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Shocks

What are Shocks?

Also called Dampers, the Shocks purpose is to dampen the oscillation 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.  Every part of the Shock can be tuned for the perfect Shock absorption.

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 bottom of the 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 (Associated Upgrade Unit).  Same as the Standard Shaft, but coated to produce a much smoother shock action.  Highly recommended for racing.

3. MIP's Gold Nitrade:  Again, same as a stock unit, but coated to produce better Shock action.

4. Others:  I'm sure there are other 'coated' Shafts available, but they're all going to do the same basic thing.  It is recommended to upgrade for a stronger, smoother Shock action.

Shock Body:
The Shock Bodies hold the Oil and Piston and are normally made of 2 materials: Plastic and Aluminum.  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.  It is suggested that you upgrade to Aluminum Shock Bodies for racing.  It is also suggested that, if your budget allows, you upgrade to threaded Shock Bodies.  They are far easier to tune and more precise than normal un-threaded units.

Shock Pistons:
Pistons determine Shock dampening.  The Piston is usually a round disc with holes in it.  Pistons have 1, 2, or 3 holes.  The Oil travels though the holes during compression and rebound.  The size or number of holes determines how fast the Oil travels through it.  Larger holes (or more holes) allow Oil though quicker, making for responsive Shock dampening.  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.

Shock Oil:
Shock Oil determines the dampening of your car.  Heavy Oil will make your car seem sluggish.  Lighter weight Oil will make your car seem more responsive.  Oil is sold in small bottles from (usually) 10wt to 100wt.  The higher the number, the heavier (or thicker) the Oil.  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.  Springs come in many different Spring rates (or lb ratings) that are usually designated by their color.  See the chart for all the color coded Springs.  Generally, stiffer Springs make your car respond quicker and reduce chassis roll, but will not work well on bumpy tracks.  Stiffer is better on smooth or high traction tracks.  Softer Springs are better on slippery or bumpy tracks.  Normally you will run heavier Springs on the front than the rear.

Get Threaded Bodies!!!  You will be doing yourself a favor!!!  They are easier to tune and just make life easier...and you don't have to carry around any more of those little pre-load clips!!!

Also, when building your Shocks, make sure the Piston is right side up (the little number on it will face up).  It's not necessary to build it this way (the Shock will work the same if the number is facing down), but it's much easier if you want to see what number Piston is in the Shock.  Also, you can take a fine felt tip marker and highlight the number on the Piston.  This will also make it easier to read.

For most track conditions, Oil lighter than 25wt or heavier than 60wt is not normally recommended.  You might use heavier Oil on really high traction surfaces, like carpet.

Shock Mounting Locations

What are Shock Mounting Locations?

There are many different configurations for mounting the Shocks.  On the TC3, there are 3 on the tower and one on the arm.  On other cars, there might be more on the tower or more on the arm.

How do you change Shock Mounting Locations?

On the front, standing the Shock up will make the Shock feel softer (as the car rolls) and will decrease steering, but increase dampening.  Laying the front Shock down will make the Shock feel stiffer (as the car rolls) and will increase steering, but decrease dampening.  On the rear, standing the Shock up will decrease traction, but increase dampening.  Laying the rear shock down will increase traction, but decrease dampening.  As a rule, the more traction the track has, the more you can lay the Shocks down.