Tamiya MB01- small RC car big problems -

The Tamiya MB-01 is the latest M-chassis Car from Tamiya and Carl plans to take it racing to see how it compares the legendary M03 and some of the other Tamiya M -Chassis cars that have graced us over the years.
Massive thank you to Rochester RC for helping to keep us racing. This car plus loads of other goodies are available at Rochester RC, use discount code: PopalongRC for a discount at the checkout : rochesterrc.uk...
In this video we finally get it to the race track and it does not go to plan... Not all cars are designed to be raced is the conclusion. such a promising platform with a disappointing outcome
There are a few issues we have already noticed and it is something that we need to think about ... is it redeemable...
With all Tamiya cars it is essential that you get it ball raced so check out RCbearings.co.uk

[@jozimoto]

Newby racers need a rugged/durable chassis and somewhat precise steering/suspension that is at least consistent. If the car breaks too easy frustration will set in. You shoudn't have to upgrade to get that. Keeping Initial cost low is important to keep em coming back to race. Great video as usual!👍😁

[@PopalongRC]

Cheers buddy Disappointing really

[@sayaka8587]

Thanks for the informative video, was thinking of getting a MB01 but maybe not now. Might get a M 05 and have a go in next years iconic cup. Love all the popalong content

[@PopalongRC]

Remember the discount code popalongrc at Rochester RC

[@andrewtimar3785]

yep, those suspension balls popped out on me too, literally, just after building it, I put it on the bench and "pop" both rear lower balls came out. I did put the tt02 low friction suspension ball (metal) which seemed to help. But I have not run it yet.

[@rcboughtandrebuild9269]

The question is... Do or does TAMIYA ever listen to all that problem? I don't think they ever review the design before they let it out in the market. Nice review sir. Have a great day

[@PopalongRC]

Hmmmmm Well I know they don’t listen to us because if they did we would have a M03 there by now

[@jasonkessinger8062]

We used to race the TT02 and it was the same... Tamiya looks cool, but really fun to race cause too fragile. I think the traxxas latraxx rally with good tires would be more fun that tamiya on a small carpet track and def not as fragile.

[@PopalongRC]

We ran the latraxx but not available in UK anymore

[@k1e1v1i1n]

this is heartbreaking i was hoping this would be the new m03 :(

[@allanritchie1539]

I put a washer in between the bolt and the cup to help keep them in place.

[@PopalongRC]

Need to go get some washers

[@yorintheplace]

Maybe a similar fix is possible from the tt-02 chassis. Put a washer on top of the ball joints of the suspension.

[@PopalongRC]

Washers would be my go to …

[@louiscastero6566]

Nice MB01 sharing many hidden problem, so I may need to consider getting one. *looking forward for the M05. Thanks mate~

[@bluegroovemodelsports9650]

Go go Popalong crew. Great video

[@PopalongRC]

Cheers Blue

[@stevemoon2136]

That's a real pity, was looking forward to adding one of these to my collection. Thanks for the info.

[@PopalongRC]

I might have built it wrong and therefore it might be okn

[@JoseRamos-su3ep]

If Tamiya would review the design flaw of the suspension balls, they should be able to address that with something like the HotShot has….captured king pin suspension balls! 😎👍

[@PopalongRC]

Not a fan of the hotshot option myself

[@Eriyo2000]

tamiya sells metal balls for the TT02 that fit this, it doesn't stop it being a weak point and this was my concern when i first saw the car as well. but it should help. "Low friction suspension ball tt02"

[@PopalongRC]

Awesome already looking in to it

[@winteronice]

M-05R chassis with the 2CV is on my x-mas list.

[@PopalongRC]

M05 is on the list… along with so many

[@winteronice]

@@PopalongRC mine is shorter, but i'm only getting back into the hobby after a almost 2 decade break. But bringing my oldest son along this time. He gets a Buggy. Something good for bashing.

[@UKGtrotter2k]

M-05R is a good chassis especially if you like rallying and the 2CV body looks good too, I built up my dad's for him.

[@zeno6111753]

I have never owned a Tamiya car myself. But every time someone starts to talk about a fun on the side class like the TT-02s or M-chassis, the more experiences guys comes in and shoots it down. They say that if you are to race Tamiya cars you have to buy the car, and spend just as much, if not more, on upgrades to get it to run good. This model seems to be one of those sadly, any comments on other Tamiya chassis?

[@PopalongRC]

The only bad thing I can say about the Tamiya M03 is …. They don’t make them anymore Tamiya have a place in the race scene of our hobby and have got many racers involved …

[@cutterbacon]

Tamiya tt01 is awesome chassis.

[@ventisette.]

If you buy something like a TA08, M07/08 or the TRF cars they are just fine. TT02 and other crap like this belong in the plastic recycling bin. Any decent Chinese RTR car provides better performance and value for half the price.

[@cutterbacon]

@@ventisette. Traxxas lover.

[@ventisette.]

@@cutterbacon no! Traxxas is a disgusting company with disgusting practices. That said I do not like some of Tamiya’s platforms (like the TT series or this MB shit), they are extremely under-engineered and overpriced. Honestly they should just sell the bodyshells by themselves since their entry level platforms are not good for anything other than static display.

[@wayneyates700]

That's way too much slop, the kit shouldn't have been sold it that state👎..and there was me thinking the tt02 was the slop king☹️🤦. Giving it to Rochester RC is a great idea as they have been very generous to you guys and other channels 👍👍

[@PopalongRC]

I’ll have a chat with them

[@supergreg72]

Very good review, thank you from canada 🍁

[@barrycheesemore2928]

Those suspension balls are hopeless, I found the same with the TT-01E truck that I had. It did the same as your MB-01, so I swapped out the plastic balls for metal ones and it was no longer an issue. The big problem with a lot of Tamiya chassis designs is that they're designed primarily for fun and not racing. I used to race an M-07 and it was superb, didn't need a lot doing to make it very competitive, and I actually ran it with a 13.5t brushless setup for a few weeks and it held it's own. Give the MB-01 a chance, I'm sure it'll eventually come good!!

[@PopalongRC]

Do I want to spend the money on it though….

[@barrycheesemore2928]

@@PopalongRC The metal pivot balls are not that expensive, but to get a Tamiya to top spec could cost a small fortune.....

[@RichardTardif1984]

Thanks for pointing out the flaws. Sort of a well needed PSA. Definitely going to avoid it.

[@PopalongRC]

Cheap fix I think

[@rexrcs]

Yea…i got to inspect and drive one recently…not impressed with the play

[@PopalongRC]

The shell is nice

[@johnnyhaberfield721]

Too much rust 😊.Good idea to give back to Rochester RC.✌️

[@PopalongRC]

Cheers Johnny

[@RCCARGEEK]

looks great but sad to see it not work like you manted it to

[@PopalongRC]

Actually nice to drive but ball joints too weak

[@davidwatson22]

Not been racing for a year now , the guys at the club did mention the MB01 was coming out, bit of a shame regarding the slop , I was running the M07 indoors but the M05 was far quicker in the corners . Enjoy your new Schumacher LD3. I was useless at offroad😂

[@PopalongRC]

Hoping to fix some of the slop but will have to wait and see…

[@davidwatson22]

@@PopalongRC you should get on well with the LD3 always found the Schumachers to be a good race car but can be fragile, have ran the M1,M2 &m5. The last one I did not like. Off road had a cat, and a cougar . Not had a go with any of the newer cars but they do look to handle well on track. Schumacher are always developing their chassis which is good but can get expensive keeping up with it. I'm finding the costs of the new kits to be extortionate it's only Tamiya that allows a cheep entry to the hobby of 1:10 racing .

[@rlw85]

I’ve got one of the late 90s early 2000s minis in the loft

[@PopalongRC]

They are classics

[@rlw85]

@@PopalongRC can you still get the bits for them the front end needs refurbishing and a new shell it never really went in a straight line but it was very good at burn outs and under steering

[@bluegroovemodelsports9650]

Maybe they will have aluminum front arms soon

[@PopalongRC]

Think it is the steering mechanism that needs the work

[@bradkalman2353]

Hope Tamiya finds a fix for all those problems.

[@PopalongRC]

I think they are out there but if I’m not racing it I’m not sure if I want to spend the money….

[@Gavs_rc_hobbies]

Wow Tamiya really dropped the ball on this one. Glad I got one of my mates to get an M05 instead for racing.

[@PopalongRC]

M05 is a solid option

[@allanritchie1539]

You cold replace the with the arms for the TT02 S suspension arms as another option, which would also give you the adjustable camber adjustment. You would need the uprights to go with this option.

[@PopalongRC]

Not sure they would fit as much narrower than TT02

[@Pablo668]

Yeah that's disappointing. Certain things should be a minimum out of the box. You shouldn't have to do an upgrade to get a chassis functional.

[@PopalongRC]

Yep

[@UKGtrotter2k]

I've just built my MB-01 and replaced the front plastic P7 suspension balls with the tt02 hop up ones and just ordered another set cause the rear lower suspension balls keep popping out under suspension travel load.

[@PopalongRC]

At least it is not just me then… thought I’d built it wrong …

[@UKGtrotter2k]

I was thinking of using a big enough washer on the bottom arms to stop them popping out but might get the tt02 aluminium adjustable arms, I Only got the MB-01 cause I don't really want to run my 1995 M-02 version in the street. Tamiya really need to look into this issue as they seem fine on the TT01 & TT02.

[@neal594]

The Tt02 stainless ball upgrade is recommended in the instructions and stops the ball ‘drop-out’. Don’t give up on this one, it’s less snap-happy than the MB05…

[@PopalongRC]

Might look into the ball … but not sure if there is much that can be done with all the slop

[@neal594]

@@PopalongRC the balls help, and no doubt there will be further aluminium upgrades. At the moment the balls are part 54559, but hard to find. You need 2 sets really, but one set would do the lower balls which are prone to ‘popping’. I went full ball race, brushless 2/3s. 3s is mental, and as you say the body is too good to wreck. The forthcoming Alfa would be more realistic that the m06 version (which normally ends up facing the wrong way). I guess a Mini with FF arrangement will be next.

[@mikeymike3240]

What about those low friction pillow balls for the suspension

[@Helghast73]

Big Trouble with a Little Tamiya , what a shame, maybe they’ll do some other parts that’ll make it more racing robust in the future ? seems odd to make your entry into racing a bit frustrating 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@PopalongRC]

I’m guessing it is not designed to be a entry level racer…. Will look into hop ups

[@captainchaos3053]

OK as I have never had an m chassis tamiya I can't be sure but I a fait 500 which was rear wheel drive. Strangle enough they also have some horible handling traits.

[@Mugen-MTC2R]

Tamiya makes horrible racing cars, but i cant help loving Tamiya anyway😂❤

[@PopalongRC]

Guilty as charged

[@m.0716]

The trf 420 is good

[@ventisette.]

The actual racing cars are amazing, the problem is nearly all of the rest…

[@calvinl5726]

L opinion

[@plgridley]

Hi, I have recently got an MB-01 and was a little concerned about the slop and suspension issues that have been highlighted. I’ve managed to remove most of the slop with shims and not had any issues with sus balls popping out after upgrading to the low friction metal ones and using a counter sunk washer and screw. I’ve up loaded a video to show the changes… kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJ_NiKVqdqx1n9Usi=su6NnrK_4vW2_HoC Hopefully helps so people can use them to do some club racing 👍

[@plgridley]

Just a quick add on, I had a successful run at my local club in Dorset (DMCRC) and had no issues with suspension even after the odd bang here and there. Car ran great, steering didn’t always centre perfectly after a bang but was more than manageable. Managed 2nd in the B final 👍

[@PopalongRC]

Glad it is running well

[@adrianharrison5208]

Did ypu move thia on or did you get the metal ball upgrade from Tamiya?

[@PopalongRC]

Currently on display in Rochester RC … when I get the up grades it will return to the track

[@adrianharrison5208]

@@PopalongRC you seemed to get on well with it, really smooth driving. I know it has its problems but I think I will buy this chassis for an indoor track car

[@cutterbacon]

Seems it requires modding. Are them shims you added binding are the wheels etc turning free? I had a cen mini madness that kept popping wishbones just modded a washer and never popped again. Seems like the chassis is over complicated shame really.

[@PopalongRC]

Not as yet but not run it much

[@formosadowns]

Have you try add on Yeah Racing ALUMINUM hop up parts on MB-01?

[@PopalongRC]

Hope to get them soon

[@VintageJoe1976]

My friend I could hear it in your voice that it pained you not recommending the MB-01. I encountered the same frustrations as you did. My good friend built the BT-01 and unfortunately this chassis suffers the same issue. The only thing going for these chassis variants is the detailed bodies Tamiya is known for. To my understanding, the MB-01 is supposed to be the successor to the M-05 & M-06 chassis. On paper the design and versatility is awesome, just not practical for the seasoned hardcore M-Chassis Racer and sure to frustrate newbies to the Tamiya brand.

[@PopalongRC]

I’m so gutted about it

[@xXYannuschXx]

"To my understanding, the MB-01 is supposed to be the successor to the M-05 & M-06 chassis." - They should have just made an M09 and M10. Or pair this body with an M08.

[@brianlangford7278]

Never understood them,super expensive, got put together myself,n break if you look at them

[@PopalongRC]

Hahaha I quite enjoy the build process but also like the convenience of RTR

[@ianski68]

Gift the car to a Christmas raffle at an RC club 👍 especially if it’s for a charity.

[@PopalongRC]

We will look into the raffle option.

[@xXYannuschXx]

Imho: Tamiya should just stop making "toy quality" rc cars. They can make really good RCs as shown with the XV02, TA08, M07/08, etc. THIS is just hurting their reputation and burning new rc drivers.

[@alvarodeelias1727]

why don't you buy the metal balls to avoid popping out? It's a must do also for TT02 and is less than 5 pounds mate

[@PopalongRC]

Planning to do a few upgrades

[@ninotocka]

Typical tamiya, I'd rather put it on a shelf than drive it

[@PopalongRC]

😂 haha

[@everwrathfan666]

Don't blame tamiya's brilliant design on your poor driving abilities

[@PopalongRC]

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

[@craigpimlott204]

I’d rather stick to the mardave racing .non of this falling to bits nonsense ..we even use them for bangers and even then they are more reliable and stronger than tamiya’s weak efforts ..

[@PopalongRC]

Mardave is a great racing platform.