Thanks for eliminating the need for this shock "upgrade" in my mind. As previously noted, piggyback reservoirs are for cooling shock fluid which is not necessary on our crawlers.
IMO the stock Traxxas TRX-4 shocks are some of the best and I wouldn't worry about changing them out. I swapped in 17.5 oil into my stock ones and they are working great!
You earned a new subscriber mostly because you didn't bs around and act like they were some great upgrade just to please the company that sent them to you or whatever, you called it straight and probably saved a helluva lot of people alot of money and I appreciate that
Interesting.... I used to road race motorcycles and learned the set up of suspension is critical to handling of the bike. Appears the stock shocks are not as stiff but have decent rebound compared to the shocks with remote reservoir. The truck wasn't really going fast enough to determine characteristics of rebound. Also, I didn't really notice the stock shocks bottoming out. From what I could tell, my opinion is, the stock shocks are pretty good. I do not believe this particular upgrade enhanced the truck. Additionally, there must be a way to cut and refit those hoses. Way too much hose dangling in the wheel well. Nice video. Good attention to detail and great photography. Good job!
I installed mine and immediately cut the hose down. Bled them just like you did as well. Still a lot of slop but like they have mentioned a washer or space would work.
I really like the looks of these shocks. In the last part of the video while climbing over a rock while on the logs, the back tire lifted off of the logs with the stock shocks. But with the upgraded shocks all the tires stayed planted over the same obstacle.
The reason for piggyback shocks on 1:1 vehicles is to keep the fluid cool. On an RC there isn't a reason to keep the fluid chilled, but they do look sweet.
There is a small volume advantage for damping. The piggybacks allow the shock to fit, and add volume for extra damping. The "Real Good" piggybacks allow you to adjust the flow..
@@bigchungus-oj8zz the damping only has to do with the weight of the oil and the holes in the shock that allow the movement of oil between them. The extra reservoir adds zero damping
Useful video. I've seen other videos showing the desert lizard shocks can stick because the seals aren't greased. I bought the desert lizards but decided to change the oil. I found there was gardly any oil in my stock shocks. They now run do much better
I notice the external reservoir shocks provide better control which is what you want in my opinion. It didn’t bounce like the stock shock but still maintained articulation. Not having excessive bouncing when maneuvering obstacles is where it’s at...
I enjoy your content thanks so much for all the info. Also I received my jack stands and there awesome thank you . And a special thank you for taking the time to send me a appreciation card and decal. That was really cool you’re great . Little things like That simple makes me want to purchase more of the items you have gone over on your channel. Stay cool and enjoy RCing
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I didn't see you use Associated Green Slime on the O-rings and seals...I have used these shocks with Great Success. If you don't use Green Slime, you most likely will have leakage issues...also, you are supposed to let the oil stand in the shock, stood upright in a shock rebuilding tool, or mini vise. This allows the air bubbles to come up and out..
Looks like you can cut the hoses down if you need too it seems you can separate the black knurled piece and the brass nut that the hoses use to seal and its just a compression fitting
I know its an old video but like the softness and quicker axle articulation with the stack shocks. With that being said, for the Defender which is a top heavy rig, looks like less body roll with the new shocks. Definitly a good upgrade for that rig.
I think the shock top mounts should have the larger flat sections against the shock to keep them from moving so much. Also the best way to bleed the shock is to submerge the surge tank in oil with the tube end a little loose then cycle the shock while it's submerged until you have no more air bubbles. Then quickly remove it and tighten the connection. Might be a little messy but most of the air will be gone. I'd just unscrew the oil bottle top drop in my surge tank a cycle it slowly. No more bubbles pull it up and tighten all done. Oh and love the Strat!
It was subtle, but the TRX looked more planted. Less rebound someone else commented, and that seems likely. It's only really useful if you have a bunch of tough terrain grade transitions IMO (going from sharp downhill to off camber uphill, etc) where keeping the truck stable is key.
IMHO the stock shocks are good they just need a little attention to make them great. #1 sand the pistons until they slide smoothly in the shock housing. #2 open up the piston notches ever so slightly, one drill bit size. #3 I use 10wgt shock oil . #4 Swap our the springs, I'm using AE Green springs 2.00Lb. #5 Mount shocks upside down, this helps lower th CG and keeps the piston in the oil. This is the set up I use with no brass weights. Shocks are cantered out 5mm on the bottom with spacers and longer screws. And the top of the rear springs are in the forward most position. This set up seems to work great at around 20 Deg C or 70 Deg F
@@RCGirl Love the videos. Keep up the good work. You should come up to the LMRCC facebook.com/groups/124188547605770/ And check out the Worlds worst kept RC Trail/Rock Face secret. Danny RC does a lot of videos there. Check it out if you like. ruclips.net/user/kiyabachihaibhaivideos
Nothing says the reservoirs have to be mounted on the shocks but you could route the hoses away from the tires and down the shock tower or frame rail to the reservoirs mounted on the frame. That is how most IRL work. Most people don't realize that the Axial Bomber has plastic replica reservoirs mounted on the body in the wheel well / battery box and they end up unpainted with no hoses attached. Half of the fun is trying to puzzle out the best install. Good video.
It’s soooo close, but I’m pretty sure that the little stiffer rates kept it planted a little better without upsetting things and it seemed to pull over a high center situation a little easier, nice lines btw. Very consistent. I’ve run the older G Made piggybacks for years with zero problems. I finally upgraded to Proline Pro Scalers for a change but just in the rear, still running a piggyback set in front.
It honestly looked like the stock one's settled better, but with some tuning the new ones will be just the same. I wouldn't use Locktight on the shocks. Locktight has a nasty habit of eating seals and plastics. Just saying. I've had it happen many years ago. With RC and airsoft stuff a like. Great video, cheers!
I couldn't see much difference but they work very nicely. maybe a softer spring would give a more realistic ride. Some people mistake shocker for springs. I think you have nice shock speed but a softer spring would alow the wheels move more easily so keeping contact on all four corners. love your videos RC Girl and the platts. Thank you.
The lizard shock had less travel on single wheel compression and kept the tire from rubbing on the wheel well. I mostly rock climb with the defender and I've wanted stiffer shocks to keep that tire rubbing from happening. The lizard shocks look like good aftermarket parts.
Oh, and I also watched your other video where you added metal parts to the underside of the Defender Trx4, I think inspire of tipping over coming down the stairs the weighted one outperformed the regular rig. . .
I got a set of Boomerang Type G's after seeing you work on these. Im a real newbie to the hobby in general and bought a Carisma Coyote over Christmas, and I wouldn't look back from this type of shock after trying several others.
I would think a slower rebound for crawling would be preferred. A bit sloppy to aid in flex? External res shocks are great for hi-cycle demands (Baja, etc) to aid in cooling and deter cavitation. I'm curious how effective they are for dedicated crawling? Also, maybe try holding the open end of the hose in liquid (the oil) to prevent air from entering on the 'rebound', as you fill shocks. Great vids, love your explanations!
Late to the video but new to the RC world, using my experience in 4x4 suspension set up I did notice it’s now more appropriately sprung for the weight of the car. Most evident in the last comparison
fill from the piggyback chamber when its connected untill no more bubbles comes out from the man boddu then mount the cap on the piggyback and fill the last of the oil in the main shock body.
if u had just compressed the shock with hose on it ,put hose in the bottle of oil or dish and allowed shock to suck up the oil would that have got all the air out?
great customizations, Just got a trx4. Was a crawler holdout, didnt see the point. Ordered one tried it in a fairly unkempt area, brush and sticks somewhere i couldnt even walk, locked in the diffs and watched in disbelief as the little truck crawled out of the mess like it was born for it. So now its upgrade time. The defender body looks a little bare stock. thanks for the vids
I personally filled the reservoir and compressed the shock when screwing the joining tube, work the shock until the small bubble is in the resevoir for easier compression
Thank you for a nice video as always! Maybe the difference between the shocks will be more visible if you compared them on the road at higher speeds? To see how stable the truck is in curves and how the shocks responds to bumps in the road. Onroad driving is not the natural habitat for a scale trailtruck I know, but maybe it take higher speed driving to declare a clear winner. Cheers.
OT: I thought it was this video you made but I can't find the reference. You mentioned you setup FPV in one of your trail/crawl rigs but I'm having trouble locating it. All I can find are you flying FPV. Can you share the video where you set this up, please?
Hey, why don"t you mount the reservoir to the chassis instead of the shock , that may take the oil line out of the wheel arch. but all the same ,a real cool look truck.
Will the blue thread lock work if you fill it with oil all the way to the brim, wouldn’t excess oil push out the thread lock? Or should I leave enough space?
I've considered changing shocks several times but can't justify the expense the best thing to do is just change the spring rate , I have a 90 weight gear oil and one of my shocks and it works great may sound stupid but it works
Rig looks great not sure about the new shocks but don't think it hurt, you will have to see after few weeks of use, have you thought about the long arm lift kit, and what tires do you use on the Defender.
I couldn't tell a difference in the video. Very interested to see the FPV camera footage. Not that I need more to do, can barely keep up on my quad copter maintenance... Looks like fun though...
It seems these remote reservoir shocks are more just for show than for better damping since there’s no ifp or even nitrogen. Do they have any sort of valving in them at all?
RC Girl - Read Dream Girl. Stunning looks. Intelligent and normal. You have a great channel and I can here specifically to see the TRX upgrades. You should know that based on your review of the HTRC DUO charger I have ordered one. You explain the stuff really well. Thanks for you help. Just getting back into RC after a 10 year leave. Looking at picking up an X-Max 8s and the ARRMA Krayton 8S and TRX4 and maybe Tamyia Hotshot and Sand Scorcher re-release. Takin me back to my young teens past. So pleased I found your channel. Keep up the great work, thanks for all your insight. Dusting off my SC10 and Nitro Rusty was the best thing I have done in months!
The new shocks look like they take hits and bumps smoother and your body looks like it is clooser to the tries but not tuching them as mich. I loke the way you run your rig and the sound kit is a nice tuch.
These are a downgrade. Remember folks, in crawling we're looking for LONG/SOFT springs that have a massive amount of "droop" or negative travel. You want a digressive spring-rate and these pressurized shocks are just the opposite. Valving in compression and rebound should be minimal, especially in rebound as speeds of crawling do not demand slowing down the suspension travel much. The only reason we need compression valving at all is when you drop off a rock ledge etc, you wouldn't want the shocks to bottom and your bumper to wack the edge behind you. I've raced cars/trucks/motorcycles and wheeled a fair bit in my life. What I explained here is the very basics of crawling suspension. Geometry is everything in crawling.
That's awesome to watch. There wasn't really very much difference between the stock shock absorbed and the piggy back one. I gotta get me one of those, they crawl over terrain even better than the real thing. . .
Brilliant! I'm still running stock @ 30wt Tip, when bleeding just leave hose connected to reservoir (filled partially). compress till no bubbles then fill to top
Next time you could do a drop test. Put your truck infront of a board with graduated lines on it and drop from an even height like 6" with each setup. Film it slow mo so you can see the rebound reaction times from each setup.
I can see it isn't possible to bleed all the air out from the reservoir end, but wouldn't it be possible to bleed it completely from the other end, the shock end?
Hmmm good point. You mean by opening the bottom of the shock and bleeding it out through there? I think with the shock opened, you don't get enough pressure built up to move oil into/out of the other chamber. But I'll have to check again.
RC Girl, from watching the video it’s seem the shock was up side down to bleed bubbles thru piggy. Air bubbles you know going up and you was holding the shock with the hose connection down from shock itself. I wonder if the way they are mounted now on TRX4 and raise the piggy chamber upper the shock if will help bleeding them more. Nice video, on the balance vehicle looks more stable and after balance close the end seem vehicle tires are able to get more traction to raise up down with objects close under chassis. Cheers
I’m new to the game.... But what I see is the new Shocks are more firmer or stiffer I’m not sure but can you do that by putting thicker oil in.... The standard stock ones .... Great vid 👍🏼
You can bleed all the air out. I took 2 bottles of oil and dumped them into a tall skinny glass and submerged the shock then cycled it until it drew just oil.
Yeah, I didn't notice too much difference. For the money, I wouldn't bother with them. Like you said, though, if your stock shocks are lackluster, it might be a worthwhile upgrade.
Hi great video again nice to see side by side comparison.Not to sure about piggyback maybe use lizard straight shocks, looks like your running stock wheels and tyres others are larger maybe rub pipes.Looking forward to your next upgrade.
Really enjoyed the tests on the bench. Looked pretty comparable on the trail, but the piggyback shocks definitely have a cooler look. Great video as always 👍
You should move the piggy back to the body mount post or somewhere so the tube is not above the tire, its going to catch on the tire or something. Thats allot of play for a shock mount, some shims will fix that though
from Plastic body shocks would definitely be upgrade but trx 4 probably not !!! I like the running comparison video .loads of upgraded videos on RUclips but you don't even see them running .simple explanation too !!
Sometimes I believe upgrades are more for looks than performance results. On my TRX4 I was wondering if I should change the shell out and convert to having a much lighter shell if it's really worth it? What are your thoughts to upgrades on performance? I love my TRX4 and I am not out to change it to a rockcrawlers that can do a 180 degree twist from say left front to back right tires. That would be cruel! 😆 Thank you RC Girl on a good video. Seems the stock shocks are the better choice.
I think the best thing you can do to increase TRX4 defender performance capability on the trail is to use a different body for sure (others have made videos on this). The defender is known for being top heavy. But with all that said, I love the defender look so adding some brass weight or metal axles can help a bit to lower the CG. Also removing the spare tire on the back, but I'm keeping mine!! ;)
Oh and swapping out bumpers for ones with higher clearance and curved corners so you don't get them hung up on rocks. I'm still running the stock ones though.
@@RCGirl I run into a lot of stuff with my front and back bumpers all the time. They do look good thou! On a different video you did when talking about replacing the steering servo to I think a torque of 350? Do you have to upgrade something else so it won't cause damage on the electrical side to the TRX4?
@@RCGirl I love the look as well. I do sort of wish I got the red over the grey. Oh well. I like the rear tire on for looks. I bought a tire cover for it with an eagle and the American Flag mixed in. Adding the brass weight to the vehicle, I seen in a different video, I need to get tires that are a little more stiffer because the added weight causes the tires to push down more and roll over more easily. At least that was what I got out of it when I seen Kevin putting up a video and had to do that exact same thing. Enjoy your video's and thank you for the reply! Happy Easter to you!
those 4 extra o-rings are for the top balls. i did a quick youtube search and found a video from yeah racing showing so. i too was wondering why they were so loose
Hi Coudn't see a big difference in between both shocks in the comparison video. Honestly don't like the looks of them on the TRX4 I more likely would see them on a rock bouncer or something in that range. Great review and installation video. Keep up the great work 👍
Why piggy back? The trx4 will never overheat the oil on by crawling. Looks cool! On the Ryft RB10 it would look awesome and maybe help the rear end torque twist.
I just purchased and built the TRX-4 chassis kit, and I'm very glad to see some options for upgrades! The wiggle room on the shock shouldn't be an issue, but a washer could solve that easily. I'm new to your channel and have subscribed! Thanks for the informative content!
I think it's splitting hairs maybe I'm just seeing things. But the Lizards looked to be slightly smoother exciting obstacles. Could have simply been the difference in how you drove before and after as well. Also have to factor your choice of how the shock was set up. I think the aftermarket provides a better look for sure probably with a little more tweaking you could get a better performance. But could probably do the same thing with the stock shock as well.
I actually think the stock ones controlled it better, but maybe the new ones just need to bed in a bit. Might be worth ditching the reservoir brackets and mounting the reservoir to the chassis as they usually do in full size vehicles, just to get that hose away from the wheel.
Ive got some upgrades on my trx4 blazer. I mean for comp doesn’t look to add anything but if i do it in the future it would be purely for scale enhancements. Good video though
In the video I can only see a barely smoother rebound when the RC lands on its wheels and when you go little bit faster (not really necessary in this discipline actually..) so these suspensions didn’t amaze me but a cute blondie girl with mechanical skills and rc passion did 😄 Your italian subscribers have thought exactly as me I bet hahah.. a big hug from Milan
See what you mean about the loose fitting. My rear shock was loose on my NS Bikes - Soda Air mountain bike once... Really annoying. I think when you get the FPV installed you'll be like "What's that rattling noise!?" as you're driving it first person haha
also wouldn't you want a softer shock that that the body doesn't roll over? i mean puttying a stiff shock will just make it easier for it to tip over? it seems like its a backwards way of thinking. you want the r/c to stay as flat as possible while the suspension does all the work. so you would want the suspension to bottom out if needed or else it would just throw your car over with out using the full travel. also i can understand why you would want to use a stiffer spring but you added no weight above the shocks so replacing them with stiffer shocks is a waste of money i think. what are your thoughts?
you should try some lighter oil in both stock shocks and the desert lizard, you will tell huge difference once you tried the lighter oil, i use 10wt on my bronco and have no complain
@@RCGirl try it out! and do some footage with slow motion, you will totally tell the difference, it will look much more like real car's movement with lighter oil, enjoy!
I don’t want to pour cold water on your excellent videos but there is a common misconception regarding shock absorbers which are in actual fact the springs, the ‘shock absorbers’ are in reality dampers to absorb oscillations of the springs to prevent continuous ‘bouncing’ This would be more relative to suspension movement on tarmac in real life as a car without ‘spring damping’ would be uncontrollable and dangerous. I appreciate the effort (and expense) your input goes into making your vehicle more able to defy physics and gravity but I’m sure a video on an alternative method to achieve a similar outcome at minimal cost would be very much enjoyed , I have subbed and learnt a great amount of crawling knowledge in the mean time !
Really nice video and to the point. What i noticed on the stock shocks is that when you drive over something and the drop afterwards is sharp the shocks tend to sort of lag, they dont push back as quick as these ones you showed. I guess you want all tires connected to the ground as much as possible, but for that small difference, is it worth it? I mean if you´re a newbie like me and basically just freestyling..well, maybe not.
With respect to springs and shocks.. Soft loads and stiff unloads.. This means soft will get better traction.. On slow moving vehicles it is hard to tell what is going on and what is needed.. I would personally go with the shofter shocks.. There probably is no need for extra oil because the oil is not likely to heat up.. You can try different setups but If it were me, I probably would not use any oil or reservoir and see what that does, I think just compressing the air will be enough.. Good luck and good video.. Since it has been some time since the video I would be curious as to what you finally ended up with for your setup..
I’ve got 2 videos for a free battery tray mod that will improve your truck x2, I swear. It’s simple and basically free if you can get your hands on a piece of aluminum. The 2nd one relocates you mini servos, and anything else you want to move.
Great video!! Nice job! Your videos are always very fun and interesting to watch. Thanks again for all the awesome videos! Your TRX-4 looks awesome, nice job on it!👍👍👌👌❤️❤️
The Desert Lizard piggyback shocks in the video looked like the rebound helped to gain traction on some obstacles.. but like you said those hoses are way to long and really need cut.. good Video sister.. ✌️😎👍
Really good comparison video and test between the two. I've found even with the thinnest of oils in my standard TRX-4 shocks it feels like a heavy oil in any other shocks i have. I've ordered some really cheap 100mm alloy shocks off ebay from China (About $15 delivered for 4). They won't be anywhere near as good as your new ones, but i'm hoping they can react a lot better with thinner oils than vs the standards
Keep me posted on how those go! I'll have to do an update video with these. So far I really like them. I'll have to see how they hold up long-term. Honestly though, the stock shocks are hard to beat.
I don't no If they will work are not but the shocks off the HPI Venture are some pretty good shocks hemistorm said there some of the best shocks he has seen on a RTR rig he says when he flys there some of the best to not leak!
I suppose I am a Traxxas fan boy for the most part! Don't get me wrong, I don't always agree with Traxxas about the lawsuits, but it is what it is!!! I am still pretty happy running the stock Traxxas parts. For the most part!!! ;) Great video though!!! ;)
Hi, Great vids, I'm new to RC crawling and your info is brilliant. What is the stand you use ? Does it have a name or part number ? The shocks look great but I didn't see any improvement. The low down weight from the brass upgrades was impressive.
Did you try out widening the the track the hub extensions to stop rollover? Looking forward to the camera view. I am going to get the TRX Yellow Defender. And do all the hop ups right out of the box. Any advice of stuff to miss out? Maybe the shocks? As you don't see them really?. Anyway cool film. Nice joke! keep em coming.;}
Great videos on upgrades etc love the course y for checking out upgrades and the comparisons 😎. Not convinced with those shocks. They look great and perform excellently, but seemed cramped in position and the connection movement looked suspect, hey I’m no expert. Brian 🇬🇧
Thanks for eliminating the need for this shock "upgrade" in my mind. As previously noted, piggyback reservoirs are for cooling shock fluid which is not necessary on our crawlers.
IMO the stock Traxxas TRX-4 shocks are some of the best and I wouldn't worry about changing them out. I swapped in 17.5 oil into my stock ones and they are working great!
so is 50 weight gonna make my suspension softer? I just need to make my shocks look more realistic. I really don't care about the performance.
@@benjaminbrown7127same for me. I would rather have my suspension look like real suspension
@@benjaminbrown7127so why worry about which oil to use if you don’t care about performance??
I see no difference
Same
same here
Same here
Yep.
seemed smoother to me
You earned a new subscriber mostly because you didn't bs around and act like they were some great upgrade just to please the company that sent them to you or whatever, you called it straight and probably saved a helluva lot of people alot of money and I appreciate that
Interesting.... I used to road race motorcycles and learned the set up of suspension is critical to handling of the bike. Appears the stock shocks are not as stiff but have decent rebound compared to the shocks with remote reservoir. The truck wasn't really going fast enough to determine characteristics of rebound. Also, I didn't really notice the stock shocks bottoming out. From what I could tell, my opinion is, the stock shocks are pretty good. I do not believe this particular upgrade enhanced the truck. Additionally, there must be a way to cut and refit those hoses. Way too much hose dangling in the wheel well. Nice video. Good attention to detail and great photography. Good job!
I installed mine and immediately cut the hose down. Bled them just like you did as well. Still a lot of slop but like they have mentioned a washer or space would work.
I really like the looks of these shocks. In the last part of the video while climbing over a rock while on the logs, the back tire lifted off of the logs with the stock shocks. But with the upgraded shocks all the tires stayed planted over the same obstacle.
The reason for piggyback shocks on 1:1 vehicles is to keep the fluid cool. On an RC there isn't a reason to keep the fluid chilled, but they do look sweet.
didn't know that tanks man don't think was worth the money for a rc then $$$$$
There is a small volume advantage for damping. The piggybacks allow the shock to fit, and add volume for extra damping. The "Real Good" piggybacks allow you to adjust the flow..
yep, hence the reservoirs often have heat sink fins to dissipate heat from high cycling frequency.
@@bigchungus-oj8zz the damping only has to do with the weight of the oil and the holes in the shock that allow the movement of oil between them. The extra reservoir adds zero damping
@@rabbidpotatoegaming4514 did I say it was to add dampening? NO! DUMBASS
The 2 extra o rings go on the top mount to stop that play in the shock thats what i did working perfectly
Useful video. I've seen other videos showing the desert lizard shocks can stick because the seals aren't greased. I bought the desert lizards but decided to change the oil. I found there was gardly any oil in my stock shocks. They now run do much better
I notice the external reservoir shocks provide better control which is what you want in my opinion. It didn’t bounce like the stock shock but still maintained articulation. Not having excessive bouncing when maneuvering obstacles is where it’s at...
I enjoy your content thanks so much for all the info. Also I received my jack stands and there awesome thank you . And a special thank you for taking the time to send me a appreciation card and decal. That was really cool you’re great . Little things like That simple makes me want to purchase more of the items you have gone over on your channel. Stay cool and enjoy RCing
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I didn't see you use Associated Green Slime on the O-rings and seals...I have used these shocks with Great Success. If you don't use Green Slime, you most likely will have leakage issues...also, you are supposed to let the oil stand in the shock, stood upright in a shock rebuilding tool, or mini vise. This allows the air bubbles to come up and out..
Looks like you can cut the hoses down if you need too it seems you can separate the black knurled piece and the brass nut that the hoses use to seal and its just a compression fitting
I know its an old video but like the softness and quicker axle articulation with the stack shocks. With that being said, for the Defender which is a top heavy rig, looks like less body roll with the new shocks. Definitly a good upgrade for that rig.
I think the shock top mounts should have the larger flat sections against the shock to keep them from moving so much. Also the best way to bleed the shock is to submerge the surge tank in oil with the tube end a little loose then cycle the shock while it's submerged until you have no more air bubbles. Then quickly remove it and tighten the connection. Might be a little messy but most of the air will be gone. I'd just unscrew the oil bottle top drop in my surge tank a cycle it slowly. No more bubbles pull it up and tighten all done.
Oh and love the Strat!
Thx… just got these installed. It’s nice to know the local hobby shop recommends you videos…keep up the great work
It was subtle, but the TRX looked more planted. Less rebound someone else commented, and that seems likely. It's only really useful if you have a bunch of tough terrain grade transitions IMO (going from sharp downhill to off camber uphill, etc) where keeping the truck stable is key.
IMHO the stock shocks are good they just need a little attention to make them great.
#1 sand the pistons until they slide smoothly in the shock housing.
#2 open up the piston notches ever so slightly, one drill bit size.
#3 I use 10wgt shock oil .
#4 Swap our the springs, I'm using AE Green springs 2.00Lb.
#5 Mount shocks upside down, this helps lower th CG and keeps the piston in the oil.
This is the set up I use with no brass weights. Shocks are cantered out 5mm on the bottom with spacers and longer screws. And the top of the rear springs are in the forward most position. This set up seems to work great at around 20 Deg C or 70 Deg F
Wow thanks for the set-up tips. Now that I have the stock shocks on the bench, I'll have to try out your recommendations.
@@RCGirl Love the videos. Keep up the good work. You should come up to the LMRCC facebook.com/groups/124188547605770/ And check out the Worlds worst kept RC Trail/Rock Face secret. Danny RC does a lot of videos there. Check it out if you like. ruclips.net/user/kiyabachihaibhaivideos
Nothing says the reservoirs have to be mounted on the shocks but you could route the hoses away from the tires and down the shock tower or frame rail to the reservoirs mounted on the frame. That is how most IRL work. Most people don't realize that the Axial Bomber has plastic replica reservoirs mounted on the body in the wheel well / battery box and they end up unpainted with no hoses attached.
Half of the fun is trying to puzzle out the best install. Good video.
It’s soooo close, but I’m pretty sure that the little stiffer rates kept it planted a little better without upsetting things and it seemed to pull over a high center situation a little easier, nice lines btw. Very consistent. I’ve run the older G Made piggybacks for years with zero problems. I finally upgraded to Proline Pro Scalers for a change but just in the rear, still running a piggyback set in front.
It honestly looked like the stock one's settled better, but with some tuning the new ones will be just the same.
I wouldn't use Locktight on the shocks. Locktight has a nasty habit of eating seals and plastics. Just saying. I've had it happen many years ago. With RC and airsoft stuff a like. Great video, cheers!
I couldn't see much difference but they work very nicely. maybe a softer spring would give a more realistic ride. Some people mistake shocker for springs. I think you have nice shock speed but a softer spring would alow the wheels move more easily so keeping contact on all four corners.
love your videos RC Girl and the platts. Thank you.
The lizard shock had less travel on single wheel compression and kept the tire from rubbing on the wheel well. I mostly rock climb with the defender and I've wanted stiffer shocks to keep that tire rubbing from happening. The lizard shocks look like good aftermarket parts.
Oh, and I also watched your other video where you added metal parts to the underside of the Defender Trx4, I think inspire of tipping over coming down the stairs the weighted one outperformed the regular rig. . .
I got a set of Boomerang Type G's after seeing you work on these. Im a real newbie to the hobby in general and bought a Carisma Coyote over Christmas, and I wouldn't look back from this type of shock after trying several others.
I would think a slower rebound for crawling would be preferred. A bit sloppy to aid in flex?
External res shocks are great for hi-cycle demands (Baja, etc) to aid in cooling and deter cavitation. I'm curious how effective they are for dedicated crawling?
Also, maybe try holding the open end of the hose in liquid (the oil) to prevent air from entering on the 'rebound', as you fill shocks.
Great vids, love your explanations!
Late to the video but new to the RC world, using my experience in 4x4 suspension set up I did notice it’s now more appropriately sprung for the weight of the car. Most evident in the last comparison
i am huge crazy fan of RC hobby stuff , i am glad that a girl is in this hobby , but i liked it , lots of best wishes from INDIA . keep it up mam.
fill from the piggyback chamber when its connected untill no more bubbles comes out from the man boddu then mount the cap on the piggyback and fill the last of the oil in the main shock body.
if u had just compressed the shock with hose on it ,put hose in the bottle of oil or dish and allowed shock to suck up the oil would that have got all the air out?
great customizations, Just got a trx4. Was a crawler holdout, didnt see the point. Ordered one tried it in a fairly unkempt area, brush and sticks somewhere i couldnt even walk, locked in the diffs and watched in disbelief as the little truck crawled out of the mess like it was born for it. So now its upgrade time. The defender body looks a little bare stock. thanks for the vids
I personally filled the reservoir and compressed the shock when screwing the joining tube, work the shock until the small bubble is in the resevoir for easier compression
Thank you for a nice video as always!
Maybe the difference between the shocks will be more visible if you compared them on the road at higher speeds? To see how stable the truck is in curves and how the shocks responds to bumps in the road. Onroad driving is not the natural habitat for a scale trailtruck I know, but maybe it take higher speed driving to declare a clear winner.
Cheers.
Good idea!
OT: I thought it was this video you made but I can't find the reference. You mentioned you setup FPV in one of your trail/crawl rigs but I'm having trouble locating it. All I can find are you flying FPV. Can you share the video where you set this up, please?
Hey, why don"t you mount the reservoir to the chassis instead of the shock , that may take the oil line out of the wheel arch. but all the same ,a real cool look truck.
Will the blue thread lock work if you fill it with oil all the way to the brim, wouldn’t excess oil push out the thread lock? Or should I leave enough space?
I've considered changing shocks several times but can't justify the expense the best thing to do is just change the spring rate , I have a 90 weight gear oil and one of my shocks and it works great may sound stupid but it works
Rig looks great not sure about the new shocks but don't think it hurt, you will have to see after few weeks of use, have you thought about the long arm lift kit, and what tires do you use on the Defender.
I couldn't tell a difference in the video. Very interested to see the FPV camera footage. Not that I need more to do, can barely keep up on my quad copter maintenance... Looks like fun though...
It seems these remote reservoir shocks are more just for show than for better damping since there’s no ifp or even nitrogen. Do they have any sort of valving in them at all?
RC Girl - Read Dream Girl. Stunning looks. Intelligent and normal. You have a great channel and I can here specifically to see the TRX upgrades. You should know that based on your review of the HTRC DUO charger I have ordered one. You explain the stuff really well. Thanks for you help. Just getting back into RC after a 10 year leave. Looking at picking up an X-Max 8s and the ARRMA Krayton 8S and TRX4 and maybe Tamyia Hotshot and Sand Scorcher re-release. Takin me back to my young teens past. So pleased I found your channel. Keep up the great work, thanks for all your insight. Dusting off my SC10 and Nitro Rusty was the best thing I have done in months!
The new shocks look like they take hits and bumps smoother and your body looks like it is clooser to the tries but not tuching them as mich. I loke the way you run your rig and the sound kit is a nice tuch.
Nice I ran an fpv cam on my TRX4. It’s really cool especially at night with the lights. It’s fun to cruise around the backyard at night.
Haven't tried it at night yet, but soon!!
These are a downgrade. Remember folks, in crawling we're looking for LONG/SOFT springs that have a massive amount of "droop" or negative travel. You want a digressive spring-rate and these pressurized shocks are just the opposite. Valving in compression and rebound should be minimal, especially in rebound as speeds of crawling do not demand slowing down the suspension travel much. The only reason we need compression valving at all is when you drop off a rock ledge etc, you wouldn't want the shocks to bottom and your bumper to wack the edge behind you. I've raced cars/trucks/motorcycles and wheeled a fair bit in my life. What I explained here is the very basics of crawling suspension. Geometry is everything in crawling.
Just change the spring to droop if that's what you want
Do have anything to recommend???
That's awesome to watch.
There wasn't really very much difference between the stock shock absorbed and the piggy back one.
I gotta get me one of those, they crawl over terrain even better than the real thing. . .
Desert Lizard makes the same shocks without the extra reservoirs. I’m gonna order a pair soon all the guys in my crawling club use them. Great video
Brilliant! I'm still running stock @ 30wt
Tip, when bleeding just leave hose connected to reservoir (filled partially). compress till no bubbles then fill to top
ahh great idea!
Next time you could do a drop test. Put your truck infront of a board with graduated lines on it and drop from an even height like 6" with each setup. Film it slow mo so you can see the rebound reaction times from each setup.
I can see it isn't possible to bleed all the air out from the reservoir end, but wouldn't it be possible to bleed it completely from the other end, the shock end?
Hmmm good point. You mean by opening the bottom of the shock and bleeding it out through there? I think with the shock opened, you don't get enough pressure built up to move oil into/out of the other chamber. But I'll have to check again.
RC Girl, from watching the video it’s seem the shock was up side down to bleed bubbles thru piggy. Air bubbles you know going up and you was holding the shock with the hose connection down from shock itself. I wonder if the way they are mounted now on TRX4 and raise the piggy chamber upper the shock if will help bleeding them more. Nice video, on the balance vehicle looks more stable and after balance close the end seem vehicle tires are able to get more traction to raise up down with objects close under chassis. Cheers
I’m new to the game....
But what I see is the new Shocks are more firmer or stiffer
I’m not sure but can you do that by putting thicker oil in....
The standard stock ones ....
Great vid 👍🏼
You can bleed all the air out. I took 2 bottles of oil and dumped them into a tall skinny glass and submerged the shock then cycled it until it drew just oil.
Yeah, I didn't notice too much difference. For the money, I wouldn't bother with them. Like you said, though, if your stock shocks are lackluster, it might be a worthwhile upgrade.
Hi great video again nice to see side by side comparison.Not to sure about piggyback maybe use lizard straight shocks, looks like your running stock wheels and tyres others are larger maybe rub pipes.Looking forward to your next upgrade.
Really enjoyed the tests on the bench. Looked pretty comparable on the trail, but the piggyback shocks definitely have a cooler look. Great video as always 👍
You should move the piggy back to the body mount post or somewhere so the tube is not above the tire, its going to catch on the tire or something. Thats allot of play for a shock mount, some shims will fix that though
from Plastic body shocks would definitely be upgrade but trx 4 probably not !!! I like the running comparison video .loads of upgraded videos on RUclips but you don't even see them running .simple explanation too !!
Sometimes I believe upgrades are more for looks than performance results. On my TRX4 I was wondering if I should change the shell out and convert to having a much lighter shell if it's really worth it? What are your thoughts to upgrades on performance? I love my TRX4 and I am not out to change it to a rockcrawlers that can do a 180 degree twist from say left front to back right tires. That would be cruel! 😆
Thank you RC Girl on a good video. Seems the stock shocks are the better choice.
I think the best thing you can do to increase TRX4 defender performance capability on the trail is to use a different body for sure (others have made videos on this). The defender is known for being top heavy. But with all that said, I love the defender look so adding some brass weight or metal axles can help a bit to lower the CG. Also removing the spare tire on the back, but I'm keeping mine!! ;)
Oh and swapping out bumpers for ones with higher clearance and curved corners so you don't get them hung up on rocks. I'm still running the stock ones though.
@@RCGirl I run into a lot of stuff with my front and back bumpers all the time. They do look good thou! On a different video you did when talking about replacing the steering servo to I think a torque of 350? Do you have to upgrade something else so it won't cause damage on the electrical side to the TRX4?
@@RCGirl I love the look as well. I do sort of wish I got the red over the grey. Oh well. I like the rear tire on for looks. I bought a tire cover for it with an eagle and the American Flag mixed in. Adding the brass weight to the vehicle, I seen in a different video, I need to get tires that are a little more stiffer because the added weight causes the tires to push down more and roll over more easily. At least that was what I got out of it when I seen Kevin putting up a video and had to do that exact same thing. Enjoy your video's and thank you for the reply!
Happy Easter to you!
Great Piggyback shocks upgrade work
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
those 4 extra o-rings are for the top balls. i did a quick youtube search and found a video from yeah racing showing so. i too was wondering why they were so loose
Haha yeah thanks I figured that out too, whoops!
Put these 100 mm on my axe edition gen 8 , running full droop and it’s a savage on the rocks. Unstoppable the articulations is legit.
I would say definitely 100% cool factor! Much nicer than the coils on the outside. Now I have to order 3 pairs for my TRX6..
Hi
Coudn't see a big difference in between both shocks in the comparison video. Honestly don't like the looks of them on the TRX4 I more likely would see them on a rock bouncer or something in that range. Great review and installation video. Keep up the great work 👍
Lock tight serves as a dual purpose 1 obviously prevents any aluminum shocks to screw loose but also prevents any possible leakage
Why piggy back? The trx4 will never overheat the oil on by crawling. Looks cool! On the Ryft RB10 it would look awesome and maybe help the rear end torque twist.
I just purchased and built the TRX-4 chassis kit, and I'm very glad to see some options for upgrades! The wiggle room on the shock shouldn't be an issue, but a washer could solve that easily. I'm new to your channel and have subscribed! Thanks for the informative content!
awesome, congrats on your new kit! Yep I'm gonna try a washer or spacer for the shocks to take care of some of the wiggle room.
I think it's splitting hairs maybe I'm just seeing things. But the Lizards looked to be slightly smoother exciting obstacles. Could have simply been the difference in how you drove before and after as well. Also have to factor your choice of how the shock was set up. I think the aftermarket provides a better look for sure probably with a little more tweaking you could get a better performance. But could probably do the same thing with the stock shock as well.
I actually think the stock ones controlled it better, but maybe the new ones just need to bed in a bit. Might be worth ditching the reservoir brackets and mounting the reservoir to the chassis as they usually do in full size vehicles, just to get that hose away from the wheel.
Ive got some upgrades on my trx4 blazer. I mean for comp doesn’t look to add anything but if i do it in the future it would be purely for scale enhancements. Good video though
In the video I can only see a barely smoother rebound when the RC lands on its wheels and when you go little bit faster (not really necessary in this discipline actually..) so these suspensions didn’t amaze me but a cute blondie girl with mechanical skills and rc passion did 😄 Your italian subscribers have thought exactly as me I bet hahah.. a big hug from Milan
See what you mean about the loose fitting. My rear shock was loose on my NS Bikes - Soda Air mountain bike once... Really annoying. I think when you get the FPV installed you'll be like "What's that rattling noise!?" as you're driving it first person haha
I have to agree with you. Can’t really see much difference between the two shocks. Thanks for putting in the effort so that I don’t have to :)
Can you swap the piggy back reservoir to the opposite side? Cross the hoses so they don’t hit the tires.
also wouldn't you want a softer shock that that the body doesn't roll over? i mean puttying a stiff shock will just make it easier for it to tip over? it seems like its a backwards way of thinking. you want the r/c to stay as flat as possible while the suspension does all the work. so you would want the suspension to bottom out if needed or else it would just throw your car over with out using the full travel. also i can understand why you would want to use a stiffer spring but you added no weight above the shocks so replacing them with stiffer shocks is a waste of money i think. what are your thoughts?
Looks like the DL's have less travel overall. I think internal springs can only compress so much before the spring limits how far it can go up
you should try some lighter oil in both stock shocks and the desert lizard, you will tell huge difference once you tried the lighter oil, i use 10wt on my bronco and have no complain
I think i'm out of 10wt, but I'll have to get some!
@@RCGirl try it out! and do some footage with slow motion, you will totally tell the difference, it will look much more like real car's movement with lighter oil, enjoy!
Can you link the shock oil?
I don’t want to pour cold water on your excellent videos but there is a common misconception regarding shock absorbers which are in actual fact the springs, the ‘shock absorbers’ are in reality dampers to absorb oscillations of the springs to prevent continuous ‘bouncing’ This would be more relative to suspension movement on tarmac in real life as a car without ‘spring damping’ would be uncontrollable and dangerous. I appreciate the effort (and expense) your input goes into making your vehicle more able to defy physics and gravity but I’m sure a video on an alternative method to achieve a similar outcome at minimal cost would be very much enjoyed , I have subbed and learnt a great amount of crawling knowledge in the mean time !
Internal springs are the way to go. But piggy back chamber is a nice option. Thanks for putting this up. Rock on RC Girl!!😁✌
Where did you get the cables that attach from the rack to the hood? Not sure what they are called.
Really nice video and to the point. What i noticed on the stock shocks is that when you drive over something and the drop afterwards is sharp the shocks tend to sort of lag, they dont push back as quick as these ones you showed. I guess you want all tires connected to the ground as much as possible, but for that small difference, is it worth it? I mean if you´re a newbie like me and basically just freestyling..well, maybe not.
With respect to springs and shocks.. Soft loads and stiff unloads.. This means soft will get better traction.. On slow moving vehicles it is hard to tell what is going on and what is needed.. I would personally go with the shofter shocks.. There probably is no need for extra oil because the oil is not likely to heat up.. You can try different setups but If it were me, I probably would not use any oil or reservoir and see what that does, I think just compressing the air will be enough.. Good luck and good video.. Since it has been some time since the video I would be curious as to what you finally ended up with for your setup..
I did see a little bit of difference. The difference was in the travel of the piggy back verses the stock. Mainly in the rear is where I seen in.
I’ve got 2 videos for a free battery tray mod that will improve your truck x2, I swear. It’s simple and basically free if you can get your hands on a piece of aluminum. The 2nd one relocates you mini servos, and anything else you want to move.
Awesome vid! In great detail. More of these please.
Great video!! Nice job! Your videos are always very fun and interesting to watch. Thanks again for all the awesome videos! Your TRX-4 looks awesome, nice job on it!👍👍👌👌❤️❤️
Thanks!
The Desert Lizard piggyback shocks in the video looked like the rebound helped to gain traction on some obstacles.. but like you said those hoses are way to long and really need cut.. good Video sister.. ✌️😎👍
I’m not sure I’m sold on them. Other than the scale points, I really don’t see a need for them. A bit gimmicky.....
Really good comparison video and test between the two. I've found even with the thinnest of oils in my standard TRX-4 shocks it feels like a heavy oil in any other shocks i have. I've ordered some really cheap 100mm alloy shocks off ebay from China (About $15 delivered for 4). They won't be anywhere near as good as your new ones, but i'm hoping they can react a lot better with thinner oils than vs the standards
Keep me posted on how those go! I'll have to do an update video with these. So far I really like them. I'll have to see how they hold up long-term. Honestly though, the stock shocks are hard to beat.
I don't no If they will work are not but the shocks off the HPI Venture are some pretty good shocks hemistorm said there some of the best shocks he has seen on a RTR rig he says when he flys there some of the best to not leak!
I suppose I am a Traxxas fan boy for the most part! Don't get me wrong, I don't always agree with Traxxas about the lawsuits, but it is what it is!!! I am still pretty happy running the stock Traxxas parts. For the most part!!! ;) Great video though!!! ;)
Quick question ! Can I use these on a yeti score trophy truck ?
Hi,
Great vids, I'm new to RC crawling and your info is brilliant. What is the stand you use ? Does it have a name or part number ?
The shocks look great but I didn't see any improvement. The low down weight from the brass upgrades was impressive.
I got the stand on Amazon, I think this is the one you're referring to? amzn.to/2vWusVl
With the aftermarket ones the back tires didn't sit so deep in the wheel well when going over obstacles.
cool video. Thank you. I think the stock shocks are great in the TRX 4. I put 30 wt. in them and they are super cushy.
Yeah they are know for being pretty great already 👌
Did you try out widening the the track the hub extensions to stop rollover? Looking forward to the camera view. I am going to get the TRX Yellow Defender. And do all the hop ups right out of the box. Any advice of stuff to miss out? Maybe the shocks? As you don't see them really?. Anyway cool film. Nice joke! keep em coming.;}
I tried a few after market shocks. And the stock ones seem to be best. ✅👊🏻 Great video. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
They look great! The shocks and the weight make it film more realistic. Nice upgrades.
hello. what cst oil you used on it ?
Great videos on upgrades etc love the course y for checking out upgrades and the comparisons 😎.
Not convinced with those shocks. They look great and perform excellently, but seemed cramped in position and the connection movement looked suspect, hey I’m no expert.
Brian 🇬🇧
What fps goggles would you recommend for the mini camera?