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Tamiya mini cooper

Old 05-19-2014, 07:31 AM
  #21031  
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Originally Posted by monkeyracing
All the pictures, including the manual, show Philips.

Don't know if it just the finish or the angle on the photos, but it looks like the portion of the chassis that holds the diff might be narrower. The Bosses for thr bumper screws seem to jut out a little more that before. Also, the front upper arm mounts appear beefier. If this update addresses a lot of the things about the 05 I hated, I may end up shelving the 03. The biggest bonus is the droop adjustment and square batteries. Never having to build dampers to a specific length again is very appealing and finding ROAR approved round packs is getting harder all the time. I can get approved, squared, shorties for less cash. Just in time, too. All my stick packs are getting weak and starting to puff a little.
They could have add hex hardware. But i guess somethings never change.
Hoping that my hex kits will work on this V2
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Old 05-19-2014, 08:54 AM
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Speaking of hex kits, is there a preference as to which hex kit to go with? I'm not running TCS, but I wasn't sure if that would be an issue or not. Oh, I'd be interested in hex hardware for both M-03 and M-05. Thanks!
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Old 05-19-2014, 10:16 AM
  #21033  
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Originally Posted by Rodarbal
Speaking of hex kits, is there a preference as to which hex kit to go with? I'm not running TCS, but I wasn't sure if that would be an issue or not. Oh, I'd be interested in hex hardware for both M-03 and M-05. Thanks!
This may not be welcome advice, but it's silly to buy metric hardware from hobby shop sources. Very much overpriced to begin with and what happens if you strip, damage, or lose a screw. Buy another overpriced kit?????

I'd suggest doing a google search for metric hardware. Go thru your instruction manual to find the right sizes. Some sources sell only in boxes of 100 in most sizes and others will sell singles. In many cases, you'll be buying higher grades of hardware. You'll also find steel, aluminum and stainless steel. The last box of 3X10 mm button heads, which are the most common size, cost me a little over $6.

I should add that investing in a 3mm tap is a good ides. I generally will tap the holes part way cause w/out doing that, the screws get difficult to thread. This makes it hard to know when you've cinched the screw down properly. Places like Harbor Freight have them for a few bucks. You don't need a quality tap here cause you're just tapping plastic.

Last edited by Granpa; 05-19-2014 at 10:24 AM. Reason: addition
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Old 05-19-2014, 10:31 AM
  #21034  
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Thanks, Granpa. You're confirming what I've been thinking. I've done that a few times in the past for other vehicles and I'm used to buying bulk hardware for non-hobby related stuff. I suppose the little kits just seem so appealing for their convenience.

On another note, my 10 year old son built an M-03L yesterday. Just need to tidy up some wiring and paint the body. He's proud of that car, and I'm proud of him for building it himself!
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Old 05-19-2014, 02:11 PM
  #21035  
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Personally speaking I don't think there are any benefits to changing to hex hardware on a Mini.

The biggest improvement you can make is to start using a JIS pattern cross head screwdriver rather than an American/European Phillips head (the two are not the same). A Tamiya tool would be the ideal choice, I have TOP tools which are JIS, I suspect a few of the other expensive RC brand tools are JIS too. Phillips screwdrivers strip the heads of JIS screws.

The tapping thread of the kit screws is ideal for the ABS plastic most of the car is made out of, the screw hole tolerances are engineered for tapping screws as well. You'll find that machine screws strip out the ABS a lot more often because they don't cut very deep into the relatively soft material.
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Old 05-19-2014, 04:40 PM
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Interesting point. I read up on Philips screws recently. It was interesting to learn that true Philips screws were designed to strip from the very beginning. They were designed to be a torque limited fastener for automotive production lines. It would be nice if the newer non-stripping versions and their drivers were better marketed, rather than all cross shaped items being called Philips. I don't think Philips even makes the original style anymore.

In any case, I play it safe and use hex head M3 hardware. It's cheap, plentiful and very rarely strips a head.
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Old 05-19-2014, 05:05 PM
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Originally Posted by sosidge
Personally speaking I don't think there are any benefits to changing to hex hardware on a Mini.

The biggest improvement you can make is to start using a JIS pattern cross head screwdriver rather than an American/European Phillips head (the two are not the same). A Tamiya tool would be the ideal choice, I have TOP tools which are JIS, I suspect a few of the other expensive RC brand tools are JIS too. Phillips screwdrivers strip the heads of JIS screws.

The tapping thread of the kit screws is ideal for the ABS plastic most of the car is made out of, the screw hole tolerances are engineered for tapping screws as well. You'll find that machine screws strip out the ABS a lot more often because they don't cut very deep into the relatively soft material.
This is why I recommend tapping the screw holes part way. For a 10mm screw, I usually will tap it for 7-8 mm. If you don't, the screw becomes very difficult to thread, the further you go. It's very easy to over tighten the screw and strip it or partially damage the threads. Then on subsequent assembly/disassembly the screw will no longer hold.

I hated the Tamiya screws until I purchased a set of Tamiya screwdrivers. What a difference. Still use hex hardware most places, but have gone back to some of the step screws.
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Old 05-19-2014, 05:11 PM
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Since i started Changing out the hexs i had to only get 2 of these because i have two mini's and they are fairly inexpensive http://www.rcmart.com/yeah-racing-ts...h=595_744_1389

You all brought up some good points that i didn't really think of.
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Old 05-20-2014, 02:10 AM
  #21039  
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IMO the Titanium screws are a waste of money, I can get a full set of stainless steel hex screws for an M05 for less than £6.50 ($11)
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Old 05-20-2014, 04:18 AM
  #21040  
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Originally Posted by Granpa

[...]

I hated the Tamiya screws until I purchased a set of Tamiya screwdrivers. What a difference. Still use hex hardware most places, but have gone back to some of the step screws.

You could do that.
Or you could visit your friendly pick-a-part down the road and find the old (seventies? eighties?) Corolla with the original tool set still in the boot. They have a JIS screwdriver as standard. The blade actually pulls out and it's a flat blade at the other end! Cost 50 cents, perhaps?

As for metric hardware, surprisingly (or maybe not), the US is a good source of just about anything you want. Maryland Metrics (?) is a company I used for some really weird stuff like M7 pitch 1 allen head screws that french car manufacturers obnoxiously insist on using! Just don't tell anyone else or my M7 racket downunder will run aground.
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Old 05-20-2014, 05:36 AM
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There are virtually none of those sedans left here in the pick a part.

I bought a jis tamiya screwdriver from banzai. It was like $3. Considering I used to sell screwdrivers that were $18, it felt like a bargain.
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Old 05-20-2014, 06:54 AM
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This is the place I use

http://www.fastener-express.com
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Old 05-20-2014, 09:24 AM
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Heres a nice 30 page article on things that look like Phillips but aren't. Link leads directly to page 10: Phillips vs JIS.
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Old 05-20-2014, 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by CraigMBA
There are virtually none of those sedans left here in the pick a part.

I bought a jis tamiya screwdriver from banzai. It was like $3. Considering I used to sell screwdrivers that were $18, it felt like a bargain.
Yeah, here too, people have started to pimp them up and sell for serious money. Sometimes you get lucky though. I have two screwdrivers recovered from such finds.
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Old 05-20-2014, 11:27 AM
  #21045  
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Pictures of the updated motor mount and the inside of the gearbox (hollow shafts and ball diff not included in kit)








My build is almost done. This one has a few goodies on it, so this is not an example of how the kit comes

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