… that sucks! I am considering mini-z buggies for living room racing, but this is giving me a pause. I hope though that you will find a solution (maybe some silicone grease/spray could help). I really appreciate you posted this.
Thanks bro, yeah it’s a bit of a pain. The buggy is really fun and nimble when it works. The standard suspension works pretty well and there are some cheaper alloy shocks that Kyosho sell (not the big bore) which use the standard fitting system so should work better than the big bore shocks. I did some googling and there are some hex screw kits made by third parties but I’m struggling to find one that it’s stock. I still really love my buggy, it’s just so frustrating at times and I’m feeling a bit disheartened. Are you looking at getting the standard buggy or the brushless?
Pozidrive is not Philips that's why they slip! Don't need to drill holes for the brace because you can just heat them and insert slowly while turning. Many people are particular about hardware, mine have a nut on the backside I'm not using a screw at the corner of the brace. I play at skateparks
I had the same problem until I realized I was tightening the plastic pivot joint to the shock shaft to tightly and it was deforming the plastic a little and not allowing it to pivot freely.
Thanks yeah I noticed the same thing and backed them off a bit. It’s still binding though. If I completely remove the top screw, the shock is still firmly gripping the bottom pivot and won’t move at all without some force.
I agree it's BS that Mini Z uses screws instead of bolts. If you strip a plastic hole the chassis becomes garbage. Hobby price but toy quality. Shame on you Kyosho.
Did you try putting some grease of some kind on the shock ball joint? Also wondering if stiffer springs and/or lighter weight shock oil might be needed...
Yes I did put some silicone grease on them but didn’t fix the issue. If I take the shock off the car and hold onto the threaded end of the ball stud with the shock attached, it hangs off the end of the ball stud rigidly I.e it does not feel move as it should. It is completely bound. I have tried sanding one of the ball studs using a drill and 2,000 grit sandpaper as some other people have mentioned in other videos on RUclips but this didn’t fix the issue, was very time consuming and didn’t seem to help at all. I hardly ever use my buggy now because the handling was destroyed with these “upgraded” expensive shocks.
I think, but I’m not 100% sure, that these big bore shock sets require the “Mini-Z Buggy Pillow Ball Set” (#MB018)…? Kyosho seems to have a habit of releasing hop-up parts that require other hop-up parts to work, but they don’t mention that anywhere 🤔 I had similar issues with some parts a few years ago, I don’t remember exactly which part it was, but it wouldn’t fit without some other part I of course hadn’t bought…
Also iirc, Kyosho, like Tamiya, uses JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) screws, so you’ll need JIS screwdrivers to have the best results, Phillips will work if you’re a lot more careful, but I’d recommend getting a JIS set anyway as they work much better on Phillips head screws as well.
Thanks for the heads up bro. I assume you're talking about the upper ball joints since they have plastic spacers. My upper ball joints are working fine and I was careful not to overtighten them but it's the lower ones that are binding. They are just a solid metal screw with a ball end/stud so they wont deform. I have tried taking them off the buggy and clipping the lower ball stud cup on and it's completely seized. I can shake it around holding the screw and the suspension doesn't move at all. I have also tried sanding down the ball stud with 800 and 2000 grit sandpaper to a clean polish but it still binds. Unfortunately it seems to me that it's a manufacturing issue with the lower ball cup and it's far too tight.
I just drive mine around in the living room with a string attached to the back so that my cat chases it. Fun for both of us. I used to have a Traxxas Slash 4x4 with 3s lipo and a lot of upgrades. Now I just want a little truck to zip around inside. Sounds like a good buggy though.
This was my first mini Z! I actually ended up selling mine to my buddy. Just ordered another one I miss it so much!
It is an awesome little car!
… that sucks! I am considering mini-z buggies for living room racing, but this is giving me a pause. I hope though that you will find a solution (maybe some silicone grease/spray could help). I really appreciate you posted this.
Thanks bro, yeah it’s a bit of a pain. The buggy is really fun and nimble when it works. The standard suspension works pretty well and there are some cheaper alloy shocks that Kyosho sell (not the big bore) which use the standard fitting system so should work better than the big bore shocks. I did some googling and there are some hex screw kits made by third parties but I’m struggling to find one that it’s stock. I still really love my buggy, it’s just so frustrating at times and I’m feeling a bit disheartened. Are you looking at getting the standard buggy or the brushless?
Pozidrive is not Philips that's why they slip!
Don't need to drill holes for the brace because you can just heat them and insert slowly while turning. Many people are particular about hardware, mine have a nut on the backside I'm not using a screw at the corner of the brace. I play at skateparks
I had the same problem until I realized I was tightening the plastic pivot joint to the shock shaft to tightly and it was deforming the plastic a little and not allowing it to pivot freely.
Thanks yeah I noticed the same thing and backed them off a bit. It’s still binding though. If I completely remove the top screw, the shock is still firmly gripping the bottom pivot and won’t move at all without some force.
I agree it's BS that Mini Z uses screws instead of bolts. If you strip a plastic hole the chassis becomes garbage. Hobby price but toy quality. Shame on you Kyosho.
Did you try putting some grease of some kind on the shock ball joint?
Also wondering if stiffer springs and/or lighter weight shock oil might be needed...
Yes I did put some silicone grease on them but didn’t fix the issue. If I take the shock off the car and hold onto the threaded end of the ball stud with the shock attached, it hangs off the end of the ball stud rigidly I.e it does not feel move as it should. It is completely bound. I have tried sanding one of the ball studs using a drill and 2,000 grit sandpaper as some other people have mentioned in other videos on RUclips but this didn’t fix the issue, was very time consuming and didn’t seem to help at all. I hardly ever use my buggy now because the handling was destroyed with these “upgraded” expensive shocks.
These are not Philips - they are JIS - Japanese Industrial Standard. A proper JIS screwdriver will not strip these but a Phillip's will strip
Yeah I have a hex bit set which has JIS drivers in it. They’re still nowhere near as good as alternatives.
I think, but I’m not 100% sure, that these big bore shock sets require the “Mini-Z Buggy Pillow Ball Set” (#MB018)…? Kyosho seems to have a habit of releasing hop-up parts that require other hop-up parts to work, but they don’t mention that anywhere 🤔 I had similar issues with some parts a few years ago, I don’t remember exactly which part it was, but it wouldn’t fit without some other part I of course hadn’t bought…
Also iirc, Kyosho, like Tamiya, uses JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) screws, so you’ll need JIS screwdrivers to have the best results, Phillips will work if you’re a lot more careful, but I’d recommend getting a JIS set anyway as they work much better on Phillips head screws as well.
If the screws are over-tightened the ball joints will disfigure
Thanks for the heads up bro. I assume you're talking about the upper ball joints since they have plastic spacers. My upper ball joints are working fine and I was careful not to overtighten them but it's the lower ones that are binding. They are just a solid metal screw with a ball end/stud so they wont deform. I have tried taking them off the buggy and clipping the lower ball stud cup on and it's completely seized. I can shake it around holding the screw and the suspension doesn't move at all. I have also tried sanding down the ball stud with 800 and 2000 grit sandpaper to a clean polish but it still binds. Unfortunately it seems to me that it's a manufacturing issue with the lower ball cup and it's far too tight.
There are different types of 4 way screws, you are probably using the wrong driver.
I have an iFixit kit with many different heads. I checked which one fit the best before doing any work.
Get a carisma gt24 buggy or truggy with a lipo . Affordable and fast as hell ! Needs a few upgrades to race competitive but half the price .
I just drive mine around in the living room with a string attached to the back so that my cat chases it. Fun for both of us. I used to have a Traxxas Slash 4x4 with 3s lipo and a lot of upgrades. Now I just want a little truck to zip around inside. Sounds like a good buggy though.