Hey Bill,
i do believe the circumfrance gets larger with more teeth.

as for your question about the BX.. no its not the same. its a very similar set up but its a little smaller, lighter and other subtle differences.

******SPECS FROM TOWERHOBBIES.COM*********
VEHICLE- BX
Length: 15.5" (394mm)
Width: 9-7/8 " (251mm)
Height: 6.5" (165mm)
Weight: 44oz (2.75 lbs) (1247g)(approx.)
Wheelbase: 11" (279mm)

Vehicle- ST
Length: 16.1" (409mm)
Width: 12.9" (327mm)
Height: 6.6" (168mm)
Weight: 3.6 lbs
Wheelbase: 11.6" (294mm)

Q

Hi Q
Sorry for the bad info.
Bill

Shoot.. No worries Bill :thumbsup:

Q

Thanks Q,

Letting me off the hook was nice of you but I need to stop repeating unverified information. I would, someone willing, like to get the accurate info. How about it Karen you up for teaching RC Gearing 101 to us RC no nothings.

Bill

The more teeth on any gear (provided the "pitch" stays the same) will be bigger in size. So an 18 tooth pinion would be bigger then a 17 tooth pinion. Same goes for the spur gear. The ST/BX use 48 pitch gears, as do the vast majority of 1/10 scale electric off-road cars and trucks.

I've had a chance to run the BX a little. Not any real track time, just some shake down runs. So far I'm as impressed by it as I was the ST. It handles well and should be fairly competitive (considering the price).

Changes I did from the stock-out-of-the-box settings was to put 25 weight oil in the front and 27.5 weight oil in the rear. I found that the stock setup was slightly under dampened and that the shocks were not filled consistantly.

As Karen said, the larger the pinion, the faster you will go... up to a point. You can overgear. Motors only make so much power. If you put too big of a pinion on, it could actually go slower as you are running the motor outside it's optimal power band. What happens is the motor will run hot and will have a lot shorter life span.

Thank you Hank.

Bill

Hey guys & gal!
I'm new here, but I have become a regular on another board's Evader forum (HI, jep & pudder! heh)

First, I have to give props to Hank for all his work here and for compiling so much great info on RCV. And I ain't kissing up here.

Second, I have read every page of this thread/forum and have taken great interest in taking steps to beef up my Evader gear box (also big thanks to the guys for adding to the Evader FAQ!), but haven't read any solid results lately. I've read of people either using or talking about trying out various gear box parts from other cars/trucks. It seems that the HGI B2 idler gear was successful for one guy, and using a different diff gear (with a few mods) is working for another, but no mention if anyone has tried a B2 stealth/titanium top shaft yet. I'm really interested in all this because I need my gear box to be as strong as possible before I venture into swapping arms out for graphite ones with larger, titanium hinge pins.

Thanks in advance for any help/direction!
kitty

Hey Guys,

Hank is right. I should have said that you can go to big and to small on the pinion. I would be more than happy to share my rc knowledge with you guys. Post any questions you have. There are many knowledgeable, friendly members on this board who would be more than happy to help you out, so don't be afraid to ask.

Thanks for the update on the evader bx hank. Any word on a release date from duratrax?

Thanks,

Karen

Good Morning All:

Thank you for your offer to provide "reliable" information. I'm to new to be of much help to others, but this form has become my only resource for RC info. I do not live around other RC'ers and do not have a LHS to visit so these threads and the posters are my best RC friends.

I recived the "up to" Nov. 30th addition of the Tower Hobbies speedmart catalog and the Evader BX RTR is on the cover. The RTR kit w/ ESC is $169.99 and the prebuilt w/ ESC is $119.99. Try the Duratrax website or WWW.speedmart.com . It looks like it comes with the same add ons like the ST. Photon 20T, Sprint ESC, etc... & 5 color choices.

Bill

PS - if you link to the speedmart site you need to type in Evader BX and it will come up with it. It did not find it under elec. cars and trucks. In other words go to the elec. car/truck section and type in Evader BX.

Sweet, thanks Bill. I didn't think it was out yet.

Karen

If the BX is anything like the ST it will handle quite well. It will have the benefits and the drawbacks of a true racing vehicle.

I would like to explain that statement.

The Evader is an inexpensive, RTR (ready to race) high performance stadium truck. Being inexpensive and RTR (ready to run) it appears Duratrax is aiming at the entry-level market dominated by Traxxas. Fact is it blows the Rustler off the map when it comes to features and performance from a racer's standpoint. However for a first time buyer the Evader may have too many racing features, namely the ball diff.

Read through this thread and you will see it over and over again. First time buyers with melted diffs. You folks who have over come the ball-diff growing pains are to be commended.

Racers learn early on that to go fast requires lots of pit-table time and attention to detail. They put up with the frailties of ball-diffs, brittle graphite suspension pieces etc. because that's what it takes to be competitive. They usually started with a Traxxas and move to a more competitive kit after they began racing.

Having fellow racers around really helps. Our hobby is so nitch-market that once we have a new racer we want them to stay with the hobby. The best way to do that is to give them as much help as we can. That's what I love best about this hobby. It brings out the best in people.

Unfortunately if you hack me in a race while I'm leading you may hear my dark side.:devil:

To sum it up the BX will be a good racing buggy. If the owner gets the bug to race it will teach them what they need to know to race with the fast guys. I believe the BX can be able to compete at higher levels if the owner does not give into the "if I buy a Losi I will go faster" mind set. It just takes practice, setup and motor maintenance.
:dude:

Karen, Your welcome, glad I could help. One thing I did not check out was if Tower had them in stock or taking pre-delivery orders. Let us know if you find out that they are not available yet.

Q, My score is Useful RC Info. "0" Shopping Tips "1" At least I'm even now.

Kitty - Welcome, Your right the diff. has caused problems for the Evader ST owners. Jerrit1, Jep, 22Racer and others have discussed the problem alot. The Evader FAQ thread has, as far as I know, the only diff. fix listed there. When I first started reading this form there was very little else discussed. Now I'm not seeing it much any more. I'm wondering if Duratrax had a design flaw in their trans. and now the vehicles are coming from the factory fixed, or at least less likely to break. I've run my Evader twice aday for over a month and have had clicking sounds but they have turned out to be small rocks rubbing on the side of the diff. housing. Anyway.... let us know if you find a solution.

Jep, The brace arrived and will be installed tonight. Thanks

Later,
Bill

Hi Bill,

I'm glad the part made it to your island. Let me know how it works out.

Hey Evader owners, I got a bunch of Losi parts on close-out. I am selling the ones I don't need on eBay. One of the auctions is a Lot of all Graphite XXT Parts - many of which fit the Evader. You can link to my auctions from the Jep-RC webpage in my signature. Thanks, and sorry for the spam.

Jep
Jep-R/C Products (http://www.geocities.com/jep_rc/)

Bill, thanks for the welcome =)

I am reading everything I can find on the net that has to do with the "Team Lossociated" Evader, especially gear box stuff. I'm trying to compile it all together for the benefit of others. Right now, I'm waiting on word from at least one other about whether the B2 top shaft will work. If so, I'm going with the titanium one. Other guys have tried diff gear fixes by using other gears, some of which require slight mods. I wish I had the cash to buy n' try all the ones that might be compatible, but I'm busy spending it on other hop-ups and accessories.

What I'd like to do is come up with the best and easiest component swap. I can handle drilling out the center hole on a diff gear for it to work in my Evader, but if I can find something that's a direct fit, all the better for those who don't have access to a good drill press. As soon as I gather all the information and test it all out, and if it's successful after a few of my infamous abusive test runs, I'll definitely pass it on here.
kitty, the Evader abuser

Hey everyone, I cleaned up Ronbecks Baja photo in PaintShop Pro - the other one looked really fuzzy and washed out.

Hi All:

Jep, you continue to amaze me with your talents; family, father, work, computer, RC, ebay, Jep RC, thread info guy...do you sleep? Work has kept me away from installing the brace but I hope to get to it tonight. Yes, I will get you some feed back. Are you planning on producing them in colors? By the way if you get a chance check out the camp at ccvaa.org It's not hard to find some places to drive RC cars, trucks, boats or planes.

Kitty, I look forward to reading your findings on the transmission, diff evader situtation.

Karen, I followed through on the Speedmart BX sale and discovered that they do not list it as "in stock", thats the bad news, the good news is that they list it as "late Sept", which it is. Hope you have it before the Christmas rush.

Bill

i need help. i finaly got the evader i wanted for my son yesterday. well i am sitting here looking at the melted diff gear. i checked the tightness before he ran today, but i was at work while he played and the rest is melted history. is jep the only good fix for the diff problem, well i will be reduing his tomorrow if i can get the parts.

later
Mames

mames, did u loosen the slipper as well? on the diff, you really have to lock it down tight and then bak off 1/8 turn, i backed off a little less because i dont want the diff to slip at all.


i was doing burnouts with my evader today with the steering locked in the left. when i pulled out i realized i couldnt turn right anymore! :eek: does anyone know what is wrong? when i disconnect the power and turn it manually with my hands to the right, it goes very difficulty, and springs bak when i let go. any suggestions plz n thankyou. also, how do u get these E-clips off?:confused:

Hi Mames,

The diff melted because it slipped instead of the slipper clutch. It must have been slipping pretty badly for quite a while. Don't feel bad, I completely melted two diff gears before I finally got it right. Once you know how to set the diff and get it broken in, you don't have to baby it nearly as much. I just got back from the track with my son, we each burned 5 packs and never touched the diffs.

After you rebuild, tighten the diff all the way. Do this while the diff is out of the tranny and make sure the small spring compresses fully - you will be surprised how much force it takes to fully compress the spring - you want it to bottom out, then just back it off a *little*, 1/8 turn or less.

After re-assembling, loosen the slipper clutch (NOT the diff) several turns, put in a fresh pack and punch the throttle, the truck should not move at all. If needed, loosen the slipper more until the truck completely slips and get familiar with that sound. Tighten the slipper 1/4 turn at a time until it only slips for about two feet upon acceleration. The slipper *must* slip to protect the diff and tranny, especially if jumping.

Jep
Jep-R/C Products (http://www.geocities.com/jep_rc/)

well i got my asociated diff gear, difff ring's, and diff balls. all i have to do is get the right drill bit to drill it to fit. any idea's on that size?

this just kill's me, i have been running a t3 for 2 years, got the evader to get my son running in some pratice meet's. and here i am i adjusted that thing out of the box, set the slipper a little looser. and he burned it up, damm if only i did not have to work..such is life..

jep can't wait for that brace to arrive, so i dont have to worry about that..

later
mames

:wave:

Jep-RC,

I took a look at the parts your selling on e-bay. Which non-duratrax parts fit the Evader? Maybe telling me which "Lot" of parts has the most Evader usable parts in it.

Bill

p.n.e.

I'm not sure what is causing your wheels to stay locked over ro the left. I had a similar problem and it was a small rock stuck in and around the servo saver. Look around this area well they can be hard to find. Is there any clicking sound when you operate the servo, maybe you stripped your gears. The only other thing I can think of is your transmitter and ESC need to be reset.

E-clips can be removed easily by taking a small straight slot screwdriver and putting it between the pin and inside of the E-clip. Once you have the proper position twist the screwdriver so the clip moves away from the pin. Keep your hand over the operation because that little sucker can really fly across the room if your not careful.

Let us know what you find out about your wheels left problem.

Bill

Originally posted by jep_rc
Hi Mames,

The diff melted because it slipped instead of the slipper clutch. It must have been slipping pretty badly for quite a while. Don't feel bad, I completely melted two diff gears before I finally got it right. Jep-R/C Products (http://www.geocities.com/jep_rc/)

Based on jep_rc I believe my suspisions to be correct. The diff is not so much a design flaw as it is knowing how to set, break-in and reset the diff.

After a Losi diff rebuild instructions are to run it for a couple of laps and re-tighten. Jep_rc's explanation (tighten then back-off 1/8th turn) sounds like Associated's diff instructions.

It is important to follow the instructions. However it is difficult sometimes to create instructions that make sence. Ball diff adjustment is more feel than anything else. If you don't have someone to show you how it's easy to melt one or two before you get it right.:(

One trick we use with the Losi diffs is to use fine sandpaper on the diff rings. Using a figure eight motion sand just long enough to put a brushed finish on the diff rings. This gives the balls a little more traction during break-in. Remember to re-tighten after a few laps.

Well this has been a busy thread over the weekend.

p.n.e.
if your having the same problem i've had its sorta like if you pop the front wheels out of socket. it happens to either side on mine and it doesnt seem to hurt the gears at all, it just sorta gets pushed over center so it cant pull the wheels back.. without a little help.

i havent played around with solving the problem for its only happened a few times.. but possibly toeing in or out the front wheels might help. i'll try it and let you know what i come up with.

Hey Jep.
i like the picturee of the Baja. i just bought a Baja Body this weekend. I've already painted it but i have some decals to add and some some post extentions i have to pick up. I'll post some pics when i have it done.

i started hearing some noise from my diff this weekend but havent had time to pull it apart and see what the damage is. wish i could watch someone do some of the things talked about on this thread. visual learner i guess.

i'll let you know what i find..

Q

PS. Guess your shoot'n Par now eh Bill? (even):thumbsup:

Ball diff slippage can as we know melt the diff gear. If the slipper gives before the ball diff the gear will be safe. Here is how I check the ballance between my slipper and ball diff.

1. Remove the cover revealing the spur and pinion gears.
2. Tighten the slipper all the way
3. Back off the slipper ¼ turn.
4. Hold the right rear wheel and spur gear so they cannot turn
I use the heel of my hand to hold the tire to a table top while holding the spur with my fingers.
5. Try to turn the left wheel with your left hand.
It should be almost impossible to turn the left wheel. If so
stop. Your diff is good.
If you can turn the wheel and the slipper shaft is not turning
your diff is too loose.
6. Tighten the diff 1/8th turn and re-test.
7. Repeat until the wheel will not turn without turning the slipper.

Once the diff is adjusted you will need to set the slipper.
This can be fun!

1. Turn your radio and truck on
2. Hold the truck out in front of you, holding it by the rear
wheels. The truck should hand nose down.
3. Have some one pull full throttle on the transmitter. Be careful it does not hit you in the nose. :-O
If the truck comes up above level the slipper is too tight.
Loosen it and re-test.
If the truck comes up between ½ (45 degrees)to level you are good.
If the truck does not come at least ½ way up tighten the slipper
a little and re-test.

That’s it!
:thumbsup:

Bob T. -
I love your slipper adjustment method - I have never heard of that one before. I can't wait to get home and try it.

Bob T. - you are right, the Duratrax tranny and diff are Associated clones, and the instructions read like AE's - the rest of the truck is a Losi XX-T clone, "metricized".

I do think the biggest problem with Evader diff's is that the spring is stiffer than AE's and people do not initially get them tight enough before "backing off" they really have to be cranked before the spring compresses.

Q2K -
If the noise is a "squeal" or "bark" then it's probably the diff slipping. If noise if clicking or crunching, then you could have a broken tooth on diff gear or idler gear, or too much junk/grit in the diff or tranny.

Jep

Jep,
i'd have to classify it as a barking sound. not crunching (yet).

thanks Bob! i'll be trying tonight too..

Q

well i took the whole front of the truck apart and rebuilt it, didnt have any more problems after that. it did take quite awhile tho....but a good chance to see how the servo worked. thx for the suggestions! you were right about the clips Bill, the little bugger flew across the room and under my desk :(

good post on setting up the diff bob, thats exactly how i did it. before, my diff was slipping and i didnt know that was wrong. all i knew was that the slipping was protecting my gears..luckily i figured it out before much harm was done. :D you can easily tell the difference between the slipper and the diff slipping after u hear them both. the diff makes an ugly sound (like the crunching barking squealing etc) while the slipper is a high pitched whirring that sounds "smooth/right" :)

Are you guys saying that once the diff. and slipper are adjusted properly the Evader transmission is OK?

absolutley

Whoa.

Thats Huge News

i'll be setting mine tonight. couldnt get to it last night. hopefully my Diff isnt toast already.

Q

It's been my experience in 2wd that you should follow the instructions to the letter re: diff building, and then not mess with it. A looser diff will give you a little better cornering but unless you're a *really* good driver you'll never tell the difference. The suspension has a much larger effect.

Where to set the slipper changes with track, installed power, and personal preference. If trying to get traction, set it so it slips for about 2 feet when you bury the throttle. This *will* wear on the clutch. It works best on loose or dusty tracks. Some people prefer to set it tighter so it only absorbs bumps. This gives you better control, esp. on smooth tracks, but takes more disciplined driving.

Good Afternoon:

Q,
Is your Evaders trans. still having problems?

Bob T,
Thank you for your excellent discription of diff and slipper adjustment. I tried your slipper clutch adjustment method. You did not mention that the spur gear needed to be in good shape to test the slipper that way. Yesterday my pinion gear worked loose and damaged the spur gear, so when I (without thinking) tried your test the car held a perfect 45 degree angle for about 3 sec. then went nose down and there was this bad sound.

pne,
I like that "smooth and right"

Dan,
With Bob's "How" your "Why" really help fill in the concepts.

Thanks All
Bill

hope you didnt strip anything bill..i dont know if this will help or not, but you can tell that your spur and pinion gears are meshed too tightly together if u slip a piece of paper in between the gears and it rolls out without tearing (i think it was on the video) you wouldnt want them too loose either or the tops of the teeth would rub against each other and strip.

smooth and right is 'right'! :D i noticed the diff slipping sounds a lot like my old rustbucket oldsmobile turning over in the winter, and the slipper a lot like an F1 revving up... but then again, maybe i just have an overactive imagination ;)

one more thing, when using bobs method of tighting the slipper, only do minimal amount of pull tests. i was having so much fun until i started smelling burning rubber :eek: which couldnt have been more than 20 pulls

Wow, it's great to see how far this diff adjusting conversation has gone! I took my gear box apart a few days ago and did the jep method of tightening it (the screwdriver through the left outdrive slots thingy). Dang, that made a world of difference! Now I know what a slipper clutch is supposed to sound like!

The only problem that remains is a really crappy top shaft. Mine looks like it was made by an amateur using a mold. I think it was pudder who mentioned a while back about having to file the teeth to get the correct angle. Mine is hopeless and I don't feel like spending that many more hours just on that. I'd rather replace it. I am curious as to the comparison between the stock top shaft and the one from the B2. I'll be calling the only two decent LHSs tomorrow to see if anyone has a B2 top shaft in stock so I can take mine in to compare them. That is, unless someone around here already knows the answer to that one.

A few have mentioned weird happenings with the front steering. I've had the same problem and it all began after taking the front end apart to replace the top brace. My servo saver didn't go back in properly or something. I managed to get some success by adjusting the little square nut that goes between the servo arm and the servo saver. I noticed that it was different than before.

I've been looking at a few different servo savers lately. Does anyone around here know if any other servo savers work on our Evaders? I really dislike the stock one, as it's a royal p.i.t.a to set correctly.

Trudging on...

The best servo saver for R/C cars is the big one from Kimbrough.

The B2/B3/T3 top shaft has 20 teeth and 3/16 shaft diameter. You'd also need to find a smaller idler and larger diff gear, and Ghu only knows about the slipper. If any other shaft fits in your car it's likely to be from an overseas company that uses metric parts: Schumacher, Tamiya, Kyosho.... I suggest you find a way to use the top shaft you've got.

Check that - look into Traxxas parts, they used metric on some of their cars.

Looking into it... Traxxas makes a 5mm shaft and a separate 22-tooth gear. The gear is too big, but it's separate, so you can find another gear to replace it. You can drill out the center of an 18-tooth pinion with a #8 or 5mm drill and use it instead.

Still don't know about the slipper.

Hey Bill,
i never got around to working on the trans so yeah.. still having the problem. last night i completed my new body. heres a pic.

the fun part is that i've got a real 64VW (not a baja) that this paint job is modeled after.

i call it the Evader BugX :D

Catchy Huh?

Q

Q

Did you do the painting yourself? It looks good. Clean. Are clicking sounds still present in the Evader trans?

Kitty
Check out the Evader servo thread. I tried to quote Jep's servo saver set up for you but never made it out of that area. If you can't find it let me know and I will try it again.

I just added it to Jerrit's FAQ Evader list.

Bill

Yeah i painted it myself. first timer and i think i did pretty good.. but learned alot for the next one. i need to break out my airbrush more often.

i have to mount the ESC and reciever before i can test it. hopefully when i power it up tonight there wont be anymore clicking/barking/chucking.

heres a couple more pics.

Q

Last one.

Q

lookin good Q2, what tires are those on the rear? where did u get the body from?

I got to get me one of those someday!:)

Originally posted by p.n.e.
lookin good Q2, what tires are those on the rear? where did u get the body from?

Hi p.n.e.
I will jump in for Q - my guess looking at the picture is Pro-line Dirt Hawg II tires on the rear and a HPI RS4MT Baja Bug body.

Q - Very nice paint job. I prefer an understated theme like the one you did, especially on the HPI bodies which have good scale detail decals and mold lines.

Jep
Jep-R/C Products (http://www.geocities.com/jep_rc/)

they looked nice, and im gonna be needing a new set of rears soon, my stock fingers are wearing fast. can u paint rims? i dont want to buy some nice fancy chrome rims and have them chip while bashing. i was thinking about just getting normal white ones and spraying them chrome with some paint spray. if it chips i could just touch it up?


i was also wondering, i kno that the if one wheel is locked, the diff gives power to the other wheel correct? does the slipper do the same? if it does, couldnt i completly lock the diff and let the slipper do it all?

Hi p.n.e.

You may not want to go the painting route because getting the tires on and off the rims would be a hassel. My son'd Stampede has chrome wheels and they have not chipped or been damaged in anyway. The rear tires on the stock Evader have very little over hang and as such the rims take a beating. When I installed the Dirt Hawgs on the rears the rim damage stopped completely. There is a lot of tire hanging over the edge that acts as a rim bumper. Also I read that you can die rims with food color.

Proline Velocity rims. I been told, are the strongest out there.

Bill

Oh no the 2003 Tower catalog arrived in the mail today. Bill will have no money now.

p.n.e.

Verify this but I do not think your slipper will replace the diff function. The slipper is there to insure that power from the motor is not applied to the transmission to hard or fast. The diff then distributes the energy to the wheels.

Bill