Kraton Kraton v4 shock upgrade

[Dakota]

Hey guys, I’m looking at getting some new shocks. My arrmas still work they just don’t spring back up like they did when new .. I did put 70 weight shock fluid and still sagging after landing any ideas maybe just new springs ?? Any help is useful .

 

[Sledgehog]

Heavier shock fluid doesn't have anything to do with sag/ride height/spring rebound. Sounds like you just need new or stronger springs.
Did you happen to add any aftermarket aluminum upgrades? The extra weight could be the culprit and the stock springs just aren't holding up their end so to speak.

 

[Dakota]

Heavier shock fluid doesn't have anything to do with sag/ride height/spring rebound. Sounds like you just need new or stronger springs.
Did you happen to add any aftermarket aluminum upgrades? The extra weight could be the culprit and the stock springs just aren't holding up their end so to speak.

What springs would you recommend that would fit right on the kraton shocks ??

 

[Tomberland]

Maybe your shock shaft is slightly bent? That can also be the reason your shock doesn't spring back up like it used to.

 

[Lazy Bushman]

Yeah the stock shocks are actually pretty good. Being a V4 they should still be as new. As @Sledgehog said, have you added extra weight to the vehicle eg M2C chassis or anything?

 

[bicketybam]

My Kraton is loaded with aluminum and I'm running the stock shocks and oil (which is 90wt). Check out my last video. It seems to handle the added weight without issue.

I also would guess bent shockshafts as the reason for them not springing back.

 

[Dakota]

Yeah the stock shocks are actually pretty good. Being a V4 they should still be as new. As @Sledgehog said, have you added extra weight to the vehicle eg M2C chassis or anything?

Not really my body is a little heavy from shoe goo and dry wall tape but other than that just normal stuff like rpm bumper .. wheelie bar voltage hobbies chassis mount . I am running some pretty big batts 2 3s 6000 mah

 

[Mazing3]

It’s bent shock shafts dude. It’s not springs. It’s not added weight (was that real?) and it doesn’t matter if your Kra is new.

They might not look bent to you but if you take the tops and bottoms off and remove the whole shaft with plunger then you’ll get a understanding of what bent shock shafts look like.

Now, I’m just assuming you’ve taken these things off the truck to test and not just pushed down on the chassis to asses this. Right? Cuz you are aware there are about 4 other things that can be bent in the front of a Kraton that would impede your front end chassis ability to travel properly. It’s a Arrma, stuff is going to bend and break.
And if you want new shocks, because let’s face it- new shocks are cool- go buy a set of Teknos with orange or green springs. Tower has them. Spend the money on these things now and forget your future shock problems. Don’t waste $ on more weak Arrma shocks and shafts made out of butter.

 

[bicketybam]

It’s bent shock shafts dude. It’s not springs. It’s not added weight (was that real?) and it doesn’t matter if your Kra is new.

They might not look bent to you but if you take the tops and bottoms off and remove the whole shaft with plunger then you’ll get a understanding of what bent shock shafts look like.

Now, I’m just assuming you’ve taken these things off the truck to test and not just pushed down on the chassis to asses this. Right? Cuz you are aware there are about 4 other things that can be bent in the front of a Kraton that would impede your front end chassis ability to travel properly. It’s a Arrma, stuff is going to bend and break.
And if you want new shocks, because let’s face it- new shocks are cool- go buy a set of Teknos with orange or green springs. Tower has them. Spend the money on these things now and forget your future shock problems. Don’t waste $ on more weak Arrma shocks and shafts made out of butter.

Do you own a V1 or something? The stock Arrma Kraton springs are stiffer than Teknos. And it takes a really big hit to bend a shaft. If anyting, the Tekno rod ends and balls are a good upgrade but a new set of Teknos area waste of money. And the springs will be slightly softer.

 

[Mazing3]

Do you own a V1 or something? The stock Arrma Kraton springs are stiffer than Teknos. And it takes a really big hit to bend a shaft. If anyting, the Tekno rod ends and balls are a good upgrade but a new set of Teknos area waste of money. And the springs will be slightly softer.

I have 2 kratons and 3 outcasts. All swapped to Tekno most at unboxing. Had a Nero 2 years ago which had bigger shafts and heavier springs than all of them. They bent and broke too.

Heavy springs and heavy shock oil is not the go to answer for all things suspension. It’s not the goal you are chasing. That’s totally amateur-in a misinformed/dumb way. It can actually make them worse. Plus, Tekno shocks don’t even come with springs. There are countless spring rate options available for them so amateur answer from you there too.

“It takes a big hit” to hurt them? well yeah these are heavy high speed trucks. I bash the crap out of my trucks. I like big jumps and high speed shenanigans. I like climbing 15 foot backstops on the way to an Outcast backflip...Sometimes things go sideways. How do you drive yours? Rose garden tours?
No V1s and I’ve been at this for years-not a rookie. I can tell you with years of first hand experience on multiple trucks that the Teknos are superior and will all but cure your woes.

“Lower ball joint a little better?” Not really, no. Gotta ask, do you have any actual experience with Tekno Shocks on Arrma trucks or are just quoting erroneous stuff you read on a forum. Ball joints are about the same. Just the teknos have a cool way of screwing into the lower spring perch. Lower threaded mount breaking and bending is the problem there.


Tekno vs Arrma shocks:
Better lower seal system-gotta see it.
Better bladder and bleed system
Better plunger shape and design
Stronger shafts- can even get Ti.
Stronger everything.

Get them try them, see for yourself. Don’t just believe some guy regurgitating lower ball joint superiority being the only Tekno shock claim to fame.

Now, to the original poster again— still think you have bent shafts. OR could use a good cleaning and bleeding. But probably both.

 

[Dakota]

I have 2 kratons and 3 outcasts. All swapped to Tekno most at unboxing. Had a Nero 2 years ago which had bigger shafts and heavier springs than all of them. They bent and broke too.

Heavy springs and heavy shock oil is not the go to answer for all things suspension. It’s not the goal you are chasing. That’s totally amateur-in a misinformed/dumb way. It can actually make them worse. Plus, Tekno shocks don’t even come with springs. There are countless spring rate options available for them so amateur answer from you there too.

“It takes a big hit” to hurt them? well yeah these are heavy high speed trucks. I bash the crap out of my trucks. I like big jumps and high speed shenanigans. I like climbing 15 foot backstops on the way to an Outcast backflip...Sometimes things go sideways. How do you drive yours? Rose garden tours?
No V1s and I’ve been at this for years-not a rookie. I can tell you with years of first hand experience on multiple trucks that the Teknos are superior and will all but cure your woes.

“Lower ball joint a little better?” Not really, no. Gotta ask, do you have any actual experience with Tekno Shocks on Arrma trucks or are just quoting erroneous stuff you read on a forum. Ball joints are about the same. Just the teknos have a cool way of screwing into the lower spring perch. Lower threaded mount breaking and bending is the problem there.


Tekno vs Arrma shocks:
Better lower seal system-gotta see it.
Better bladder and bleed system
Better plunger shape and design
Stronger shafts- can even get Ti.
Stronger everything.

Get them try them, see for yourself. Don’t just believe some guy regurgitating lower ball joint superiority being the only Tekno shock claim to fame.

Now, to the original poster again— still think you have bent shafts. OR could use a good cleaning and bleeding. But probably both.

Do you have a link to the Tekno schocks that are a Match for the kraton ??

 

[Mr.Duke]

I have 2 kratons and 3 outcasts. All swapped to Tekno most at unboxing. Had a Nero 2 years ago which had bigger shafts and heavier springs than all of them. They bent and broke too.

Heavy springs and heavy shock oil is not the go to answer for all things suspension. It’s not the goal you are chasing. That’s totally amateur-in a misinformed/dumb way. It can actually make them worse. Plus, Tekno shocks don’t even come with springs. There are countless spring rate options available for them so amateur answer from you there too.

“It takes a big hit” to hurt them? well yeah these are heavy high speed trucks. I bash the crap out of my trucks. I like big jumps and high speed shenanigans. I like climbing 15 foot backstops on the way to an Outcast backflip...Sometimes things go sideways. How do you drive yours? Rose garden tours?
No V1s and I’ve been at this for years-not a rookie. I can tell you with years of first hand experience on multiple trucks that the Teknos are superior and will all but cure your woes.

“Lower ball joint a little better?” Not really, no. Gotta ask, do you have any actual experience with Tekno Shocks on Arrma trucks or are just quoting erroneous stuff you read on a forum. Ball joints are about the same. Just the teknos have a cool way of screwing into the lower spring perch. Lower threaded mount breaking and bending is the problem there.


Tekno vs Arrma shocks:
Better lower seal system-gotta see it.
Better bladder and bleed system
Better plunger shape and design
Stronger shafts- can even get Ti.
Stronger everything.

Get them try them, see for yourself. Don’t just believe some guy regurgitating lower ball joint superiority being the only Tekno shock claim to fame.

Now, to the original poster again— still think you have bent shafts. OR could use a good cleaning and bleeding. But probably both.

He's actually correct in what he's stating. Although Tekno does offer many options for springs, all of them have a lower spring rate than the v3/v4 Arrma springs the OP is running. Switching to Tekno shocks would not solve his sagging problem.

 

[Jimbobjr]

We can all do without the wise ass comments.

 

[Mazing3]

You do realize that the proper function of the movement of the shock almost everything to do with the shock right? And if you have a thing for super high spring rates you can use the Arrma springs on the Teknos. The Teks aren’t some magical sized thing. Almost any 1/8 size spring will work on them.

For the last time- the sagging isn’t because of springs. They are strong metal and don’t just de-spring. Function of the shock is what’s compromised so you look at the moving parts that ain’t movin. The shaft.

Dakota- I’ll dig you up a link since I started this madness for ya. Hang tight.

We can all do without the wise ass comments.

Well, keep this as a factual reality based conversation based on real life experience and vetted knowledge to help the guys asking the questions to fix their problems and I’ll be happy to be less of a wise ass.

Funny how you keep throwing spring rate and oil weight at the problem like bigger is better. It’s not.

I care about the guys looking for the answers I once had and solved. That’s what a community is about.

 

[Dakota]

You do realize that the proper function of the movement of the shock almost everything to do with the shock right? And if you have a thing for super high spring rates you can use the Arrma springs on the Teknos. The Teks aren’t some magical sized thing. Almost any 1/8 size spring will work on them.

For the last time- the sagging isn’t because of springs. They are strong metal and don’t just de-spring. Function of the shock is what’s compromised so you look at the moving parts that ain’t movin. The shaft.

Dakota- I’ll dig you up a link since I started this madness for ya. Hang tight.

Thanks buddy ... and I don’t know if I would use sagging .. so when the shocks get compressed they don’t come back up they just stay low ..

 

[Mazing3]

Thanks buddy ... and I don’t know if I would use sagging .. so when the shocks get compressed they don’t come back up they just stay low ..

Yeah, I’m keeping track of what you called it, not what the peanut gallery made up.

Something is bent. Have I mentioned that? Lol.

I attached a screen shot of an order I did with Towerhobbies in 2017 with the part numbers. funny thing is that I ordered extra shafts TiNi at the time as backups not knowing if this plan would work. Still have the extra shafts unused and brand new.
Not sure who had them in stock right now but if you hit a complete dead end finding some anywhere then shoot me a PM. I might have a solution for you but prefer it to be plan B.

 

[Mr.Duke]

You do realize that the proper function of the movement of the shock almost everything to do with the shock right? And if you have a thing for super high spring rates you can use the Arrma springs on the Teknos. The Teks aren’t some magical sized thing. Almost any 1/8 size spring will work on them.

For the last time- the sagging isn’t because of springs. They are strong metal and don’t just de-spring. Function of the shock is what’s compromised so you look at the moving parts that ain’t movin. The shaft.

Dakota- I’ll dig you up a link since I started this madness for ya. Hang tight.


Well, keep this as a factual reality based conversation based on real life experience and vetted knowledge to help the guys asking the questions to fix their problems and I’ll be happy to be less of a wise ass.

Funny how you keep throwing spring rate and oil weight at the problem like bigger is better. It’s not.

I care about the guys looking for the answers I once had and solved. That’s what a community is about.

If you're really wanting to "keep this as a factual reality based conversion based on real life experience and vetted knowledge to help the guys asking the questions to fix their problem", you may not want to continue making statements like " sagging isn’t because of springs. They are strong metal and don’t just de-spring".
Instead, perhaps you should google "coil spring settling and fatigue analysis" or even just "Hooke's Law", and read up on this topic before giving further advice on the subject.
Just sayin'

 

[Mazing3]

Ahhh MrDuke I’ll play ball with you a little. I remember you from when I was more active on here a year or so ago...helpful as ever. juss sayin....

I didn’t word it right when I referred to the non-existing diminished boingy-boingy-boingy rate of his v4 springs. V4 springs de-bouncify themselves on this poor guy’s truck? You didn’t word anything.

I tried to help OP with his problem-You made one up (saggy) that he didn’t have then still didn’t offer a solution.

You did put a definitive stamp on the fact that v4 springs are stiffer than Tek Orange? Relevant how? Everyone already knew that.

So what did you contribute here for the OP seeking help?

Mic drop.

 

[bicketybam]

I have 2 kratons and 3 outcasts. All swapped to Tekno most at unboxing. Had a Nero 2 years ago which had bigger shafts and heavier springs than all of them. They bent and broke too.

Heavy springs and heavy shock oil is not the go to answer for all things suspension. It’s not the goal you are chasing. That’s totally amateur-in a misinformed/dumb way. It can actually make them worse. Plus, Tekno shocks don’t even come with springs. There are countless spring rate options available for them so amateur answer from you there too.

“It takes a big hit” to hurt them? well yeah these are heavy high speed trucks. I bash the crap out of my trucks. I like big jumps and high speed shenanigans. I like climbing 15 foot backstops on the way to an Outcast backflip...Sometimes things go sideways. How do you drive yours? Rose garden tours?
No V1s and I’ve been at this for years-not a rookie. I can tell you with years of first hand experience on multiple trucks that the Teknos are superior and will all but cure your woes.

“Lower ball joint a little better?” Not really, no. Gotta ask, do you have any actual experience with Tekno Shocks on Arrma trucks or are just quoting erroneous stuff you read on a forum. Ball joints are about the same. Just the teknos have a cool way of screwing into the lower spring perch. Lower threaded mount breaking and bending is the problem there.


Tekno vs Arrma shocks:
Better lower seal system-gotta see it.
Better bladder and bleed system
Better plunger shape and design
Stronger shafts- can even get Ti.
Stronger everything.

Get them try them, see for yourself. Don’t just believe some guy regurgitating lower ball joint superiority being the only Tekno shock claim to fame.

Now, to the original poster again— still think you have bent shafts. OR could use a good cleaning and bleeding. But probably both.

I'm really not sure why you came out all guns blazing. You're not sure how I bash? Rose garden tours? Check my YouTube channel and you'll see how I run. I've bent 3 shock shafts between 4 trucks in the span of a year. The V3/V4 shafts are thicker than V1/V2. They aren't made of butter. I was just trying to save the guy some money. But whatever. If he wants to buy new Tekno shocks he can be my guest. And where did I mention lower ball joints being a little better? I said the Tekno ends and balls are a good upgrade. I know many people here have gone that route.

You really came on strong. We are just trying to help the guy.

Ahhh MrDuke I’ll play ball with you a little. I remember you from when I was more active on here a year or so ago...helpful as ever. juss sayin....

I didn’t word it right when I referred to the non-existing diminished boingy-boingy-boingy rate of his v4 springs. V4 springs de-bouncify themselves on this poor guy’s truck? You didn’t word anything.

I tried to help OP with his problem-You made one up (saggy) that he didn’t have then still didn’t offer a solution.

You did put a definitive stamp on the fact that v4 springs are stiffer than Tek Orange? Relevant how? Everyone already knew that.

So what did you contribute here for the OP seeking help?

Mic drop.

You have 40 posts. How active were you prior to this? Seriously.

 

[Jimbobjr]

Funny how you keep throwing spring rate and oil weight at the problem like bigger is better. It’s not.

Where did I say this? Maybe never?