Welcome to the Hop Up section. I have divided this page into three sections: One for hop ups I believe give you most performance for your money, the other is for parts made by Fantasia Hobbies which offer a great value for the money, the last for hop ups which are for the serious racer who demands the most performance regardless of cost.  
 

Recommended Hop Ups

Part	Picture	Description
Ball Bearings (left) $30 - $40		Replace bronze bushings (right) that come with kit. Reduce friction giving you a smoother drive train. Speed is significantly increased while putting less strain on your engine. I recommend that bearings be your first upgrade.
2 Speed Transmission  $50 - $70		Much the same like a transmission in a real car. This device has a spring actuated clutch which engages another set of gears with a lower ratio. The shifting point can be set at different engine RPM's by changing the tension on the spring.
Tuned Pipe  $40 - $70		Replaces the stock exhaust muffler. Allows the exhaust gases to escape the combustion chamber more freely. This allows larger amounts of the fuel and air mixture to enter the combustion chamber. The engines power band is increased. Various pipes have different effects on engine performance. Most pipes are made of two chambers. The second chamber provides greater back pressure to the fuel tank, which allows the engine to draw more fuel.
Titanium Turnbuckles  $20 - $30		The first problem I had with my RS4 was a bent turnbuckle. I have since replaced two other of the same steel turnbuckles Just recently I installed a set of RCP titanium turnbuckles. Now making toe-in and camber adjustments is much easier, and I haven't bent one since.
Tires  $9 - $13 for a set of two.		Extra sets of tires are the best way to make significant changes to the way your car handels on the track. I recommend caring at least one pair of slicks and one pair of treads. Use the treads for dusty or unswept surfaces and the slicks for surfaces which have been prepared for racing.

Parts By Fantasia Hobby World 

 
 
 

Part	Picture  (click for larger image)	Description
Power Brace  (Part # FAN1001)  $25.00		Fits between the clutch shaft and the drive shaft to maintain an even tension on the toothed drive belt. Fitted with high quality ball bearings at both ends for long life. No other modifications required.
Belt Tensioner  (Part # FAN1002)  $20.00		This unit maintains the tension on the front drive belt to prevent slippage during acceleration. The tensioner bolts to the radio plate has a ball bearing wheel for low friction and long life. It isn't spring loaded. You apply the tension you want and snug the bolt down.
Servo Stand  (Part # FAN1007)  $9.00		Servo Stand. Blue anodized light weight aluminum. Complete with screws. A more rigid mounting for your servos than the standard mount for more precise response. Can be used with most cars.
Chassis Kit  (Part # FAN1011)  $40.00		Chassis and Servo Stand package. Tweak resistant Blue anodized light weight aluminum 3.2 mm chassis with countersunk screw holes. Includes one servo stand set
Heat Sink Motor Mounts  (Part # FAN1012)  $22.00 (Non Pull-Start only)		Blue Anodized light weight aluminum, machined from solid bar stock with cooling fins. All screws included.
Flywheel  (Part # FAN1013)  $19.00		You guessed it, Blue Anodized Light Weight Aluminum ! Drilled for faster throttle response. Complete with collet and custom wrench.
Upper Chassis Plate  (Part # FAN1015)  $25.00		Again, B.A.L.W.A.. (See above) Super strong upper chassis plate to reduce excess chassis flex.

   

These pictures have been provided by Hobby Etc., Inc. 

Part	Picture	Description
Alloy Arms and Universals		Both of these parts should be about $20 - $30. The alloy arms are lighter and stronger than the stock plastic units. Other than giving your car a customized look there is no real big advantage to using them. The universal joints replace the stock dogbones. They can transfer the rotational motion to your tires at angles which would usually cause the dog bones to bind.
Alloy Chassis With Cooling Fins		This chassis goes for about $60 - $80. It is thicker than the stock chassis which results in less flex and an all around stronger chassis. Cooling fins are located near the engine mount to help dissipate heat. I believe that the stock chassis is thick enough to provide adequate strength and ridgedity. Again If your going for the customized look you might want to give this part consideration.
Alloy Diff Housings		These pieces can be found for around $30 - $40. They replace the stock plastic units. Other than giving your car a unique look the only other advantage to using these parts is saving a few grams of weight. Although they might be stronger than the plastic pieces, I don't see how even the plastic ones could be broken.
Alloy Hub Carriers and Steering Kit		These pieces can be found for around $20 - $35. I believe that these parts are primarily designed to make your car look better. They might be a bit lighter and stronger than the plastic parts, but I believe that because of the flexibility of the plastic pieces they are not very likely to break. The steering unit will give you less slop because it uses ball joints instead of the stock music wire.
Alloy Shock Towers		You can get these parts for about $20 - $30. Once again other than looking good using these parts won't give you any other significant performance increase. Yes, they are lighter and stronger than plastic pieces of the same type, but it's not worth the strain on your wallet.
Alloy Upper Deck and Belt Tensioner		The cost of these pieces are about $40 for the upper deck and $15 for the rear brace. These pieces are a must for those of you who are trying to make your car look wilder than the next. Once again I believe that although these parts look good, the burden they put on your wallet isn't worth the strength and few grams of weight you may save.