Bombproof shock rod ends?!?!

[Snoprosledneck88]

so first things first big shout out to @Iamtheoutcast for sharing his video on bulletproof shock rod ends. so I have been breaking shock rod ends on my outcast and I have. Been recommended to follow what iamtheoutcast has done with his which is to use a traxxas shin kit to give your shock rod end a metal insert. Well do I have a treat for you, maybe. I bought package of Arrma part number AR330203. These shock rod ends are a lot beefier than the stock 2018 outcast rod ends. ( I will attach pics. Don’t know how to put them in the text. ) The downside is the fact this part number may be discontinued and I just got lucky getting them at my LHS. Iamtheoutcast uses Arrma part number AR330409 and traxxas part number 5529 for his version. So maybe my version will also work with AR330409 but my LHS didn’t have them in stock. I do however have some Tekno rod ends coming in the mail Thursday so I will see if this works with them. So, here is the cool part. You can buy aluminum spacers at your local Ace hardware. 58398-A is the part number. These also only cost $.69 each. These do hang out of the rod end a little bit in each side but they fit in the a-arms and eliminate slop. I honestly think this is a Benifit. Take a look at the pics and let me know what you guys think. I haven’t gotten to try them yet but I see no reason they shouldn’t work especially with the feedback I have seen from what iamtheoutcast recommends. I will answer anything I can. Hope this can help someone else also.

 

[olds97_lss]

I watched his video before, but can't for the life of me figure out why it would help.

 

[Iamtheoutcast]

It detons the impact force on soft plastic by giving the pin something hard to contact before the energy is transferred to the rod end. Even with your drop screws adjusted properly there are instances were your shocks are going to over extend themselves. When you clip something with your a arms for example if it's not enough force to break the a arm more then likely your gonna lose a rod end. This has done away with this issue not only for me but for other people as well. I've still havnt broken a rod end on any of my arrmas sence Ive done this.

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

It detons the impact force on soft plastic by giving the pin something hard to contact before the energy is transferred to the rod end. Even with your drop screws adjusted properly there are instances were your shocks are going to over extend themselves. When you clip something with your a arms for example if it's not enough force to break the a arm more then likely your gonna lose a rod end. This has done away with this issue not only for me but for other people as well. I've still havnt broken a rod end on any of my arrmas sence Ive done this.

Has @Rich Duperbash tried this? Would like to see if this helps him. I have seen him break quite a few rod ends haha

 

[Iamtheoutcast]

I'm not sure anything can save rich's rod ends with how high he sends his rigs lol. I just know I used to break them often and now I don't to me it's something that works. And with the shortage of parts right now I like to keep my surplus of parts.

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

I'm not sure anything can save rich's rod ends with how high he sends his rigs lol. I just know I used to break them often and now I don't to me it's something that works. And with the shortage of parts right now I like to keep my surplus of parts.

Lmao true Rich’s rigs need to be on a different level. I need to get another GoPro. My 3+ took a dump. The scary thing about Rich is how high and far it looks on video. Imagine being there, my god!

 

[RC DUDE81]

Looks like a great mod! Thanks for sharing. I think a lot of times, shock rod ends can be saved by proper suspension setup. I send my rigs up pretty far and hardly ever break rod ends. If the chassis takes most of the impact, the shocks should be saved. The V3 ends are made much better than the earlier ones. I make sure the shock collars are not all the way down and my droop is set so the shocks aren't extended all the way out. If you're shock oil is too thick, that'll stress the ends as well. You're right, sometimes a wonky landing and clipping something just right can stress them and snap them anyway though...

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

Looks like a great mod! Thanks for sharing. I think a lot of times, shock rod ends can be saved by proper suspension setup. I send my rigs up pretty far and hardly ever break rod ends. If the chassis takes most of the impact, the shocks should be saved. The V3 ends are made much better than the earlier ones. I make sure the shock collars are not all the way down and my droop is set so the shocks aren't extended all the way out. If you're shock oil is too thick, that'll stress the ends as well. You're right, sometimes a wonky landing and clipping something just right can stress them and snap them anyway though...

I'm still adjusting my droop screws to find that sweet spot. I haven't changed the factory shock oil and I only have the spring collar down a little less than half way. These 2018 models come with heavier weight fluids. Center Diff comes with 100K from the factory and shock oil is 1,000CTs or about 80WT. How aggressive does everyone get with their droop screws? I would imagine if you back them off then turn them in until it starts to compress your shock a little bit that should be sufficient.... or do you need to go more? Maybe i over looked it in the manual but I didn't see what they recommend.

 

[chevys10zr2003]

I'm still adjusting my droop screws to find that sweet spot. I haven't changed the factory shock oil and I only have the spring collar down a little less than half way. These 2018 models come with heavier weight fluids. Center Diff comes with 100K from the factory and shock oil is 1,000CTs or about 80WT. How aggressive does everyone get with their droop screws? I would imagine if you back them off then turn them in until it starts to compress your shock a little bit that should be sufficient.... or do you need to go more? Maybe i over looked it in the manual but I didn't see what they recommend.

I'm interested to see what responses you get on this. Backing them out until full droop and then turning them in until it compresses the shocks a 3-5 millimeters is what I normally do as well but I have never really known the correct answer.

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

I'm interested to see what responses you get on this. Backing them out until full droop and then turning them in until it compresses the shocks a 3-5 millimeters is what I normally do as well but I have never really known the correct answer.

That seems like a good amount,3-5mm. I'm going to be pulling the front and rear a-arms off tonight or tomorrow so I will be setting them soon. I don't want to take away to much of the shock travel. Almost wish there was a way to do a limiting strap instead. The droop screws are all the way near the diff case and the shock rod end is over from it another 2" or so. These arms are plastic and flex so when your arms extend down off of a jump or hard rebound the droop screw stops the arm near the diff case but the rest of the arm can flex more the farther it is away from the droop screw. If that makes any sense (the droop screw works almost like a fulcrum)

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

My Tekno rod ends came in a day early and the inserts that I found at Ace hardware fit so that would be an easier part for people to get vs Arrma stuff. Just a FYI for everyone.

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

So nice, so sweet! Got the front rpm arms on also!

 

[olds97_lss]

Guess I'm still at a bit of a loss as to how this helps anything. Your removing a steel ball that fits snug and replacing it with a flat walled tube. Whether it's a ball or a tube, the force is still being transferred to the plastic end.

I'm not saying it's not helping you, I just can't comprehend how.

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

Guess I'm still at a bit of a loss as to how this helps anything. Your removing a steel ball that fits snug and replacing it with a flat walled tube. Whether it's a ball or a tube, the force is still being transferred to the plastic end.

I'm not saying it's not helping you, I just can't comprehend how.

The ball that is being replaced is plastic. I can’t say it helps, other have said it does so I’m trying it. Cheaper than stock stuff anyways haha. Maybe that stock plastic ball has some flex and allows the pin to apply more pressure in a smaller area and this metal insert will distribute it more evenly and over a larger area.

 

[Primarrma]

Could someone please post the Tekno part number for the shock rod ends that fit the Arrma V3 shocks(I have a Kraton, but should be the same as a V3 outcast), thanks a lot?

*Edit*
I think I've found them Tekno TKR6140B, I'll order some and see.

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

Could someone please post the Tekno part number for the shock rod ends that fit the Arrma V3 shocks(I have a Kraton, but should be the same as a V3 outcast), thanks a lot?

*Edit*
I think I've found them Tekno TKR6140B, I'll order some and see.

Yes those are the right ones.

 

[Primarrma]

Yes those are the right ones.

Thank you very much

 

[Snoprosledneck88]

Thank you very much

Not a problem.

 

[RCROD]

I'm still adjusting my droop screws to find that sweet spot. I haven't changed the factory shock oil and I only have the spring collar down a little less than half way. These 2018 models come with heavier weight fluids. Center Diff comes with 100K from the factory and shock oil is 1,000CTs or about 80WT. How aggressive does everyone get with their droop screws? I would imagine if you back them off then turn them in until it starts to compress your shock a little bit that should be sufficient.... or do you need to go more? Maybe i over looked it in the manual but I didn't see what they recommend.

DROOP SCREWS:
To protect the shocks, etc, and not affect any of the suspension down travel, I like to run almost full droop. I start by backing off the droop screws, then adjust inwards (clockwise). Once they start hitting and moving the suspension arms upwards, I usually turn droop screws only a turn or so, maybe a bit more... Just remember, turning your Droop Screws clockwise decreases droop, counter-clockwise increases the amount of droop.

Here's a Team Durango link on adjusting droop screws:
http://www.team-durango.com/blog/2015/05/01/team-tech-tips-droop-tuning-guide/

Droop screws were also just recently discussed on this forum:
https://www.arrmaforum.com/threads/kraton-droop-screws.2610/

 

[RCROD]

So nice, so sweet! Got the front rpm arms on also!

How tight of a fit is this Tekno shock rod end eyelet in the arms? Does this & the aluminum spacer sleeve you used still allow some pivoting movement on the shock end, the same as the stock ball insert does? Without the bottom of the shock rod end not pivoting at all, would this not put more stress on the shock shafts when the suspension arms twist or flex back a bit from any bad landings or crashes?