What is Droop?

Droop is the amount of down travel a shock has. Typically, less Droop reduces body roll. Less in the rear will free up the rear a bit, giving more steering. More Droop in the front is good for better on-power steering. It should always be necessary to increase Droop for bumpy tracks, and decrease Droop for high-traction tracks, such as carpet.

How do you change Droop?

You can limit this in a couple of ways. The TC3 offers Droop screws located in the arms. By screwing these in or out, you adjust how much Droop that corner of the car has. On vehicles without Droop screws, Droop is adjusted by placing small spacers IN the shock itself. These are placed on the shock shaft below the piston. This limits how much the shaft extends out of the shock body. You can also adjust Droop by screwing up or down the ball end on the bottom of the shock shaft.

Too little Droop can cause a loss in traction.

It is advisable to pick up one of Team Associated (or another company's) purpose made Droop gauges. This will be an invaluable tool in setting Droop. To use, first remove all 4 tires. Place the gauge on the bottom of the car with the steps out and next to one of the arms (make sure the gauge is not resting on any screws). Now, slide the gauge over until one of the steps rests on the OUTER lower hinge pin 'bubble'. This is your setting (Standard setup dictates 6 in the front, 4 in the rear). If it is not set correctly, adjust the Droop screw (for the TC3) until the hinge pin 'bubble' rests on the appropriate number. Re-peat for the other side. Droop is now set.