice Build! Looking forward to see the final result.

The DT-03 makes a nice Baja Bug, too - I converted mine using the body mount extensions that come with the kit and e set of Proline Truck Tyres.

20180428_210320.jpg

Cheers. Hopefully not too long now. Last few bits ordered earlier. 

That shell looks brilliant. Have you anymore pictures from other angles? Who’s the shell by also. Is it a proper Tamiya shell? I have no experience so can’t place it easily.  Looks a really good fit from that angle.

Tempted to do one for myself. 

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