Hicksey

Good/bad. Racer/basher

NitroOB4You

iTrader: (36)

Well...the S2 version is an older model. The latest TTR offering EB4 S3 has been available for close to two years now. So that oughtta give some sense of how much older the S2 would be. I personally can't speak for the S2, Ive never even seen one, let alone drive it. But, I can tell you, that the S3 is an extremely durable buggy. Would be a great basher in stock form. It "can" be a good racer...but to be an excellent racer, it needs a lot of work. I love my S3 and plan to make major upgrades to it before spring, for the upcoming out door season. You can look here for more info....

www.sgrid.com

windellmc

iTrader: (4)

The S3 was released in late 2004 which makes it a little over a year old. I believe the S2 originally came out in 2002.

windellmc

iTrader: (4)

Sorry I didn't really answer the original question. The S2 is fairly reliable if you have most of the red aluminum hop ups on it like shock towers and upper arm holders. The plastic does get sloppy pretty quickly but the car handles fine that way. The shocks are best replaced by Mugen or Kyosho or maybe the TTR S3 shocks. The car handles very nicely and I have been told that a few years ago when Tebo and Easton ran it everyone knew if the track got rough that it would be a TTR day.

I'm not sure how hard parts are to get because TTR seems to still be marketing RTR S2 cars. I would not pay a lot for it though given the age and the fact that so many good new and used cars are available now.

porter

iTrader: (47)

You mention, alot of work needs to be put into the S3 to make it cometitive. I just bought one, and would like to know, what type of things you think need to be done. This is my 1st 1/8 buggy, and I've already upgraded most of the aluminum pieces to TTR red, what else do I need to look into. I looked at your link, but don't really want to spend the money to subscribe

windellmc

iTrader: (4)

porter - I have just started running the S3 for TTR. Right now the parts that I know are suspect out of the box are the shock towers (have a tendency to bend) and possibly the steering slider. If you got a newer kit it should have come with a one piece center diff brace to use instead of the 3 piece carbon/aluminum one. You definitely want to use the one piece part. Racers Edge was (still is?) having a sale on the TTR shock towers so that would be a good way to go and you get the option camber link holes on the rear shock tower too.

The newest thing to do is to modify the steering slider by cutting the ears off of it and using longer tie rods to mount under the bellcranks like a Mayhem or TTR S2 buggy. This eliminates the need for an aftermarket steering slider and takes away all of the bump steer. I built my kit stock for now but once I get the longer tie-rods I will be doing this mod.

A lot of guys are taking the Xray or Mugen shock pistons and drilling them to 1.5mm or 1/16"(about 1.6mm) and using them instead of the stock pistons. Then they use the Xray light blue springs although the spring rates are very close to the red TTR springs.

Other mods that are considered useful: red upper front hinge pin holder is thicker and protects the plastic bushings better in crashes, lightweight pillow balls are hardcoated and probably improve suspension smoothness in addition to being lighter than stock, red rear suspension holders should be stronger than stock plastic as is the FR0 plate for the front. Do not use the red aluminum parts for the very front lower suspension plate (it is called FF-1, FF+1, or FF0). The stock part is stronger and easier to make adjustments on.

Finally, most people have gone to the flat chassis conversion which makes the car longer and gives it more flex. TTR is supposed to release standard and long wheelbase conversions and Titan tech makes the original long wheelbase setup. The Titan tech is 6mm thick and machined out while the TTR is 4mm and not machined out.

To get on Sgrid you need to go to the free conferences from the www.sgrid.com link.

porter

iTrader: (47)

Thanks, I've already upgraded the shock towers and put a one piece aluminum center brace on from KingHeads. I've also looked at the new chassi's, but I think I'll give the stock one a try before going that rout. I saw on Saxtons setup that he used Mugan pistons drilled 1/16", so that will probably be my next thing to do. And I'll look into the suspension mounts.

Thanks again, looks like I was headed in the right direction

layedbackguy

iTrader: (15)

The TTR S3 has way to much chassis is really stiff and gives the chassis hardly no flexx(can be a good thing???). The shock towers are weak, and i have seen guys double them up with the stock, and thick one. It seems to work, but that one piece brace to me dosent work as i would have wished. I guess it's a good basher, but not really a good racer(foir me..lol). I have seen Richard. Saxton run his TTR , and that thing does handles, jumps, turns but for some reason, i just had to much rear end bounce. so i went back to mugen.But i can say that, the buggy will take a good licking and keep on kickin...!!

windellmc

iTrader: (4)

The Kingheadz chassis brace is pretty sweet. I think that thing is bulletproof. There were at least two different one-piece braces that were sold as part of the TTR kit. The first one was thin and broke pretty quickly. The one they have now is a lot thicker (50-100% thicker). We'll see how it holds up although I figure I will be running the flat chassis by May.