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TA03 Tips
Here are a few tips for the TA03. Some of which are applicable to other cars of different manufacturers as well.
Removing slop:
I noticed some slop between the ball connector and the cup on at the top of the shock The shock could move front to back quite a lot on the ball connector. To remove the slop, I slipped in one o-ring over each ball connector. You can also use fuel tubing cut in lengths of 3 - 4mm.
Lower CG:
The TA03F has a hollow compartment just ahead of the rear gearbox. It is accessed by removing the skid plate (part B1). The receiver can be placed in this hollow compartment provided that your receiver is small enough to fit in it. This can be helpful if you have no space left to mount the receiver other than stacking it on top of the servo or placing it on the top deck. Another advantage of placing the receiver in this compartment is that it protects the receiver from dust and hard knocks.
More steering:
On the TA03's knuckle arm, you'll notice that there is another hole marked out that is further inwards than the one already drilled out. For more steering you can drill the marked hole out and move the tie rods to this new hole.
Cooler motor:
On the TA03 the motor is tucked deep in the gearbox and do not receive much air for cooling. To increase air flow over the motor on the TA03F, drill some holes just above the front bumper.
Smoother and longer lasting shocks:
The plastic Tamiya shocks are the smoothest around. You can make it even smoother and make the O-ring in the shocks last longer by smearing the O-rings with Tamiya's Ceramic grease before screwing in the bottom cap. Doing this helps keep the O-rings "wet" and not dry up too fast.
Less drag:
To further reduce the drag on the drivetrain, use the belt tensioner only when the belt is skipping. Also when adjusting the belt tensioner, just adjust it to a setting that is just enough to prevent the belt from skipping. Do not just press the belt down at the maximum setting of the belt tensioner as it will create a lot of drag. Also remove the nylon flange on the tensioner and just leave the bushings on. For even less drag, replace the bushings with ball bearings. Use the 16 tooth pulley on both the front and rear gearboxes as this will decrease the chances of the belt skipping.
Belt Pulleys:
If you are running the car with the plastic pulleys, remove it after a few runs and check and remove any rubber stuck between the teeth of the pulley. When too much rubber gets stuck in between the teeth, it will cause the belt to skip. This does not happen with the aluminium pulleys.