Tamiya Must Have Hop-Ups – Take It To The Next Level

Tamiya Must Have Hop-Ups – Take It To The Next Level

Do you own one, or more (like me) of the many kits that Tamiya offers?  Then you know how much fun and how well detailed their kits are.  Never leaving well enough alone, I tend to tinker and hop these vehicles up shortly after each has been used for a time or 2.  So, I’ve decided to list a few of what I consider the must-have hop-ups for 4 (It was tough limiting this to just 4 vehicles!) of my favorite Tamiya kits.

With 5 variations including kits and RTRs, the 2wd buggy style DT-03 chassis is used on several popular off road vehicles like the Racing Fighter, Neo Fighter and DT-03T Aqroshot stadium truck.

DT03 Stabilizer (Sway Bar) Set – Front/Rear – Installing these sway bars to the front and rear of your DT-03 chassis will reduce chassis roll and provide a better-balanced driving experience with quicker cornering.  The set includes 2 differing stiffness of stabilizer for both the front and rear, allowing you to fine-tune you specific DT-03 to the driving conditions.

DT03 CVA Damper (Shock) Set – This well-priced set of oil-filled shock for the DT-03 comes with everything needed to upgrade from the stock units.  It comes with 2 short shocks for the front of the DT-03 and 2 long shocks for the back end.  The set even comes with springs and oil.

DT03 Full Turnbuckle Set – Compatible with all versions of the DT-03, this set contains 6 turnbuckles to replace the upper arms and tie-rods throughout DT-03 buggy chassis, allowing finer adjustment to tune your buggy to any condition.  The kit includes all hardware needed as well as a turnbuckle wrench.

DT03 Aluminum Servo Mount – This rigid aluminum mount anodized in Tamiya blue can be used to secure the steering servo in the DT-03 firmly without fear of it coming loose and to eliminate any unwanted flex.  It installs fairly easily and comes with all necessary hardware.

The M series from Tamiya is beyond popular and with over a dozen variations, the M-05 Mini from Tamiya might be small, but its been hugely popular for a long while now.  This front wheel drive on road machine has fully independent suspension and the most basic versions come with friction shocks.

M05 Carbon Fiber Rear Damper Stay (Shock Tower) – This 3mm thick carbon fiber shock tower can be fitted to the M-05 chassis in place of the stock plastic unit to provide greatly enhanced rigidity resulting in improved shock performance. In addition, it features several different shock mounting positions to aid in tuning.

M05 Aluminum Motor Plate – This M-05 Aluminum Motor Plate comes anodized in Tamiya blue, is more rigid that the stock motor plate and helps efficiently disperses heat build-up from the motor to help the motor run cool and efficiently.

M05 Stabilizer (Sway Bar) Set – Front/Rear – To help eliminate body role and increase cornering speed the M05 Stabilizer Set is a must-have.  The set comes with both hard and soft bars for the front and rear of the M-05 as well as all other required hardware.

M Chassis Aluminum Damper (Shock) Set – This set of shocks specifically for the M-Chassis (M-03, M-04, M-05 and M-06) are 2mm shorter than other oil-filled shocks.  Because of this, the chassis’ ride height is lowered and shock stroke can be more accurately customized. A hard black coating to each shock body reduces friction and serves as a cool contrast to the blue upper and lower caps and included white springs.

With over a half dozen variation, the TB-03 chassis set from Tamiya offers something drifters, racers and more.  This 4wd shaftdriven on road machine has independent suspension, a tub style chassis and is rather easy to wrench on.  Here are some of the option parts That will turn a plane Jane of a TB-03 into some special.

TB03 Aluminum Spur Gear Mount – Compatible with all versions of the TB-03, the blue anodized Aluminum spur gear mount increases efficiency as it improves the rigidity of the spur gear so it runs truer helping eliminate any unwanted friction.

TB03 Front One Way Unit – Utilizing a precision aluminum housing and featuring integrated one-way bearings, the front one way unit for the TB-03 also comes with new outdrives and gears. Ideal for use on ultra-high traction surfaces, using a front way will allow for increased cornering speeds, although it sacrifices the ability to have 4-wheel braking.

TB03 Aluminum Motor Mount – This precision made blue anodized aluminum motor mount is ideal for all variations of the TB-03.  Not only does it look phenomenal, it is considerably stronger than the unit it replaces, it aids in heat dispensation from the motor and increases overall rigidity of the chassis.

TB03 Aluminum Universal – Propeller Shaft Set – A must have upgrade if using a low-turn motor, this center driveshaft is precision made from aluminum and the CD style joint cup effectively transfers power from high-output motors and enhances reliability.

The XV-01 chassis set from Tamiya is very versatile and is ideal for on road and light off road applications.  The unique chassis has a forward mounted motor, belt driven 4wd drivetrain and the battery loads into the bottom of the chassis.

Touring Car Aeration Damper (Shocks) – Originally designed for the high end TRF417 V5  4WD touring car, these aeration type oil filled shocks allows the XV-01 to more effectively react to variable and low-grip environments, making them ideal for such a versatile vehicle.

XV-01 Aluminum Steering Arms (Bellcrank) – To help the XV-01 carve corners with precision, theses aluminum steering bellcranks are a must.  Made from precision machined aluminum and anodized in Tamiya blue, they have no flex like the stock plastic units and install fairly easily.

XV-01 Alum Steering Bridge – This Aluminum Steering Bridge is the perfect compliment to the Aluminum Steering Arms (Bellcrank).  It is a direct replacement for the stock plastic unit and will help improve steering response as it very rigid and eliminate a great deal of flex.

XV01 Front Universal Driveshafts – These universal driveshafts the front of the Tamiya XV-01 and XV-01T chassis improve drivetrain efficiency, improve power transfer to the front wheels and reduce the tendency of dog-bone type driveshafts to pop out should the vehicle crash.

What Tamiya vehicles do you own?  What hop-ups have you added and feel are most necessary for optimum performance?  Let us know so we can share your fellow Tamiya fanatics!