Thanks for the info, I appreciate it! Since everyone locally runs a spool on the front, would just running the diff-locker in there solve at least the front diff issues you were experiencing?

Also, what exactly are these inner spacers for the dampers I've heard mentioned for cars without droop settings?

Can someone link to what these look like, or where to get them? I've seen in off road kits, the seat that holds the bottom of the spring come in different thicknesses, but am confused by "inner" spacers. Are people using shims to do this? I understand the effect on droop, just not what the part looks like, and what to buy/make. Thanks.

I learned about them running mini-coopers (as that was the only way to set droop; the mini-cooper thread contributors have the expertise on these).

The item NN18 in this photo shows the spacer. You can get them from some parts trees, or use extra rubber o-rings. You can also buy aluminum ones.

The kit shock parts tree comes with 6mm and 3mm spacers which are good for mini-cooper but probably too long for this s-spec tt02. I found some 1mm and 2.5mm ones on a spare f104 front end parts tree (F-parts #51381). You can probably also buy some metal ones or carefully cut down the kit ones. Cars like this are the ones where exact shock size is important from side-to-side. You can fine-tune the shock size (droop) by how far you screw the end ball connector on the shaft for sub-millimeter changes.
http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/e...ps179f3dc0.jpg
http://tamico.de/bilder/produkte/kle...ssis-51381.jpg

for inner spacers, buy 'Tamiya 53539 5.5mm Aluminum Spacer Set' These have all different lengths and are made of aluminium. These are great to use as they are exact.

As to running, I would run a spool outdoors or really thick (1 million / 500k) oil in the front diff for more steering. I ran this combo and managed to win outdoors on a low grip outdoor track with this combo.

There are some TT02 carbon shock towers coming soon, and the TT02s ones will be available, this will help even more options. (I can fit TRF arms without the S-Spec parts). I just want to track test it.

Thanks everyone for all the info! I will look through my parts trees. Lots of tamiya kits, so it shouldn't be a problem to find something, and order the specific parts in the meantime. Really dedicated to this chassis for some reason.

Qatmix: I bought pretty much everything listed on your site for it, so with the front universals and metal cups, I should be good to go with it locked. Got thick oils too, so maybe I'll use one of diffs from the 3 kits I have and try swapping both in for comparison.

I got some of those GPM universals you have on there, too, and was wondering if they are compatible with the 'tamiya cups for universal joint', or only the plastic ones on the kit? It sounds like you need them for the tamiya universals, but wondering if they are cross-compatible. Have a pair of the Tamiya shafts too. Which would you put on the front? Sounds like they are both high quality parts.

Thanks again for all your hard work on the site. It's been fun to follow. I even got an ARC, but that decision was only bolstered by you getting one. It seems like a great choice in the current market I had pretty much decided on it before seeing your review - then I was sold. :)

Ah, that's a good tip! I also have the F104, so thank you for making that easy, and for the pics. Good stuff. :)

---

What springs and damper settings should I set up on the TRFs for these parking lot racing conditions? Would these setups differ between the mini-TRFs used for the rally configured suspension, and the TRF "short" ones recommended on thercracer.com?

I want to set up 2 TT-02s with both. One with the spacers on the top, and the mini dampers; and one with the spacers on the bottom, with the TRFs, since I spent all this money and want to use them for something. :) I figure minimum rebound on front and rear. Just not sure how many of the setups and tips online are for carpet or smooth asphalt vs. what we run.

Thanks again all! I believe I have a set of some touring car springs for Tamiyas. HPI silvers too. A set of mini ones that came with a m-chssis pro kit as well! Use the regular TC ones for the short style dampers? Sorry for all the questions, but hopefully this clears some things up for the super-rookies like me, which the TT is aimed at anyways.

I'll take some inventory of the parts to confirm I have everything straight before I start the two builds, which is planned for this weekend now that I finally got the high speed gear sets in (2 month ordeal, long story, must be a popular product.)

I won't be able to adjust front camber yet, but did get some parts for rear camber adjustments. If anyone wants to put together a sort of setup sheet for this, it would probably also help out the parking lot basher folks who want something that handles as good as possible for practice and fun at higher ride heights and damper settings than the usual smooth racing conditions. These might make great practice cars for more experienced racers too, being that they are tub chassis and covered gears while retaining all the cool bodies and value Tamiya offers at this level.

The latest few iterations of the base kit are a steal with the brushless esc and sport tuned motor. Got the Eneos here in the states shipped for $135 from Tower Hobbies, and arrived in a few days. That's why we are looking at this for a spec class, and I'm the test subject for figuring out the specs and what upgrades are allowed, gearing for our track with stock tamiya motors and high speed gear sets, etc.

I wanted to report back that my TT02 S-spec, set up for VTA, worked very well and was fun to drive.

Congrats! I'm glad it worked out for you. I will be reporting back on a hopped up TT-02D in VTA soon.

How'd it fare in wrecks (if any?)

When TT02 First came out I got one for my son to race and every time he hit the wall the hub carrier broke or the tires twisted so far the dogbone came out. So I turned that into a drift car.

Now the S-spec has totally different front, of course, however my one and only incident was just coming up to the wall and having a front dogbone lock up. It kept me out of the main but after the race I saw how easy it was to pop back in place.

Question now is should I put the 44mm front steel swing shafts from the TB04 (and others) on there. I'm pretty sure 44mm is the correct length.

http://www.rcmart.com/images/specr_spr012_01.jpg

My only concern is that when these hit the wall they get torn up, whereas the dogbone drive just needs to be put back in place.

Sounds like I will be fashioning a custom bumper before taking mine to the track (if I do at all, with them sounding so fragile.) It will smack a lot of boards, for sure.

This is the bumper I made for my son's TB04. I cut that from the 200mm rectangular PARMA bumper. He was able to hit hard enough to break a C-hub but only once. Last two race days no broken parts on either kids car thanks to those bumpers.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6.../2015/file.jpg

Personally I've best had success using the thin shaft types by YeahRacing. I think those may be quite a lot shorter, like 38mm but you need the smaller drive cups for these (rcmart.com)

From memory haven't broken any since (after sorting out my straight line driving with a servo saver) but I've stopped on road racing for a long time now (run on carpet and the "walls" may be of a wood compound or wood but with hard rubber outing).

I think the worst I've used are the JazRider ones which are even shorter, they're the thicker types.

Hi all,

I've been using two TT02's as rally / drifter cars, getting hammered by me and kids driving them, particularly when driving off road.
These have copped a lot of abuse but I'm yet to break anything around the front suspension or have a dogbone pop out / snap a Uni thanks I think to a 'square' brand TT01 suspension guard that I use on both.

You can find it on banzai hobby, might be worth trying.

Hopefully I haven't just jinxed myself!

Cheers,
Crouch

Very valuable post - thank you. I have a sheet of bumper-grade thermoplastic that I am not very skilled at working with, so I ordered two of the Square ones from Bonzai for a nice clean look and fitment.

These types of "guards" can make just about any car durable from what I've seen at our local track from people who make their own. I like their design too, and the width is perfect.

So, this fits without any trimming?

Not a problem mate.

I had to trim one of mine slightly to fit tamiya rally block tyres + increased steering angle.
With a stock steering angle setup + rally block tyres I didnt need to trim at all.

Still waiting to test it with the Type S setup though.

Cheers,
Crouch

Hey everyone,

I'm thinking of getting a TT-02 as my next all-pupose rally and club racer chassis and I'm torn between the R and S versions of the chassis.

What is more worthwhile, the better suspension setup of the TT-02S, or the aluminum drivetrain components of the TT-02R?

I plan on upgrading the car, and seeing as I don't have a local TCS series, I don't mind getting aftermarket parts from other manufacturers, as long as the quality is decent.

The Type-S version isn't supposed to be a rally version, only onroad purpose.
I would go for the R version cause it has several option parts aswell as limited to this kit only rear uprights with 3° of toe-in, options are 2.5° toe-in.

I forgot to note that I am also running the reinforced grey uprights from the drift spec model (and also the upcoming truck I think) on one of mine which may have also contributed to a lack of breakages.

These are also available from banzai hobby via special order.

Cheers,
Crouch

I was thinking the same thing Blue but then I noticed the suspension and wheel area design of the type s is very similar to the buggy variant and the XV-01, which should allow for greater suspension travel and free-er movement, important for rally and something that I struggle to maximise on the stock setup.

Also having metal rods attaching the suspension arms to the chassis should also reduce friction, another struggle point for the stock version.

With the other type r parts being easily available as hop ups, it will be really interesting to see the price difference between the type r and s, I think that will be a deciding factor.

Cheers,
Crouch

PS: tamiya usa website listing the type r with plastic bushings, not bearings - another consideration.

Rally aside, it seems to me that the Type-S is still a better deal, especially considering that the aluminum drivetrain parts are surprisingly inexpensive from Tamiya.

If the R came with the aluminum steering components, maybe it would make sense, but I think that having the bettter suspension design still makes the S worthwhile. You don't get the 3 degree aluminum rear hubs of course, but the Type-S already has 3 degrees of toe-in, according to Tamiya.

A of right now, my plan is to get the type-S kit and add the centre shaft and joint cup set, the high speed gear set and the Yeah Racing motor mount. Should make for a fun little club racer and outdoors runner. I can always raise the suspension for more clearance if I want to put on the rally tires.

Just finished part 3 of my TT-02 Type S build. Sorry for the delay, I'm heartbroken after having put my best friend Kota down on 1/21. I am feeling better so on with life and the build. Hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did making it.
http://youtu.be/GpknczFVxpI

Hey Theibault

Sorry for your loss :(

I've enjoyed your build videos. My only questions/suggestion is that I'm wondering if you've ever considered using some blue threadlock on your metal parts when ? It's something I've always done, especially on things like motor mounts to prevent them from vibrating loose. I use the blue Gel threadlock as it's much easier to work with than the drippy stuff.

As for the body, I vote GTR!

Thanks for the kind words. I do use blue thread lock on my offroad kits. I'm not too worried about it on this from prior experience, but if anything does come undone, yeah it'll go on. :sneaky:

Camocrouch, knowing that you own both the sedan TT02 and TT02b, is it possible to use the Neo Scorcher body shell as a dust cover for my rally TT02?

G'day Smile,

Yes, the neo scorcher buggy body works well as a dirt cover.

I've got one mounted on buggy body posts buts it's annoying to work with the posts so I'll be switching to Velcro.

You have to trim the leading edge a little if you're using knobbly tyres as they will impact the body when turning.

There's also not much room for electronics and cables under the neo scorcher buggy body so you have to keep it nice and tidy. I wish they'd hurry up and develop a TT01 type E style top brace for it to mount electronics too.
On this point the Dual Ridge body set could work better but may not fit as well under a car body - not sure though.

I'll post some pics in the rally thread soon.

Cheers,
Crouch

Nice! It sucks that the Neo Scorcher body is a 9 digit spare part though... It would take a while before I can get it if ever I decide to order one.

I actually already have an XV01, but I figured that the TT02 would be better for mud because it is a lot easier to clean and metal parts count is low.

I sound like a broken record but try banzai hobby.
They've supplied me with the 9 digit spare parts for the TT02B buggies and the reinforced drift parts for the sedans.
Costs a little more and takes maybe an extra 10 days but I've always been impressed by their service.

I've got an XV too and yes, to clean the TT you just turn it upside down whereas the XV has more nooks and crannies.
I think the XV overall is a better rally car but I'm still in my early days testing it. As a drifter it certainly seems better setup out of the box.

I enjoy all the tweaking and testing, getting the most out of an entry level kit (cheaply!) which Is why I like the TT's.

Cheers,
Crouch

Hey guys,

I just bought a TT02 and preparing to race in the Spec/Novice class at Tamiya Raceway in Aliso Viejo. What size pinion and spur should I run? I am running the torque tuned motor (54358) and a Tekin RS ESC. The track dimensions is 170x60 feet and is asphalt.

Thanks for you help!:D

Hi All - I'm having some issues getting low enough ride heights with my TT02 fitted with the following dampers and spring set.

It appears the yellow springs on this "tree" is the same size, and number of coils, as the yellow tabbed ones that came with the TRFs (white color, with yellow tab on end.) This set comes with an extra-stiff spring? What are these?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ps19cfc500.jpg

Also, I have this set of springs, which I thought might be for a M-chassis, but they say rally, fwd, and touring car too. Pretty confused.. not sure what I bought!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ps1f25dbca.jpg

Do I have what I need, or if not exactly, can I use a combination of these for parking lot club racing? I already put the blue ones on the front of my TT-02 which can be seen in the middle of the row in this pic. It has the stock white (yellow) ones in the rear. It was advised to do a blue/yellow setup for outdoor asphalt.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ps7208ce16.jpg

Also, I think I might not be threading the bottom part that connects to the ball joint all the way. Do you thread them til they just stop, or just measure the overall length until they are all equal and adjust from there?

Thanks for any guidance!

All these spring sets should be fine for racing. Assuming you have them for the right shocks, I'm guessing these may probably fit your generic 50-60mm shock. What height are you aiming for? I last had my tt02 set for carpet, when it came to car park bashing it was way too low as there's rocks all around.

What I see a lot on rctech is that people can ask for the best setup but there are so many factors, surface condition/type etc.

Have a look at thercracer.com

I think the m chassis run shorter springs? 4wd, touring car springs should be the same for the TT02 with your general wheelbase. A rally car is pretty much an on road car with raised ride height so it's fine.

Not sure on your last question. In terms of what works, you'll need to experiment. The joys of fine tuning.

I reread your initial question. If you flip the rear hubs this can lower the back. The fronts can be lowered too with the different arrangement at the arms - check the manual as it mentions it there.

I'm just trying to confirm the particular model of TRFs and the springs as being a match in the first place, and then assuming that if they are, they are suitable for putting on the TT-02.

You have the short shocks but not the short spring sets. This may be why you're having ride height issues. I suggest you look into the short spring set Tamiya part #53333 and if that does not get you low enough then you might also look at getting the lower shock spring retainers that also drop 1mm, Tamiya part #53876.

Hi Steve - thanks. It's my understanding that these particular TRFs are the new "short" dampers like that come on the TB04, but use the standard length touring car springs. The shorter length is achieved by the top cap height. I think there may have been an actual short damper too, that was not for minis, but was scrapped in favor of the full stroke version with the shorter cap.

The spring set with the extra hard ones (4 pairs) looked exactly the same as the ones on the car in height and shape when comparing the yellow colored ones to the box supplied white ones with yellow tab. Maybe there is an all-white set that does not include the extra-stiff spring, which are basically the same? I'm about 2mm too high (7mm or so lowest I can go.) Might be the tires.

When I ran a TT-01 I had the same problem with ride height. Never did manage to get it down to 5mm.

It handles great at 6mm front 6.5mm rear or thereabouts. :) I bet it's my tires. I'll run them a bit and see if it makes a difference. Still curious about those springs though. They were the same length as the ones that the dampers came with.

Yeah tires possibly make up 90% of your tuning. For outdoor I would bash around with 34 degree tires and try gripped very well. Also used semi slicks by RIDE. They were more fun for power sliding.

Anyone used a locked front diff for high traction/carpet vs something less like 500k oil. What were your thoughts/preferences?

ok guys i just picked up a tt-02 type e chassis with the vw rocco body. first question is ive seen diff types of tt-02 chassis whats the diff between them all? and 2nd question i plan on using it as a parking lot basher and semi drifter if i trim the lil nubs off on the front arms will it give me more steering? last question in the battery tray there are lil webs for std stick packs can i trim them off so i can fit my lipo pack in and get the battery strap in place? sorry for all the dumb questions this is my first on road set up im mainly a crawler type of guy

A standard TT-02 is will give you a standard on road body.
The TT-02D has reinforced "grey" hubs and I believe ball bearings too, which the standard doesn't and you don't get a body.
The TT-02S has new arms and various other parts and is probably most advanced of them all (should be able to tell a difference in a high traction surface).

Why do you want a strap - is the standard lipo holder not good enough? You could dremel slots to then use battery tape like some previous guys but I think that's unnecessary in a casual sense..

What I learnt from a non racing setup is that I think there are a lot more DONT's than Do's and you can waste a lot of $$ doing this... e.g. I went for a shorty lipo in a mod setup when it wasn't necessary...

Hi,

I think there could be some sort of mistake here mate, I'm fairly certain the TT-02 has not been made in a Type E (only D, R and S). Plus your talking about the tray having bits for stick packs and not fitting a hard pack lipo... Mate I think you've got a TT-01 not a TT-02.
Thankfully there's a lot of similarities and you'll still be happy with the 01 for what you've said you plan to use it for.

Trimming the nubs off may allow for more steering, but you may find you need to go for thinner dogbones / high angle universals in order to achieve this.
As for fitting a hard pack lipo you may just have to go at with a dremel. This is one of the things that was fixed into the TT-02.

No such thing as a dumb question mate.
Enjoy,
Crouch.

Hey all,

Need some help with a couple of TT-02 problems.

Firstly I've got two that have started making a significant rattle from the driveline area. Happens on acceleration and reverse.
Sounds like it's somewhere in the diffs or along the driveshaft but I've exaimined everywhere and can't seem to track it down.
One of them has bearings along the drivetrain the other the stock plastic bushings but both making almost identical noise even after a fesh strip down and clean.
Thoughts?

Secondly I've got one (and I know DJ has had a similar issue) where it pulls significantly to one side.
its quite a significant hard turn mainly when not on power - I've checked for binding in the steering and front uprights, put a servo saver on, put a new servo in, checked the wheels spin freely, checked all the wheels slow down at the same rate when bench testing, checked the drivetrain bearings have no drag, no missing teeth on any cog or in the diffs, the servo seems to centre reasonably well and am now in the process of stripping the driveline and diffs.
This diffs do feel a bit gritty so I might fully clean them but does anyone else have any suggestions on where I can look to find the source of this problem? Is there any chance it could be my radio gear?

Many thanks in advance.
Crouch