How to choose the oil for your RC shock absorbers?

What is a shock absorber?

Shock absorbers are a very important part of your RC car. Whether on the track or off-road, they have a great influence on road holding . So a shock absorber is generally made up of two parts:

• A spring that serves to counterbalance the weight of the vehicle and return the shock absorber to its original position after suspension movement.
• A hydraulic shock absorber in the form of a cylinder in which a piston slides, braked by oil .

In this article we will focus on oil. Indeed, it plays a big role in damping the irregularities of the terrain by viscous friction inside the shock absorber , reducing internal mechanical friction in the shock absorber and fixing the handling of the car. Thus, the adjustment of the shock absorber depends largely on the viscosity of the oil .

Which oil to choose for shock absorbers?

Generally, modelers use silicone oil because it is not corrosive to the seals, its grade hardly varies with temperature variations and its great lubricating power. You can also use mineral oil .

The thinner the oil, the softer and faster the shock absorber (speed of the piston in the cylinder), the thicker the oil, the harder the shock absorber. When the oil is too thin, the travel of the shock absorbers is too wide and the chassis risks touching the ground. When the oil is too thick, the tires have less grip and the car is more unstable. The ideal setting is when the car keeps the wheels on the ground and stabilizes quickly after a bump.

The choice of oil hardness also depends on the type of vehicle and the condition of the tracks. For example, a Monster Truck is heavy with high ground clearance. He must not take turns too quickly so as not to turn around. In this case, we recommend hard oil on the front and rear.

What is the oil viscosity indicator?

Generally, oil viscosity is stated in CST or CPS (1 CTS = 1 CPS). The higher the value, the more viscous the oil. American manufacturers each have their own indicator based on the WT standard . Here is a correspondence table for American brands:

Matching Team Associated brand oils

Correspondence of Losi brand oils

Which oil for which RC car?

When selecting the oil , several factors should be considered such as the weight of the car, the size of the shock absorber, etc. For the following cars, we're going to assume that the cars tend to have the same settings by default, out of the box.

Which oil for a 4WD 1/10 track car?

For a 1/10 scale 4WD Track Car , we recommend an oil between 350 and 500 cst . Generally track cars use the same oil for the front and rear shock absorbers but, regarding the choice of oil the same principles as for other cars apply.

Which oil for a 1/10 2WD Buggy or Short Course?

For the front shock absorbers of a 2WD Buggy or 2WD Short Course in 1/10 scale, we recommend an oil between 300 and 350 cst . For the rear shock absorbers , we recommend an oil between 250 and 350 cst .

Which oil for a 1/10 4WD Buggy?

For the front shock absorbers of a 1/10 scale 4WD Buggy , we recommend an oil between 350 and 450 cst . Prefer a less viscous oil for slippery tracks. You may consider going up to 500 cst when driving on a flat surface such as concrete. For the rear shock absorbers , we recommend an oil between 300 and 400 cst .

Which oil for a Short Course 4WD 1/10?

For the front shock absorbers of a 1/10 scale Short Course 4WD, we recommend an oil between 350 and 450 cst . Choose 350 Cst for slippery slopes and 450 Cst for surfaces with strong adhesion (concrete, etc.). For the rear shock absorbers , we recommend an oil between 350 and 400 cst .

Which oil for a 1/8 Buggy or Truggy 4WD?

For the front shock absorbers of a 1/10 scale 4WD Buggy or 4WD Truggy , we recommend an oil between 400 and 600 cst . For the rear shock absorbers , we recommend an oil between 350 and 500 cst .