Egress 2013

[Aussie Top Force]

I have just finished building the chassis of my new Egress 2013 (pictures later) so I thought I would start a new thread on the vehicle, that discusses the car as a potential racer (vintage events - let's be real!) rather than as an idol to be worshiped. Lets try and refrain from "mines in the mail" posts, but rather stick to what's good and what's not so good about the Egress 2013 and what you're doing to make it good on the track

Before going any further, I had an original Egress and raced it successfully at club level back in the day (1990 ish) so its not my first time with the chassis.

So I'll start off as follows:

Good points: (no particular order)

- High quality finish on all parts - went together easily
- Instructions
- Plastics seem to be of a more durable (not as soft) material than I remember on the original Egress
- tight fit for all suspension parts - does not seem to be any slop in the new parts , so lets see how they wear over time, i.e. will slop creep in?
- Screws seem to be off good quality - no striped heads.
- Carbon fibre chassis plates and shock towers seem to be thicker and have a great looking shinny finish!
- CVD drive shafts all round - much better than original uni joint and optional posi joints.
- turnbuckles all round
- ball bearings every where
- Body and stickers
- Wheels and tires (same as original for that retro look)

Not so good:

- The diff balls and rings - they don't feel smooth at all (in fact the rings didnt' even have that polished mirror smooth finish that they should?) I think they'll wear fairly quickly and need replacement in a racing environment. Hopefully, an after market brand like TSR will release a ceramic rebuild kit. The TSR diffs in my 502X are buttery smooth.

- The diff out drives - these are secured within the diff drive outer bearings and by a firm sponge that is compressed against the done bone. As long as the sponge doesn't over compress the out drive 'should' stay in place. This is the same arrangement for the Avante 2011 Black Special.

- The High cap dampers (why are these here you ask and not in the good section?). First of all they look great and are nice and smooth. However, there are two things that I think will need some track time before I'm convinced Mr Tamiya knows what he's doing:

1: Single red O-ring seal on the shock shaft! The original Hi caps had two and so do all of Tamiya's current TRF shocks. Whilst the bolt in mechanism from the bottom is great, if you over tighten it, you squash the O-ring and restrict the movement of the shock shaft. Thus you have find a happy medium between, smooth operation and leaking shocks. Why they didn't just uses the parts from the TRF cars to bolt in from the bottom is beyond me? I might have to see if they are a direct fit?

2: No air release hole in the shock cap. The original hi caps have an air release hole in the top of the cap. Thus when the shock piston is compressed, which in turn compresses the oil and the seperating diaphragm in the shock cap, the air hole releases the air between the diaphragm and the top of the shock cap. Like a good set of aeration dampers found on most modern buggies, this would result in a small amount of rebound, say 3 to 5mm (with out a spring) of the shock piston after it is fully compressed. However, as there is no air hole in the new hi-caps, the air captured between the roof of the shlck cap and the diaphragm becomes pressurised when the piston is compressed. The result, 100% rebound of the shock piston to it's full length without a spring! With a battery in and using the recommended spring setting the suspension feels very over sprung.

3: Front lower shock mount. This is not the same as the original Egress, which had an extension bracket and stood the shocks up more vertical, which gave the front suspension more droop and allowed for a softer setting. The Egress 2013 front suspension has no droop! The front suspension arms sit dead flat off the chassis. Combined with the 100% rebound of the shocks, the suspension does not settle (rear as well), with motor and battery both fitted in the chassis. This has the effect of pointing the nose down, i.e. the chassis has a significant positive rake angle. This might be good for Redbull F1 cars, but on off road buggies, on a car that has no front kick up? Mmmm...

So where to from here? As I am going to race this car at vintage events I would like it to be the best that it can be. So I've decided to order some lower front shock brackets from Fibre-Lyte. They will replicate the original front shock position and giver some droop and extra ride height for rough tracks. And for the shocks, there are a few different solutions:

1. try them with different oils and pistons and see if they work?
2. try fitting original hi-cap shock caps - do they even have the same thread?
3. cut the centre out of the diaphragms so it just becomes a seal and use them as aeration dampers?
4. investigation if the O-ring holder from my TRF shocks - does it screw straight into the bottom of the new high caps?

It would be interesting to see what others have to say?

[ralphee]

Starting out on my build in anger today mate, just saw your TC photos, looks superb, loving the smoked windows, a route i want to take for a cleaner set of windows!

lee

[cryer-evo]

I to will be racing my egress when it turns up I have raced my avante 2011 black and it works well if the ball diffs are the same you souldnt have a problem with them as mine are very smooth and have bin for awhile
I have a vanquish/avante 2001 hybrid that has the egress front tower and the carbon lower mounts which work very well to and the hybrid kit tyres work well on astro but do were out fast

[Aussie Top Force]

Well after re inspecting the instructions I was able to bleed the shocks properly, but it is a very fiddly process! It isn't a fast process, something you wouldn't really want to be doing track side.

Essentially, IMO Tamiya should have left the breather hole in the shock cap, like on the original Hi-Cap dampers. A much easier assembly process and consistent results.

Before i hit the track I'm going re do the shocks with 2 hole piston and at very least 42.5 WT oil front and rear.

[cryer-evo]

I two have the 2 hole pistons in mine with 50w oil front and 40w oil rear fills good one the table but I am yet to hit the track with it

[Aussie Top Force]

Here is my Egress 2013. Full photos are of it complete 100% to instruction manual. Pictures of front suspension include later added Fibre Lyte lower shock mount component. These place the shock close to original spec. The Graphite finish also goes well the rest of the car. The additional hole also allows for another position.

To contact Fibre Lyte:http://www.fibre-lyte.co.uk

No Electric's added yet. Will be installing a Speed Passion Pro 1.1 and YR 10.5 of 13.5 Brushless motor from RC Mart in the near future with Sanwa Servo and receiver to connect to my M11X. I'll also be sourcing some Lipo's in original stick pack shape to provide power.

[mtbd500]

This kit is an absolute wonder. The uninitiated may find it hard to believe that this is a 30+ year old design. This kit could be mistaken for this years model. Buttery smooth self lubricating nylon gears. Hi capacity dampers. Crazy earth ripping tyres. If you can afford it, get one!. 10/10 all round and cheap at half the price when imported

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by mtbd500

This kit is an absolute wonder. The uninitiated may find it hard to believe that this is a 30+ year old design.

Don't you mean a 20+ year old design? I had an Egress back in 1993, 30+ Years puts it in with the Rough Rider & Sand Scorcher etc & before the Hotshot.

[cryer-evo]

Very nice I should have mine all painted tonight but I have done mine in ps-1 white will try and post some pics but don't no if I can do it