Best Tamiya Bolt-Ons To Boost Performance

Paul Onorato April 30, 2025 Stories

ALUMINUM MOTOR MOUNTS

At first glance, an aluminum motor mount may not seem like it would do much of anything in the boosting of performance of a RC vehicle. In reality it can make a difference. There are many Tamiya cars that us a plastic resin mounts to attach the motor. Unfortunately, the plastic resin does not help with dissipating the heat created by the motor and does not offer a super sturdy and precise mounting point. Stepping up to an aluminum motor mount will cure those issues. Since they are constructed out of aluminum, these hop-up option parts will be more precise which will aid in keeping the position of the pinion properly aligned with the spur gear, they can help make the chassis more rigid and be a more effective way a dissipating motor heat. Tamiya will anodize aluminum hop-up parts and motor mounts are not an exception, so you gain the bonus benefit of improved appearance.

Best Tamiya Bolt-Ons To Boost Performance — CW-01 Aluminum Motor Mount—item #22027

Some Tamiya aluminum motor mounts are pretty small like the CW-01 Aluminum Motor Mount (#22027). Don’t let the smaller size fool you. It will still enhance and offer a more rigid motor mount attachment and will reduce the heat generated by the motor thanks to its cooling fin shape. Bolting this onto the CW-01 chassis used on the Tamiya Lunch Box is pretty quick and easy where you only need to remove the motor. Other motor mounts like the F104 Aluminum Motor Mount (#54166) are a bit more complex than the one for the CW-01 chassis. This mount requires more disassembly of the chassis so they can be bolted on. Once the black resin plastic parts are removed and the new optional motor mount is attached, the on-road chassis will now have more precision and stiffness along with a more stylish look.

ALUMINUM OIL-FILLED SHOCKS

One of the best Tamiya bolt-ons to boost performance is with a complete set of high-quality aluminum body, oil-filled shocks. Tamiya offers many aluminum oil-filled shocks to accommodate different vehicle requirements and some will even have different features. You will find ones with or without threaded shock bodies, titanium coated shafts, precision aluminum cylinders with slick internal coating, aluminum spring retainers…just to name a few differences. And not only will your RC ride benefit from better handling, aluminum oil-filled shocks can make the vehicle look more realistic when mounted on trucks like the Tamiya Rock Socker off-road truck.

The majority of Tamiya vehicles come out of the box with plastic oil-filled or friction shocks. Friction shocks can only do a somewhat adequate job of keeping a vehicle in control. The plastic oil-filled shocks are definitely better than the friction shocks, yet if you want the ultimate in performance, step up to Tamiya’s high-end aluminum shocks. Hop-Up optional shocks will do a better job at absorbing rough terrain thus keeping the chassis stable and planted. This translates into being able to increase speed with less worry of losing control and lap times will get quicker. When selecting aluminum oil-filled shocks for your Tamiya car or truck, make sure you take note of the sizes of the shocks, how they attach to the chassis and if they come as a complete set of four or just as a pair. Both of the ones shown here are sold in sets of four and include everything you need to get them functioning except for the TRF Big Bore Dampers+ to which you will need to supply the damper oil.

BALL BEARINGS

Out of all of the Tamiya Hop-Up Option parts mentioned in this article, we religiously install ball bearings when building a kit if they come with plastic or metal bushings. This is regardless of the type of vehicle it is, even something like the 1/14 Tamiya tractor trucks like the awesome Grand Hauler. Ball bearings can make a big difference in how your Tamiya car performs and even lasts over time. The standard plastic and metal bushings are a cheaper alternative for a manufacturer to include in a kit yet will wear faster than a ball bearing and not offer equal precision and less friction in the drivetrain. Upgrading to quality Tamiya ball bearings will allow the moving parts to be move more smoothly and operate more efficiently so the car or truck can take full advantage of the power on hand and even produce longer run times. Plus there will be less wear and tear on the vehicle.

You will find that some of the Tamiya cars and trucks have complete bearing kits that you can buy and they will replace all the bushings in a kit. This is the case for the Tamiya Grand Hauler which would utilize the Tamiya Ball Bearing Set for 1/14 Scale 4×2 Truck Chassis (#56559). If there is not a complete bearing set for your vehicle, Tamiya offers a multitude of different sizes that are generally sold in pairs and come either metal shielded or rubber sealed. The rubber sealed versions do a great job at keeping debris from entering the bearing thus allowing them to last longer.

UNIVERSAL AXLES

On 4WD vehicles, all the tires receive power from the gearbox with either a dogbone or universal shaft. Dogbones are the most common since they are very affordable, easy to install and require nearly zero maintenance. The downside is that dogbones are not efficient with handling the power due to the friction inherent in their design and they can pop out during a crash. The remedy is to remove the dogbones and replace them with universal axle shafts. As you can imagine, each vehicle will require a specific size and design of universal axle which is apparent in the two examples featured here for the DF-02 buggy and CC-02 trail truck.

Assembly of the universal axle shaft is required and Tamiya is the master at their instructions so you will have a hassle-free experience with getting them installed in your car or truck. When a universal shafts spin, it can do so freely without binding even when moving the steering lock-to-lock. The transfer of power will be better utilized over a dogbone and these units can last as long as they are properly maintained. The CC-02 shafts are crafted in carbon tool steel that offer superior rigidity for improved durability…a key benefit for an off-road vehicle.

ALUMINUM STEERING COMPONENTS

The components handling steering duties can be easily overlooked when you are aiming to boost performance on your RC ride. These parts play a crucial role in keeping a vehicle fully in control while undergoing a tremendous about of forces as a vehicle is at high speed or tackling off-road terrain. Most on and off-road Tamiya vehicles comes stock with molded plastic parts that can be a source of steering slop that hinders optimal handling, not to mention durability issues. A great way to solve these steering issues is with aluminum hop-up parts in which Tamiya offers for numerous of its vehicles.

TT-01 Type-E Racing Steering Set—item #54058

Depending on how the vehicle is constructed, the steering components will vary quite a bit. Take for example the Tamiya TT-01 Type-E chassis which is utilized for the Buggyra Fat Fox on-road racing truck. This chassis has two molded plastic steering arms that are actuated by the steering servo and rotate on plastic bushings. Stepping up to the optional Tamiya TT-01 Type-E Racing Steering Set replaces the arms with high-quality aluminum units that are also equipped with metal ball bearings. They will boost durability and virtually remove steering slop. Additionally, when you have an off-road vehicle that rolls on massive off-road tires like the Tamiya Konghead, the steering has to work extra hard. Shown here is the GF-01 Aluminum Steering Arm hop-up option part that can be installed onto the G6-01 chassis of the Konghead. Since it is machined from aluminum, it will be far stronger than the stock plastic arm and will work better with stock metal bearing.

STABILIZER SETS

Stabilizers for the suspension are rarely included on stock vehicles unless they are higher level vehicles that are intended for competition. By adding stabilizers to the suspension arms on either an on-road car like the Tamiya M-07 Concept touring car or even the off-road Tamiya TD4 Super Avante 4WD buggy, you will quickly and easily be able to alter the suspension rigidity and handling characteristics. Once installed you will find your vehicle will now have superior cornering stability by controlling how much the cars suspension leans into a turn without sacrificing suspension dampening.

Typically with the Tamiya Hop-Up Option stabilizer sets, Tamiya includes two stiffness’s for the front and rear of the chassis so that you have some chassis tuning options. Along with the actual metal stabilizers, you will find the necessary adjuster rods, stabilizer stoppers and the other parts required for installation. Just check out the images of the two sets were are featuring here to see everything that they come with.

BALL DIFFERENTIALS / FRONT ONE WAYS

There are some solid benefits for utilizing a gear differential in a RC vehicle like less maintenance and their durability. Where they are lacking is in the performance arena. A ball differential offers super smooth differential action along with increased efficiency in the drivetrain. When installed in a vehicle like the Tamiya XV-02 which is setup as a rally vehicle, the ball differential option provides it with more stable rear grip thanks to the ball diffs limited slip effect…especially when compared to its stock oil-filled gear diff.

Another option that can be used to replace a differential is a front one way like this one made for the Tamiya TA-06 touring car. Use it in place of the stock front gear differential for when you are seeking enhanced on-track handling particularly when the course is technical. As the name implies the one way will continue to actively drive the tires when on acceleration yet will just free wheel when off the throttle and/or braking. The default full-time 4WD setup of the TA-06 becomes a part-time 4WD setup and braking will only effect the rear wheels thus shifting the handling characteristics toward over-steering.

METAL PROPELLER SHAFTS

The majority of the vehicles sold by Tamiya come equipped with plastic molded propeller shafts. These units can be a source of some efficiency loss in the drivetrain as well as a weak point. Consider upgrading to aluminum or steel units regardless if you are rocking an on-road touring car like the Tamiya TB-05 Pro or an off-road trail truck like the Tamiya CC-02.

On most of the shaft-driven touring cars, they spin a plastic, dogbone-style propeller shaft that can twist and flex thus making it less effective at delivering power out to the four wheels. Installing an aluminum propeller shaft which is precision machined to spin true and will be able to handle more powerful motors. Taking it a step further like in the case of the Tamiya TB-05 Pro touring car chassis, Tamiya offers an aluminum universal propeller shaft (#54902) that uses a universal joint to connect the front and rear gearboxes. This hop-up replaces the kit standard dogbone style connection. A universal type of connection offers a smoother transfer of power over a dogbone style which has more friction that is inherent in its design. Once installed the TB-05 Pro will have a more efficient and robust drivetrain.

Universal Propeller Shaft Set—item #54902

Now with off-road 4×4 vehicles like the Tamiya CC-02 trail trucks which come equipped with plastic molded propeller shafts, an aluminum alternative will be a clear upgrade to these rigs. Tamiya sells a Carbon Steel Propeller Shaft (#54998) made specifically for the CC-02 chassis. Since it is constructed of durable and rigid carbon tool steel, it will eliminate shaft twist and lessens friction. Remember to pick up two sets of the shafts to upgrade the front and rear plastic drive shafts.

Carbon Steel Propeller Shaft—item #54998

ALUMINUM UPRIGHTS

If you are looking to dial-in the performance of your car in the handling and durability department, stepping up to aluminum uprights is a good way to achieve this goal. Tamiya offers aluminum uprights for many of its vehicles and can be added to the front or rear of the vehicle. When upgrading to aluminum front steering uprights, the car or truck will now have improved rigidity and sharper steering response.

Like the front aluminum steering uprights, adding aluminum uprights to the rear will offer more rigidity while enhancing high speed stability and cornering ability. You will find some rear uprights that are designed with different toe angles like the uprights shown here that provide 3-degrees of toe-in. The benefits will manifest on the track or in y our neighborhood parking lot or off-road bash spot.

BODY ACCESSORIES

1/10 Scale Touring Car Body Accessory Parts Set—item #54139

Out of all the Tamiya Hop-Up Option parts we highlighted here in this article, the Tamiya 1/10 Scale Touring Car Body Accessory Parts Set is clearly the one that will not help performance of your vehicle. Nonetheless, it is a very cool optional parts set that will help customize not only cars, but could also be used on trucks to make them look more realistic and stand out from others. Included in this part set are plastic molded items to depict front and rear wipers, side mirrors, muffler, intercooler and brake discs. As you can see, some of the parts are molded in black and others are chrome. Chances are you may not use all the parts on a build, so you will have leftovers for other RC projects.

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