Outcast Thicker shock fluid vs stiffer springs

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ManiacMac!

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Hey guys. I have an OC that i'm trying to get prepared for light skatepark bashing and very little off roading. obviously, i want to go for a stiffer suspension setup. do yall recommend stiffer spring or just thicker shock fluid? or both?
 
Hey guys. I have an OC that i'm trying to get prepared for light skatepark bashing and very little off roading. obviously, i want to go for a stiffer suspension setup. do yall recommend stiffer spring or just thicker shock fluid? or both?
Generally you want to do both. I use these Arrma springs: Arrma Springs. They are the stiffest I can find and help my 6s Outcast immensely. They are appropriate for both front and rear though its the rear suspension that will benefit the most.

Screenshot 2024-02-22 at 7.44.48 PM.png
 
They do different things. Stiffer springs increase resistance to compression, thicker shock fluid slows down the rebound. If the car is bouncy you can get that under control with thicker shock fluid for example.
 
Generally you want to do both. I use these Arrma springs: Arrma Springs. They are the stiffest I can find and help my 6s Outcast immensely. They are appropriate for both front and rear though its the rear suspension that will benefit the most.

View attachment 350305
there is also a part inside of the shock (i forgot what it is called) that looks like a small plastic circle with holes in it. i think out of the box it came with a bag of extras with different numbers of holes in them. how does changing those affect performance? (edit: I looked it up and they are called shock pistons.)
 
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They do different things. Stiffer springs increase resistance to compression, thicker shock fluid slows down the rebound. If the car is bouncy you can get that under control with thicker shock fluid for example.
This is the correct way. Shock pistons as well.
 
would shock pistons with smaller/less holes negatively affect the handling in any way?
I love/hate to say it but, that depends. It's difficult to answer a question like this as the answer will depend on how your car is currently handling and what, if anything, you're looking to change.
 
It really depends on how your rig is behaving right now -on the surfaces your bashing..
Once you see how it handles, if it's too bouncy or you're bottoming out too easily...
You can adjust the shock pre-loads and see if that helps.

There's lots of variables to consider Before making those other changes.
 
I love/hate to say it but, that depends. It's difficult to answer a question like this as the answer will depend on how your car is currently handling and what, if anything, you're looking to change.
basically im just wanting more compression resistance so that concrete landings arent as harsh, and so that the truck is more responsive to throttle input.
 
basically im just wanting more compression resistance so that concrete landings arent as harsh, and so that the truck is more responsive to throttle input.
As I said earlier, shock fluid is more about controlling how fast the shock rebounds after compression. That's not to say that it has no influence on compression at all but, generally speaking, springs control compression, shock fluid controls rebound. The other thing is, trying to prevent the chassis from slapping on the ground can cause things like bent shock shafts and other broken suspension parts. I don't know if you're familiar with Judo at all but, one of the first things you learn (might even be the very first) is how to fall or land on the ground properly by slapping your underarms against the ground as you hit to disperse some of your opponents throwing energy. The chassis slapping the ground works in a similar way. The question is more regarding the severity of how hard it's hitting.

Just for the record, I'm not trying to be evasive. It's just a bit of a fool's errand to try and suggest anything regarding tuning without seeing what the car is doing now. It seems prudent to up the spring tension for concrete jungle bashing so that's probably where I'd start and play it by ear from there. I try to resist the urge to change too many things at once (ideally making only one change at a time) because then I don't know what change had what effect which doesn't help me to diagnose future issues and possible remedies.

But that's just me. YMMV. :)

It really depends on how your rig is behaving right now -on the surfaces your bashing..
Once you see how it handles, if it's too bouncy or you're bottoming out too easily...
You can adjust the shock pre-loads and see if that helps.

There's lots of variables to consider Before making those other changes.
☝️ This. This is what I'm talkin' 'bout.
 
Ok thank you all so much for your help! yall gave me the info i needed to make some decisions. i think ima start with stiffer springs as yall were saying, then adjust shock fluid and pistons from there.👍
That seems like a plan, if your fluid is too thick and/or the shock pistons holes are too small the chances of bending shock shafts go way up.

You could try adjusting your preload as well and if it's still not enough go for stronger springs.
 
That seems like a plan, if your fluid is too thick and/or the shock pistons holes are too small the chances of bending shock shafts go way up.

You could try adjusting your preload as well and if it's still not enough go for stronger springs.
Good to know. Thanks!
 
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