Introduction: How to Change the Oil in Your RC Car's Shocks
The suspension on your RC Car is one of the most important parts. With proper care and maintenance, you should rarely ever need to replace a shock. Here I will show you how to properly change the oil in your RC Investment.
Step 1: Materials!
The list is pretty simple for this task.
- Hex Bits (Whichever your car uses)Find Hex Bits HERE
- Hex Sockets (Same thing)Find Hex Sockets HERE
- Shock Oil (Weight of your choice)Find Shock Oil HERE
- Electric Screwdriver/Low Power Drill (Optional, but speeds things up)
Step 2: Locate and Remove Your Shocks!
Typically, the shocks are attached to the shock towers by a nut, bolt and spacer, just hold the nut in place and unscrew the bolt.
Step 3: Remove the Spring!
The spring is held in place by a small plastic piece called a retainer. To remove the retainer, simply compress the spring and lift it up and off.
Step 4: Dump That Filthy Muck!
Unscrew the cap of the shock and remove the bladder, which is a small rubber dome that is used to keep a tighter seal on the oil. Then you can pour the dirty oil down the sink.
Step 5: Rinse and Fill the Shock!
Shock oils come in many shapes, colors, and sizes, but the thing to pay attention to is the weight. The weight represents how viscous the oil is, and the higher the weight, the more thick it is. The more thick the oil, the slower the shock compresses. Here I am using a Duratrax car stand, which conveniently has holes cut out to hold your shocks. DO NOT COMPLETELY FILL YOUR SHOCKS!!! You can tell if you've overfilled your shocks if when you reassemble them and compress the piston, it rebounds more than 1/4 of the way.
Step 6: Reassemble and Reattach!
You can now put the spring and retainer back on the shock, and the shock back on the car. If done correctly, your shocks should now feel much smoother. Remember to refill your shocks every 1-2 months, depending on how much and how hard you use your car.
