TA02
The TA-02 chassis is an evolution of the TA-01 chassis with which it shares the main features and most of the components. The TA-02 chassis was released for sale in several versions that differed from each other in wheelbase and track width. Modifications to the chassis allow for different performance and characteristics; this has enabled the release of several models, all with four-wheel drive, which reproduce rally, street, track and truck cars.
The following models are part of this family:
– Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI, model number 58128 put on sale in 1993 and available on the market until 1996
– Castrol Celica – 1993 Monte-Carlo Rally Winner, model number 58129 put on sale in 1993 and available on the market until 1999
– Calsonic Skyline GT-R Gr.A, model number 58135 offered for sale in 1994 and available on the market until 1995
– Toyota Prerunner, model number 58136 put up for sale in 1994 and available on the market until 1996. In order to be able to install large tyres and rims, the Toyota Prerunner has the front suspension arms, rear suspension arms and steering spindle of the TA01 model. In 2011, with the release of model 58495, this chassis is identified by the designation TA-02T.
– Blitz Toyota Supra Gr.N, model number 58137 offered for sale in 1994 and available on the market until 1999
– AMG Mercedes-Benz C-Class DTM D2, model number 58139 put up for sale in 1994 and available on the market until 1999
– HKS Nissan Skyline GT-R Gr.A, model number 58140 offered for sale in 1994 and available on the market until 1995
– ProMarkt-Zakspeed AMG Mercedes C-Class DTM, model number 58145 put up for sale in 1994 and available on the market until 1999
– Racing Truck Chevy S-10, model number 58146 offered for sale in 1994 and available on the market until 1996. In order to be able to install large tyres and rims, Racing Truck Chevy S-10 has the front suspension arms, rear suspension arms and steering spindle from model number TA01. In 2011, with the release of model 58495, this chassis was identified by the designation TA-02T.
– Opel Calibra V6 DTM, model number 58150 put on sale in 1995 and available on the market until 1996
– Loctite Nissan Skyline GT-R N1, model number 58155 put on sale in 1995 and available on the market until 1999.
– TA02 Racing Special Chassis, model number 58157 went on sale in 1995 and was available on the market until 1996. In the factory box, it has some accessories to improve performance (in the picture below the standard solution is highlighted in red and the Racing Special in blue): black coloured front and rear gearbox (front code 10005574 and rear code 10005575), rear differential and ball bearing in one piece (bearing code 53136), different engine transmission ratio by modifying the pinion and gears, front (code 53172) and rear (code 53115) axles in one piece with integrated constant velocity joint, different system for fixing the lower arms of the rear suspension, rear anti-roll bar (part number 53189), different front differential with one-way ball bearing (part number 53200), harder suspension springs differentiated between front and rear axles (part number 53163), slick wheels (part number 53220) with internal foam rubber (part number OP-209) to stiffen the shoulder and improve road holding with special rims (part number OP-232), steel front-rear drive shaft (part number 9805901), aluminium steering hub pins. No ball bearings are fitted as standard on this model and it has no body.
– Racing Truck Ford F-150, model number 58161 went on sale in 1995 and was available on the market until 2004. In order to be able to install large tyres and rims, Ford F-150 has the front suspension arms, rear suspension arms and steering spindle of model TA01. In 2011, with the release of model 58495, this chassis is identified by the designation TA-02T.
– Toyota Celica GT-Four, model number 58164 put on sale in 1995 and available on the market until 1997
– Ford SVT Mustang Cobra R, model number 58169 put on sale in 1996 and available on the market until 1997
– BMW 318i STW, model number 58171 put up for sale in 1996 and available on the market until 2000
– Ford Escort RS Cosworth, model number 581176 offered for sale in 1996 and available on the market until 1999
These models represent a very significant innovation for Tamiya and there are several images that Tamiya has published in industry magazines.
To date (2025), other models equipped with the TA-02 chassis have been released under code 57XXX. With the TA-02 series, Tamiya continues the business strategy started with the TA-01 series of releasing four-wheel-drive models with highly detailed body. All Lexan bodies are enriched with styrene details such as rear-view mirrors, window washer brushes, cockpit with driver and/or spoiler.
The chassis comprises a central plastic shell which is complemented by a front gearbox and a rear gearbox, the electric motor is installed in the rear gearbox, the four suspensions are independent with spring and oil shock absorbers from the CVA family, rear ball differential, front gear differential…
The chassis shell of the TA-02 model has a slightly different configuration that makes it shorter than the equivalent TA-01 chassis. In order to maintain the same 260 mm wheelbase, the rear suspension has been changed, which has a geometry in which the arms extend towards the rear. The body attachments to the chassis have adapters that allow bodies from the TA-01 models to be fitted to the TA-02 models and vice versa. The code for the TA-02 chassis shell is 19335609, this chassis was also used on the FF-01 chassis.
This configuration of the TA-02 chassis concentrated the weights towards the centre of the body, improving handling compared to the TA-01 chassis.
In the picture below, the TA-01 chassis is on the left while the TA-02 chassis is on the right. The different length of the chassis shell justifies the different drive shaft between the front and rear.
Comparison of the two chassis shows that:
– in the TA-01 chassis the radio switch is installed on the left and in the TA-02 chassis the radio switch is installed on the right,
– the TA-02 chassis shell has holes under the battery compartment and you can only insert the battery from the left side, the TA-01 chassis shell has the typical honeycomb structure to stiffen the chassis and you can insert the battery from both the right and left side.
The plastic boxes of the two differentials of the TA-02 family are the same as those of the TA-01 chassis and are designed for easy maintenance. Part ‘A’ (front shell) and ‘B’ (rear shell) are common to chassis DF-01, TA-01, TA-02, TA-02-S, TA02SW and TA02-T. Different part numbers are commercially available for these two parts, changing only in colour:
– red shell front code 50541 and rear code 50478; this is the colour that is standard on both chassis TA-01 and chassis TA-02 and is the most commonly used,
– black shell front code 10005574 and rear code 10005575; this colour is standard on only a few models such as the TA-02 Racing Special version code 58157,
– blue shell front code 10009609 and rear code 10009610; this colour is standard on chassis TA-02T and
– grey shell front code 10005597 and rear code 1000559; this colour is standard on chassis TA-02W only.
The rear gearbox can be inspected easily:
– from the rear to check the differential and
– from the top to check the four-wheel drive transmission.
The front gearbox can be inspected
– from the bottom to check the differential and
– from the top to check the four-wheel drive transmission.
Although it is easy to inspect the inside, the boxes are well sealed and protect the gears from dust and dirt.
Part ‘C’ consists of the front and rear suspension joints; this part is common to several chassis: DF-01, FF-01, TA-01, TA-02, TA-02-S, TA02SW and TA02-T. Different part numbers for the ‘C’ part are commercially available, changing only in colour:
– blue suspension joints code 10009611
– suspension joints colour black code 10005377
By having a different chassis and leaving the wheelbase unchanged, Tamiya has engineered the suspension arms differently, which change between the TA-01 chassis and the TA-02 chassis.
These are the main differences in the suspension:
– the rear arms of the TA02 model are inclined towards the rear. In the picture below, the second arm in the first box is the rear arm of the TA-01 chassis and the second arm in the second box is the rear arm of the TA-02 chassis. Comparing the two versions it is evident that the TA-02 chassis arm is inclined to the right; by installing the arm in the chassis the inclination is towards the rear, lengthening the wheelbase,
– the suspension arms have different reinforcement ribs between the TA-01 and TA-02 chassis.
The lower suspension arms of the TA-01 chassis have a Y-shaped rib for the front ones and an X-shaped rib for the rear ones. See image below in the box on the left, starting from the left going to the right, the first of the two arms is the front one with Y-ribbing followed by the rear one with X-ribbing.
While the lower suspension arms of the TA 02 chassis have a diagonal rib. See image below in the box on the right, starting from the left going to the right, the first of the two arms is the front one (‘F’ part that includes the two front arms, code 19000744) followed by the rear one (‘K’ part that includes the two rear arms, code 19114107)
– the front arms of the TA-01 frame are shorter than the corresponding ones of the TA-02 frame, to maintain the same track the steering hub changes. The hub of the TA-01 frame (on the left in the image below) is longer than that of the TA-02 frame (on the right in the image below).
– the different geometry of the steering hub also affects the ball bearings which are not the same in the two frames. For the TA-01 frame (on the left in the image below, black spindle code 10445572) two 1150 bearings are planned which become an 1150 and a 1260 for the TA-02 (on the right in the image below, blue spindle code 10445246).
There are several accessories available to improve the performance of the TA02 chassis.
The position of the battery and the motor moves the center of gravity back a lot and therefore the chassis tends to suffer from roll, this characteristic is reduced by installing the carbon chassis which moves the center of gravity slightly towards the front. The code of the carbon chassis conversion kit is 47479, it includes all the parts needed to modify the chassis from the plastic shell to a double carbon deck chassis: double carbon chassis, small parts, steering system levers, battery block, X-frame suspension….
To improve the stability of the models when cornering, the TA-02 chassis is equipped with the stabilizer bar code 53189 (highlighted in the image below). When a car takes wide radius curves at high speed it tends to lighten the inside wheels, the bar stabilizes the model reducing this effect improving the grip on all four wheels.
Technically, to improve performance, the only thing missing is the possibility of installing an anti-slip clutch.
The TA-02 chassis is very versatile and has been used for rally cars, track cars, road cars and trucks.
For Tamiya, this was a huge engineering effort and to maximize the investment, they have therefore published several images in various catalogs and guide books.
TA-02W, Wide Track Chassis
The first evolution of the TA-02 chassis is the TA-02W version where W stands for Wide. This chassis was released only with track bodies and the following models are part of this family:
– Nissan 300ZX IMSA GTS, model number 58144 released in 1994 and available on the market until 1999
– Nismo Clarion GT-R LM 95 Le Mans contender, model number 58165 released in 1994 and available on the market until 1999
– Castrol Toyota Toms Supra GT, model number 58170 released in 1996 and available on the market until 2000
The track is widened by using the steering joints of the TA01 chassis at the front and widening the rims and rear tires. With this modification the front wheels have a smaller width than the rear wheels.
In the image below on the left there is an extract from the instruction manual of the front axle of the TA-02 model and on the right there is an extract from the instruction manual of the front axle of the TA-02W model. The standard right hub of the TA-02 model is highlighted in blue (code 10445246) and the right hub of the TA-02W model is highlighted in black which is the same as the TA-01 model (code 10445572).
The TA-02 and TA02W families share the set of front arms (part “F” code 19000744) and the set of rear arms (part “K” code 19114107)
TA-02SW, short wheelbase and wide track chassis
The second evolution of the TA-02 chassis is the TA-02SW version where W stands for Wide and S stands for Shot wheel base. This chassis was released only with a track body:
– Taisan Porsche 911 GT2, model number 58172 released in 1996 and available on the market until 1999
This is the first model that comes factory-packaged with the gray plastic parts for the front differential part “A” (code 10005597) and the rear differential part “B” (code 1000559).
The wheelbase is shortened by using the rear suspension of the TA-01 chassis, so the wheelbase is shortened to 236 mm from the 260 mm of the standard version.
In the image below on the left is an excerpt from the instruction manual for the rear axle of the TA-02 model and on the right is an excerpt from the instruction manual for the rear axle of the TA-02SW model. The lower left arm of the TA-02 chassis is highlighted in blue and the lower left arm of the TA-02SW chassis is highlighted in gray.
The track is increased by installing wider rims and rear tires. The front wheels are narrower than the rear wheels, as on the TA-02W chassis.
TA-02T, Trophy Trucks version
The TA-02 chassis has been modified by taking some components from the TA01 chassis to be used as a wide-wheel off-roader, generating a new chassis for Trucks; the following models are part of this family:
– Ford F150 – 1995 Baja Version, model number 58495 put on sale in 2011 and available on the market until 2012
– Desert Fielder, model number 58537 put on sale in 2012 and available on the market until 2013
This model is the first one that comes factory-packaged with the blue plastic parts of the front differential part “A” (code 10009609) and the rear differential part “B” (code 10009610).
The Toyota Prerunner, Chevy S-10 and Ford F-150 models available from 1994 are a preview of the TA-02T chassis that was officially recognized in 2011 with the release for sale of the F150 – 1995 Baja model code number 58537.
The wheelbase is shortened by using the TA-01 chassis rear suspension installed by rotating it 180° from the longitudinal axis; this reduces the wheelbase to 255 mm from the 260 mm of the standard version and allows for the large wheels to be accommodated. The image below on the left shows how to install the arms in the TA-01 chassis and the image below on the right shows how to install the same arms in the TA-02T chassis.
In the image below on the left in the second row there is an extract from the instruction manual for the rear axle of the TA-02 model and on the right in the second row there is an extract from the instruction manual for the rear axle of the TA-02T model.
The lower left arm of the TA-02 frame is highlighted in blue and the lower left arm of the TA-02T frame is highlighted in red.
The front suspensions have been modified to install the large wheels. In the image below on the left in the first row there is an extract from the instruction manual for the front axle of the TA-02 model and on the right in the first row there is an extract from the instruction manual for the front axle of the TA-02T model.
The lower arm of the right front suspension of the TA2 model is highlighted in light blue and the lower arm of the right front suspension of the TA-02T model is highlighted in orange which is the same as the TA-01 model.
The standard right hub of the TA-02 model (code 10445246) is highlighted in blue and the right hub of the TA-02T model, which is the same as the TA-01 model (code 10445572), is highlighted in red.
TA-02 S short wheelbase chassis
The second evolution of the short wheelbase chassis is the TA-02S version which incorporates the modifications made in the TA-02SW chassis, S stands for Shot wheel base. This chassis was released only with a rally body:
– Lancia 037 Rally, model number 58654 released in 2018 and available on the market until 2021.
This model is the only one with a styrene body that derives from the one installed on the 58040 model that was equipped with a two-wheel drive ORV chassis.
To reduce the wheelbase, this chassis maintains the modification inserted in the TA-02SW to install the rear suspension of the TA-01 chassis in this way the wheelbase is reduced to 236 mm from the 260 mm of the standard version.
In the image below on the left there is an extract from the instruction manual of the rear axle of the TA-02 model and on the right there is an extract from the instruction manual of the rear axle of the TA-02S model. The lower left arm of the TA-02 chassis is highlighted in blue and the lower left arm of the TA-02SW chassis is highlighted in yellow.
The front and rear wheels have the same size, therefore, the track does not change, furthermore, the front bumper is characteristic only of this version.
Evolution of the TA02 chassis
To summarize, the changes introduced on the front axle by inserting the parts of the TA01 chassis (parts in green) to obtain the variants of the TA02 chassis are highlighted.
To summarize, the changes introduced on the rear axle are highlighted by inserting the parts of the TA01 chassis (parts in green) to obtain the variants of the TA02 chassis.
During an event in Japan, a series of plastic parts with special colors were put on sale:
– Fluorescent Orange Hi-Torque Servo Saver, item number 49036
– Fluorescent Yellow Hi-Torque Servo Saver Set. item number 49553
– Fluorescent Green Hi-Torque Servo Saver Set, item number 49554
– Fluorescent green adjuster set suspension upper arms, item number 49545
– Fluorescent pink adjuster set suspension upper arms, item number 49546
– Fluorescent yellow gearbox, parts A and B, item number 49547
– Fluorescent green gearbox, parts A and B, item number 49548
– Fluorescent pink gearbox, parts A and B, item number 49549
– Fluorescent orange damper springs, item number 49555
– Fluorescent green damper springs, item number 49556
– Fluorescent yellow damper springs, item number 49557
– Fluorescent pink damper springs, item number 49558
– White suspension arms, part K (2 pieces per package), item number 49573
– White mini CVA dampers (2 pieces per package), item number 49577
– White chassis, item number 49578
– Fluorescent orange chassis, item number 49579
