Suspension, Shocks, Springs etc
How To: Shock absorber basics and oil change
You know it’s time to change the oils in your shocks when you notice there isn’t enough oil or when you’re making changes to the damping setup or when the shocks are damaged and require taking apart. In any case, the shock oils should be changed 2–3 times during a season. The properties of the oils might fade or change over time. One problem is dirt and dust that gets into the shocks especially when driving in dusty conditions. When there’s dirt in the oils, the seals and other parts of the shocks will wear down faster compared to driving with clean oils.
When you’re changing the oils, start by removing the shock and cleaning it carefully. By cleaning the shock, you can make sure no sand grains or other particles will remain the shock that can damage it from the inside.
Do the following:
- Remove the shocks.
- Remove the spring from the shock to make handling easier.
- When cleaning the shock, also clean under the rubber boot on the shock shaft, if there is one.
Now, empty the shocks. You can use a single-use cup and place a paper towel in the bottom that will absorb the oil in itself. Remove the cap from the shock and place it on a paper towel. Now, pour the oil from the shock in the cup. Move the shock shaft up and down a couple of times to remove oil from under the piston. When most of the oil is removed, place the shock upside down on a paper towel so the remaining oil will come out. Do the same with the other shocks.
- If the oil that’s come out of the shock is dirty (dark and thick like jelly), remove and clean the seals at the bottom of the shock and rebuild the shock. By cleaning the seals, you can make sure the dirty oil containing sand and metal particles won’t wear down the shocks.
- If the oil that comes out of the shock is still “normal”, i.e. runny and transparent, it’ll be enough to clean the cylinder with a rolled-up piece of paper towel. Clean the cap as well and if you’re using caps with bladders, check the condition of the bladder and that it fits properly.
Now, you can add the oil. I’d recommend using a work stand to keep the shocks upright during the assembly.
- Pull the whole shock shaft out of the shock body before adding the oil.
- Fill the shock about halfway.
- Now, move the piston in the oil so that all the air gets out. Wait for a moment and move the piston again.
- Next, add more oil until it’s 1-2 mm from the top of the cylinder.
- Move the piston up and down and let them sit on the desk until all the air bubbles in the oil has disappeared.
The right way to proceed depends on the type of the shock. With all shock types, it’s essential that the shock is in an upright position so that the air bubbles can move right upwards.
There are several different cap types:
Emulsion shocks:
Air is allowed to mix with the oil. With this type of shocks, it’s particularly important to make sure there is no air in the shock when the shaft is pushed all the way up.
There are several types of caps for emulsion shocks
With the Bleeder type, the air is removed using the bleeding screw on the cap.
With the other cap types, the excess oil and air will come out through the threading on the cap.
Bleeder Cap on the left and without on the right
With both cap types, fill the shock cylinder up to the brim to make sure the space inside the cap will also fill up and any extra oil can come out.
- Fill the cylinder
- Prepare the caps: Remove the screw from the bleeder cap. Place seals
With bleeder screw. Screw in the cap. Screw in tightly using moderate force. Now, push in the shock shaft and the air and excess oil should come out of the bleeding screw hole. When you see that all excessive oil came out, you’ll know there’s only oil left in the shock. Screw the bleeding screw back in. Compress the shaft a few times. If there’s clear signs of air still in the shock, add more oil and try removing the air again.
If there’s no bleeding screw, fill the shock all the way up with oil. Before screwing on the cap, you can add a few drops of oil in the cap. Now screw in the cap loosely and carefully move the shaft all the way in. All excess oil and air should come out through the threading on the cap. Hold the shaft in and tighten the cap to get rid of the remaining excess oil. Now, compress the shock a couple of times and see if there is still air in the shaft.
There should be no rebound on an emulsion shock, i.e., when the piston is pushed all the way in it shouldn’t move outwards by itself once it’s released. It’s essential to have similar reaction in both shocks at one end (front/rear) of the car, so their functioning would be identical on both the left and right side.
Bladder shocks
If you’re using bladder caps, building the shock is similar to that in emulsion shocks without bleeder caps. Fill the cap with oil up to 1–2 mm from the brim, not all the way up because the bladder takes some space in the cap. With bladder caps you can adjust the rebound to make damping more progressive – the longer the shock travels, the stiffer it gets. A bladder will also keep the oil from foaming which makes the car move more smoothly during a longer drive.
When it comes to building, the only difference to emulsion shocks is that the rebound can be adjusted by how much of the piston shaft you push in before screwing the cap on.
- The farther you push the shaft in, the less you’ll have rebound.
- So, if you push the shaft all the way in, there’s no rebound and the shock works like an emulsion shock.
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. If the one of them comes out more, there’s too much oil in it. Or if it doesn’t come out enough, there’s too little oil in it.
Tip! You get a suitable amount of rebound for a basic setup when you leave about 1/3 of the shaft out. You can build the shock with the shaft pushed all the way up. Both will result in a smooth and neutral outcome.
Note! See, however, that the shock shaft doesn’t damage the bladder and the shaft doesn’t squeeze up the bladder.
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Lower Bottom Spring Retainer Holder Dual Spring Ver 2 Shocks G2 RC4WD Z-S1113
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Center Spring Retainer for Dual Spring Ver 2 Shocks G2 Galande D90 RC4WD Z-S1111
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RRP £10.99Additional Information - Sizes ID is 9mm and them OD is 11 & 12mm due to the step.Center Spring Retainer for Dual Spring Ver 2 Shocks Specifications:CNC Machined Weight: 0.1oz/3gWhat's Included:2x Center Spring Retainer for Dual Spring Ver 2 Shocks...Z-S1111RRP £10.99 -
M3 x 12mm Set Screw 10 1.5mm Hex Suspension Link Grub RC4WD Z-S1057 RC
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Lower Spring Retainer 2 for King Offroad Shocks SILVER Spacer RC4WD Z-S0707 RC
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Steel Socket Head Cap Screws M2 X 6mm 10 BLACK RC4WD Z-S0611 Hex Yota Diff Screw
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M3 X 10mm Set Screw 10 Grub Screws Suspension Link RC4WD Z-S0308 RC Links
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M4 20mm long threaded shaft set screws 10 Grub Screw Suspension Link RC Z-S0030
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RRP £5.49Additional Information - M4 20mm long threaded shaft (set screws) (10) Works with any M4 solid Links What's Included: 10x M4 20mm long threaded shaft (set screws)Notes:Uses RC4WD 2.0mm Metric Hex Driver ToolZ-S0030RRP £5.49 -
2mm Black Steel Spacer with M3 Hole 10 Suspension Links RC4WD Z-S0600 RC Washer
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MSRP: £5.49RRP £4.99Additional Information - OD is 5.5mm and ID 3.1mm 2mm Black Spacer with M3 Hole (10) Super strong steel construction! Specifications: 2mm WidthM3 Center holeDirect fit for Trail Finder 2 What's Included: 10x 2mm...Z-S0600MSRP: £5.49RRP £4.99 -
M3 Short Bent Plastic Rod End 20 RC4WD Z-S0402 Suspension Steering Metal Ball
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RRP £11.99Additional Information - M3 Short Bent Plastic Rod End (20x)This rod end is an all new advanced plastic compound from RC4WD. These are a much better product than our previous material and will hold a great deal better. Specifications:Length :21mm / 0...Z-S0402RRP £11.99 -
35mm 1.37" Internally Threaded Aluminum Link BLACK 4 RC4WD Suspension Z-S1461
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RRP £13.9935mm (1.37") Internally Threaded Aluminum Link (Black) (4)Specifications:Smooth Anodized Coating3mm Female Threading6mm Outside Diameter35mm (1.37") End to EndLaser Etched Size Listed on LinkWhat's Included:4x 35mm (1.37") Internally Threaded Aluminum...Z-S1461RRP £13.99 -
20mm 0.78" Internally Threaded Aluminum Link BLACK 4 RC4WD Suspension Z-S1457
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RRP £13.9920mm (0.78") Internally Threaded Aluminum Link (Black) (4)Specifications:Smooth Anodized Coating 3mm Female Threading 6mm Outside Diameter 20mm (0.78") End to EndLaser Etched Size Listed on LinkWhat's Included:4x 20mm (0.78") Internally...Z-S1457RRP £13.99 -
10mm 0.39" Internally Threaded Aluminum Link BLACK 4 Z-S1453 RC4WD Suspension
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90mm Rock Krawler RRD Shock Tuner Spring 4 rate Assortment RC4WD Z-S1189 Black RC
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M3 Offset Short Plastic Rod End 20x Suspension steering RC4WD Z-S0401 Ends Ball
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M3 Medium Straight Plastic Rod End 20x wi/ ball RC4WD Z-S0399 Suspension RC 22mm
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110mm Rock Krawler RRD Emulsion Shock Spring Assortment Rates RC4WD Z-S1185
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Drag Steering Link for Gelande 2 for Yota II axle RC4WD Metal Z-S0810 G2 GII
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RC4WD 70mm Ultimate Scale Shocks Internal Spring Assortment Rates Tuner Z-S1345
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RC4WD 70mm King Off Road Scale shock Spring Choice Rates Shocks Tuner Z-S1123
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RC4WD 90mm King Off Road Scale Shock Spring Assortment Rates Tuner Z-S1119
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MSRP: £18.49RRP £16.47Additional Information - 90mm King Scale Shock Spring AssortmentOptional spring rates for King 90mm shocks. Allow you to adjust your dampening for many applications. Specifications: Direct fit for King 90mm ShockEnough for One PairLength: 1.25in /...Z-S1119MSRP: £18.49RRP £16.47Qty in Cart: 0Quantity:Price:MSRP: £18.49RRP £16.47Subtotal: -
100mm King Off-Road Scale Shock Spring Assortment Rates Shocks Tuner Z-S1117
RC4WD
RRP £18.49Additional Information - 100mm King Scale Shock Spring AssortmentOptional spring rates for King 100mm shocks. Allow you to adjust your dampening for many applications. Specifications: Direct fit for King 100mm Shock Enough for One Pair Length: 1.39in /...Z-S1117RRP £18.49 -
RC4WD 110mm King Off Road Scale Shock Spring Rates Shocks Tuner Springs Z-S1115
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MSRP: £18.49RRP £16.47Additional Information - 110mm King Scale Shock Spring AssortmentOptional spring rates for King 110mm shocks. Allow you to adjust your dampening for many applications. Specifications:Direct fit for King 110mm ShockEnough for One Pair Length: 1.56in / 39...Z-S1115MSRP: £18.49RRP £16.47 -
RC4WD Super Scale Shock Boot BLUE Z-S0961 4 Boots ARB Superlift Emu Shocks Rubber
RC4WD
RRP £11.99Additional Information - Super Scale Shock Boot (Blue)Shock Boots protect exposed shock absorber shafts against flying rocks, dirt, and mud, while enhancing the appearance of your suspension.Specifications: Quality Rubber...Z-S0961RRP £11.99 -
Shock Cap for Top of King Offroad Shocks Z-S0866 RC4WD King Off Road BLUE Alli
RC4WD
MSRP: £15.99RRP £14.99Additional Information - Shock Cap for Top of King Offroad ShocksSpecifications: Machined Billet AluminumKing Logo Smooth Blue AnodizedWhat's Included:2x Shock Cap for Top of King Offroad Shocks2x O-RingsNotes:Fits RC4WD King Off-Road Scale Dual...Z-S0866MSRP: £15.99RRP £14.99 -
RC4WD 59mm (2.32") Aluminum Link for Gelande 2 D90 Z-S0807 Front Top 3 Link
RC4WD
RRP £7.99Additional Information - 59mm (2.32") Aluminum Link for Gelande 2Specifications:Length: 2.32in / 59mmOD: 0.23in / 6mmScrew Holes: M3Each Weight: 0.07oz / 2g What's Included:1x 59mm (2.32") Aluminum Link for Gelande 2Optional Parts:RC4WD 59mm (2.32")...Z-S0807RRP £7.99 -
Steely M3 Rod End HEIM JOINT Suspension SILVER RC4WD Z-S0424 Suspension Steering
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RC4WD Aluminum Black M3 Suspension Rod End with Steel Ball 1 Z-S0057
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RC4WD 55mm 2.16" Internally Threaded Aluminum Suspension Link Rod BLACK Z-S0886
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RC4WD 45mm 1.77" Internally Threaded Aluminum Suspension Link Rod BLACK Z-S0879
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RC4WD 35mm 1.37" Internally Threaded Aluminum Suspension Link Rod BLACK Z-S0878
RC4WD
RRP £5.25Additional Information - 35mm (1.37") Internally Threaded Aluminum Link (Black)Specifications:Smooth Anodized Coating3mm Female Threading6mm Outside Diameter35mm (1.37") End to EndLaser Etched Size Listed on LinkWhat's Included:1x 35mm (1.37") Internally...Z-S0878RRP £5.25 -
M3 Short Plastic Rod Ends 10 Axial Width Steel Balls 19mm long SSD00020 SSD
SSD
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M3 Long Plastic Rod Ends 10 Axial Width Steel Balls 19mm long SSD00017 SSD
SSD
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RC4WD Leaf Spring Shoulder Screws and nuts Trail Finder 2 TF2 BLACK Z-S0275
RC4WD
MSRP: £13.49RRP £12.99Additional Information - Leaf Spring Shoulder Screws (Black)These are the screws used in mounting your leaf springs on trucks. Specifications:CNC MachinedBlack Anodized CoatingDirect fit for Trail Finder 2What's Included:8x Leaf Spring Shoulder Screws...Z-S0275MSRP: £13.49RRP £12.99 -
Super Scale Shock Boots BLACK 4 Rubber Absorber Covers Stops Shaft Wear Z-S0981
RC4WD
RRP £11.99Additional Information - Super Scale Shock Boot (Black)Shock Boots protect exposed shock absorber shafts against flying rocks, dirt, and mud, while enhancing the appearance of your suspension.Specifications:Quality Rubber MaterialFlexible Accordion...Z-S0891RRP £11.99 -
RC4WD Yota II Steering Link Set 103.5 & 100.5mm bars inc rod ends etc Z-S0938 D90
RC4WD
MSRP: £14.49RRP £13.99Additional Information - Yota II Steering Link SetSpecifications: CNC Machined Individually Laser Etched Weight: 0.5oz / 14gWhat's Included: 1x 103.5 mm Yota II Steering Link Set (Black) 1x 100.5 mm Yota II Steering Link Set (Black) 4x M3 x 15mm...Z-S0938MSRP: £14.49RRP £13.99 -
Internal Springs for ARB 70mm Scale Shocks Absorbers RC4WD Z-S1177
RC4WD
RRP £11.99Additional Information - Internal Springs for ARB 70mm ShocksOptional spring rates for ARB Old Man Emu 70mm shocks. Allows you to adjust your dampening for many applications. Specifications:Direct fit for ARB Old Man Emu ShocksEnough for 4 ShocksOuter...Z-S1177RRP £11.99 -
RC4WD Internal Springs for ARB & Superlift 90mm Shocks Pair 4 grades Z-S1181 Tuner
RC4WD
RRP £11.99Additional Information - Internal Springs for ARB and Superlift 90mm ShocksOptional spring rates for ARB Old Man Emu 90mm shocks. Allows you to adjust your dampening for many applications. Specifications:Direct fit for ARB Old Man Emu and Superlift...Z-S1181RRP £11.99 -
RC4WD M3 M4 Plastic Long Rod End Z-S1375 Suspension Steering Ends Metal Ball 20
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RC4WD M3 M4 Plastic Short Rod Ends Straight Z-S1378 Suspension Steering 22mm
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