What should my first Hop-Ups be?

Now that you have a Baja, it doesn’t mater what model you are probably wanting to get some hop-ups for it. Its only natural to want to personalize your new rig.  There are a few items that we believe to be “Must Have” Items. They aren’t “Bling” items but are items that will help protect your Baja and insure that it will withstand the test of time.

Must have items:

• Outerwears Pill start cover
• Outerwears Air filter cover
• Fuel filter.
• Ratio Rite measuring cup

Optional Items but worth looking at for your first purchases:

• Axel Extenders
• Clutch / wheel shims
• Clutch carrier

Pull start and Airfilter covers will keep the dust, sand, grass, and dirt out of the covered parts. Dirt in the carb is the #1 reason for engine failure. The pull start will fail quickly is not properly protected. If nothing else get these two items. It will be the best money spent.

An external fuel filter will keep the crud out of your engine. The Baja has an internal “Clunk” style filter but it doesn’t always catch everything. This is a cheap and easy part to get and will again, help insure that you are protected. When you go to get one, make sure it specifically states that its for GASOLINE.

A Measuring cup designed for mixing fuel and oil will help make sure you are getting the proper mixture. Performance issues and blown engines can the result of errors in mixing your fuel and oil.

Axel extenders will help stabilize your new ride. If your driving style finds you on your lid often, look into a set of extenders. You will be amazed at the big difference they make. Several companies offer them. The most popular ones are made by DarkSoul Racing but there are several other companies to choose from.

Clutch and wheel shims are a needed item. From the factory or during your build you will notice a lot of in and out play in your wheel hubs. Installing the proper thickness shims will get rid of this “Slop” In return, your bearings will last longer and you will reduce C-Clip failure on the front hubs. The stock clutch bell has a lot of “Slop In it. Shimming the bell will reduce all sorts of slop related issues. The same shim size is used in both places. HPI offers the proper size shim in one thickness and Team FastEddy offers a Shim Kit that includes several different thicknesses to get everything just right.

The stock clutch carrier will be fine for a while. Its made of plastic and can quickly distort from the heat and torque. This will cause many issues down the line including melted spur gears, broken pinion bolts, and quickly trashed bearings. An alloy holder is a great solution to this. HPI had their “HD” carrier that includes larger bearings, Turtle Racing has an enclosed  HD Clutch System that is close to bullet proof. There are others on the market as well, Do some research and choose one that you like.

Once you have these “Essential” items covered its time to go have some fun and know that you have made you rig more “Solid” and dependable.