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DF03 MS any good?

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I saw lots of YouTube video about this vehicle. Is that any good?

I found it should not as sophisticated as both top force eco and hop up DB02

What do you think?

 

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Great basher

Possibly not the best choice of track weapon if your into racing - but it's in production, cheap, and better than the TT02B. 

Carbon shock towers appear very rare - and I don't believe there are any bevel gear / oil filled diffs available that fit if your not a fan of ball diffs

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The standard dark impact df03 you can still get and most of the MS hop ups such as the slipper clutch, aluminium dampers, turn buckles, heat sinks etc etc are available but you will spend at least the cost of the kit again and then some for it to match the spec (and you wont have the white springs though which are unique) 

And then oncs youve done all that the MS will still suffer from the same weak points as all df03 chassis ie slightly brittle damper mounts, rear ball diff (unless you buy another front assembly to swap in) and weak alloy main shaft gear. If the carbon mounts and steel gear set were still readilly available then its worth a shout.

There was a good write up someone posted recentlty where someone took a df03ms racing and provided race reports each week. From what i recall it broke something pretty much every outing.

Saying that I have a fully specced one and love it - I just dont drive it very hard at all.

Also, unless ive missed something and the MS is back in stock? I thought it had been discontinued years ago.

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26 minutes ago, BuggyGuy said:

Great basher

Possibly not the best choice of track weapon if your into racing - but it's in production, cheap, and better than the TT02B. 

Carbon shock towers appear very rare - and I don't believe there are any bevel gear / oil filled diffs available that fit if your not a fan of ball diffs

I think you're referring to the standard DF03 @BuggyGuy. The DF03 MS had a limited production run and it's not around any more.

To be completely fair, no Tamiya buggy can be considered a 'track weapon' these days, the DF03 (and DF03 MS) not being exceptions. But even as bashers, DF03s need to be handled with care, as they have a tendency to dislocate their front diff covers with repeated impacts and the ball diffs melt with high-powered setups unless a slipper is installed (properly).

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I love the DF03 , but with it being released in 2006 ,in standard form its not upto modern power.

As above, the MS isn't avaialable new anymore, so you'd need either 2nd hand, or a stock df03 and upgrade.

I'd go the stock route and upgrade, as RCmart has slipper on offer atm, and you'd need to upgrade the rear diff (use front outdrives) and diff balls (to tungsten or ceramic) on the MS anyway.

Schumacher big bore shocks I found to be the best value, with 2nd hand ones under £40 a set (well, normally, as there's not been much racing this year, there's none about)

I've done threads on here for swapping the aluminum main shaft gear, if you want any more info.

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The DF03 MS is a fun chassis. I just replaced the outdrives with the steel ones at the rear. 
 

I’ve had two df03’s since they were released and they have ran 5.5t’s and the idle gear is fine. Over a decade of use, no real issues.
 

There are some ace carbon towers by topcad. 

The short wheelbase makes it fun for general bashing as it’s quite lively. It’s ok at the track but a DB01 will destroy it in every respect. So if you want to try out a Tamiya at a club (Other than a TRF) the DB01 is better, but for a fun chassis which is ok at smaller tracks the df03 is ok.

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1 hour ago, qatmix said:

There are some ace carbon towers by topcad. 

Do you have a link by any chance? I couldn't find this.

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Guys, is the alloy gear a problem or. It, seems for some it melts instantly and for others it doesn't. Anyone know the definitive answer?  Thanks

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18 minutes ago, slimleeroy said:

Guys, is the alloy gear a problem or. It, seems for some it melts instantly and for others it doesn't. Anyone know the definitive answer?  Thanks

When I first got mine, many moons ago, I was informed it was a weak point, after rear diff and slipper. There used to be a company called, Five Stars, that made a hardened upgrade, but hard to find. I made one out of a helicopter pinion, and pressed it on.

I've heard a few since ,saying they've not had an issue, if its suitably greased, and tbh, it's a 30 second job to remove the top cover and check on it anyway, so I wouldn't class it as a major worry.

 

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I think some people ran on a highly abrasive grit surface, almost like sand. Mine haVe been used on Astro, grass, dirt (uk dirt) and gravel. Never an issue with over a decade of running. Infact I was basing one around only this week. 
 

I do maintain my runners, with regular checks etc, but nothing drastic.

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On 10/6/2020 at 9:28 AM, Superluminal said:

There was a good write up someone posted recentlty where someone took a df03ms racing and provided race reports each week. From what i recall it broke something pretty much every outing.

that sounds just like my Avante2001 :lol:

 

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