Adjust the rebound the way you want and hold it against the desk while you screw the cap on so the shaft won’t move outwards. When both shocks are ready, pump the shocks a couple times. Do the same on both shocks and check that the shaft comes back out the same on both shocks.
Full Answer
· Tuning with the Shocks. In this section we will cover the Shocks and all it’s parts: Shafts, Bodies, Pistons, Oils, and Springs. Shock Shafts: The Shaft runs through the entire Shock Body. Inside the Body, the Shaft has the Piston attached to it. There are a couple different types of Shock Shafts. 1) Standard Shock Shaft.
· CompetitionX has put together a RC suspension tuning guide that explains tuning options available on most cars. While the process of adjusting the tuning feature might differ slightly from vehicle to vehicle, the actual tuning function will still be the same. Please Note: It is a good idea to write down the setup that comes with the car.
· A thinner oil will allow the piston to travel quicker inside of the strut. If the shock oil does not allow the piston to travel quickly when an RC car goes over a bump, the car can lose traction. If the shock oil allows the piston inside the strut to travel too quickly, the car is at risk of bottoming out. Suspension Spring Rate
· A ride height tool such as this one is slipped under the car to measure ride height. Using the shock preload collars you can adjust ride to a desired height. Ride Height: This is the distance from the ground to the bottom of the chassis on your vehicle while it is at rest. The two most popular or readily-accepted ways for setting a vehicle for ...
0:422:09How to tune your rc shocks - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf your ride heights do high remove preload. And then just keep it level and if your shock is ifMoreIf your ride heights do high remove preload. And then just keep it level and if your shock is if your RC jump is bouncing around like jumping around and stuff like that like when you drop.
2:337:12The RC Genius | How To Stiffen or Soften RC Shocks - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLike a screw that pushes down on the springs to allow you to tighten or or sorry stiffen or softenMoreLike a screw that pushes down on the springs to allow you to tighten or or sorry stiffen or soften your your shock Springs.
To stiffen the suspension, there are a few ways:Pistons with less holes or smaller diameter holes.Harder springs.Minor adjustments can be made on the holes of the shock tower by placing the shocks more vertically.By placing the shocks on the outer holes on the lower suspension arms (will effect ride height).
3:374:41Losi How-To: Rebuilding Shocks and Setting Rebound - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you want more rebound you just don't compress the shot quite as much before setting the bladderMoreIf you want more rebound you just don't compress the shot quite as much before setting the bladder on. And if you want less rebound you push the shaft farther in before setting the bladder on top.
0:1212:25RC Car Suspension Setup Basics (Caster, Camber, Oil and more)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe front now the angle that the tire is at the ground is going to vary based off of theseMoreThe front now the angle that the tire is at the ground is going to vary based off of these directions. Only it is called negative camber. When we have the tire facing in towards.
Yes they do wear out.
On very high-grip tracks, it's usually beneficial to stiffen the front, even more than the rear. It just makes the car easier to drive, and faster. Softer Front Springs: The car has more steering, especially in the middle part and the exit of the corner.
Stiff springs prevent it from lowering or raising much, keeping the aerodynamics efficient. Finally, race cars tend to drive on… you guessed it, race tracks. Generally, these are smooth surfaces that allow for stiffer setups.
One can get oil-based shock absorbers filled with higher viscosity oil (thick oil) that make the ride quite stiff. Or you could get new gas filled shock absorbers that also provide a slightly stiffer ride. There are race / rally based shock absorbing systems that will make the ride stiffer as well.
As a general rule, lighter Oil is better for bumpy conditions, but allows more chassis roll. Heavier Oil is better for smooth tracks, but decreases responsiveness. Shock Springs: The purpose of the Springs is to keep the car level during acceleration, deceleration, and cornering.
Every part of the Shock can be tuned for the perfect Shock absortion. Most performance vehicles have 4 shocks. They are (typically) oil filled and have adjustable pistons, springs, and travel. Other ‘entry level’ vehicles can have from 2 to 8 shocks.
Shock Shafts: The Shaft runs through the entire Shock Body. Inside the Body, the Shaft has the Piston attached to it. There are a couple different types of Shock Shafts. 1) Standard Shock Shaft. Excellent unit, but not hard coated or treated with any type of covering. 2) Unobtanium Shock Shaft (Associated Upgrade Unit).
While plastic units are light, they wear out fast due to the friction of the Shaft and Piston moving up and down. Plus, I’ve seen alot of people blow the plastic caps off the Shocks. Plastic Bodies use plastic threads and will not be as strong to impacts as aluminum units.
Also called Dampers, the Shocks purpose is to dampen the movements of the spring. They also affect handling conditions during cornering. Too stiff, and they can cause harshness and a bumpy ride. Too soft, and they can feel mushy and reduce responsiveness.
Stiffer is better on smooth or high traction tracks. Softer Springs are better on slippery or bumpy tracks. You will normally run heavier Springs on the front than the rear. Back to the RC Suspension Tuning Guide.
Smaller holes (or fewer holes) allow Oil though slower, resulting in sluggish Shock action. As a general rule, the smoother the track conditions , the smaller (or fewer) the Piston holes. The rougher or bumpier, the larger (or more) holes in the Piston. Shock Oil: Shock Oil determines the damping of your car.
If you can master RC suspension tuning, you can make your car work at any track and on any surface. CompetitionX has put together a RC suspension tuning guide that explains tuning options available on most cars. While the process of adjusting the tuning feature might differ slightly from vehicle to vehicle, the actual tuning function will still be ...
If you decide to get adventurous and start making changes, you could end up with an ill-handling vehicle. Having the original setup will provide you a ‘back-up’ point. If you need one, you can head on over to the CompetitionX Blank Setup Sheet section and download a copy.
If the shock oil does not allow the piston to travel quickly when an RC car goes over a bump, the car can lose traction. If the shock oil allows the piston inside the strut to travel too quickly, the car is at risk of bottoming out.
Suspension Spring Rate. The springs ultimate purpose is to support the weight of the vehicle. The spring rate goes hand in hand with the shock oil weight used. If you plan to use a tighter setup, you will want a heavier oil with heavier springs.
The weight of oil that is used inside of the shock also known as the strut changes the dampening rate. A thicker oil will slow the piston inside the shock. A thinner oil will allow the piston to travel quicker inside of the strut. If the shock oil does not allow the piston to travel quickly when an RC car goes over a bump, the car can lose traction. If the shock oil allows the piston inside the strut to travel too quickly, the car is at risk of bottoming out.
Toe out refers to tires that are pointed away from the car where toe in represents tires that are pointed inward.
Tuning Camber. Camber is best defined as the angle that the tire makes as it contacts the ground. Negative camber will have the top of the wheel angled towards the RC car. Where as positive camber will have the top of the wheel angled away from the car. Typical Camber Settings for all 4 corners is between -2.0 to 0 degrees.
On a bicycle, it is not too difficult to ride one without using your hands to steer. This is because of caster. Positive caster allows the front wheel to try and get back to center. In general you always want positive castor for RC specific setups.
Caster is best defined as the angle that the suspension makes between the upper and lower steering pivot points when viewed from the side of the vehicle. A good practical example would the looking from the side of the front wheel of a bicycle. A bicycle is known to have positive castor.
The two most popular or readily-accepted ways for setting a vehicle for a ride height measurement are: A) drop a fully loaded vehicle from approximately one foot or B) have the vehicle sitting on the ground and compress the front and rear suspension independently and release. Whatever your method, the distance between the ground and the belly of your chassis after either method is your ride height. A good rule of thumb for ride height is the rougher the track and looser the traction, the more you’ll want. Smoother, higher bite tracks will require less ride height. Think about it, high grip plus high CG equals traction roll and that’s not good for anyone except the local photographer and parts salesman.
Industry standards basically have most vehicles set at two to four degrees of toe-in on the rear of the vehicle for straight line speed while offering a bit of toe-out on the front to compensate for what is usually an under-powered servo in an RTR.
The tool shown here is a camber gauge. Camber gauges sit on a flat surface and up against your wheel and by moving it you can determine how many degress of camber the suspension is set to. Using the numbers on the gauge, you can set the tool and then match your wheel to that angle to get the camber setting you wish.
Traditionally, off-road vehicles are set with two degrees of negative camber which, in theory, should increase steering. The general idea is to keep the tread of the tire, instead of the sidewall of the tire, on the road throughout as much of the run as possible.
Shock Angle: Shock angle refers to the mounting position of the shocks on both the upper and lower mounts. Not only are your spring and oil choices important factors in how your vehicle will handle, but they also govern the position in which the top and bottom of your shocks are mounted. Let’s break down the front first.
The one thing that every driver must accept, no matter what their ride or the terrain it may face is that there is no perfect setup for that vehicle under any circumstances. It is all about compromise and whatever works best for you. Every ride is different and every driver is different.
Caster: This is the angle at which the kingpin lies in relation to the ground when viewed straight from the side of the vehicle. A perfect 90 degrees from the floor is zero degrees of caster. Most off-road vehicles come stock with between 20 and 30 degrees of caster in the front as a result of the bumps and jumps that the vehicle will be subjected to. Generally speaking, more caster in the front will offer greater straight line stability at speed as well as high speed cornering, but will sacrifice initial turn in. Caster in the rear is referred to as anti-squat and it is exactly what it sounds like. The steeper the angle of the hinge pins on the inner of the rear arms from back to front, the less the vehicle will squat upon initial acceleration. Bear in mind that under-damped rear shocks coupled with an over-tightened slipper will adversely affect the anti-squat settings. Adding too much anti-squat is also not suggested, as it will offer little stability over rough stuff and will give the rear end a bit of trampoline syndrome.
The Slash allows you to adjust ride height by placing spacers above the spring retainer. You may also hear this adjustment referred to as “spring preload,” because the springs must be compressed or “pre-loaded” a few millimeters to support the weight of the model. Beyond that, adding spacers or threading the collar farther down the shock body only serves to raise the ride height.
Moving the shocks toward the chassis has the opposite effect: the suspension becomes softer, and down travel is increased —better for rougher, looser tracks.
Spec Slash rules often include this important maxim: “If the rules don’t say it IS allowed, then it ISN’T allowed.”.
Camber settings are usually between 0° (wheels perfectly vertical) and negative 1-3° (the wheels lean toward the chassis). Positive camber angles would lean the tires away from the chassis, severely reducing grip, and are not used. Recommended Toe Setting: 0°.
The #5038X shock oil set with carousel rack is an indispensable accessory for Slash suspension tuning.
The “spec” in spec racing stands for specifications, meaning each car must be built and equipped to a certain set of specifications (specs) to be race-legal. Of course, all types of race classes have specs the cars must stay within, but in spec racing, the rules are especially limiting.
Tuning Notes: The three inside holes on the rear suspension arms will suit the vast majority of tracks. The two outermost holes will only be appropriate for tracks with very smooth, high-grip surfaces and mild jumps.
Strange Engineering Ultra struts and associated brakes are for DRAG RACING ONLY! The basic guidelines for strut geometry are covered, however, a professional and qualified chassis shop should perform the welding to ensure correct alignment of the front end and sufficient weld integrity. In addition, assembly should be performed by a professional & qualified mechanic. Read these instructions thoroughly and save for future reference. If after reading these installation instructions, you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to call us.
Strange Engineering Ultra struts, like the forged aluminum struts, provide the basis for a lightweight front suspension that is particularly popular for Pro Stock and all types of Sportsman cars. Frame construction is much simpler, suspension geometry is more easily established, and header clearance is improved over conventional A-frame suspension. In addition, Strange strut suspension systems offer a reduction in front vehicle weight. Compared to a lightweight tubular A-arm suspension, a savings of at least 15 lbs. can be expected.
Without the shocks installed, the suspension arms should move up and down freely and drop down when lifted under their own weight with no binding or hesitation. When you set the ride height, you want to run the truck fairly low unless the track is exceptionally rough. If your truck has no marks on the bottom after practice or a race, it’s too high. When assembling the steering bellcranks, tighten the screws down and then back them off slowly until the pieces move freely.
If your short course truck has non-pressed in drive pins on the axle, you a small dab of silicone glue on the pin. This will prevent it from falling out of the axle when the hex comes off, but the pin will still be easy to remove when needed. When building the drivetrain, make sure all bearings are properly seated. This is often overlooked and leads to a slow inefficient drivetrain.
The aluminum chassis plates are usually fine right out of the box, but molded plastic parts can have flashing and molding marks on the bottom of the chassis. These usually perfectly round marks are left from where the piece is pulled from the mold.
Most racers place a few holes on the hood right in front of the windshield and along the front fenders. Another place to make even larger vent holes is in the rear of the body in the area in front of the rear posts.
When comparing two shocks, say the fronts, you should ensure they are the exact same length when fully extended. When compressed without springs installed, they should extend the same amount when released. Lastly, they should extend at the same rate.
The same goes for the speed control. Hard impacts and even constant vibrations can eventual damage these components. Next, make sure your wiring as neat as possible. There should be a slight amount of slack in the wires, but secure the excess wiring.
You do not have to run the same tire in front as you do in back. While that often works with a 4WD short course truck, 2WD trucks may benefit from having a less aggressive tire up front. For racing, one-piece rims are best. Bead-lock rims might look more realistic, but they add unneeded rotating mass.
The front shocks will usually have a much firmer setting all around than the rear because the front shocks “see” twice the weight [due to being mounted approximately halfway between the pivot point and the load point of the control arm].
Turn the high speed compression adjuster [outer ring] counterclockwise [softer] by 15 clicks for a front shock and 20 clicks for a rear shock. [yes, this very soft high speed compression adjustment is intended for best ride quality]
If the ride quality is harsh you may consider softening the low speed compression adjustment.
If the front end is bouncy, you may consider stiffening the front shocks.
Compression is when the suspension compresses. This occurs when you hit a bump in the road. The bump forces the wheel/tire/suspension assembly to “compress” or move upwards into the car.