Tamiya mini cooper
Tech Rookie
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 11
Last week did a full shock rebuild on my M05 swift body...pulled the dampers out, refilled with oil, hard springs up front, medium on rear, put new shimizu tyres on, hard up front medium on rear.
Hit the track and as soon as I turn a corner the car spins 180 on itself. Tried all kinds of shock adjustments including winding them fully down to eliminate as much play as possible. Same problem. Put hard springs on the rear as well as front, problem started to subside a little but too much turn it still spun.
Then went back to my old rear tyres (also medium) and the problem pretty much went away, except it was grip rolling. I adjusted the Tx settings and swapped grip rolling for slow cornering. I'm now wondering if the medium tyres really are medium...
Can't figure out what else might be the problem and have another meet tonight on the same setup, so expecting more of the same tonight...Finicky things lol.
Hit the track and as soon as I turn a corner the car spins 180 on itself. Tried all kinds of shock adjustments including winding them fully down to eliminate as much play as possible. Same problem. Put hard springs on the rear as well as front, problem started to subside a little but too much turn it still spun.
Then went back to my old rear tyres (also medium) and the problem pretty much went away, except it was grip rolling. I adjusted the Tx settings and swapped grip rolling for slow cornering. I'm now wondering if the medium tyres really are medium...
Can't figure out what else might be the problem and have another meet tonight on the same setup, so expecting more of the same tonight...Finicky things lol.
The only good thing about those wheels is that they stopped making them. Try somewhere like RCMart and buy 8 wheels for under $10. Don't buy into Tamiya's "reinforced" parts, or at least not the gears and wheels.
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 3,549
From: Melbourne, Australia. Home of rc-mini.net
Jim is 150% correct. (All hail the Monkey!)
The Tamiya 'reinforced' bits are designed only to reinforce the feeling of fullness in Tamiyas bank account.
The parts themselves (especially the wheels as Bob has already pointed out) are complete and utter shite.
The Tamiya 'reinforced' bits are designed only to reinforce the feeling of fullness in Tamiyas bank account.
The parts themselves (especially the wheels as Bob has already pointed out) are complete and utter shite.
Tech Elite

Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,367
Last week did a full shock rebuild on my M05 swift body...pulled the dampers out, refilled with oil, hard springs up front, medium on rear, put new shimizu tyres on, hard up front medium on rear.
Hit the track and as soon as I turn a corner the car spins 180 on itself. Tried all kinds of shock adjustments including winding them fully down to eliminate as much play as possible. Same problem. Put hard springs on the rear as well as front, problem started to subside a little but too much turn it still spun.
Then went back to my old rear tyres (also medium) and the problem pretty much went away, except it was grip rolling. I adjusted the Tx settings and swapped grip rolling for slow cornering. I'm now wondering if the medium tyres really are medium...
Can't figure out what else might be the problem and have another meet tonight on the same setup, so expecting more of the same tonight...Finicky things lol.
Hit the track and as soon as I turn a corner the car spins 180 on itself. Tried all kinds of shock adjustments including winding them fully down to eliminate as much play as possible. Same problem. Put hard springs on the rear as well as front, problem started to subside a little but too much turn it still spun.
Then went back to my old rear tyres (also medium) and the problem pretty much went away, except it was grip rolling. I adjusted the Tx settings and swapped grip rolling for slow cornering. I'm now wondering if the medium tyres really are medium...
Can't figure out what else might be the problem and have another meet tonight on the same setup, so expecting more of the same tonight...Finicky things lol.
I'm guessing PS 60D tires, Tamiya Mini springs, outdoor asphalt track. Also #456 and 454 PS tires with the insert that came with the tire. The only time I had a problem like yours with Pit Shimizu tires is when I got them mixed up and put the hards, #456, on the rear and the med, #454, on the fronts. Also the foam inserts that come with the tire are too soft. If you got the tires mixed up there is no way to distinguish which is which-----I know from embarrassing experience. Unless you can find a durometer.
You could run a set of PS #452 in the rear and use your present tires in front if you got them mixed up. I generally use the 452 in the rear unless temperatures are in the 100+ range. The 454 is usually too hard of a cpd for a rear tire.
Grip rolling is, contrary to popular belief, not fixed by going to a harder spring. Softer springing, especially in front, is more helpful.
Tech Regular
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 281
From: ontario canada
Tech Regular
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 281
From: ontario canada
Pit Shimizu make a 60D and a 55D tire. Tamiya alone makes at least 4 different spring sets for the Mini. What kind of track?????? Shocks were rebuilt, but what kind and how????? Also, this or a similar question has been answered many times in the last month.
I'm guessing PS 60D tires, Tamiya Mini springs, outdoor asphalt track. Also #456 and 454 PS tires with the insert that came with the tire. The only time I had a problem like yours with Pit Shimizu tires is when I got them mixed up and put the hards, #456, on the rear and the med, #454, on the fronts. Also the foam inserts that come with the tire are too soft. If you got the tires mixed up there is no way to distinguish which is which-----I know from embarrassing experience. Unless you can find a durometer.
You could run a set of PS #452 in the rear and use your present tires in front if you got them mixed up. I generally use the 452 in the rear unless temperatures are in the 100+ range. The 454 is usually too hard of a cpd for a rear tire.
Grip rolling is, contrary to popular belief, not fixed by going to a harder spring. Softer springing, especially in front, is more helpful.
I'm guessing PS 60D tires, Tamiya Mini springs, outdoor asphalt track. Also #456 and 454 PS tires with the insert that came with the tire. The only time I had a problem like yours with Pit Shimizu tires is when I got them mixed up and put the hards, #456, on the rear and the med, #454, on the fronts. Also the foam inserts that come with the tire are too soft. If you got the tires mixed up there is no way to distinguish which is which-----I know from embarrassing experience. Unless you can find a durometer.
You could run a set of PS #452 in the rear and use your present tires in front if you got them mixed up. I generally use the 452 in the rear unless temperatures are in the 100+ range. The 454 is usually too hard of a cpd for a rear tire.
Grip rolling is, contrary to popular belief, not fixed by going to a harder spring. Softer springing, especially in front, is more helpful.
The Sabre etc could be using std plastic gears, only in black.
Tech Elite

Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,367
I installed a set in my M05 about 2yrs ago, maybe a little less or maybe a little more than. Still there, working fine. Can't say that they are better or worse than the standard set. The standard gears last a long time also. Just don't hit anything with the power on and they should last nearly forever.
Tech Regular
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 281
From: ontario canada
For me, the stock gears last a really long long time. For the price, I keep a set of new ones in stock, but there shouldn't be any reason to get different gears. The reinforced gear set was a gimmick Tamiya put out. just like the reinforced wheels, the reinforced TC parts, anything reinforced. Its crap. Oh, and stay away from the carbon shafts...... I also use the 3 racing oil gear diff, and a Tamiya hardened 20t pinion. A little silicon spray in there, and its relatively quiet (for m chassis standards) and hasn't been touched or looked at in a year or two.
The Sabre etc could be using std plastic gears, only in black.
The Sabre etc could be using std plastic gears, only in black.
Well I already ordered them so we will see. Info aquired lol. Now axle...the gear oil diff. What do u recommend for a set up for that. I think I'm leaning towards that over a ball diff. What should I lo out for as far as install..oil weight...bearing/bushing setup etc...
This is the diff here
Note the mention of the required bearings.....
Reinforced gears aren't any better, just noisier and they don't fit the m03 very well. They're not terrible - just not better than stock. Regular gears and a good pinion should last ages. The set pictured have a whole season on them. Practice, racing, crashing...
Tech Adept
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 124



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