How to Build RC Shocks

In the competitive world of RC racing, you’ve got to be ready to do what’s necessary to get that performance edge. For the discerning driver, that means taking a good hard look at your RC shocks.

But what if this is your first time replacing your trusty shocks? What if you need to do custom RC car repairs on your shocks but don’t want to risk messing them up?

Well, the good news is, you’ve already made the right first move by coming here. Join us, today, as we break down how to build and replace RC car shocks, and get ready to bring out the absolute best from your vehicle.

1. Start Sterilized

Right from the start, you’re going to want to be doing your work in a clean workspace. Dust isn’t just annoying – it’s detrimental to your car. There are dozens of great techniques for ridding your home of dust but, luckily, there’s a workaround for all of this. All you need is a layer of paper towels that covers your entire workspace. This will prevent dust from building up, accumulating and getting into your RC shocks and springs.

You don’t want dirt getting in where it shouldn’t when you’re trying to build your RC car or RC truck shocks. Before you start, make sure to cover your work area with a lint-free, clean paper towel. In cases where you’re rebuilding a used shock, you’ll also want to clean it before diving in. Opt for a good motor spray, nitro cleaner, or even basic denatured alcohol.

Now that you’re ready, it’s time to get out your repair tools and start with the following steps.

2. O-Ring First

As things get started, you’ll want to start by coating your o-rings with lubricant in order to protect them from wear and to reduce friction, overall. Your shocks are sealed with specially designed o-rings, so you’ll want to protect these, first and foremost.

To protect your o-rings and eliminate all of that damaging friction, start with each o-ring in the palm of your hand. Coat it with a thick coat of shock fluid or any other lubricant of your choice. Associated’s Green Slime and V Made Shock Slime, by Muchmore both come recommended.

3. Prepare Your Seals

RCs use several different shock seal designs, depending on what you’re willing to spend, and what your preferences are. Your mileage may vary, but some can be found on the bottom of the shock body and may be capped. Others will be inserted from the bottom, with still others from inside the body of the shock itself, kept in place with nothing but snap-in clips.

Whatever your specifics are, the goal is always the same. Remove any burrs and flashing from your molded plastic piece and clear the way to install your seals.

4. Install Your Seals

This is the meat and potatoes of your shock build. Make sure you’ve seated your seal pieces evenly. Once you’ve lubricated your O-ring and deburred the spacers, follow the installation instructions. All parts must be mounted evenly and the seal cap should be fastened the right way. Any retaining clips must be snapped back into place to prevent issues, later on.

5. Install Your Pistons

During piston installation, make sure your E-clips are seated. These are very small, so pay close attention. To get the E-clips on both sides of your piston fully seated, use a small flat-blade screwdriver in order to hold the clip in place.

6. Shaft Installation

Once you’ve gotten the seals and pistons installed, push in the shock shaft. Keep this straight in order to avoid damaging your o-ring. Work slowly, during this installation. Take it too fast, and you run the risk of a leaky or sticky shock.

7. Shock Eyes

When it comes to RC shock installation, there are many approaches you could take. One universal, however, is that you should never use ordinary pliers when grabbing the shock shaft when putting in the shock eyes. You could easily scratch the shaft, and that often leads to complications.

We sympathize: installing an impact eye on your RC’s shock shaft can be painful. There’s no way around it, though: you should never hold onto the shaft with standard pliers. Instead, you’ll want to use specialty pliers designed for work on these shocks. Alternatively, you may elect to hold onto the end of the actual shaft thread with a pair of side cutters.

Finally, it’s important to make sure you sew each eye on to exactly the same amount.

8. Fill In Your Shocks

Our next step is crucial to the smooth functioning of your RC shock absorbers. Fill out each shock, slowly and methodically. Move the shaft up and down, while filling it up, in order to release any trapped air bubbles.

Filling your shock with fluid is simple (especially when compared to installing the shock eyes on the shaft), but don’t underestimate it. It’s easier than you might think for things to go wrong during this process. Once you’ve filled each shock, set the shock holder upright, either on its own or in a car stand with a built-in holder. When they’ve had time to sit, any remaining air bubbles will have risen and released. Fill up any extra space to top the shock off, checking your instructions as you go for the exact amount of fluid you need.

9. Bleed Your Shocks

Start this step by making sure your shocks have the same rebound. You don’t want your RC to be unevenly balanced.

Once the fluid is filled within your shocks, screw on your caps and check to make sure each shock kicks back the same amount. Compress each shock completely and check to make sure they recoil slowly. If shocks don’t compress or they rebound too quickly, you may have put in too much fluid. Recoil is important, too. If they have none to speak of, your fluid is too low.

10. Cleaning Up After Yourself

Congratulations, you’ve finished assembling your shocks. Now it’s time to clean them before finishing up. Clean each shock with motor spray, then clean your shocks off with a paper towel.

Check them for dust and look for leaks. Once you’re all cleared, you’re all done.

RC Shocks: Build Yours Like A Pro

When it comes to our RC cars, suspension can mean the difference between a fast lap time and a complete lack of chassis control, altogether. Just like with a full-sized car, your shocks impact your overall quality of life but, if you follow today’s steps to the letter, it doesn’t have to be difficult.

Looking for more great insights into literally every aspect of RC builds, components and accessories, visit us, today!