From Bushings to Bearings: A Step-by-Step Tamiya TT-02 Upgrade

So, you’ve finished building (or unboxing) your Tamiya TT-02 touring car. Whether it’s the very first release — the Ferrari 458 Challenge — the hot new Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) or 30th Anniversary Ford Mustang GT4 featured in the opening photo and below, you’re holding one of the most versatile 4WD RC chassis ever made.

For over a decade, the Tamiya TT-02 has been the go-to platform for beginners and club racers alike. It’s affordable, durable and endlessly customizable. Whether you’re running the standard TT-02 touring car, the TT-02B buggy or even the TT-02D drift spec, the process is the same—and the performance jump is massive.

Below: Tamiya TT-02 chassis shown in its stock configuration.

But like most entry-level kits, it leaves a little performance on the table — and one of the easiest ways to unlock it is upgrading from the stock plastic and metal bushing to a full high-quality set of sealed ball bearings like these from FastEddy Bearings.

Because before you chase more power, better tires or trick aluminum parts, reducing friction is where the real performance boost begins.

WHY BEARINGS FIRST?

Before we pick up the screwdriver, it’s worth asking: Why do bearings matter more than a faster motor? In a stock TT-02, the drivetrain relies on plastic and metal bushings. Every time you pull the trigger, these parts create friction, heat, and eventually "slop" as the plastic wears down. By swapping these for a Complete FastEddy Sealed Bearing Kit, you’re doing three things at once:

• Extending Runtime: Less friction means your battery isn't working as hard to turn the wheels.
• Saving Your Parts: High-speed spinning metal against plastic bushings will eventually "oval out" your hubs. Bearings protect your investment.
• Quieting the "Tamiya Chatter": If you’ve ever heard a loud, vibrating TT-02, it’s usually the driveline bouncing around in loose bushings.

WHY "SEALED" MATTERS FOR THE TT-02

Tamiya kits sometimes include "shielded" bearings in higher-end versions, like the TT-02 Type-SR (Item #47439), but for the everyday basher, FastEddy Sealed Bearings are the way to go.

Use this link to purchase our standard or ceramic bearing kit for the TT-02 Type-SR.

The rubber seal creates a literal barrier against the road grime, salt, and fine dust that the TT-02's "tub" chassis tends to collect. While metal shields are fine for clean indoor carpet tracks, a rubber-sealed bearing is essential for anyone running their car on driveways or parking lots. It keeps the factory lubrication in and the abrasive grit out, ensuring your drivetrain stays smooth long after those plastic bushings would have failed.

GETTING STARTED: WHAT YOU’LL NEED

One of the reasons the TT-02 is so popular is that it doesn’t require a specialized tools to maintain. To swap out your bushings for FastEddy bearings, you only need a few basic tools:

• FastEddy Tamiya TT-02 Sealed Bearing Kit: This complete kit includes every bearing you need to replace the stock plastic and metal bushings.
• JIS (or Phillips) Screwdriver: For the chassis and gear covers. The bearing kit includes the following: (8) 5x10x4, (4) 5x11x4 and (4) 8x12x3.5.
• 7mm Nut Driver (or the kit-supplied cross-wrench): To remove the wheels.
• Needle-nose Pliers: Helpful for pulling out the drive pins in the axles.
• A Clean Rag: To wipe away any factory grease from the old bushings.

STEP-BY-STEP: THE TAMIYA TT-02 BEARING OVERHAUL

If you’re building your kit from scratch, simply swap the plastic and metal bushings for FastEddy sealed bearings as you go. If you’re retrofitting a car that’s already built, we’ll follow the Tamiya manual's logic to ensure we don't miss a single friction point.

 

Build Stage: Spur Gear & Propeller Shaft (Manual Steps 3 & 4)

The propeller shaft is the "spine" of the car, transferring power from the motor to the front and rear gearboxes. Because these parts spin at the highest RPM in the chassis, they are the most critical points for reducing drag.

• The Upgrade: In Step 3, swap the two 1150 plastic bushings on either side of the spur gear with two 5x11x4 sealed ball bearings from the FastEddy bearing kit. Similarly, in Step 4, use the remaining 5x11x4 bearings in the bearing kit to replace the bushings next to the bevel gear.

• The Goal: Eliminating the friction here provides the most noticeable jump in top speed and a significant reduction in that common "drivetrain chatter" heard in stock kits.

Build Stage: Attaching Gear Differentials – Front & Rear (Manual Steps 7 & 9)

Once your differentials are assembled, it’s time to drop them into the chassis. This is a critical junction where the power from the propeller shaft is transferred to the wheels.

• The Upgrade: In Step 7 (Front) and Step 9 (Rear), you will replace the four large 1280 metal bushings with four 8x12x3.5 rubber sealed bearings from the FastEddy kit. These sit on the "outdrives" of the differential and cradle the assembly within the chassis tub.

 

 

 

 

 

• The Goal: These bearings take the brunt of the motor’s torque. Using high-quality sealed bearings here ensures the differentials spin centered and smooth, preventing the "binding" or power loss that can happen under heavy acceleration with plastic bushings.

Build Stage: Front & Rear Uprights (Manual Steps 17 & 19) 

Before the suspension arms are even attached to the chassis, the manual has you prep the uprights.

 

 

 

Right: The Tamiya TT-02 chassis shown with the stock white 1050 plastic bushing in the left, rear upright. This bushing gets replaced with a FastEddy 5x10x4 rubber sealed bearing. All four of the uprights are built with two each of the 5x10x4 bearings.

 

 

 

• The Upgrade: In Step 17 (Front) and Step 19 (Rear), you’ll be seating a 5x10x4 FastEddy sealed bearing into the inner side of each upright and dropping the stock 1050 plastic bushings into your spare parts container.

• The Goal: These bearings support the "neck" of the drive axle. By installing your FastEddy sealed bearings now, you’re ensuring that the most protected part of the hub is already friction-free before the suspension is even mounted.

Build Stage: Attaching Wheels (Manual Steps 31 & 32)

We’ve reached the final step for the drivetrain! At this point, your axles are already installed through the uprights, and we just need to add the bearing onto the end of each axle and press it into the upright.

• The Upgrade: In Steps 31 and 32, you’ll slide the remaining four 5x10x4 FastEddy sealed bearings over the wheel axles and press them firmly into the outer side of the front and rear uprights.

• The Goal: These are the "outboard" bearings—the ones closest to the road, dust, and debris. This is where the FastEddy rubber seals really shine, providing a protective barrier that plastic bushings simply can’t match. Once these are seated, your wheels will spin with the precision of a pro-level race car.

WRAPPING UP THE BUILD

With those final four bearings in place, your Tamiya TT-02 is officially fully ball-bearing supported. Give the drivetrain a manual spin; you should notice it is significantly quieter and continues to rotate much longer than it did with the stock plastic bushings.

Beyond the sound, the first time you pull the trigger on the pavement, you’ll feel the difference. Your car will accelerate more cleanly, steer with more precision, and—most importantly—you’ll get a few extra minutes of runtime out of every battery pack. You’ve successfully transformed your kit from a basic hobby-level car into a smoother, more efficient RC machine.

Now, it’s time to put the body on and hit the road!

 

UPGRADE YOUR RC PERFORMANCE TODAY!!!

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