shocks and differential oil

[Zachary]

i had some ole tmaxx shcoks lying around so i decided to do a little bit of tinkering with them since they were as dry as a bone well i went into my shop and dug up some 90w 4wd differential fluid for my 1:1 cj5 and filled the shock with it this seems to work rather well any thoughts?? i was thinking of taking the other sapre and trying just some 30w motor oil

the 90w works great no leaks and its fairly stiff but really will it harm the shock??

any1 every thought of trying this?? its the same basic priciple heavier oil means stiffer shock and real oil has great lube for seals

 

[ohmygahitscoby]

I've done this with out not knowing it was differential fluid, but it was fine for me.

 

[jetmechG550]

I'd dump it and get the silicone shock oil. The weights are different for one, and two, I wouldn't be surprised if the 1:1 car dif oil eats or causes damage to the seals.

 

[CharliesTheMan]

The reason that everyone seems to shy away from this is because the RC shock oil is silicon and that gear lube isn't. I was wondering if I could do the same thing when I got my beautiful new shocks and didn't have any oil because I was really wanting to install them, but all the veterans told me to stay away from that stuff because it wasn't pure silicone oil

 

[rckid91]

yeah i dont think it would really eat the seals the oil its self should be fine I've played with hydraulic o rings and different fluids maybe these are more sensitive to the fluid type or?? but they seem to hold up

 

[alx]

Should be ok as far as harming anything but I think it might affect preformance. That would be really stiff.

 

[rckid91]

yeah i decided to conduct this experament with some crappy ole ??? shocks i had around i noticed after repeated compressions the fluid begins to turn a creamy yellow color and lose alot of its punch not sure if the punch thing is due to bad seals in my shocks which is a great possibility

 

[jetmechG550]

yeah i dont think it would really eat the seals i wouldnt think its not corrosive by any means if it was eating seals your 1:1 oil pan would leak constantly

Do you even know what you are saying? Eat the seals doesn't necessarily mean that it eats them, eat the seals is a term in maintenance is just another way of saying destroying the seals. It could cause them to swell or deteriorate. Some shocks not only have o-ring but back up or packings. The materials they (o-rings and packings) are made out of are made to work with chemicals. They also usually have a bladder made of some other material that is designed to work with silicone. You can't just go and use any o-ring with any type of fluid, whether it be hydraulic, fuel, etc. The wrong compound may deteriorate quickly, the may swell or just crumble apart. As far as silicone fluid it's made to work with the shocks for it's properties of withstanding heat and it's ability to stay consistent with heat and not change it's cps ratings to hold it's "tune." There's not one manufacturer out there that will tell you to put automotive differential oil in their shocks, nor will you see any pro driver using it on the ride at the A Main in the Nats or Worlds. They are not metal so there's no corrosive about anything.

Do yourself a favor and buy the right stuff to save yourself further headache down the road. What's killing me here the most is all of a sudden you have a couple of people that are new to RC's making recommendations and giving advice when they aren't sure about 90% of the other things involved with a car.

 

[NCNitro]

I am with Jet, use what you are supposed to use, what has been tried and true, what is actually made for the shocks, and what the shocks manufacturers call for. A bottle of shock oil is like three bucks, so to not use what the propper stuff, imo, is asking for trouble.

 

[hamz9561]

Automotive lubricants are not necessarily meant to be used in RC models. The shocks are not meant to be used with automotive oil. ONLY silicon shock oil should be used. When in doubt follow the manufacturers recommendations.

 

[rckid91]

i understand this i was just experamenting and asking if any1 had also thought of this jet i really dont appriciate your insulting my intelligence you can put your two cents in without being a jerk

and also just fyi the seals in the shocks hold up just fine so far and no duh none of the manufacturers are gonna tell you to run automotive products because they lose money its just like why does traxxas say there warranty only is good if you use there gas its called corporate profits!

 

[Zachary]

Everybody ignore that I posted this. I DID NOT POST THIS!! I don't want anybody yelling at me for this stuff. I know to use the proper oil. Bob24 again accendintly posted me again.

 

[jetmechG550]

i understand this i was just experamenting and asking if any1 had also thought of this jet i really dont appriciate your insulting my intelligence you can put your two cents in without being a jerk

and also just fyi the seals in the shocks hold up just fine so far and no duh none of the manufacturers are gonna tell you to run automotive products because they lose money its just like why does traxxas say there warranty only is good if you use there gas its called corporate profits!

I insulted your intelligence? You did a pretty good job on your own of sounding like a complete noob! And for the record you haven't even seen the beginning of the jerk I could be. You're completely wrong to think that automotive differential oil has any type of properties that would make it suitable for use in shocks. Do you even understand the properties of silicone shock oil and how it works? The cps ratings of the oils don't change, 300 weight oil stays relatively close to 300 weight throughout a run, whether it be a 5 minute qualifier or a 60 minute main, which make it ideal for dampening and tuning a car, whereas gear oil does not. Go out and run a weekend on your gear oil filled shocks and see how it looks afterwards. I can pull the shocks off my buggy or truggy and a couple weekend long events and the oil is just as clear as when I put it in. Another thing you need to do is go back and read and find where I said it will damage, I said it's likely it can or will damage those seals.

 

[rckid91]

i was just experamenting i will not use the shocks i had spares lying around and alls i am doing is trying to see if or wat other people think not get into fights with people thank you for your imput

 

[Racer 1966]

bob24, this place has a reputation for giving correct and helpful information. That was the purpose of Jet's post. He doesn't have that Nitro Guru of the Year badge for nothing. I'm sure that you took it wrong and no insult was meant from it.

 

[Rolex]

i dont think it would really eat the seals

I know enough NOT to use liver oil from a Polar bear because Polar bears definitely eat the seals.

 

[rckid91]

lol haha rolex very nice

 

[itsalifeworthliving]

this is just what i think,ie "imo".. would i use? no.. would it be ok to use? maybe.. i dont think it would really "eat" the seals, but its not as soft as silocone. thus being HARD on the seals. beouse it not silacone, it wil tend to foam up and react unpredictable. making tuning kinda hard. its also a pretty heavy wieght (90wt) so if your a basher it could put alot of stress on your shock shaft cousing a bend an large jumps, as well as cracking the small piston or forceing oil out of a normaly good seal.. plus.. shock oil is only about $2.50.. good luck my fellow rc"er

 

[Rolex]

Always go with what's recommended unless it's a common practice to do otherwise, like Marvel Mystery oil as after run.
Silicone tubing is eaten by silicone shock oil, so that ought to tell you to stick with stock rather than take the chance of blowing out the shocks.

 

[rckid91]

yeah guys thanks i decided to put the two that i filled on the truck just to see and yeah they dont perform well so thanks mods you can close this now if you like