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As I understand it in order to use touring car wheels on the DS you need to convert to hex adapters. The rear should be fairly simple, right? All someone would need is to just slide on the hex adapters used on the B4.2?

The front seems a little more complicated. You would need to convert the caster blocks, steering knuckles and the axle setup from the B4.2? I've also heard suggested that you could use Traxxas parts just the same. Do these setups need any reaming and or filing in order to fit the DS outer lower hinge pin area?

HPI had a tutorial online about how to make a touring car wheel conversion but that link seems to be dead. Does anyone recall what their suggested method was?

The hex for the rear is easy as the HPI adapters work or the associated clamp on hexes.

The fronts will need adapters. Rather than go for traxxas parts it is best to stay with associated just for consistency.

get a set of Associated SC10 2wd Front Axle Caster Blocks. The hinge pin hole will need to be reamed slightly in order to use the DS hing pins.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Associated-SC10-2wd-Front-Axle-Caster-Block-12mm-Hexes-Rear-Carriers-Bearings-/380698319551?pt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&hash=item58a3635abf

you'll be able to use a larger variety of wheels from HPI to RC4wd

here is a quick sample...hpi 12 mm hex wheels in the rear and 12mm hex rc4wd 1.9 beadlock wheels in the front.


here is another DS with HPI wheels and body...


hope that helps

Cool, thanks. just ordered the necessary parts. just need to find a reamer.

Rootdown4594 wrote:Cool, thanks. just ordered the necessary parts. just need to find a reamer.

Just use a drill bit that is just slightly larger than the hole. Run it slowly back and forth with the drill, then insert the hinge pin to see if fits nice.

Very easy if you enlarge a little at a time.

You'll be glad you did when you are buying wheels and tires

Got everything reassembled. I had to use the wider associated hexes and hex spacers up front for clearance. Which doesn't leave me much meat left on the threads for the wheel nuts. Without the wide hexes and spacers the inside on the wheels would rub up against the outer lower hinge pin/suspension arm at full steering lock.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to fix the bump steer the new axle's seem to have introduced. I put some spacers under the inner steering ball stud. It seems to have helped but there's still some bump steer going on. The ackerman seems to be a little wonky too. I'll try the other ackerman setting later on and see if that improves anything.

These are the wheels I used:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXRSK9

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXRSK5

The next time I need wheels and tires i'll see if there's any fronts with a wider offset so I won't have to use spacers.

The whole tinkering aspect of this hobby is more fun than the actual use.

Rootdown4594 wrote:The whole tinkering aspect of this hobby is more fun than the actual use.

I think most here would agree. I like your wheel choice.

yeah, I like that purposeful, basic, sinister, look.

this is the body I chose:

http://www.haertle.de/out/pictures/master/product/1/hpi-h17526-karosserie-satz-corvette-sting-ray_p1.jpg

I think the black on black with the red stripe will look great. I don't really like flash and shine. I might go with another dark basic color rather than black.

I totally destroyed that c-clip that acts as a crush spacer in the front axles. be careful when cranking down the wheel nut!

I'll look forward to seeing it. Should be one sexy bitch.

I haven't had the time to pick up any paint. Just have been casually tinkering with the DS and other rc projects(rebuilding a T3 and a CE and doing slight repairs to a GT). I've noticed, though, after scrounging around in the attic and finding old parts that the original rear ds tires have a larger circumference than the hpi wheels and tires. I was wondering if there's longer shock ball ends that are just a bit longer that could make up for the difference?

How big of a difference is it? Can you just unscrew the end a couple of threads, or is it a big difference. I own a DS, but just for shelf duty so I don't know much about parts availability.

Rootdown4594 wrote:I haven't had the time to pick up any paint. Just have been casually tinkering with the DS and other rc projects(rebuilding a T3 and a CE and doing slight repairs to a GT). I've noticed, though, after scrounging around in the attic and finding old parts that the original rear ds tires have a larger circumference than the hpi wheels and tires. I was wondering if there's longer shock ball ends that are just a bit longer that could make up for the difference?

Im not understanding why the need to change to a longer ball cup end...but RPM has what they call "long shank" ball cup ends. They allow you to extend the end further without compromising the strength.

Im attaching another pic of my DS with regular RPM ball cup ends(white). If you look at the ball cup ends on the steering servo(blue) they are the RPM long shank ends. Either stock or RPM will fit within the inside wheel circumference.

I have many DS's and some run HPI wheels and others the original DS wheels. Ive never had to swap out the ball cup ends other than for cosmetic or strength purposes.


hope that helps

THEYTOOKMYTHUMB wrote:How big of a difference is it? Can you just unscrew the end a couple of threads, or is it a big difference. I own a DS, but just for shelf duty so I don't know much about parts availability.

I don't even know how this thought didn't cross my mind. takes a genius I guess.

LoboNYC wrote:

Rootdown4594 wrote:I haven't had the time to pick up any paint. Just have been casually tinkering with the DS and other rc projects(rebuilding a T3 and a CE and doing slight repairs to a GT). I've noticed, though, after scrounging around in the attic and finding old parts that the original rear ds tires have a larger circumference than the hpi wheels and tires. I was wondering if there's longer shock ball ends that are just a bit longer that could make up for the difference?

Im not understanding why the need to change to a longer ball cup end...but RPM has what they call "long shank" ball cup ends. They allow you to extend the end further without compromising the strength.

Im attaching another pic of my DS with regular RPM ball cup ends(white). If you look at the ball cup ends on the steering servo(blue) they are the RPM long shank ends. Either stock or RPM will fit within the inside wheel circumference.



I have many DS's and some run HPI wheels and others the original DS wheels. Ive never had to swap out the ball cup ends other than for cosmetic or strength purposes.


hope that helps

I wasn't referring to the turnbuckle ball ends but the shock ball ends. that car looks fantastic btw.

Sorry about the confusion....i misunderstood.

Thanks for the compliment on the car. I just finished a body for it (66 mustang gt). will be posting pics soon.