Do I need stiffer springs?

[Exc3l]

Hey guys. I have always been a street guy with my Senton 3s. Now that I have a Granite 4s I have set the preload on the Typhon 6s Shocks all the way down and when I drop the car from 4ft+ the chassis slaps the floor. Is this normal? I am really not a basher guy right now so this is probably a very stupid question. Should I get the stiffer springs for the shocks?

 

[Goodfast08]

Some slap is a good thing, helps distribute impact to the whole car. You can change out the disk valves in shocks too to raise compression in the shock. Valve with less holes moves fluid slower therefore slowing the compression cycle down.

 

[Yas]

I would experiment with thicker oils and changing pistons before deciding to use stiffer springs. Suspension is usually best set with soft springs and tuned with oils and pistons. It all depends on what you're after, however using stiffer springs can cause unwanted characteristics, like sudden kick up and less traction

Try using 1500-2000 cSt instead of the stock 1000 it came with. It might pack it enough to stop it slapping too often. If the rebound rate is too slow, try other pistons (stock fronts are 1.2mm, rears are 1.4). You still want some slap or you could break the towers, shock pistons, or bend the shafts

Be aware that the temperature will have a very noticeable effect on the oil's viscosity. Also, after a lot of use, shock bodies and pistons wear down a bit and the oil loosens up

 

[Exc3l]

First I am going to change the pistons to 1.0mm all around. Currently, I have 550CST in the rear and 30wt in the front. That is all I have. I see if that helps before I get thicker shock oil.

 

[Yas]

First I am going to change the pistons to 1.0mm all around. Currently, I have 550CST in the rear and 30wt in the front. That is all I have. I see if that helps before I get thicker shock oil.

Oh wow! That oil is pretty light for a 1/10 scale. It might be okay for really course off roading and no jumps. I have 70w (900 cSt) and 60w (800) F/R in my Typhon 3S which has 6S shocks. Again it's all down to what you're after. As I run mostly on flat golf course grass with a lot of jumps, the high dampening really helps to reduce rebound. It would suck on course gravel and ruts though

 

[Speed/267]

 

[jondilly1974]

This was the discussion I had a while back and I was told that it is expected to slap. I wasn’t convinced so I ended up using the Typhon rear springs in the front and Kraton front springs in the rear. This gave me the feel I wanted. Don’t let anyone tell you how you HAVE to setup your truck. Make it feel the way YOU like it. Sure, you might make mistakes along the way, but that’s part of learning. Take advice with a grain of salt, but in the end, do what you think is best for you and your preferences.

 

[Yas]

I ended up using the Typhon rear springs in the front and Kraton front springs in the rear.

I used a mix of shock parts and springs for my Typhon 3S. I couldn't find any Typhon 6S shocks in the UK anywhere. Had to get creative!

- Rear Talion shock bodies/shafts in the front
- Front Kraton shock bodies/shafts in the rear
- Rear Talion springs in the front
- Front Typhon springs in the rear

Also I made this ages ago when deciding what to use and now I guess is a reason to post it! From softest to stiffest:

-

ARRMA 6S SPRING STATS
n/mm spring rate, mm length

Mojave F: 0.86 (70mm)
Mojave R: 0.36 (110mm)

Typhon F: 0.74 (70mm)
Typhon R: 0.55 (84mm)

Kraton F: 1.09 (85mm)
Kraton R: 0.87 (95mm)

Talion F: 1.35 (60mm)
Talion R: 0.94 (84mm)

Infraction F: 4.70 (35mm)
Infraction R: 6.60 (40mm)

 

[GRC]

when I drop the car from 4ft+ the chassis slaps the floor. Is this normal? I am really not a basher guy right now so this is probably a very stupid question. Should I get the stiffer springs for the shocks?

That's actually much stiffer than normal. I chassis slap at 18 inches to 2 feet. From what I can tell, that's pretty normal.

As others have said, how stiff depends on how you drive. Stiffer shocks reduce chassis slap when landing jumps, but when I went too stiff I started damaging shock components. Also stiff is not good for running over bumpy terrain. The RC will bounce instead of absorbing bumps.

I think chassis slap starting at 4+ feet is too stiff for just about any purpose. As others have said, drive it in conditions you tend to run in. See how it handles speed, bumps, jumps, cornering, etc. The best setup for sliding turns on concrete (stiffer) is different than the best setup for going fast over bumpy terrain (looser). Find the right balance for you.

If the best balance still requires you keep the pre-load all the way down, THEN you want to consider stiffer springs. With the pre-load all the way down, you have a limited range of shock absorption. It's ALWAYS really stiff. Springs that work well closer to full length give you a wider range of shock absorption. Less resistance when you only need a little. More resistance when the shocks get really compressed.

If I had to make a single recommendation for a 3s vehicle with 16mm shocks, I would recommend Team Associated RC8B3 Yellow springs (Part#'s 81226, 81232). Their spring rate is very close to stock 3s springs and provide a good range of stiffness. With pre-load they'll handle big jumps. Set looser, they'll ride smoothly over bumps.

 

[Exc3l]

This was the discussion I had a while back and I was told that it is expected to slap. I wasn’t convinced so I ended up using the Typhon rear springs in the front and Kraton front springs in the rear. This gave me the feel I wanted. Don’t let anyone tell you how you HAVE to setup your truck. Make it feel the way YOU like it. Sure, you might make mistakes along the way, but that’s part of learning. Take advice with a grain of salt, but in the end, do what you think is best for you and your preferences.

Now, this is what I was looking for! I Will See how I LIKE it. It is a bit heavier because of the 4s battery. Anyway, the ZEEE 5200mAh 4s100c lipo fits like a GLOVE in the Granite. I can't wait to drive it. Thank you so much for the parts, Jon. Build thread and pics coming soon!

 

[Exc3l]

Alright, I went over this thread one more time to make sure I understood everything. What I have learned is chassis slap is normal. Now I have listened to you guys but I mixed 30wt with 100wt shock fluid and it is exactly how I like it! The chassis doesn't slap from 2-4 ft and it feels so good! I took it out for a quick run on the driveway and this thing does 1-2ft high bunny hops .Can't wait to get the body and servo! I feel like I am too under-geared tho. 4s 2400kv motor 15t pinion 57t spur. Speed Calc said 45mph. I don't care about speed just back flips! Cant wait to break some parts and go broke!

 

[jondilly1974]

Alright, I went over this thread one more time to make sure I understood everything. What I have learned is chassis slap is normal. Now I have listened to you guys but I mixed 30wt with 100wt shock fluid and it is exactly how I like it! The chassis doesn't slap from 2-4 ft and it feels so good! I took it out for a quick run on the driveway and this thing does 1-2ft high bunny hops .Can't wait to get the body and servo! I feel like I am too under-geared tho. 4s 2400kv motor 15t pinion 57t spur. Speed Calc said 45mph. I don't care about speed just back flips! Cant wait to break some parts and go broke!

Bottom line is run it how you like buddy. If it puts a smile on your face, it’s perfect.