Fine Tuning the suspension on my maxx

[ajames942]

Hey guys, what do you think would be the best setup for my suspension on my t-maxx. I'm using 50wieght oil in the traxxas big bores. My step dads buddy from work has a little track setup in his back yard, its all a flat oval with one jump. The reason I ask this is because they run HPI HellFire's and they handle GREAT. My maxx is all over the place. So do I want it really low? or really high? Do I want the suspension soft or stiff?

 

[Lessen]

You need a lighter oil for sure. Try dropping to 35 or even 30.

 

[Crunkvilletx]

You don't want it stiff

 

[ajames942]

But the thing is, its bouncing all over the place. Would lighter oil fix that?

 

[Lessen]

what is happening is that the heavy oil is acting as a limiter rather than a damper. When the suspension hits a bump the shock attemps to compress. Your spring may be soft enough to soak up the bump but the oil inside is too thick to move through the piston as quickly as the spring can compress. That's why your truck is wanting to go everywhere, the suspension is essentially bottoming out prematurely. Your choice of oil, piston and spring need to work in harmony in order for the truck to handle well. The softer the spring the lighter the oil, the stiffer the spring the heavier the oil.

 

[ajames942]

Alright, Thanks Lessen!

 

[GrudgE]

what is happening is that the heavy oil is acting as a limiter rather than a damper. When the suspension hits a bump the shock attemps to compress. Your spring may be soft enough to soak up the bump but the oil inside is too thick to move through the piston as quickly as the spring can compress. That's why your truck is wanting to go everywhere, the suspension is essentially bottoming out prematurely. Your choice of oil, piston and spring need to work in harmony in order for the truck to handle well. The softer the spring the lighter the oil, the stiffer the spring the heavier the oil.

+1 the heavy fluid is making it so the shock and spring can't compress fast enough to absorb the rough terrain so your truck is bouncing around. Lighter oil should set you up nice.

 

[olds97_lss]

I've made the heavy oil mistake a few times... I run my rigs a bit on the stiff side to handle big air (8+ feet vertical), but heavy oil isn't always the answer.

55 is pretty heavy for an 8 shock maxx. 40 should be as high as you need to go with 30 being more supple for the light jumps and general running.