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Did a Locked Front Diff Make My TT-02 Worse?

I wanted to see if the front locker actually made my TT-02 better, so I compared it with the open differential in three quick tests.

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Tamiya TT-02 Celica ST165 driving around a short dirt oval track

Test 1: Short Oval

  • Open diff: More predictable and would naturally rotate when I lifted off the throttle.
  • Locked diff: Wouldn’t always rotate. Sometimes it would push straight, while other times it would rotate too much.
  • Winner: Open diff — Much more consistent and easier to drive.
Tamiya TT-02 Celica ST165 comparing open and locked front differentials in a tight turn

Test 2: Turning Radius

  • Open diff: Had the tighter turning radius.
  • Locked diff: At steady power through a 90-degree turn, it ended up about one car length wider.
  • Winner: Open diff — A pretty big difference over such a short distance.
Tamiya TT-02 Celica ST165 driving through cones on a dirt and grass driveway

Test 3: Slalom

  • Open diff: Won, but only by a little.
  • Locked diff: Also struggled to make the turns cleanly.
  • Track: This wasn’t a great comparison because I was running over loose rock and grass on my driveway.
  • Winner: Open diff — But I wouldn’t put much weight on this test.

← Back to My Tamiya TT-02 Journey

What I Learned

  • The open diff drove better in every turn.
  • The locked diff was less predictable and didn’t rotate off-power.
  • The open diff also had a tighter turning radius.
  • For my TT-02, the front locker made the car worse overall.

What I Used

  • Tamiya TT-02 Celica ST165
  • TT-02 front locker
  • Open front differential
  • Rally tires

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