Terra Scorcher suspension tuning/improvements

[Toad16v 282]

Evening, 

I'm using my Terra Scorcher with the kit cvas, springs and until now pre load collars. I understand that changing or uprating the suspension isn't straightforward due to the front shock length, and also I keep spending all my money on the Dark Impact so I wanted to make the best of what I've got. 

The kit includes 3mm and 6mm collars for the front suspension and 4mm and 8mm collars for the rear. I initially built it with the longer collars for stiffer suspension, but swapped to the shorter ones and found I had increased traction while wafting about on the road outside my house. The downside of the shorter collars is that the back end slaps the tarmac when jumping off of kerbs, and I'm not that keen on the rate at which the gearbox is being eaten.

I did refit the longer collars, but then reread I had a number of spares in the Dark Impact kit, and with the uprated suspension I've fitted to that, so I've used 4mm collars on the front and a 2mm collar with the existing 4mm collar on the rear to try to get a balance between grip and keeping the ******* end up a bit. Hopefully when I get a chance to test it, this will be a suitable compromise, but I'd be interested to hear what others have done or tried with their cars. Is there a better option than the kit damper oil? I have found these dampers leak a little and the rears probably need stripping, checking and topping up.

Here is the rear at the moment - propped up off the ground.

 

[ThunderDragonCy 7876]

Definitely try some thicker oil. 500wt both ends will help. The Tamiya red o rings will help stop the leaking. There's plenty of other things you can try, but depends on what you want to spend. You might need stiffer rear springs (the preload collars don't actually stiffen the springs, they just increase the ride height). 

[Toad16v 282]

Thank you!

[ThunderDragonCy 7876]

@Toad16v Actually on reflection here's an idea. If you have a Dark Impact, you have long CVA2 shocks on the back. My favourite setup on the back of these is longer shocks with the narrow shock tower. If you don't get any joy with the thicker oil, whip the rear shocks off your Dark Impact, fit the B12 narrow shock tower and fit the shocks to the top mounting point. See how that goes.

Like this: 

 

If you want to make your yellow shocks long like mine you just need the 9804715 u parts. They are the long shock bodies. Just fit all the other bits of your yellow cva to the new bodies and away you go. 

[Toad16v 282]

I've used the 500cst oil in the shocks, replaced the front arms and shimmed the slop out of it, gave it a touch more toe out and it drives a lot better on tarmac. Less understeer and adjustable oversteer with throttle.

[EvilSpike 294]

Funny enough I think you've bought the same wheels/tyres as I've got on my Terra Scorcher.

I found that mine under-steered everywhere when I had the wider front preload collars on the front shock absorbers, but using the slimmer ones front and rear gave too little ground clearance so I went for slim at the front and wide at the rear and I'm happy with the handling, even if it looks a little odd.

I also found on first building the shocks that I'd got one or two that were leaking, obvious by the amount of dust that was sticking to each body. I've rebuilt them again which cured one, and rebuilt one a third time and so far it's finally proved oil tight. The CVA's in the box came with the better red o-rings in the packet, so I'm not sure why the advice is always to change the O-rings to red ones?

I did try and find some aluminium bodied shock absorbers but had no luck in finding anything the correct length despite scouring ebay/ali-express/yahoo auctions for a few days.

 

[Frog Jumper 3658]

 

1 hour ago, EvilSpike said:

 

I did try and find some aluminium bodied shock absorbers but had no luck in finding anything the correct length despite scouring ebay/ali-express/yahoo auctions for a few days.

 

Tamiya #54993 or #47455???

Terry

 

[Toad16v 282]

9 hours ago, EvilSpike said:

Funny enough I think you've bought the same wheels/tyres as I've got on my Terra Scorcher.

I found that mine under-steered everywhere when I had the wider front preload collars on the front shock absorbers, but using the slimmer ones front and rear gave too little ground clearance so I went for slim at the front and wide at the rear and I'm happy with the handling, even if it looks a little odd.

I also found on first building the shocks that I'd got one or two that were leaking, obvious by the amount of dust that was sticking to each body. I've rebuilt them again which cured one, and rebuilt one a third time and so far it's finally proved oil tight. The CVA's in the box came with the better red o-rings in the packet, so I'm not sure why the advice is always to change the O-rings to red ones?

I did try and find some aluminium bodied shock absorbers but had no luck in finding anything the correct length despite scouring ebay/ali-express/yahoo auctions for a few days.

 

I can't seem to get any cvas perfectly oil tight, there is always some dust adhering to them. I just have to admit I'll have to rebuild them every so often. 

I'm running thin spacers front and rear at the moment, but the rear is definitely lower than the front. Will try those little extra spacers to try to balance it up.

[EvilSpike 294]

11 hours ago, Frog Jumper said:

Tamiya #54993 or #47455???

Terry

To be honest I didn't even consider Tamiya products. Mainly because of the high cost and often poor availability of the parts.

The #54993 looks to be the perfect set, but at £85 and no stock in the UK it's a bit too salty for me. I bought a set of four aluminium Absima shock absorbers for my lunchbox for £29 delivered, and they're genuinely well made parts.

Although having said that, RC Jazz has them allegedly available for dispatch for £35. That'll probably be about £60 if you get pinged for VAT and the tax collection fee. Hmmm...

[EvilSpike 294]

3 hours ago, Toad16v said:

I can't seem to get any cvas perfectly oil tight, there is always some dust adhering to them. I just have to admit I'll have to rebuild them every so often.

After building them I give the outside a clean using brake cleaner. It's a very high flash solvent that disappears in seconds and leaves no residue on whatever it's been applied to. An aerosol can of the stuff will last an RC builder years, you can buy it from and car parts place for about £5 a can. Leaves the bodies completley oil free, and you can tell almost instantly if you have a leak anywhere.

It's also good at getting pen marks off woodwork when your two year old son has decided to redecorate your in-laws house... 

[Frog Jumper 3658]

12 minutes ago, EvilSpike said:

To be honest I didn't even consider Tamiya products. Mainly because of the high cost and often poor availability of the parts.

The #54993 looks to be the perfect set, but at £85 and no stock in the UK it's a bit too salty for me. I bought a set of four aluminium Absima shock absorbers for my lunchbox for £29 delivered, and they're genuinely well made parts.

Although having said that, RC Jazz has them allegedly available for dispatch for £35. That'll probably be about £60 if you get pinged for VAT and the tax collection fee. Hmmm...

Ymmv...  I guess I’m lucky. I found a LHS that also a Tamiya collector. He has lots of Tamiya in his store. I’m looking at $60 for a set of his 50519s and 59520s, or for just a few more dollars I can get either one of those sets.  He has all in stock so it’s just a matter of deciding...

Terry