Granite Shocks replacement upgrade

[Stack15]

Thanks. My understanding from reading the thread was that the eBay China shocks fit the front of the Arrma mega granite 4x4. I have a problem with one of my rear shocks (leaking fluid). I ordered a new set of o rings but had been hoping I could just order a fully assembled shock replacement.

 

[Curvin]

The set listed have both front and rear shocks.

You might be able to find the rears separately if needed, but I'd recommend replacing all.

The stock shocks are junk IMO.

 

[Curvin]

A few thoughts that might help those reading in on my experience with the HSP 81002/81003 aluminum sets that a few other members are also running.

Stock ARRMA shock lengths eye to eye are Front 102mm / Rear 115mm , the HSP are Front 110mm / Rear 130mm , which I have found were too high for the Senton in practice , as it raised the ride height too much and caused significant handling issues ( easily flipped ) in fast cornering. I tried using the stock ARRMA springs and adjusted them as best as I could to lower ride height , which worked OK, but springs were a little soft on the longer length shocks when jumping , even when adjusting height/tension . The rears especially were not working well with the significantly shorter rear spring as it lost a lot of their travel.

I then tried using 4 front HSP shocks with the standard HSP springs , with the shocks being 5 mm shorter than the stock rears I adjusted rear height/tension to raise the rear as much as possible without making it overly stiff, and the front was now sitting 8mm higher than stock. Worked OK but the higher front height was again causing some issues with cornering/flipping, and there was no adjustment to lower the front height as they were adjusted all the way back.

I have decide the best way forward is to get some shorter front shocks, and have found the Traxxas SLA015 Rear shocks for the Slash 4x 4 are exactly the same length,102mm, as the Stock fronts, and have similar specs to the HSP's , so I have ordered a few sets to pair up with the HSP 81003 fronts running on the rear. That will give me the desired lower ride height on the front , slightly lower on rear, but hoping that will give me the better balance I am after.

The HSP set may work better for the Granite , as others have reported, which I believe is due to the wider track/tyres supporting the higher ride height better , so not writing them off at all. Build quality is great , just change the oil if you buy the set as they come partially filled ( understatement ) with some oil that needs to be replaced.

I'll report back how the SLA015's work out once they land in a few weeks.

 

[hattrick300]

@Curvin I also noticed the same thing with the HSP Shocks. I also tried the exact same thing you did with swapping the springs. let us know how the SLA015's work.

 

[BattleShrink]

For the HSP shocks,I found some nylon washers at home depot that I used to internally shim the piston to length in the fasteners section. For these particular washers I use 3 in the front and 5 in the rear. I'm using them with the stock arrma springs and pretty happy with them now.

 

[Curvin]

@BattleShrink,

Thanks for the heads up, I have found some M4 x 3mm spacers on Ebay that could work as above.

I'll grab some to have a play.

 

[Curvin]

@BattleShrink - Still waiting for the Slash front shocks and the nylon spacers I ordered were lost in transit, so I decided to do a variation of your mod using some vacuum hose I had lying around from my turbo TCV install on my car. 4mm ID, 8mm OD, cut to size, 10mm front/15mm rear to shim shock shafts. Tiny little bit of give due to the rubber , but works well. Stock ARRMA springs all round , rears a little stiff with the pretension, so will lighten the oil from 50 to 40.

 

[BigStick]

Well I busted the front left shock at the base....like everyone talks about. That "built in" spring retainer/mud guard incorporated into the lower mount transfers all the impact directly into the shock shaft. I ordered a full set of spares which should be here tomorrow. However, my buddy brought over a full set of Slash shocks and four 120mm long gold aluminum shocks which I have no idea what they are. Anyway, the rear slash shocks are pretty much a perfect fit on the front of the Senton. I just had to figure out a spacer for the upper shock mount. Spring rate seems comparable as far as handling goes.

 

[Curvin]

@Curvin I also noticed the same thing with the HSP Shocks. I also tried the exact same thing you did with swapping the springs. let us know how the SLA015's work.

Quick heads up , SLA015 shocks did not work out unfortunately , they have a larger bore/spring diameter, which will interfere with the drive shaft on the front. I could space them out but I have decided to put them aside and will use them most likely on my Hunter BL instead , which uses a similar larger diameter spring , same shock length. Great quality shock tho , just not directly suited to the Mega 4x4's.

HSP shocks with the lengths adjusted internally will be staying on the Senton 4x4 , I have swapped the rear oil to 40wt , so 40wt all round , front its still a little on the light side using standard springs, but for now I'll give it a run this weekend and see how it holds up with the new rear oil. I could try some 50wt on the front ?

 

[Povell42]

I have read the whole thread and still don't know what to buy! I purchased the Traxxas Big Bore shocks for my Rustler and love them so far. After the Granite's stock front shock shaft broke (with in the first 15 minutes of my 7 year old son driving it) I did put my stock Rustler rear shocks on the Front of the granite... and they lasted longer. However the shaft on one of them is bent now. I did bend them when it was on my Rustler and I took it apart and straightened it, so they were weaker than brand new.

I am getting tired of the constant issues with this stock car (Front shock issues, servo saver slipping and locking to the side, sloppy steering with constant steering trim adjustment needed, ESC overheating every run). I chose this truck for my son because everything I found in reviews was saying it was reliable, tough, and handled great. I do appreciate the easy access maintenance design...but man!

The worst part is that there is no dependable solution to several of these issues. I still don't know the best shock replacements after reading this, if I put a brushless system in it, it may break other parts since it isn't built for brushless...etc.

Sorry, I know, I'm venting. I did had issues with my stock Rustler, but it was very easy to find the upgrade parts to fix it and solve the problems. Not the same story with the Granite.

 

[larrys4227]

I have a Senton MEGA ..... Servo saver is gone, as I run it direct. 3900KV brushless with 22T pinion. It's still running the original input gear and spur .... since last November. Also added Typhon shocks .... you can get them cheap at Jenny's or Ebay. Reinforced the front bumper mount .... Its never broken on me.

 

[bicketybam]

I have a Senton MEGA ..... Servo saver is gone, as I run it direct. 3900KV brushless with 22T pinion. It's still running the original input gear and spur .... since last November. Also added Typhon shocks .... you can get them cheap at Jenny's or Ebay. Reinforced the front bumper mount .... Its never broken on me.

Do you run 2s or 3s?

 

[Curvin]

I am getting tired of the constant issues with this stock car (Front shock issues, servo saver slipping and locking to the side, sloppy steering with constant steering trim adjustment needed, ESC overheating every run). I chose this truck for my son because everything I found in reviews was saying it was reliable, tough, and handled great. I do appreciate the easy access maintenance design...but man!

The worst part is that there is no dependable solution to several of these issues. I still don't know the best shock replacements after reading this, if I put a brushless system in it, it may break other parts since it isn't built for brushless...etc.

I can sympathize completely, I went through all of the above and more. You can read my adventure in my other thread but to cut a long story short , Servo, Shocks, Engine were gone in very quick succession , replaced with a metal geared servo, HSP aluminum shocks ( as noted in this thread ) and a brushless ESC/Motor combo, just to get it to last more than a 15 minute outing. For the shocks I went though various combinations of oil, springs, but in the end the HSP's with length adjusted via internal spaces , using standard springs have proven the best.

I went with a budget GoolRC 3900KV brushless system, proving to be O.K , but did strip the spur gear running 2S, wouldn't even attempt it on 3S.

i have the supposedly better servo saver on the truck and I am still constantly needing to retrim steering, its doing my head in as well.

 

[bicketybam]

My experience with the stock shocks has been excellent. I broke a front one a week into ownership and to this day I am not sure what I hit. So since then I have hit plenty of things and I’ve hit them hard. I’m running an 1/8th scale brushless system in it with 32p spur and pinion gears. I took it to a bmx park today and was launching the truck. Like 20 foot jumps. The shocks held up fabulously. As far as the servo goes, I have never owned an RTR where I haven’t upgraded the steering servo. They are always crap. I just figure that into the cost of ownership. Does the Granite handle like a buggy? No. It’s a $220 monster truck and handles as such. I was able to drive it to 53 mph on a road so it doesn’t handle that poorly.

I understand the frustration but the stock Granite is what it is: a budget $220 MT. Arrma now has a 3s version and they didn’t feel the need to address the shocks or any of the steering components: they are all the same. In their eyes they are adequate for 3s brushless power and I agree.

 

[Curvin]

@ Bicketybam, each to their own I guess.

You are quite welcome to the rest of my stock shocks, I wouldn't use them again in a fit, all were leaking oil almost from the get go. With the one that I initially broke , the replacement shaft/eyelet is still out of stock locally, which I now see as a positive as I had no choice but to move to aluminium shocks. No turning back for me, absolute chalk and cheese.

That they fitted the same to the 3 BLX is facepalm material IMO , that truck will be upwards of $550.00 locally and it has $5 shocks. I am not buying the price dictates it needs to have cheap shocks, a full set of aluminium shocks cost $20.00-$30.00. I am also not buying the crap plastic geared 5KG servo the Megas came with, they could have simply fitted the 7KG metal geared, which would have cost them near zero to implement instead of sending them out as warranty replacements to some who lost the 5KG in 5 minutes.

If the 3BLX also wanders and needs constant steering trimming, thats another face palm IMO , lets see how the dust settles there .

I digress.

 

[bicketybam]

@ Bicketybam, each to their own I guess.

You are quite welcome to the rest of my stock shocks, I wouldn't use them again in a fit, all were leaking oil almost from the get go. With the one that I initially broke , the replacement shaft/eyelet is still out of stock locally, which I now see as a positive as I had no choice but to move to aluminium shocks. No turning back for me, absolute chalk and cheese.

That they fitted the same to the 3 BLX is facepalm material IMO , that truck will be upwards of $550.00 locally and it has $5 shocks. I am not buying the price dictates it needs to have cheap shocks, a full set of aluminium shocks cost $20.00-$30.00. I am also not buying the crap plastic geared 5KG servo the Megas came with, they could have simply fitted the 7KG metal geared, which would have cost them near zero to implement instead of sending them out as warranty replacements to some who lost the 5KG in 5 minutes.

If the 3BLX also wanders and needs constant steering trimming, thats another face palm IMO , lets see how the dust settles there .

I digress.

$550?! Whay does a Kraton go for?

 

[Curvin]

Kraton $730 , none in stock anywhere, so prices could change , Outcast - $780.00, Senton 6BLX $730.00.

You guys have no idea how good you have it in the US.

 

[bicketybam]

Kraton $730 , none in stock anywhere, so prices could change , Outcast - $780.00, Senton 6BLX $730.00.

You guys have no idea how good you have it in the US.

Well that definitely changes the whole dynamic.

 

[bicketybam]

@Curvin I apologize if I came across like a peepee last night. It wasn’t my intent. Your experiences and posts have been most helpful and I enjoy reading them.

It occurred to me that my shock experience is with the Granite which has a lot more tire to help absorb the hard landings and rough terrain. I also run Proline Trenchers which are far better than the stock tires. I just looked at my Senton and felt the tires. They have very little “sponge” to them and feel almost hard. I could see how the shocks on the Senton would take way more of a pounding than the shocks in the Granite. I’m surprised they are spec’d the same.

Anyway, sorry for being a tad confrontational. My bad

 

[ptr1ck]

I broke 2 front shocks just bouncing around in my back yard without jumping. I'm on the Traxxas wheels which are a probably spongier than the stock because the outer wheel diameter is smaller.