Shocks

Strengthening the Stock Shocks

Aluminum shocks are a nice upgrade, but there are not in everyone's budget. I've found it's real easy to strengthen the stock shocks up to the point that they can take almost as much abuse as many aluminum shocks will.

To accomplish this you will need to make this upgrade before you start having a problem with the stock plastic shock caps popping off. When the plastic caps pop off they can damage the shock body threads to the point that no cap will stay tightened down. You'll also need enough of the Traxxas Big Bore Shock Caps so that you have one per shock, some Teflon plumbers tape, and a inch or two of fuel tubing.

The first step is to cut off a small section of fuel tubing, a millimeter or two should be enough. Unscrew the eyelet end of the shock, and slide the tubing onto the shaft of the shock. Then screw the eyelet back on. This will prevent the plastic eyelet and the shock body from hitting each other when the shock compresses. This can be a common problem when using aftermarket springs, or very few pre-load spacers. If you run CVD's you may have experienced a problem where the CVD limits travel slightly, and you're afraid you will bend the CVD shaft. This will alleviate that problem as well.

Now we'll address the upper part of the shock. Remove the plastic cap and gather together the shock body, a small piece of Teflon tape, and one of the aluminum shock caps.

Wind the Teflon tape around the threads on the shock body. Make sure you wind the tape on in a clockwise motion. Otherwise when you screw the aluminum cap on, you'll end up removing the tape as it will just unwind under the cap. You may also have some excess Teflon tape at the top of the shock body. Just trim it off with a hobby knife, or you can also tear it off by hand.

Now fill the shock with the shock oil of your choice and replace the rubber bladder that was under the stock shock cap. If you don't see the bladder, it's possible it's stuck inside the stock shock cap. Remove it and reinstall it. Once that is complete, carefully screw the new aluminum cap on. The aluminum cap is easily cross-threaded when installed for the first time, so be careful. When tightening the cap down, it's easier to slide a small screwdriver in the cap's hole and use it to twist the cap on.

While the Traxxas Big Bore Shock Caps will definitely beef up your shocks, I'd still advise against using an oil thicker than 40 or 50 weight when the plastic body is still being used. The thicker oil is much more likely to contribute to the shock cap being popped off than a thinner oil. While this strengthening procedure will help to beef up your shocks, a thick oil should really be paired with aluminum shocks. In comparison, I'd recommend no more than the stock 30 weight oil with the stock plastic cap.

All you have left to do is to install the springs and the spring retainer. The first of these two images show the shock fully assembled without the spring, so you can get a clear view of where the tubing should be. The second shows the shock with the spring installed, just as it would be when placed back on the truck.

Don't worry about properly sliding the tubing down into place. The first time the shock compresses it will do this on it's own. However do make sure the tubing is between the shock body and the spring retainer, so it will cushion any potential impact between the parts.

One shock down, 3 more to go. You should notice a definite difference in the strength of the shocks as opposed to the stock configuration if you've ever had problems with the caps popping off before. You may also notice that I'm not using the stock spring clips. If you are curious and wish to try something other than the stock clips, I'm using Losi Spring Clamps.

Part One:	Rebuilding-Shock Disassembly
Part Two:	Rebuilding-Shock Reassembly
Part Three:	Strengthening The Stock Shocks
Part Four:	Aluminum Shocks