Radio Control Car Action

SHORT COURSE NEWZ

BY JEREMY LOSAW

Shocks 2.0

When and how to make a shock change for better performance

No matter what scale or brand of SC truck that you drive, they all have shocks. Shock tuning is a critical part of getting an SCT to handle well and mastery of shock tuning can take a lot of experimentation to get right. However, the benefits are immeasurable. Most SCT drivers know at least the basics of how di;erent shock fluid and piston hole sizes a;ect handling, but other factors such as bore size and motion ratio can be just as important. Let’s examine how shocks work and how to marry your choice of the shock fluid and pistons to the bore size and mounting location.

WHY BOTHER WITH SHOCKS? Most people associate shocks with giving passenger cars a smooth ride. So, if shocks are primarily for comfort, why bother having them on an RC car since no one will ever ride in one? ;e answer is simple; the real job performed by shocks is quite di;erent than what most people believe. Like any other suspension component, the shocks keep the tires at the correct angle and load to generate the most acceleration and cornering grip. If the shocks are set up too sti;y, the truck will bounce, ride too harshly, and cause the tires to load and unload quickly. ;is causes the grip levels to change from moment to moment, making the truck unpredictable and hard to control. If they’re too soft, the tires may stay in contact with the road, but the chassis will bounce and sway too much. ;is will cause the camber angle of the tires to go through wild swings, which could cause a loss of grip and make the truck equally as di;cult to drive too. In o;-road, the shocks also need to help resist the impact from jumps; if the shocks are too soft, the truck will bottom out. If they are too sti;, the truck may land harshly, which decreases grip and could make accelerating after the jump di;cult.

WHEN TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT

One instance when shock adjustments should be made is when the truck is having trouble riding over bumpy areas. Many tracks or bashing spots have rhythm sections, small moguls, or log runs. If the truck is unstable in an area like this, then a shock change can help. If the truck is bouncing a lot and the wheels are coming o; the ground, then it will help to soften the shocks. If the truck feels wavy or slow to react in these areas, then sti;ening the setting should help to get it to react faster.

Another instance when changing shock settings will help is when there is a handling issue during a transition—like corner entry or exit. Shocks are responsible for most of the transitional handling characteristics of the truck, so they can be tuned to get the entry and exit of corners dialed in. If the truck is edgy on corner entry, sti;ening the front shocks or softening the rears will help. If the truck feels loose on corner exit when getting back to the throttle, then sti;ening the rear shocks or softening the fronts will help. ;e opposite adjustments will work for a tight condition on corner entry or exit.