Fiesta Products 7305 Tuning Adjustments, Suspension Tuning, Vehicle’s ride height, Shock Oil

Axle Centerline at Max Compression Axle Centerline at Ride Height Axle Centerline at Max Sag

Compression 1/2

Ride Height Sag (Droop) 1/2

Total Travel

TUNING ADJUSTMENTS

Your model is factory-tuned for optimum performance on pavement and concrete surfaces. To tailor the performance and handling of your model to suit your driving style and available traction, your model has a number of adjustable features. Gearing, shock preload and damping, ride height, wheel toe and wheel camber can all be easily adjusted.

SUSPENSION TUNING

Ride Height Adjustment Your model has threaded shock bodies that make it easy to adjust ride height. Threading the shocks’

preload collars away from the caps will raise the

vehicle’s ride height (the

distance from the chassis to the ground), and reduce

the suspension’s down travel, also known as ‘sag’ or ‘droop’. This can be helpful on rough surfaces

where extra ground clearance is needed. However, the vehicle’s center of gravity (CG) will be raised, making it less stable.

Threading the shocks’ preload collars toward the caps will lower the vehicle’s ride height and increase the suspension’s droop. This will lower the vehicle’s CG and improve handling, but it will also reduce ground clearance.

From the factory, your model is set up as shown in the illustration above. At rest, the suspension sags to about 1/2 of its total travel. This allows the suspension to extend so the wheel can drop into depressions over rough surfaces. This leaves 1/2 of the total suspension travel for compression when absorbing bumps. These settings are ideal for most flat surfaces, and only small changes in ride height should be required to fine-tune the vehicle’s handling for your particular surface.

Shock Oil

The 4 oil-filled shocks (dampers) effectively control the suspension movement by preventing the wheels and tires from continuing to “bounce” after rebounding from a bump. Changing the oil in the shocks can vary the suspension damping effect. Changing the oil to a higher viscosity oil will increase damping. Lowering the viscosity of the oil will cause the suspension damping to be reduced. Damping should be increased (with higher viscosity oil) if the model is bottoming easily over bumps. Damping should be decreased (with thinner viscosity oil) if the model is hopping over small bumps and feels unstable. The viscosity of shock oil is affected by extremes in operating temperature; an oil of certain viscosity will become less viscous at higher temperatures and more viscous at lower temperatures. Operating in regions with cold temperatures may require lower viscosity oil. Your model’s shocks are filled with SAE 60W oil. Only use 100% silicone oil in the shock.

Replacing Shock Oil

The shocks have to be removed from the vehicle and disassembled to change the oil.

1.Remove the lower spring retainer and shock spring.

2.Remove the upper shock cap. If you cannot unscrew the cap with your fingers, pass the

2mm ‘L’ wrench through the cap’s eyelet so you can apply more leverage. Turn the cap counterclockwise to loosen it.

3.Empty the used shock oil from the shock body.

4.Fill the shock with new silicone shock oil up to the top of the shock body.

5.Slowly move the piston up and down (always keeping it submerged in oil) to release the air bubbles. Let the shock sit for a few minutes to allow any remaining air bubbles to surface.

6.Slowly thread the upper cap with the installed shock bladder onto the shock body. The excess oil will bleed out of the small hole in the shock cap.

7.Tighten the shock cap until snug.

Important: The shocks are assembled at the factory with a center-to-center distance (between the rod end balls) of 43.75mm. Any time the shocks are removed and disassembled, this distance should be checked to ensure proper operation of the suspension.

43.75mm

TRAXXAS • 19