Predator X10 - Shock Absorber Tuning; Front Shock Absorbers

Front Shock Absorbers.
T.Tech Shock absorbers are probably the best on the market. Although some
people may think that the car requires larger volume shock absorbers, the vast
majority of drivers will agree that the shock absorbers provided with the X10 &
XRS are exceptional. The rear shocks are pretty much “fit and forget”, and don’t
often need adjusting, other than maybe the inclusion or removal of spring spacers
- the suggested setups on the T.Tech setup sheets are spot on for the rear shocks
for the given surfaces.
The setup of the front shocks is much more important, and this step is vital to
gaining the best setup for the track you are running on - the change in
steering response when adjusting the oil weight in the front shocks is staggering.
Rebound Valve
When you build the front shock absorbers you will install a “valve” behind the
piston. This valve controls the rebound of the shock absorber, and the attitude of
the car when accelerating, keeping the front end level. This valve is not always
used in off-road racing, as the surface is usually very bumpy and the shock
absorber may not recover from the bumps quickly enough.
In other circumstances,(usually indoors with big jumps), where the majority of
the track is flat, the valve is placed on top of the piston, slowing down the
compression of the shock absorber and eliminating the front end “grounding out”
when landing from the jumps.
In any event it almost impossible to give a blanket statement as to the benfit of
this valve, and it is mainly down to personal preference wether it is used or not!
Shock Oil
Generally, you change the front shock oil because you need to alter the way your
rcar goes round the corners. I have found that running 45 or 50wt oil in the front
and rear gives the most neautral handling car, and it allows for good cornering
capabilities and good performance through the bumpy sections. Going to lighter
oils in the front shock absorbers gives you more aggressive steering whilst
retianing the handling characteristics described above. There is no need to go
below 25wt oil in the front shock absorbers, and the usual range of shock oils
used in the front is between 30 - 50wt.
Springs
Again, another instance where it is difficult to say how each different spring rate
affects the handling of the car, as the oil weight plays an importnat part as well.
The best way to find out what the different springs do to the handling is to try
them! Generally speaking, the harder the spring the less aggressive the steering is.