[PSA] Don't bother with the Ti/Hard/Slippery hinge pins
 

I had the opportunity to upgrade my hinge pins to the hard, gold coated ones and thought I'd do so because I've suffered some pitting in the stainless ones.

It's not worth it unless you're sponsored by Tamiya and can replace them with every few packs.

After two packs mine have grooves in the gold down to the silver and actually feel rougher (over the groove) than the stainless ones ever did. They suffer vicious wear on all the contact points.

All of mine (and I got the small outer ones as well) are showing large amounts of visible silver after just two runs.

Have pics if you need them to be convinced but let my expense be a fair warning to you all. They're a complete farce.

Did you fit them new with new wishbones and lubricate them?

Mine seemed to last quite well...!

Not just new wishbones but I hand-bored them and used new pivot caps and good lube... all of them are screwed, not just one or two so they clearly have their limitations.

I'm glad to hear that some people get their value out of them, they may just have a more limited operating window than I need.

I have used them with all my TRF cars so far but i also used new wishbones not standard type but the soft 501 arms on the 4wd and the rear of the 201. Some have been is situ for over a year with no problems so far. I just clean as much as i can after every race and heat.

I guess the type of tracks and sort of dust/dirt could wear the shafts.


jK

really why bother? it is not like you will get extra performance out of them....

On the TC and DB01 I used drill blanks, cheaper, far easier to get and only need a dremmel to fit.

I was in Hong Kong at the time and as s I'd bent the standard ones, I jumped on a train and popped in to rc mart and got a set. So far I've not bent any of the shafts and I've had a few crashes that broke front and rear arms.

Like most things in this hobby its down to personal choice, I've forgotten I had them fitted until I read this.

jK

I was under the impression that the arm rotates inside the fluorine-coated balls at the end of the shaft (tee hee). Not inside the arm itself. I always use anti-wear inside and outside on the balls. I've never used the gold shafts, so I can't comment on wear of the titan coating.