DB-01 front hex's

[Hog]

In between finishing my last race on Wednesday evening, and checking over my car today, one of the front hex's has snapped in half and is binding up the drive to that wheel.

1. Anyone know where I can get some replacements?
2. Why on earth didn't Tamiya go for the more common 12mm hex favouring a tine 10mm version? Does seem like a poor deisgn as the hex's are hardly "robust".

Cheers,
Dave.

[simoncook]

I've had exactly the same problem!! Tried everywhere, then I someone showed me this:

http://www.racingfactory.fi/shop2/ca...ils.php?p=1379

These guys are good, I ordered 2 pairs, took about 3 days from payment to my order arriving.

Hope this helps.

[sim]

When I first built the car, I thought the hexes were plastic pieces, so I just put the pins on the axle and snapped the hexes on. The hexes are actually metal, so they were obviously not meant to bend back and forth like that. Then I realised you were supposed to mount the hexes first and then carefully align the hex holes with the axle holes and push the pin through. Since I started putting them on the proper way, I've not had trouble with them.

Not to accuse anybody else of being as dumb as I was, but just thought I'd mention my experience with them.

[ruf]

As I understand it, the front hex size has been pretty much standardized among competition 4WD offroad buggies. There are only a few out there that have the oddball touring car size hex (Kyosho), and they offer conversion hexes.

[Hog]

I'm well aware the hex goes on before the pin, but it really doesn't seem man enough for the job in hand. The whole hex is no more than 2mm thick, of which half of that is drilled out for the pin. Surely it would have been wiser to have a thicker drive hex and alter the wheel offset?

[DCM]

I have run mine all year, since the car first came out, and never broke one (5.5, lipo and high grip circuits). So I dunno what you guys are doing to snap one, except if you haven't tightened the wheel nut before a run, the hex jumps half a flat, then you have tightenned it.....

[simoncook]

I busted one of mine, when my gorrilla grip over tightened the wheel nut. Yes I know I'm an animal!! Lesson learnt though

[SidewaysLS4]

Yep, this noob snapped both of them also...didnt realize the pin goes on AFTER the hex . Lesson learned, the new set have yet to break, but I have a spare set just in case.

[Hog]

Wheels were nice and tight, and the car was fine when it was last run. As it said it seems to have snapped while the car was in transit somehow .

Where did you guys order your replacements from - I'm having a job locating any in my area and will have to order online I guess.

[DCM]

see post 2 above....

If your concerned, place some shims over the axle, so there is no play between the hex and the outer bearing.

[bender]

I think I may have mentioned this on another thread but putting some extra shims in between the hex and the outer wheels bearing (like DCM said above) will go a long way to fix any issues with the kit hexes.

There are two faults with the hexes as standard:
1. The are a loose fit over the axle which allows them to rock and twist on the pin under the force of the wheel moving around.
2. They are not supported evenly when you tighten the wheel because as you tighten the wheel you are applying pressure primarily to the area of the hex which contacts the pin. Effectively you are trying to "bend" the hex around the pin.

By adding shims between the hex and the outer bearing, you are removing the ability of the hex to move around and when the wheel is tightened the hex will have even pressure because it is now being supported by the inner race of the outer bearing.

Easier to do than to describe

[Hog]

Thanks for the tip Bender - will follow that when I get new hexes.

Seems a shame I will have to order from the USA (as above link) - is there no UK supplier carrying spares? Time is of the essence!

[DCM]

try these guys http://www.fusionhobbies.com/Tamiya-.../ta9804313.htm very good they are too

[Hog]

Thanks for that DCM! Duly ordered

[DCM]

no worries... they are good people there, and they are only stifled by the price Hobby Co force them to charge....

[Hog]

Must admit I was expecting to pay £10 for those considering the US price on the other link was $5.90. Pleasant surprise to see only £3.85 plus £1.50 postage.

[AaronR]

I'll chime in here as I too have broken one of these metal hexes. I do tighten the wheel nuts fairly tight since no one likes to destroy a wheel from a loose or missing nut. I replace the nuts often also... fresh nylon on new nuts is always good! Sounds funny eh? :O

So, I broke one at our Tamiya Championship Series race we had back in February, so I showed it to the TamiyaUSA rep we had running the race weekend and he said he would ship me a new pair when they got back to California. Luckily, I had spares, due to me thinking I would lose them somewhere in the future. Well, instead of losing one, I broke one! Anyway, about 2 weeks later, they arrived! Needless to say, I ordered one or two extra pair as I knew they had a chance of breaking again!

The shim idea sounds good! I'll have to look for some when I get home.

[DCM]

another tip, for those having wheels vibrate loose, shim up the axle, put the hex on, put the wheel on then, before winding the nut on, put a drop of threadlock on the nut, and then wind the nut on, since I done that, not had a nut come loose!

[Spr0k3t]

Thank god my nuts are still in the same place...

Seriously though, I've got a wobbler on the front left wheel and can't figure out why it's so loose. I changed out the bone to a CVD and it's still a little wobbly. It doesn't matter which wheel I use. Does this mean the hub carrier needs to be replaced?

On another note: After toying around with my B44, it looks like the rear CVDs for the B44 will fit the rear DB01. The hub is a little longer and slightly more robust (but with an imperial thread rather than the better metric thread). The hub also has one extra feature and that's a pin retainer. To the eyeball-o-meter, it should fit.

[DCM]

you would have to do the hub too I am afraid, as the axle is imperial if I remember right!