How to Assemble and Bleed 1/10 Team Associated Shocks

This instructable will detail the procedure for assembling and bleeding Team Associated 1/10 shocks. The shocks are a critical part of any R/C vehicle, so building them properly will ensure smooth operation with longer time before maintenance will be required. Anyone from a novice to experienced hobbyist can complete this in 45 minutes or less, depending on your experience level.

Step 1: Gather Parts and Tools

Gather the required parts for one shock assembly. If you are building a new kit, all the parts will be nicely bagged and labeled. If you are performing maintenance on existing shocks, fully disassemble them and refer to the picture to ensure you have all the necessary parts.

Tools & Materials:

Pliers (needle-nose recommended)
1.5mm Allen Wrench
Paper Towel
Shock Shaft Pliers (optional)
Green Slime (optional)

Note: Green Slime is an optional product that is used to improve the seal and smoothness of the shock. It is not required but will be used in this instructable.

Step 2: Assemble the Cartridge

Gather the parts shown in figure 1.
Insert a hat bushing into the bottom of the shock body, making sure that the smaller diameter portion of the hat is seated in the hole in the bottom of the shock body. Note the difference between the hat bushing and the O-Ring spacer shown in figure 2.
Apply Green Slime to one of the lower seals. (Figure 3.)
Insert the lower seal in the hole at the bottom of the shock body. (Figure 4.)
Insert the O-ring spacer on top of the first lower seal. (Figure 4.)
Insert the second lower seal on top of the O-ring spacer and apply green slime as shown in figure 5.
Place the second hat bushing on top of the lower seal, making sure to orient the smaller diameter portion of the hat upwards. (Figure 6.)
Slip the lower seal over the threads at the bottom of the shock body (Figure 6.)
Finally, thread the lower shock cap on and hand tighten. At this point you should have a completed cartridge (Figure 7.)

Step 3: Assemble the Shaft

Locate the shock shaft, E-clips, and piston (Figure 1.)
Using your pliers, snap an E-clip in the groove closest to the threaded end of the shock shaft. (Figure 2.)
Slide piston over the non-threaded end of the shaft, and secure with E-clip. (Figure 4.) Tip: Use a permanent marker to highlight the piston hole size. This will make it easier to identify once the piston is in the shock.
Slide the down travel limiters on the threaded end of the shaft. (Figure 5.)

Step 4: Fill the Shock With Oil

Insert the shaft into the completed shock body. (Figure 1.)
Use pliers to snap the ball end into the rod end as shown in figure 2. Caution: snap the ball in from the side of the rod end with the stepped edge around the hole, as shown in figure 2. Failure to do so may cause the rod end to break.
Grip the shaft with pliers and thread the rod end on until no threads are visible. (Figure 3.) Note: If you are not using shock shaft pliers it is important to cover the shaft with something to avoid scratching it. A paper towel folded onto itself a couple times works well.
fully extend the shaft and fill the shock 1/4 full with oil. (Figure 4)
Move the shaft up and down a few times, being careful not to move the piston above the level of the oil. This allows air bubbles trapped underneath the piston to be released.
Allow the bubbles to reach the surface and fill the shock up to the top with oil. Wait for additional bubbles to surface. (Figure 5.)
Be sure the shock is topped off and slide the upper O-ring over the threaded part at the top of the shock body. (Figure 6.)

Step 5: Bleed the Shock

Thread the bleed port screw in and then remove it. (Figure 1.)This makes it easier to thread in during the bleeding process. Caution: The bleed port screw is very easy to over-tighten and strip. Stop threading as soon as you encounter increased resistance.
Thread the shock cap onto the body and hand tighten. Be sure to keep the shock oriented vertically to avoid spilling oil. (Figure 2.)
Hold the shock in a paper towel as shown in Figure 3. Tilt the shock slightly with the bleed port facing up. Slowly compress the shaft, allowing air bubbles to escape through the bleed port.
Without wiping away any shock oil, tighten the bleed port screw in the bleed port. (Figure 4.)
Compressing the shaft from full extension should result in about 2mm worth of rebound, as shown in figure 5.

If your shocks have too much rebound, fully extend the shaft, remove the bleed port screw and repeat steps 3-4.

Step 6: Spring Assembly

Thread the upper spring retainer on the shock body. Tip: Put a small drop of shock oil on the threads inside the upper spring retainer if it is difficult to thread on.
Slide the spring on.
Install the lower spring retainer.

This completes the Assembly and bleeding process for Team Associated 1/10 shocks.You should now have a buttery smooth shock ready to hit the track! Using your knowledge of shock assembly, you can experiment with different spring, piston and oil combinations to tune the vehicle for your specific application.