Best First Upgrades - ECX Barrage

[NEDan]

No offense...
But...
This thread seems to have strayed so far from it's title "Best First upgrades to ECX Barrage" that it now should be renamed, Advanced re engineering of the ECX Barrage.:ror:
I honestly came to this thread looking for some first necessary improvements ie. Best first upgrades but you guys are on your 5th to 10th, lol.
You guys would have me totally rebuilding this crawler if I did many of your advanced posts.
Not exactly (Best first upgrades.);-)

That said what I have done is Check the shock fluid and topped them off with a few drops of 10wt,
cut in half the shock stroke limiters for more travel but not too much,
turned upside down the front chassis brace for increased up and down travel over the servo,
I found the battery tray can be extended forward so I have added foam to the rear allowing the battery to sit more forward in the truck resulting in a negligible yet some front wheel bias/weight..

I have purchased and installed ECX's own Aluminum hubs front and rear.
Can anyone tell me why I did it ?
If it was a good move? and
how will they pay off.
Are they just for looks? structural integrity?
How much are they a benefit?
Again I appreciate all of your knowledge and discoveries I'll probably take advantage of in the future, possibly, but for now I'm just looking for the Best First or necessary Barrage upgrades.
All else is cosmetic and just plain fun.

 

[Mancub]

NEDan, as OP, I need to agree :ror:

If you have upgraded the knuckles the difference is noticeable with an upgraded steering servo. My new servo (Not a dedicated "crawling" servo, but still "high-torque") can easily turn the wheels until they point towards each other if one is bound between two rocks. Although I'm sure better knuckles would fix this issue, I believe I would instead flex the steering link that runs perpendicular to the axle.

I have also since trimmed my shock limiters but noticed that one is leaking slowly and performing poorly, so that's something I'll need to address soon.

 

[hillbillyrc]

If you did the knuckles that's a good move it should add strength and put the next weak link as the steering link or a rod end.

Really the best thing you can do is have fun and enjoy your barrage. Everything else you do or mod is personal preference and is up to you. The aftermarket is slim but a little tinkering and a research anything is possible. My next barrage I will stick with stock axles and show the full potential of them.

 

[NEDan]

Good to know.
I will an do enjoy it as is but...
I have since found the need to buy and install some inexpensive tires; $19 for the set and their pretty soft.

I'm still playing with cutting different parts of the foam before final gluing.
I bought them from Amazon;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WW7FHKK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T1_sXxszbYN46VBV
And because I do love the scale looking original style rims I put them on this affordable $10 set;

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XK94JSV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T1_LKxszb11DMZ2Z
Still having fun.

 

[CTB]

I am trying to out board the shocks on my Barrage, does any one know what size the screw are that hold the bottom of the shock? I thought that they might be 2.5, but 2.5 is a good bit bigger, are they 2's or smaller? thanks

 

[Mancub]

I am trying to out board the shocks on my Barrage, does any one know what size the screw are that hold the bottom of the shock? I thought that they might be 2.5, but 2.5 is a good bit bigger, are they 2's or smaller? thanks

Pretty sure it's 2.0mm

 

[Gimpdiggity]

Hi guys.

I just got a Barrage for pretty cheap off of Ebay with a bad servo and an ESC with a loose on/off Switch. I've got an extra ESC from my 4x4 Torment, so I can swap that in as it's the same thing, I believe.

What I'm wondering is this...should I replace the stock servo with another "shorty" servo, or just do the wide shocks mod and put in a standard servo? I'm looking at threads and it seems most of the pictures have been eaten away by Photobucket's new policies, so I'm not sure if there is more to fitting the standard servo than just moving the shocks out?

Thanks!

 

[clm]

Wheel wise I would almost recommend gmade vr01 wheels over those as the gmade wheels are actual beadlock instead of glue on wheels.

 

[PoorManRC]

I haven't done it personally, nor do I have a Barrage (but would, I've heard they're good!). Moving the shocks outside of the frame is definitely a go-to and just a good mod! I've modified many Rigs over 33 years, and from what I can see, all it would require, is different length hardware.
That way, you could and should get a full size Servo. Twice the performance, half the price!! ;-)

 

[Gimpdiggity]

Okay, I found the 2-56x1" screws for the outboard shock relocation, but I'm having trouble locating the spacers. Everything I find is threaded...does that matter? I will try to find a local hardware store tomorrow to see if they have anything that will work.

I guess this will work out, as it's only going to be like $5 for the stuff, including the shipping...so I can spend the rest of that money that would have been spent on the nicer version of the Spektrum servo and get a full sized servo...probably for even less than the Spektrum one.

 

[PoorManRC]

A full size Servo WILL be less money, unless you're shopping for Savox or something like that!! ;-)
Spacers should be easy. You just need something that the screw will fit through, and the length you need...
Moving the shocks out, is going to cure from what I've heard, the Barrage's biggest annoyance - the constant LEANING!
Anybody tells you that theirs don't lean with the shocks inside - is either lying, or has installed VERY tight springs, leaving it with almost no suspension left at all!!

I've tried to teach people, coming to Crawlers from another type of RC racer..... you DON'T want your springs Topped Out at rest with these Rigs! You'll lose all hope of grip when climbing the rough stuff - AND if you're the guy who likes "flex"? You can kiss that goodbye too.
When you place your Rig on a flat surface, the suspension should drop between 1/4" and 5/8", depending on the vehicle.
What many don't know about cars is - a suspension isn't just supposed to go UP, it needs to be able to go DOWN as well!!

Actually, anything but NASCAR and Formula 1 should have similar suspension....
It's much harder to define and explain in other forms of RC.

 

[durok]

Even ECX has realized the shocks need to be outboarded, their upcoming kit version and Doomsday spin-off models will have the update already.

 

[Gimpdiggity]

I was able to source some spacers from some Axial part tree I had laying around. They are about 7mm, so to get it to 10mm I cut the ball that mounts in a shock cap in half and ended up with 10mm on the dot. They fit on some screws I have that I BELIEVE are the same size perfectly, so I should be good to go on spacers.

I also ordered a servo for it. Just a cheap one but I've read in the "Best Budget Servo" thread linked earlier in this one that they work well for basic trail running, which is what I'll be doing with this truck.

So including these things I'm still WELL under MSRP on this truck, so I'm calling that a win considering it'll have a better servo and I'm still under original cost.

 

[Gimpdiggity]

Even ECX has realized the shocks need to be outboarded, their upcoming kit version and Doomsday spin-off models will have the update already.

The kit and Doomsday have different axles entirely.

ECX212026 Is the part for the current axles.

ECX222000 is the new part.

The new ones not only have the shocks mounted farther out, they also are wider overall and remove the wide hexes and such.

 

[durok]

All part of the evidence that ECX is listening - this is all positive stuff, the parts being released soon - props to them is all I was referring to. "thumbsup"

 

[Gimpdiggity]

All part of the evidence that ECX is listening - this is all positive stuff, the parts being released soon - props to them is all I was referring to. "thumbsup"

Oh yeah, they definitely seem to have listened.

I've been pretty happy with my ECX vehicles, and I've owned a LOT of them. My Torment V2 was actually the very first Torment outside of the hands of Horizon's employees...it was given to me by Mark Reed, who was then the head of the ECX and Dynamite division for Horizon, to test and share information with the guys on another RC forum that had, at the time, probably the most active and best ECX specific forum out there.

I've waited on getting the Barrage because I had a Trail Finder 2 that I was planning to run with my buddy that bought an SCX-10ii...but it's been 14 months and he still hasn't finished building the SCX, so I sold the TF2 and got enough money to get this Barrage that I have and a brand new ECX Temper rock crawler.

My wife likes trail trucks, and I figure I'll probably end up getting either the kit or the Doomsday when it comes out, and then I'll end up with two of the same basic trucks for us to use out on the trails. I REALLY wish they had a kit version of the Doomsday...that body is really great, in my opinion, and I'll probably end up just going with that as I really don't feel like painting a body up any time soon.

 

[Gimpdiggity]

Here's a separate question, guys...

...can anyone measure the width of what the INSIDE of the bed would be, from a scale perspective??? Basically, the part that would be where cargo would go if it were a real truck?? I have a 3D printer and I was hoping to try to print a roll bar that might work with the Barrage while I wait for it to show up, but I need to know the width of the bed. Also, the height from the bed to the top of the roof would be great, too. I'd be much obliged if anyone could find those measurements for me.

 

[bob_suruncle]

All you guys that out-boarded your shocks..... how did you do it without interference especially in the front? At full lock the top of my tire rub the shock when the truck is twisted up

 

[Shinchu]

I was wondering about that too, especially if I remove the hex spacers to get the wheels inside the fenders of a different body. might be impossible but if I go to either 1.7 or 1.55 wheels/tires it might work...

as for the bed dimensions I could get it for you when I get home from work. my son is begging to hit a trail or two lol he just got his barrage yesterday!

 

[Gimpdiggity]

My Barrage should be here on Wednesday!!