The RC Deep Dive

Replaceable brushes in Tamiya's brushed 540 motors are economical and powerful, but how do you remove old brushed and replace them with new brushes? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive we take you through the physics off these motors and exactly how you care for and replace these brushes. 

The Tamiya Acto-Power Off-Roader 2WD Motor was one of the most popular, powerful, and desired motors of the 1990s as the peak of the 3rd wave of Tamiya Motors. Why? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we dig into the details of what made it so powerful and what caused it to be discontinued in the 2000s as well as covering the pretenders to the throne of this iconic pink can marvel. 

The SkyRC GC301 steering gyro is a standard gyro that many bashers, racers, and speed runners use on their radio-controlled model vehicles. However the SkyRC GC401 has 3 digital modes: L-Drive, S-Drive, and H-Drive. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we answer which string gyro is is the best for bashing, racing, and speed running? And if the GC401 odd the best model for any of these, whi...

In the 1980s with the vintage originals, the Tamiya Frog R/C buggy always smoked the Hornet. When they were released in the 2000s the Frog Racing Team still destroyed the Hornet Racing Team every time. But now we have the Neo Fighter DT-03 a.k.a. Neo Frog as part of the Frog Racing Team and the Hornet EVO (essentially an upgraded DT-02) as part of the Hornet Racing Team? Who wins this time around?...

Was your father involved in the R/C midweek vehicle hobby during the golden age of radio-control? If so, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we have a great gift guide to give him a bit of nostalgia and a great time with the original racing vehicle from Tamiya and the necessary hop-ups on six easy steps. We don't give affiliate links because we are not a monetized podcast and make no money...

The Tamiya Grasshopper, Hornet, Grasshopper II, and Super Hornet radio-controlled model buggies, both vintage and rere (re-release) are famous for having gearbox failures. Among other fixes for this, we recommend always having at least one bag of all the gears and axles? Why? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we go into why this is a must have part of your R/C hobby workbench toolbox. 

Generally speaking Tamiya's innovative three-piece R/C model vehicle kit wheels do not require gluing or venting of the tires. However, when you start putting ludicrously fast super powered motors and batteries in these vintage and rere (re-release) radio-controlled cars, trucks, buggies, vans, and jeeps these steps will need to be taken. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we break down...

If you are upgrading your radio-controlled model vehicle's rear trailing arms from stock plastic to third-party hop-up aluminium rear trailing arms, what type of grease, if any, do you need where these aluminium rear trailing arms touch the ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) chassis gearbox? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast, we look into the physics of the connection and chemistry of available lubr...

What's the biggest motor you can put in the 2024 Tamiya 40th Anniversary Edition Hornet EVO R/C model vehicle? While you should probably stay with a brushed motor, we also give you options for brushless motors too. How about the biggest battery packs that will fit inside the Hornet EVO radio-controlled buggy kit so you can power that more powerful motor? We rev up the Evolutionary power of this 40...

Many people have noticed that the concept of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) pod racers that are built and raced in the movie and novel of Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace is just like the process of radio control hobbyists building, hopping-up, racing, and repairing a radio-controlled model vehicle kit. So, in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we take this analogy one step further and compar...

If your R/C motor mount screws come loose this can cause a failure in your pinion gear to counter gear mesh. This is especially a problem when bashing the Grasshopper, Hornet, Grasshopper II, and Super Hornet R/C buggies. It actually has a number of causes and requires knowledge of physics and chemistry to permanently fix it properly. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we kill the bad vib...

If you have hopped-up your Neo Fighter DT-03 (a.k.a. the Neo-Frog DT-03 [Dirt Two Wheel Drive Generation 3 chassis]) and want the fastest 540 motor possible, what is a safe brushed and brushless motor option? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we look both at Tamiya 540 motors and 3rd party aftermarket motor makers as well to find the fastest and safest options for your Tamiya Neo Fighter...

What should you do if you are running you radio-controlled car, truck, buggy, jeep, van, bus, or tank and an unleashed dog charges your R/C model vehicle and bites down on it? You might be surprised what your first reaction should be in this situation. If you are able to get the canine to let go, what should you do to restore your vehicle? And lastly, what can you do to prevent this from happening...

In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we go over the best ways to just say no to letting someone you don't know drive your radio controlled car, buggy, truck, tank, van, jeep, or bus and how to let them down gently with facts and human psychology. In the end, you might interest them in the R/C model vehicle hobby by quickly explaining the differences between toy-grade and hobby-grade radio-c...

What is TRF (Tamiya Racing Factory) VG (Viscosity Grade) bearing oil? How does it compare to other TRF and other brand bearing oils? And what is the difference between bearing oils and thrust bearing greases, especially the TRF VG branding? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we lubricate your knowledge with the best premium racing oils and greases for your radio-controlled model cars, bug...

What makes Tamiya's dirt four-wheel drive series so special in the hearts and minds of many R/C model vehicle enthusiast? What are the difference between the different generations of the DF-01, DF-02, and the DF-03 chassis? And why will there never be a DT-04? Which radio-controlled model vehicle kit was the first on each chassis and which was the most popular? And which hop-up parts can fit multi...

What makes Tamiya's dirt two-wheel drive series so special in the hearts and minds of many R/C model vehicle enthusiast? What are the difference between the different generations of the DT-01, DT-02, DT-03, and the DT-04 chassis? Which radio-controlled model vehicle kit was the first on each chassis and which was the most popular? And which hop-up parts can fit multiple generations of the DT (Dirt...

Just like skateboarders and TTRPG (Tabletop Role-Playing Game) players, the media gets the R/C model vehicle hobbyist community wrong on so many levels. Why does this persist? In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we go over these harmful stereotypes and how some manufacturers help to promote these ideas with their corporate strategies for maximum profit at the cost of the reputation of the...

If you have every considered installing a gyro in your R/C model vehicle you might have wondered how difficult it is. It's relatively straightforward, however you do need to have specific types of servos,  radio transmitters, and radio receivers in your radio-controlled model vehicle. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we go over the best gyros, step-by-step directions for installation, a...

While in general, the R/C model vehicle enthusiast community has accepted new technologies like ball diffs. ESCs, 2.4GHZ radio equipment, NiMh, LiFe, or LiPo batteries, etc. there still seems to be a strong hatred for some technologies like gyros and AI (artificial intelligence). In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we give the reasons, which isn't always, "I hate what I don't understand." 

The R/C Forums are in many ways a lifeline of the radio-controlled model vehicle hobbyist community. However, with so the information they have and the good that they do, there are major disadvantages, including conflicting information, purposely or ignorantly errant misinformation, and ridiculous drama. In this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we show you how you cut through the noise and get...

In the iconic 1980's Punky Brewster episode, "Girls Will be Boys", the backyard R/C racer boys, as well as Punky Brewster herself, wore racecar driver racing jumpsuits when racing their vintage Tamiya 1:10th scale radio-controlled model vehicles on their backyard bashing racetrack. Was this normal for children and adults too do when racing their radio controlled model vehicles or did they wear any...

In 1983 Tamiya created 3 very different radio-controlled model vehicles on the same chassis; the Lancia 037 Rally Car, the Subaru BRAT, and the original racing vehicle, the Frog; and would later continue to make more, including the Black Foot and the Super Beetle, on that same chassis that Tamiya simply called a "sturdy ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) space frame" originally. In this episode...

In a previous episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we covered the last 2 surviving English language print radio-controlled model vehicle magazines. But in this episode of the RC Deep Dive podcast we cover the RotW (Rest of the World) and detail the unique survival strategies of print versions of R/C magazines in Japan (who had 2 mags in 2025 but only 1 remains in 2026), Germany (who boasts an amazi...

Many 3rd party aftermarket manufacturers since the 1980s to the present have made vertical shocks for both the front and rear of the Mighty Frog. However, a large contingent of the vintage and rere (re-release) R/C hobbyist community has rejected them completely, saying that they take the sleek and stylish Mighty Frog and turn it into just another generic, soulless radio controlled buggy, strippin...