TheRcRacer Tamiya TB01 carbon shock towers
https://www.thercracer.com/2020/08/thercracer-tamiya-tb01-carbon-shock.html
The Tamiya TB01 is still a favourite for those who enjoy some rally action. The chassis is built like a tank (It also weighs like one..). Despite the popularity spares are starting to become quite rare. Luckily the chassis is very strong and not many parts fail, that is apart from the shock towers. These towers are nearly impossible to find, so I thought I would make a carbon set to ensure that you can still hoon the TB01 on the dirt.
The new tower is easy to fit, you will need the following mounting parts
- Upper shock mounts - Tamiya 5mm Ball Connector Nut (Std steel 9804206 / TRF version 42231)
- Lower shock mounts -Tamiya 5x8mm Ball connector hex (Blue aluminium 53907 / Hardened 53969)
- Lower shock mount spacers (Tamiya 53539 5.5mm spacer set).
- 4 x 3x8mm machine threaded screws (To mount upper balls)
- 4 x 3x10mm screws to mount the towers to the bulkheads
First up, just mount the 5mm balls to the towers. The new towers give you three different positions to set the upper shock mount.
Setting upper shock mounts
As a general rule of thumb the more outward that the upper shock mount is positioned, the stiffer the spring action so less grip but better overall shock damping. The opposite is true when you move the upper shock mount inwards, making the shock feel more soft as the chassis rolls into the corner.
The lower mounts are next, I used a 3mm spacer (although other test drivers have used 2mm or 3mm), and then attached it with the hardened 3x8mm ball hex connector. There is only one lower shock mount hole.
The towers are now attached with 10 or 12mm screws (Go for 12mm if you are rallying). The universal tower has the same geometry front and rear so if you will need two if you want to keep the same settings with your shocks. Job done.
Optional Rear tower
So if you want to keep things simple, you can just fit the Universal TB01 tower at the front and rear.
However, I have also made a specific rear tower. So why is this? Well the geometry at the rear of the TB01 is a bit funky the std TB01 has long shocks and springs so you just pack the rear shocks with more spacers.
If you use std touring car shocks you would notice this much more. Tamiya themselves suggest you would need to fit the longer shock ends on the two rear dampers. This solves the issue of the rear being too low, but does limit things relating to set-up. As I intend to run the TB01 in a retro onroad stock class, I will be running TRF shocks. I am not happy with the idea of running long shock ends so I created this tower that is 5.5mm lower than the front tower.
In reality most people will be able to just use the universal shock towers, but if you want to run shorter springs / shocks to make the chassis more balanced onroad, you may want to try one of the rear towers.
Where can I get one? (AVAILABLE NOW!).
- The part is approx £6 (At time of writing this).
- The parts are available direct here : http://www.fibre-lyte.co.uk/
- Email sales@fibre-lyte.co.uk
- If you put this in the title 'TheRcRacer TB01 Shock towers '
Help develop more parts
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Disclaimer and thanks
These have been made as a contribution to the Tamiya racing community. There is no profit for myself and the parts can be ordered directly via Fibrelyte. These are just a tuning aid, I found them to work well, as has others who have tested parts. Every track / driving style is different so do not expect a golden bullet.
Thanks to Steve at Fibre-Lyte
I have invested my own time and money in these parts for the Tamiya community, at no profit for myself. These designs are always helped via feedback from other racers. So please let's share feedback and set-ups and I can try to refine or design other parts in the future :)
