Twin Hammers GCM Front Shock Upgrade Questions

[VTHDAN4467]

I am going to be installing the GCM Racing Front shock tower for my twin hammers. I am a stuck as to which shocks I should go with. On Blue Monkeys website it says best shocks are 85mm open with a 60mm compressed. How do I know what the compression is. If I order a 85mm shock will I already be at 60mm compression. Here are the shocks I am thinking about running on the front. Would these work? Junfac Gmade XD Piggyback Shock 85mm (2)
I will be posting pictures of my build on a thread soon

[nocerus03]

Those are the shocks that i am running on my TH. Great shocks. I am using the Sr Irie front end set up but it should be close to the GCM you are using.

[ndi_guy]

If you go with 85's you will probably want to limit them a few mm's internally with some fuel tubing on the shock shaft.

[three2won]

I'm running the Gmade Aeration shocks because I didn't want to take any chances with the reservoir getting in the way at all

They're holding up great and I didn't limit them at all

FYI you have to assemble the shocks yourself, not a big deal, but could make a difference to some people

[Sr.Irie]

85MM G-Made will work great and in my opinion best shock for the money.

[VTHDAN4467]

Thanks for all the tips guys, I have ordered my shock tower. Got quite a few other upgrades she will be undergoing but once I start the build look for the thread.

[VTHDAN4467]

Originally Posted by nocerus03

Those are the shocks that i am running on my TH. Great shocks. I am using the Sr Irie front end set up but it should be close to the GCM you are using.

Just received my shocks yesterday! I noticed that in the packet it comes with shock oil already. I was wondering if you chose to run theirs or are you running a different weight?

[TK-twister]

You can also run SCX10 shocks. They are 90mm unless they have limiter in then to 85mm what i got right now with 40wt seems to be pretty good right now, but I need some more drive time. I may go to Gmade shock also. they are pretty nice.

[VTHDAN4467]

Originally Posted by TK-twister

You can also run SCX10 shocks. They are 90mm unless they have limiter in then to 85mm what i got right now with 40wt seems to be pretty good right now, but I need some more drive time. I may go to Gmade shock also. they are pretty nice.

I remember hearing that on the video about building the front end setup, I had just seen the Gmade and loved em' from the get go. I personally also like that you get to build them. Thanks for the tip by the way.

[steve_rolfeca]

The GCM front plate is specifically made for the Axial 90mm shocks. You take off the bottom eye, so you can pull the shock shaft up through the shock body and put a spacer under the piston.

With a small bump stop just above the lower spring cup, they give you the exact travel range that the GCM setup is designed for- no over-travel on droop to damage the dogbones, and all the travel that's available on compression.

I have a pair of the XD's, if anyone wants them. Very nicely made shock with a cool set-screw adjustment on the reservoir, and nice smooth action.

However, the travel is way too short for the GCM kit. The A-arms could only compress to the point of being parallel with the ground, costing me a LOT of flex up front. I would use them for carpet racing, but not for crawling.

[VTHDAN4467]

Yeah I had seen that the Axial shocks work but decided to go with the G-Made shocks instead. Thanks for the tips though.

Originally Posted by steve_rolfeca

The GCM front plate is specifically made for the Axial 90mm shocks. You take off the bottom eye, so you can pull the shock shaft up through the shock body and put a spacer under the piston.

With a small bump stop just above the lower spring cup, they give you the exact travel range that the GCM setup is designed for- no over-travel on droop to damage the dogbones, and all the travel that's available on compression.

I have a pair of the XD's, if anyone wants them. Very nicely made shock with a cool set-screw adjustment on the reservoir, and nice smooth action.

However, the travel is way too short for the GCM kit. The A-arms could only compress to the point of being parallel with the ground, costing me a LOT of flex up front. I would use them for carpet racing, but not for crawling.

[MeanTT]

I used the g made 85 mm as well. I think I settled with 20 weight oil, the softest springs they made, the medium sway bar, deletion of the orange bump stop, and 6mm of fuel tubing to limit the travel internally. I run aluminum panels and have lights up front, but no battery.

The front handles perfectly. Most TH don't get much front suspension travel because it all comes from the rear. Unless you have the batter up front you need very light oil and springs to get the suspension to function properly. With the standard springs I had almost no suspension travel because there was not enough weight to make it all work. Something to consider. Watch carefull when you are taking terrain with 1 inch bumps or greater at low speed to make sure your shocks are working. If not, get some lighter springs.

[VTHDAN4467]

Do you happen to know what mm the springs already come at? I mainly take my TH in more open space then i do just strictly crawling (investing in a wraith after i finish this build for my crawler) but occasionally I will do some slow and go. I currently have 42 1/2 W oil and will be running my battery up front. I also will be running aluminum panels, got a buddy who works with it everyday so getting tester pieces is easy to come by. Thanks for the tips man

Originally Posted by MeanTT

I used the g made 85 mm as well. I think I settled with 20 weight oil, the softest springs they made, the medium sway bar, deletion of the orange bump stop, and 6mm of fuel tubing to limit the travel internally. I run aluminum panels and have lights up front, but no battery.

The front handles perfectly. Most TH don't get much front suspension travel because it all comes from the rear. Unless you have the batter up front you need very light oil and springs to get the suspension to function properly. With the standard springs I had almost no suspension travel because there was not enough weight to make it all work. Something to consider. Watch carefull when you are taking terrain with 1 inch bumps or greater at low speed to make sure your shocks are working. If not, get some lighter springs.

[MeanTT]

Originally Posted by VTHDAN4467

Do you happen to know what mm the springs already come at? I mainly take my TH in more open space then i do just strictly crawling (investing in a wraith after i finish this build for my crawler) but occasionally I will do some slow and go. I currently have 42 1/2 W oil and will be running my battery up front. I also will be running aluminum panels, got a buddy who works with it everyday so getting tester pieces is easy to come by. Thanks for the tips man

No, the g made shocks I bought from g made so length wasn't an issue. I drive mine in open space generally as well as it is more of a desert racer then a crawler for me. the trick with open spaces is to make sure that you run light oil and sway bars. I also run closed cell phones in my tires to prevent them from falling over. If you go brushless and high speed like I did with my 3800 kV motor and its 28 tooth pinion, you may also consider the gcm truss for the rear to prevent some of the torque twist under acceleration. you will likely find, as I did, that the twin hammers really doesn't like high speed bumps at speed because the rear suspension under compression pushes the back and to one side or the other. That said, it does look amazing running through the dirt gravel and other terrain with all of the lights on that I have making a rooster tail behind it.

In sum, you want to make sure you get every millimeter of travel out of the front end that you can. The best thing to help accomplish that goal is to run very light springs with a very heavy sway bar with light oil. if you run the battery up front I would imagine the soft springs that come with the G major shocks will work just fine and 35 or 40 weight oil is probably ideal. You will have to experiment either way but that's a good starting point.

[VTHDAN4467]

I put the faster motor in it a while back so getting the truss is probably something I will be investing in sooner than later. As for the sway bar I haven't decided on putting one on the rear. I currently have the BMRC dual shock setup, does a sway bar still work with that setup? I as well bought my shocks from G-made so whatever springs they came with is what I will be running for now. Probably going to stick with the 42 1/2 WT for now and see what happens. Probably will be to stiff in the front so maybe keep the oil and switch springs. For now I wanna get it built and go testing with it...then I will start dialing things in.

Originally Posted by MeanTT

No, the g made shocks I bought from g made so length wasn't an issue. I drive mine in open space generally as well as it is more of a desert racer then a crawler for me. the trick with open spaces is to make sure that you run light oil and sway bars. I also run closed cell phones in my tires to prevent them from falling over. If you go brushless and high speed like I did with my 3800 kV motor and its 28 tooth pinion, you may also consider the gcm truss for the rear to prevent some of the torque twist under acceleration. you will likely find, as I did, that the twin hammers really doesn't like high speed bumps at speed because the rear suspension under compression pushes the back and to one side or the other. That said, it does look amazing running through the dirt gravel and other terrain with all of the lights on that I have making a rooster tail behind it.

In sum, you want to make sure you get every millimeter of travel out of the front end that you can. The best thing to help accomplish that goal is to run very light springs with a very heavy sway bar with light oil. if you run the battery up front I would imagine the soft springs that come with the G major shocks will work just fine and 35 or 40 weight oil is probably ideal. You will have to experiment either way but that's a good starting point.