Long Travel Buildup

[Stormin2u]

Great article, I enjoyed your process. I'm running the stock shocks currently but might have to try a longer shock. ... "thumbsup"

 

[mass-hole]

Got my GRC c hubs last night so I put them on and mounted the rear shocks in the 2nd from bottom hole.

This gave me stock ride height(even had to crank the spring collars down a few turns) and lets the suspension fully compress and bottom out higher than stock.

I did a macgyver on the front to the shocks spaced out similar to the rear:

 

[mass-hole]

I updated the spring option chart:

I have the white and orange springs on order. I was supposed to get them Friday but they were delayed so it looks like maybe tomorrow.

 

[mass-hole]

Got my long arm kit springs and here is a side-by-side with the stock orange springs that came with my sport kit:

So they are 20mm longer, just like the long arm shocks.

 

[JC3]

Perfect!

Sent from my SM-J737VPP using Tapatalk

 

[mass-hole]

The new springs are not perfect for this particular setup. The 120mm shocks are too long and with the spring collars set for the correct ride height, the spring separates at full extension:

I could drop the shock down to the lowest hole in the GRC hub and buy myself 4.5mm, but then i am making the shock run higher in its travel and i will get less downward extension and more upward compression. I am already stuffing the rear tires pretty hard into the wheel wells.

Front 110mm shocks look good:

The last concern is the effective stiffness of the springs. While the new springs are the same rate as the stock sport kit springs, they are being put through far more travel which means at the max compression, they are far stiffer than stock. Simultaneously, the GRC hubs and my shock extensions are putting the shocks farther outboard on the axle. This makes the springs act stiffer than they normally would, but only when the axle rolls. Think about the axle like a wrench. The center of the axle(where it pivots as it articulates) is a bolt and the axle shaft is the wrench. The farther out you push on that axle shaft, the more leverage you get around the center point. This is what happens with the springs. They push down with the same force but have more leverage when the axle twists, making them act stiffer during articulation.

With these springs being stiffer than the stock length yellows and whites, and the outboard mounting of the shock, its almost too stiff. In hard articulation, the two springs can support the weight of the truck and lift the other tires before full travel is achieved.

 

[mass-hole]

I dropped the rear shock down to the bottom hole on the GRC hubs and that got me to stock ride height on the new springs. Truck is def stiffer articulating but it can use all the travel if it needs too.

 

[Stormin2u]

Did you consider at any point using a 100 mm shock with only a 10 mm gain?

 

[mass-hole]

Did you consider at any point using a 100 mm shock with only a 10 mm gain?

No, but only because i had the 110’s and 120’s already sitting around from a previous endeavor. I couod easily get away with the 110’s on all 4 corners and not have to jump through hoops to do it. I think the Long Arm TRX4 shocks would work well but they are $ and have less travel than the Hot Racing 110’s i already had.

Also, i was not worried about the extended length, only about the compressed length being ~10mm longer with regards to the shock tower height. I wanted the tires to still travel up the same distance and “stuff” into the wheel wells. Really i am gaining down travel. I guess in a sense it is like running a mild droop configuration where the shock is sitting deeper in the travel.

 

[Inspector86]

I know you know this but just keep an eye on the pan hard mount of those HR shock mounts. The single shear design will break.

 

[mass-hole]

I know you know this but just keep an eye on the pan hard mount of those HR shock mounts. The single shear design will break.

Yeah, I’m honestly surprised it hasn’t broken yet, because I’ve been in some nasty binds.

Mine is not the HR one, but the ebay knockoff. The pictures in the listing showed the double shear design but that wasn’t what was sent to me. It was cheap so I decided to just run it until it breaks and figure something else out.

My question is, why hasnt anyone made a 4 link conversion and just eliminated the panhard all together.

 

[Stormin2u]

No, but only because i had the 110’s and 120’s already sitting around from a previous endeavor. I couod easily get away with the 110’s on all 4 corners and not have to jump through hoops to do it. I think the Long Arm TRX4 shocks would work well but they are $ and have less travel than the Hot Racing 110’s i already had.

Also, i was not worried about the extended length, only about the compressed length being ~10mm longer with regards to the shock tower height. I wanted the tires to still travel up the same distance and “stuff” into the wheel wells. Really i am gaining down travel. I guess in a sense it is like running a mild droop configuration where the shock is sitting deeper in the travel.

How satisfied are you with the HR shocks any issues with holding oil or smoothness?

 

[mass-hole]

How satisfied are you with the HR shocks any issues with holding oil or smoothness?

They are actually decent as far as oil goes and i dont get the “stiction” i get with the factory trx shocks.

My complaints are they can be finicky to match up when filling with oil, and the ends are not pivot balls so they don’t have a lot of flexibility if mounted off-axis to cope with suspension movement.

 

[Stormin2u]

They are actually decent as far as oil goes and i dont get the “stiction” i get with the factory trx shocks.

My complaints are they can be finicky to match up when filling with oil, and the ends are not pivot balls so they don’t have a lot of flexibility if mounted off-axis to cope with suspension movement.

Thanks "thumbsup"

 

[mass-hole]

Just wanted to update, i didnt like how stiff the suspension was flexing with the shocks on the c-hubs so i put them back on the original mounts. I also put the stock length orange springs on the back with the primary hot racing springs on top.

 

[JC3]

Thanks for the update!

 

[rayraypc]

I just finished my trx4 build kit. not happy with the shocks. was looking at replacing, I have the traxxas big bore kit that i havent used,front and rear are differnt lengths, as well as some redcat everest 10 shocks - 120 mm.
you think they might work as well as your setup?

 

[mass-hole]

I just finished my trx4 build kit. not happy with the shocks. was looking at replacing, I have the traxxas big bore kit that i havent used,front and rear are differnt lengths, as well as some redcat everest 10 shocks - 120 mm.

you think they might work as well as your setup?

I think the key is being able to get the spring rates right so that it can absorb the extra compression to sit at stock ride height. Thats been my biggest hurdle. If the trx4 springs fit either of those shocks it would be nice since they have so many options.

I wish traxxas made a yellow long arm springs. lower spring rate than the whites would be helpful.

 

[rayraypc]

I have lots going on - just finished building the TRX4, shredded the esc wires in my Gen7 - gonna swap that, put in portal axles and a new motor. But I took a pic of the springs and shocks from the Everest 10 that I have.
Look decent? Ill install soon and let ya know how they run.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M6g1jFZWLlY-Qdd6OEkUKBXm4t_CItun/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M6g1jFZWLlY-Qdd6OEkUKBXm4t_CItun/view?usp=sharing

 

[Rockstate45]

Fantastic write up and one that got the gears turning in my head. Have a 110 TRX4 with BFG krawlers, dual stage, brass weights, etc. I am considering going to a 110 mm shock. After much searching, I can’t find much on it.

What are your general impressions on this after running it for a while?

Do you know if you can run a Desert Lizard 110mm shock package and basically bolt it on? Ideally, I’d like this to achieve same or similar ride height but with better up AND and down travel. Thoughts?