The TCS rules state that the ONLY UNALLOWED HOP-UPS are the following...

* NO carbon shock towers
* NO aluminum shocks

Damn near everything else Tamiya sells for the TT-02, TT-02R, or TT-02RR is fair game. (NO Type S or SRX variants, however)

OK. I'll get the Universals.

I would check with your local track. Our local rules specifically say that the only changes allowed are ball bearings, servo horn, screws and alum center driveline (and spec tires).

As a side note, when the discussion of TT-02 dog bones comes up there is usually a group of folks that respond "don't crash" or "stop crashing" as the answer to the dog bones ejecting from the car.......

The reality is, most of the dog bone failures I experienced were from being hit, spun out or crashed into head on.....not me just randomly hitting the wall etc. So it kinda sucks when someone else crashes into you in minute 1 of a heat and you are done based on a somewhat problematic design easily solved with the addition of a set of Tamiya universals.

So when I read "don't crash", I interpret that as "I don't race and I know this is the internet knee-jerk flex response"..... YMMV

For close to the last 8 yrs, I've sporadically club a raced a TT-02 in one form or another (stock TT-02, TT-02R). I don't recall ever having lost a dog bone from any impact with another car or wall.
I am not minimizing or refuting anyone else's experience, simply offering another perspective.
It could be that the track we've always had, at the former and current club, was indoor and relatively smaller than an outdoor venue. Black carpet, tight and twisty, = slower average speeds.
I built my last TT-02R for USGT, just to prove a point at the track (used the Fantom 21.5 with permission because the USGT spec motors were hard to come by at the time). Giving the transmitter to one of our Top Dawgs, he was able to lap just more than a second off his Xray's pace! So the next club race I ran the car just for giggles....
It was hoooked up! couldn't believe how well it carved up the carpet.
Additionally, I've always been very generous with the size and firmness of the foam bumpers I mount, making sure to form and fill the entire space beneath the body.
However, I do agree that the front universals are an excellent hop-up to eliminate any nuisance faults, and are a good insurance investment for big races.

Installed some YR 55mm shocks and just to get the included springs to even touch I have to adjust the collar all the way down. Looking through the thread most people have the collar near the top. Reluctant to buy any more shocks till I figure out why. Should I just buy longer springs? Can’t see a benefit if I’m adjusting all one way.

Can you post a picture? I run the 50mm on my 3 tt02 and to get a 5mm or so ride height, I only have to them about half way or so depending on the car and its weight.

Any higher and the springs don’t touch. I just rebuilt the shocks and there is minimal rebound as well.

What kind of ride height are you getting?

12mm with the shocks as they are.

set the car down and then adjust the shocks, it sounds like you have the car up in the air when your adjusting the shocks.

*(In regards to Simple's pic) Nice setup. Your front tires should switched to the opposite side. They are facing the wrong direction.

It was a year ago, and yah, I noticed after I snapped the pic.
I had quickly mounted the wheels to get a weight on the car.

IceBreakerCB,

Just like with the Tamiya oil-filled shocks, you need to add a spacer under the piston to reduce the length, lower the car and reduce the droop. Once you do that, the pre-load retainer will be moved up like how you see others.

A slightly different perspective.. it really is only a problem for the stock TT02.. Type R, S, RR, SRX all don't use the plastic dog bones that like to pop out. That said, we run box stock TT02 not so much as a beginner class but as a low cost 'rubbing is racing' class.. beginners are of course welcome.. but it is sometimes more demolition derby than 'serious racing'.. everyone running a track knows.. it's all about the numbers.. you need to get people through that door.. and these days the basher community is much larger than the racer community.. folks are having a great time.. and the hobby shop sells a lot parts.. for us the main reason for allowing and selling CVDs is so we don't have people out on the track all the time looking for missing dog bones and drive cups..