Tamiya DT-03 (& DT-02) Best Basic Upgrades x 2: Metal Ball Bearings & Steel Pinion

[@PeteWylieRC]

Very nice Mikael. It makes me laugh that the Tamiya 'Expert Built' cars don't have bearings. Any expert should know they are pretty much essential! If you have to end up taking the car apart then you may as well get the kit unless you really don't like painting the bodies. I think you were saying in a previous video that this was a bargain so worth getting if that's the case. Anyway, hope you are having a good weekend mate. Best wishes to you and yours 🙂

[@NordicRC]

Hi Pete! Ha ha, yeah, well apart from the body and shocks it’s nearly faster to build a DT-03 kit and add bearings along the way … than disassembling and assembling an XB or X-SA. I was actually hoping they would start adding bearings in the new X-SA models. But no. Tamiya refuses to enter the new millennium 😅 Good weekend so far. No RC’ing. The son is into football and handball 😅😅😅

[@PeteWylieRC]

@Jesskha oh yeah I like those Carson ESC's too 👍

[@Tamichtube]

Yeah not wanting to deal with decals and paint is exactly the reason I got the x-sa, building I don't mind as I have several WPLs. And it doesn't hurt it just costs 84 Euros right now, too bad about not getting the torque tuned motor instead of the silver can. So directly to brushless it went 😄

[@NordicRC]

@@Tamichtube Yeah, such an odd choice with the standard silver can. I remember my TT-02B XB coming with a Torque Tuned. So makes no sense.

[@Tamichtube]

@@NordicRC Yeah I mean since the X-SA is on a big sale for below kit price it's fine, but regular price to get the silver can is pretty bad. Well I guess it could be one of the reasons it's on sale. 🤔

[@Tamichtube]

Just changed out all bushings on my Racing Fighter X-SA to bearings with the help of this video, thanks a lot. Gonna enjoy my first drive tomorrow 😄

[@NordicRC]

Nice, Tim! So glad the video was helpful! Makes it all worthwhile. Thank you for the feedback! Have a good run!

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

So glad to see you putting bearings in it. That's the only way to go in my opinion.

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, this is how it actually should have been out-of-the-box. Bearings and steel pinion.

[@JF-RC]

Hi there Mikael, amazing that even after 36 years of Tamiya RC, from my childhood days to now; Tamiya, still are putting these crazy white bushings into kits and XSA’s, I really can’t understand sometimes the Tamiya mentality, there really can’t be that more of a difference in prices for the kit with bearings, to kits with plastic bushings! Really wish Tamiya just ditch the white bushings 😊😊😊great upgrade steps. Look fantastic. Best wishes to you and the family 😊😊

[@NordicRC]

Hi bro! Yeah, one thing I have learned: Tamiya works in mysterious ways and Tamiya never investigates the current market, competitors and Tamiya never listens or communicates with their fans 😅 Best wishes my good friend.

[@MarkBryanRC]

Ahhh - that's better, Mikael! Sometimes, it's not what you can see, but what you can't see that matters! Goodbye, bushings and aluminum pinion, hello bearings and steel! Superbly filmed and presented as ever. Loved the little bit of magic you performed at the end, transforming your DT03 from orange to blue! Enjoyed, my good friend! 😁✌👍

[@NordicRC]

Hi Mark! Thank you my good mate. Yeah, better get the basics right before anything else more visible and shiny 😀 Hope the video will come in handy for beginners that have purchased the X-SA or an XB. Ahh, yeah, good I have no real magic upgrade skills. That would take the fun out of it all 😀

[@hollyhillrc]

I agree with Pete. I also agree with your reply. Enjoy your Sunday Mikael 🙂👍🏼👍🏼

[@NordicRC]

Hi Derek! Nice! We all agree with Pete ☺️ Best of Sundays to you

[@hollyhillrc]

@@NordicRC 🙂👍🏼

[@paulrobinson9355]

That hopped up blue one omg ❤❤❤❤

[@NordicRC]

Hi Paul! Uhh, yeah. Gonna change it some more though. It got some DT-02MS parts that I need for a DT-02MS 😀

[@Chunky246]

A tip from me is to get a couple of 5x11x4 flanged bearings for the front wheels. Put on the inside of the wheel and normal bearing on the outside. Removes all the crazy slop the front wheels have.

[@NordicRC]

Hi Matt. Uhh good tip. I might look into that! Thanks!

[@johnellefa]

Lately (after the jegs stinger) I've been wanting to get a 2wd buggy . Thanks to you, I've now found an inexpensive one that's actually pretty good

[@NordicRC]

So cool! Yeah, 2WD can be fun!

[@madsrcbuggy]

Lovely rubber sealed bearings, also thumbs up from me, plus a nice steel pinion, big thumbs up! A joy to watch as usual, Mikael, have a great rest of the weekend there!

[@NordicRC]

Hi Mads! Yeah, cheap and suitable for a DT-03. The 4 internal bearings (on the gear shafts) should actually be metal sealed, but I ran out of those. But yeah, bearings and a steel pinion and it’s now as it should have been released 😅 Hope you’re having a great weekend by the Thousand Lakes, my friend.

[@roblowrie1969]

Plastic and brass bushings!! The devil's work!! 😆👍🏻

[@NordicRC]

All bushings devil’s work 😅

[@RCBirds]

Great video. Will you present the other updates in a future video? I count metal c-hubs to replace the plastic ones as basic, too😉.

[@NordicRC]

Hi bro. Already done a build video with the blue Racing fighter kit, including upgrades. But plan to do some more, so it will be up soon☺️

[@mathieuquoi6160]

The two plastic gearbox bridges you show at 1:24, replace them with the Tamiya Hop-Up part 54566. It will greatly reinforce the chassis structure.

[@NordicRC]

Ahh, this will stay stock. But got another Racing Fighter. Needs some new parts soon. But yeah. I’ve seen those, but never actually got them. Come spring I will ☺️

[@mathieuquoi6160]

@@NordicRC have you found any solution to the awful understeering tendency of this chassis?

[@NordicRC]

@@mathieuquoi6160 Nope. Any ideas?

[@S.Keenan]

@@mathieuquoi6160 Have you tried sticking some weights on the front end of the chassis?

[@mathieuquoi6160]

@@S.Keenan no, not tried yet. I will try that. Thanks.

[@BasBoyRC]

A blue one as well, MS spec.

[@NordicRC]

Yeah. It had all the MS parts. Slowly changing them now though to ‘normal upgrades’ since I need the parts to restore the old DT-02 MS 😀

[@federicofede4486]

What difference between metal and alluminium pinion gear?

[@NordicRC]

Aluminium is soft. Will wear up and create a metal paste and damage your spur gear over time. Steel is hard.

[@paulblack3608]

I built a Falcon kit in 1987 with these awful white plastic bushings. As a kid I didn't know the difference. The car was ruined after a few drives. The plastic when greased, sucks up dirt and becomes a grinding stone and eats the car's drivetrain from within. Even switching to bearings at that point was useless because the tolerances were wallowed out all over the car. I can't believe Tamiya still sells modern kits with this junk in them. It may add 20-30 bucks to the prices of a kit, but worth every penny to the quality of the vehicle produced. All my kits since then of course are ordered with and get bearings and oil shocks on day one in the build. My 30+ year old RC10 and Ultima still run like new having had bearings since built. My two modern TT02 kits built with bearings and oil shocks since day one run fantastic also. The key: never install those white plastic bushings. Plastic bearings and those awful pogo stick friction shocks have to go away forever. Come on Tamiya, we love your quality, we love your kits. Move them into this century!

[@NordicRC]

Yeah, it’s one of those things: Tamiya works in mysterious ways. I can’t believe it too. Even the cheapest Chinese hobby cars come with bearings these days 💁

[@camrowdrone6497]

😁Enjoyed

[@NordicRC]

Thank you due watching bro!

[@aton00013ify]

這是應該要在一開始組裝時就要直接換的

[@NordicRC]

Impossible on an X-SA 😅

[@bradkalman2353]

I just bought the Tamiya toolkit.

[@NordicRC]

Nice! It’s a good tool kit. The hex’s aren’t that string though

[@bradkalman2353]

@@NordicRC you mean strong.