Would love a TRF 511X BUT!!!!!

[Jan Larsen]

The quality of the car is lightyears above everything else atm. And I'm not saying this just because I'm a fanboy. I've tried many cars over the years and the 511 is without doubt the best car I've ever owned. Af Griff said, the standard ball studs are shit and will need changing to the hard hex ones. The turnbuckles are not very good either, but changing them are more for convinience. The standard ones are plenty strong, but crap to adjust.
The diff is very smooth, but does not last long. Especially on carpet. Its the rings that burn out, but they're only $3 a set.
The standard upper shock mount bushings in plastic will develop slop quickly. These can be replaced with metal ones from the DB01. Inexpensive and much better fit. Last a lifetime.

As for spares; front tower, caster- and steering blocks, diff rings and thats about it.

[c0sie]

Originally Posted by Jan Larsen

The quality of the car is lightyears above everything else atm.

...except...

the standard ball studs are shit and will need changing to the hard hex ones.

and

The turnbuckles are not very good either

and

The diff is very smooth, but does not last long. Especially on carpet. Its the rings that burn out, but they're only $3 a set.

and

The standard upper shock mount bushings in plastic will develop slop quickly.

Way to sell the 511 there

[mof]

As far as quality goes, I love my TRF501X (and 511 should be even better, at least it is a lot easier to service). I've got aluminum caster blocks, Kyosho ball studs and "hard" ball cups and titanium turnbuckles on my TRF501. I also have carbon fibre lipo trays (by Fredrik Emilsson), and gear diffs.

As for the 511, you might want to upgrade the ball cups to something better and get a lipo tray. Tamiya makes a lipo tray, but if I am correct, it does not shift the batteries location, which means you most likely need to modify the center bulkheads for lipos to fit. The tray made by Fredrik for the 511 shifts the batteries backwards slightly to allow clearance for the batteries, so if you use them, the center bulkheads don't need modification.

Also you might want the rear diff cover by Fredrik, depending on the surface you drive on.

[Jan Larsen]

@cosie:

Yeah, I realize I was a bit contradictory in that statement, but if you compare it to, say, the B44, then you'll see a clear difference. The plastics are better, screws are better, ease of wrenching is far better and handling is better.

The things I described is minor, easy and fairly inexpensive to replace. The parts are easily sourceable aswell.

The B44 is shit to work on, screws are utter crap, old style dampers are crap (or the very least very difficult to build correctly), front shock tower is weak and can contribute to the breakage of the upper front deck and tower mount if broken, plastics are astoundingly poor, but the handling is good.

[Neil Skull]

I am long fan of Tamiya. especially the TRF Kits
I would love to see more kits in the shops but the problem for hobby co is simply the cost to buy.
The tax they have to pay and the strenght of the pound versus the Yen and the Dollar means the cars are very very expensive, they cant make any profit as the UK customers would rather buy from hong kong on the cheap then pay the real price from a UK shop.
Its a shame but unless you the punters are prepared to stop buying from far east and support your local dealer the hobby co cant possibly have a reason to stock them.
Its just the world economy works against importing certain goods from certain territories. and also the fact that uk customers are willing to break the law to avoid paying import duty.

So as much as you love your Tamiya TRF Kits you cant blame hobby co for not supporting them you have to look at everyone who is either not willing to pay for them or are buying from offshore.

[peetbee]

Originally Posted by Neil Skull

So as much as you love your Tamiya TRF Kits you cant blame hobby co for not supporting them you have to look at everyone who is either not willing to pay for them or are buying from offshore.

Hobby Co suck at supporting any Tamiyas, not just the TRFs, I run a DB01 and how long have people had to wait for bodyshells and other consumables, and heaven forbid you would dare to want to upgrade it by fitting the TRF option parts.

[Neil Skull]

"Hobby Co suck at supporting any Tamiyas, not just the TRFs, I run a DB01 and how long have people had to wait for bodyshells and other consumables, and heaven forbid you would dare to want to upgrade it by fitting the TRF option parts".

I cant comment on that, maybe hobbby co are not doing the best job.

Just be aware sometimes when you as a customer are waiting a long time for your order from a shop it could be that the shop account is not clear with the supplier or a shop needs a certain size order before they can proceed.

Being an Importer of Japanese products into the UK i know very well the issues faced

[Dyna]

Originally Posted by Neil Skull

Just be aware sometimes when you as a customer are waiting a long time for your order from a shop it could be that the shop account is not clear with the supplier or a shop needs a certain size order before they can proceed.

I'm sure everyone's pretty aware of how hard it can be for UK shops and importers to import & sell stuff from Japan, however i think the reason people feel 'a certain way' ( im being nice... ) about the Hobby Company is for their attitude to anyone who actually wants to, God forbid, race Tamiyas and help promote the brand ...

[Mouton]

First off, you are in The States, I thought Tamiya America was an active distributor that always carry a good stock of parts? Most replies seem to refer to the UK.

Here is my input to your questions:
1. Yes. A solid yes, even. I live in Sweden and have no real problems getting parts (the few that break) from our distributor. In the rare case they cannot help me out urgently, Vellrip Stella Models on eBay can. Ask Tamiyausa for a hobby shop that carries a lot of parts and you should be good to go. Come to think of it, can't you order parts directly from Tamiyausa.com?

As for quality, I would say it is top notch. Every car has drawbacks. The 511 is no exception, but that does not make it a bad car. If you where to wait for the perfect car, you will never be able to drive. A good car is a car where you can live with the kinks. It is easy to change them on the TRF511. I prefer having it the way it is rather than have a car where more expensive parts are troublesome. Look at Durango and their wheel shafts...

2. I have changed the following:
42142 TRF 3mm Ceramic Diff Ball - two sets required
53969 Hex Head Ball Connector - two sets required
They are the parts that need to be changed. The rest you can deal with if you break it.

My car also has:
53961 Aluminum Caster Block
53962 Aluminum Rear Upright
54121 Aluminum Horn For Hi Torque Servo Saver
53971 Aluminium Steering Arm
53972 Aluminium Steering Bridge
53973 Aluminium Steering Base
42117 turnbuckles
42118 turnbuckles
42121 turnbuckles - two sets needed
53963 Stabilizer Set
aluminum servo stay I do not remeber exactly which part no but can check.
Alaste's front and rear diff covers
Alaste's LiPo tray
Most important upgrades to me are Alaste's (Fredrik Emilsson here on Oople.com) front and reaf diff covers. They are a must for a dirt track. Alaste has also made a LiPo-tray that is better than Tamiya's. Lee Martin and Viktor Wilck also use the Alaste parts.

The next time I will tear the dampers apart I will use these to replace to stock red parts:
42137 Competition O-rings (damper parts)
The brass parts that replace the stock plastic parts for the upper shock mounts (the part between the shock and screw that attaches it to the shock tower).

Good spare parts to have:
51271 B Parts (wing stay)
54131 C Parts ()
54034 D Parts (unless you go for aluminum caster blocks)
51274 E Parts (unless you go for the aluminum rear hub)
54141 DB01 High-traction Lower Arm (Front)
54142 DB01 High-traction Lower Arm (Rear)
54140 Drive Belt
51314 Spur gear 91T
53989 Pulley
51287 Diff Plate
51287 Ball differential Pulley 37T
4304094 Front Damper Stay (front shock tower)
4304095 Rear Damper Stay (rear shock tower)

Apart from the Tamiya body, Team Azarashi also make a body that fits the TRF511.

Hope this helps!
Andreas

[Jan Larsen]

FYI, the competition o-rings will need plenty of shims to flatten them a bit or they'll leak.

[peetbee]

Originally Posted by Neil Skull

maybe hobbby co are not doing the best job

Based on people's experiences with hobby co I can't see it being account issues or minimum order amounts. Several UK shops are turning overseas for their supplies as they have given up waiting for Hobby Co to supply them.

But to say 'not doing the best job' is very polite and perhaps we should leave it there.

[DCM]

Hobby Co, when they do bring in the TRF parts, overprice the parts and kits, thats WHEN they bring them in, they can't even support the cars like the DB-01, TA-05 or TB-03 correctly, always having to 'special order' parts, and then it is at least an 8 week weight, which is ok if your 'model building' but if you are actually using the cars, no good at all.

Some shops have got round the problem by breaking kits, which really shouldn't happen.

In the end, Hobby Co have no interest in the RC Car market, simple as that.

[Rich D]

Originally Posted by Mouton

Come to think of it, can't you order parts directly from Tamiyausa.com?

Only if you live in the USA - they wont ship overseas direct. Use Speedtech USA for 511 kits and hard to find parts that dont appear on Ebay and he orders and ships overseas

Nice guy called Jeff, very helpful.

[kydawg1]

Originally Posted by Mouton

First off, you are in The States, I thought Tamiya America was an active distributor that always carry a good stock of parts? Most replies seem to refer to the UK.

Here is my input to your questions:
1. Yes. A solid yes, even. I live in Sweden and have no real problems getting parts (the few that break) from our distributor. In the rare case they cannot help me out urgently, Vellrip Stella Models on eBay can. Ask Tamiyausa for a hobby shop that carries a lot of parts and you should be good to go. Come to think of it, can't you order parts directly from Tamiyausa.com?

As for quality, I would say it is top notch. Every car has drawbacks. The 511 is no exception, but that does not make it a bad car. If you where to wait for the perfect car, you will never be able to drive. A good car is a car where you can live with the kinks. It is easy to change them on the TRF511. I prefer having it the way it is rather than have a car where more expensive parts are troublesome. Look at Durango and their wheel shafts...

2. I have changed the following:
42142 TRF 3mm Ceramic Diff Ball - two sets required
53969 Hex Head Ball Connector - two sets required
They are the parts that need to be changed. The rest you can deal with if you break it.

My car also has:
53961 Aluminum Caster Block
53962 Aluminum Rear Upright
54121 Aluminum Horn For Hi Torque Servo Saver
53971 Aluminium Steering Arm
53972 Aluminium Steering Bridge
53973 Aluminium Steering Base
42117 turnbuckles
42118 turnbuckles
42121 turnbuckles - two sets needed
53963 Stabilizer Set
aluminum servo stay I do not remeber exactly which part no but can check.
Alaste's front and rear diff covers
Alaste's LiPo tray
Most important upgrades to me are Alaste's (Fredrik Emilsson here on Oople.com) front and reaf diff covers. They are a must for a dirt track. Alaste has also made a LiPo-tray that is better than Tamiya's. Lee Martin and Viktor Wilck also use the Alaste parts.

The next time I will tear the dampers apart I will use these to replace to stock red parts:
42137 Competition O-rings (damper parts)
The brass parts that replace the stock plastic parts for the upper shock mounts (the part between the shock and screw that attaches it to the shock tower).

Good spare parts to have:
51271 B Parts (wing stay)
54131 C Parts ()
54034 D Parts (unless you go for aluminum caster blocks)
51274 E Parts (unless you go for the aluminum rear hub)
54141 DB01 High-traction Lower Arm (Front)
54142 DB01 High-traction Lower Arm (Rear)
54140 Drive Belt
51314 Spur gear 91T
53989 Pulley
51287 Diff Plate
51287 Ball differential Pulley 37T
4304094 Front Damper Stay (front shock tower)
4304095 Rear Damper Stay (rear shock tower)

Apart from the Tamiya body, Team Azarashi also make a body that fits the TRF511.

Hope this helps!
Andreas

Thanks for all the information, it is very helpful.