Alternatives to the 47358 high caps?

[A-Baum 352]

Re-re top force shocks kinda stink.  The Tamiya 47358 high caps are nowhere to be found for under $125 shipped the US. What's a good alternative?

[Superluminal 3750]

To me the best alternative would probably be to buy them if they are still available now before you cant get them at all at any price. A lot of people will remember the dark days of late 2018, scratching around in post apocalyptic desperation with little hope that the twin stars would deliver salvation.

They really are lovely and plush and have a nicer feel to them than the df03 shock set which may be an alternative although they can be pricy too.

 

[A-Baum 352]

44 minutes ago, Superluminal said:

To me the best alternative would probably be to buy them if they are still available now before you cant get them at all at any price. A lot of people will remember the dark days of late 2018, scratching around in post apocalyptic desperation with little hope that the twin stars would deliver salvation.

They really are lovely and plush and have a nicer feel to them than the df03 shock set which may be an alternative although they can be pricy too.

 

Wait are they discontinued?  I figured they just dried up due to pandemic buying rush.  I just can't swing $125 on shocks for a backyard basher.  There's gotta be other aftermarket shocks that are really good that won't cost that much.

[Jonathon Gillham 4605]

The alternatives aren't far off that cost anyway, since you need 4 long ones it rules out sets like the DF03 alloy shocks. They are probably better with threaded shock bodies, but won't look as good. I have only looked at Tamiya shocks though, I don't know whats available from other brands. 

[A-Baum 352]

I'm not a racer, just a backyard basher hobbyist who hates the stock shocks.  RCmart does have these: https://www.rcmart.com/Tamiya-Spare-Parts/Tamiya-Top-Force-Spare-Parts  They seem a little too cheap but just an example of what is out there.

[Superluminal 3750]

9 minutes ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

The alternatives aren't far off that cost anyway, since you need 4 long ones it rules out sets like the DF03 alloy shocks. They are probably better with threaded shock bodies, but won't look as good. I have only looked at Tamiya shocks though, I don't know whats available from other brands. 

This thread says you can use the long eyelet on the parts sprue to get the df03 dampers close enough in length to work.

 

 

[MICHAELs TopForce17 586]

Here's my top force from last year using df03 shocks before getting hi caps. only need one set of df03. 

 

 

[Jonathon Gillham 4605]

@matisse usee some GMade shocks, not sure which model though. There is a comprehensive build thread which is worth reading through too

[GTodd 1344]

Tamiya Big Bore shocks which can only be purchased as front and rear pairs. Get 2x pair of the rear big bores.

[Juhunio 6830]

I’m pretty sure you could put a set together with parts. I might be wrong and am happy to be corrected, but if you look at the egress re:re manual and make a list of the parts you need to build and mount the two rear dampers, then double it, you have everything you need to make four top force hi caps

I looked into doing this for my super astute, using egress front and rear parts, and the only tricky part to find that you would need for four rears were the 19804653 6mm balls used when mounting the shocks, everything else was readily available and didn’t work out that much more than buying a ready made set.

Might be an option to consider, if you’re set on them but can’t get hold of a set

[matisse 1581]

12 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

@matisse usee some GMade shocks, not sure which model though. There is a comprehensive build thread which is worth reading through too

Cheers!

I used the Gmade XD aeration shocks. 85mm front / 95mm rear

[kid168 36]

Im checking out GPM shocks. they have 85mm front and 95mm rear. 20usd a pair.

[kid168 36]

14 hours ago, MICHAELs TopForce17 said:

Here's my top force from last year using df03 shocks before getting hi caps. only need one set of df03. 

 

 

Do you know the length of the df03 dampers front and rear?

[matisse 1581]

Fasttrax also make alloy shocks in 85/95 lengths.  13.99 a pair, better than the GPM ones imo

[matisse 1581]

53 minutes ago, kid168 said:

Do you know the length of the df03 dampers front and rear?

 

[GTodd 1344]

Honestly though if you want Hicaps get them now while you can.  Theres nothing like them and who knows if we will get them again.

[ThunderDragonCy 7873]

4 hours ago, kid168 said:

Do you know the length of the df03 dampers front and rear?

They are 75mm front, 103mm rear out of the box with short eyelets. Put the lobg eyelet off your cva on the front and you get 82mm. Add cva spacers at the rear to shorten them around 10mm.

[Juls1 1660]

Buy the Hicaps, they are worth it. 

DF03 shocks will work fine,

If you HAVE to go aftermarket, then Gmade XD Shocks are decently reliable and strong shocks, they are not as smooth as tamiya alloy shocks, but way better than anything cheaper than them.

You will probably want 95mm versions for rear 85mm for front, Note that you the Gmades have significantly less travel than the Tamiya specific shocks.

For Off Road,

Avoid GPM, Integy, 3 racing, yeah racing and anything in those low price ranges, the stock tamiya plastic shocks are more reliable, and often higher performing.

If it seems to good to be true, then it is.  

Juls

 

[kid168 36]

Guess ill be removing the GPM dampers in my cart :D

[ThunderDragonCy 7873]

Just noticed in the manual that the Top Force kit vomes with those awful fixed metal one piece rod piston things. You will be able to make a good step for tuning just by upgrading those and it won't cost much. Get 2 pairs of 9805917 piston rods, 50588 e clips, 50597 red orings and rebuild the dampers with the (currently unused) 1 hole pistons from the damper parts sprue. That's about the best cva you can build and for bashing they work great.