The Tamiya TA02, 4 wheel drive chassis, has been around for quite a while, and as such it's setup has already been fine-tuned to such an extent by the drivers whom I know, that I'll give a mix of what I think will work for various conditions.

The tarmac version of the TA02 (which basically covers most of Tamiya's 02 range other than the rallycars) has a touch of oversteer out of the box. I will be giving only one setup for this car, for I've only run it on one surface - parking lot asphalt.

Driving notes: Set up in this manner the TA02 will have lots of acceleration, or punch. But it will "top-out", ie, reach maximum attainable speed, rather soon too. As such this car is more suited for small tight tracks with lots of tight turns. It will not seem impressive tooling around with your buddies' (overgeared, maybe?) faster cars, but it'll last 5 minutes out on a racetrack. HPI V-grooves are the way to go for traction and long life on most untreated, dusty asphalt. The car will push under power, but off throttle, you will find gobs of steering because of the one-way system up front that increases power off throttle. Remember to coast into the corners! Do not use your brakes unless absolutely necessary, as full-on braking from high speed will cause an instant spin out! The car may appear to shift weight noticeably as a result of the rather soft springs used, but on asphalt, I think this is beneficial for the TA02. This will be most noticeable on acceleration (when the tail squats), and on high speed corners or chicanes, where the car will lean very visibly, to the extent of lifting the inside front tire. Enjoy this setup, don't be afraid to make changes, and I hope you'll have fun!

Please email me if you have any suggestions, questions, hate mail etc.