Question: What size and type of shocks would be most suitable for the OpenRC Truggy?
It would be good to set a “standard” and then I can modify the design to fit that standard!
Shocks selection and adjustment is not an easy topic: Spring hardness and pre-tension, oil viscosity and the hole plates as well as overall travel are some of the factors that go into selecting / tuning a shock. Then there’s quality / durability - will it leak/bend/break.
On mid-high-end models, you usually just stick with the kit shocks (since they’re generally of high quality and are made for that model) and adjust the oil or maybe swap the springs.
For the OpenRC truggy, you can try different ones and see how well they behave. I can’t recommend a budget option since neither do i know how the car handles neither do cheap-o sellers (like Hobbyking) post any kind of helpful information about their springs/shocks.
I’d just get a set for a similar vehicle, see how well those work and try to improve from there.
OK, i understand. Since this is totally experimental, what would you think about the length? I just get the feeling that the shocks I have are too short…
I just need a pointer here…
One of the problems with shocks is there so many choices out there. For an 1/10 scale offroad 4wd I would set the stock eye to eye length around 100mm (pretty standard read shock I believe) and then have an adjustable shock tower / couple choices for different lengths around that. Also start off with cheap options like HobbyKing and at least you aren’t throwing away your money…
Another thing you could do is draw up friction shocks like Tamiya used for a million years. All they were was a cylinder that held a long screw and then slide a spring over it.Again HobbyKing would be a cheap place for people to be able to get the same springs at a reasonable cost. They may not work well but it would fit in with the idea of printing your own kit.
The shocks of an Ansmann Royal Flash that i used to own (super flimsy truggy by the ways) are 100mm hole to hole. At least in Germany, they are available cheaply through ebay.
The RC10B4 (buggy) rear shocks are about the same length, while the front shocks are about 70mm long. Tamiya’s DF-02 and DF-03 (buggys) shocks are a bit shorter.
You can compensate for shocks that are lacking travel by mounting them further in (larger lever), but keep in mind that the longer the lever, the softer the ride (for identical shocks).
For the truggy, i’d rather get the 95mm ones: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Aluminium-Dampfer-4-90-95mm-fur-Buggy-Offroad-Modelle-1-10-201000039-2-/360501114049?pt=RC_Modellbau&hash=item53ef8a74c1
The Ansmann shocks i had/have are pretty mediocre - they work, but are a fair bit too soft. And they leak. And the mounts break easily. I don’t know if ones from Hobbyking are that much better, though, so the Ansmann ones would probably be a good start.