Crawler Canyon Quick(re)view: Rhino S095 shocks

Rhino makes shocks, too! They are inexplicably 97mm eye-to-eye! Double spring is almost always trouble!
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[@Driver86421]

So close and yet so far. A shock that leaks, no matter how good it may otherwise be, is useless to me. These make S8Es look hermetically sealed. But a review of a bad product is just as useful as a review of one that is good, as either way you learn something. Thanks to the viewer who sent in the Rhinos and to you for your efforts to educate us.

[@Doug_Morgan]

I am the same way, any shock that I cannot get to seal ends up in the parts bin never to be used.

[@The_RC_Family]

Thank you, Mr C. It is not a thing one often sees, is it? A review that finds a problem and it reports it, I mean. Know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. Or something... Long live the Canyon!

[@FaithSaraG]

Some really neat ideas there, I like the brass bushing at the bottom. Perhaps a different o ring up top?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I'm going to try taking some GTS pistons and machining them down, and finding a compatible o-ring for the caps and giving them a go. Not something I would recommend anyone else do, but hey-- I've got the parts.

[@rolandwittwer5026]

I'm currently testing the Yeah Racing Desert Cobra Dual Spring Shocks, but in single spring configuration first. On the bench, they look and feel amazingly smooth already, in price and quality similar to the Desert Lizard.

[@jord001]

Shame they are so bad for leaks. I am sure there will be a seal somewhere that will fit. I have some old shocks that i was trying to stop leaking still sitting waiting to be fixed in a sealed bag but they leak froom the bottom. Now I know a lot more from watching your shock battles I may dig them back out and see what I can do with them.

[@WasNiksIsNiksWordtNiks]

Leaking that bad = BADDDDD shocks! It’s no debate.

[@g-man329]

Wow I was so hoping we had a budget shock that was going to work good

[@CrawlerCanyon]

The quest for the $40 set of shocks (that don't require parts, labor, and know-how) continues.

[@craigseary2368]

The original vaterra ascende shocks were single piston but e clip covered the holes, i machined small grooves in the side of the piston and they worked just fine and stopped the hydraulic issues

[@neildaniels5443]

They look like a different colour fake proline scaler shocks, i removed da top spring wound down da adjustable ring and they performed a lot better imo.

[@willanderson5088]

One thing lacking is crawler shock reviews on KZbin. Been looking for a good replacement for my vanquish pro

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Like, OG Pro? The disco'ed one? Big Bores, Dravtechs, GTS, all good options. Fake Dravtechs if you're on a budget.

[@HVT03]

Its a shame no one can design a good cheaper shock, we will have to keep searching for gold

[@billtruett8593]

I could feel your frustration building. Great looking shock though. Just seems like not enough of the right R&D went into them before they were released. I know though if you want them to work of all people “you” will find a way.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Apparently they're already "unavaialable, as there's an updated version in the works.

[@neildaniels5443]

I've used plummers tape and I've use bathroom sealant and it stoped da leaks😊

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Y'all know me man-- I'm not recommending a shock that has to be taped shut.

[@Slaters_RC]

A customer brought them to me wanting them installed on his truck and they were completely trash. He ended up sending them back and getting some incision shocks.

[@chriscord6524]

Quality review. I think you’re correct, they could be tweaked with another seal. But why

[@brianmassey7563]

Bummer as I've liked everything Rhino has made so far that I've tried.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Same. These are bad to the point that I feel like they might be a mfr. defect.

[@brianmassey7563]

@@CrawlerCanyon I asked what people thought of the shocks on the Rhino FB group page...the man behind the Rhino products indicated they were testing a new design and all current shocks were "sold out".

[@brianmorrison2846]

I just pulled a shock ball end on my 10 pro w/desert lizards doing a massive break over. Who knew that was a thing?

[@crawlercityrc]

welcome dudes.😅

[@Clodercs]

This is my second set, sent by the dealer ,'cause the first set where not equal in dampening,,,, the second set leak so much😩

[@CrawlerCanyon]

It's a shame. Everything else I've tried from Rhino has been great.

[@EddieDesigned]

You say one piston screws in place? Is the second piston floating, held by the c clip? They might be dual rate pistons. In one direction they 'll close up and slow the flow, and in the other direction, they'll open up and increase flow

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Dual-rate pistons have to have either a floating section or a "flappy bit" and these have neither. Both pistons are fixed and threaded, so the e-clips are semi-superfluous. Regardless, the holes are FAR too small to be useful, most are blocked by the e-clips, and the top seals leak worse than any I've ever seen. These are like "shocks in alpha."

[@Bonitacreekrc]

I bought a gold 3gear with dig to put In my ascent and I am wondering how you suggest I mount it. I have a son and 4link front with the pan hard link to go under the motor and the rod ends a little unscrewed to help center the axle. I was thinking about keeping the fmm except for the spur gear wobbles enough to worry about it. I think it just needs new bearings.i will have spur gear driveshaft clearance problems with the 1800se

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Either swap out the skid to any of the cheap 10.2 skids from Amazon or AE (aluminum or delrin, whichever you like) or make an adapter plate to mount a traditional 3-gear to the Redcat skid.

[@Bonitacreekrc]

Thanks MR.C

[@themountain59]

For 40 bucks a set of 4 they are ok I guess.Personally I wouldnt pick them though.

[@stunod-RC]

Maybe you’re over torquing the top cap. Have you tried just snug enough to seat the o-ring? Less is more situation.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Remember-- these shocks have no bleeder hole, screw, groove-- nothing. Oil should be able to flow freely past the threading, but here we are. Leaving a shock with loose tolerance at the cap "less tight" is just going to make it worse. Though to be honest, I don't know if they can get worse.

[@user-ng9ht1tt4r]

On a Yue One they work with the double piston because of the extreme angle the shocks are mounted at. I have one but they do leak. Hope you can find a way to fix it.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I know those shocks are laid way down, but they were effectively hydrolocked on 15wt oil. Maybe, just like mineral oil (you can get damper fluids under 10wt) but then they would leak even faster.

[@user-ng9ht1tt4r]

@@CrawlerCanyon The shocks on the Yue One I have have not hydro locked and I put 40wt in them. I will have to pull them apart and see if they have the double piston.

[@Bonitacreekrc]

What pitch pinion do i need to use on a gold 3 gear dig spur gear

[@CrawlerCanyon]

48P

[@daledowns6920]

whats up with the stand?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Who, Susan?

[@lastcreations8845]

susan needs a peace sign on a end in the VW bus style emblem. Maybe lock pistons to block all holes, then slot the outside like 2 1 mm slots 1 mm deep. dremel thin blade ? OR just bore top piston holes big big outside of the clip, to just use the lower piston holes only. yeah dont seal, not worth the work at all, RETURN, no reason to run.

[@LibraryMercenary]

Susan has her summer dress on?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Can't wear black every day.

[@mikedubree2064]

Maybe they are air dampened, no oil?

[@CrawlerCanyon]

If they were for air, I don't think they'd have the shaft wiper seal down at the bottom.

[@mikedubree2064]

@@CrawlerCanyon well could be because a few drop of lub would be needed ? soulds like there no good with filled full if it leaks out.

[@rccrawlingaddict207]

So, it's a dry fill shock......NO OIL!

[@chevyon37s]

And so therefore they’re useless as shocks.

[@CrawlerCanyon]

Yeah, no oil = no damping, so they're not really doing the thing. They're so good looking I'm not opposed to machining some pistons to fit and figuring out how to get the caps to actually seal.

[@rccrawlingaddict207]

@@chevyon37s Air ride.......

[@chevyon37s]

@@rccrawlingaddict207 that’s not how air rode works. Air ride uses air pressure for vehicle support instead of a spring. Still need oil for dampening in an air ride suspension system.

[@rccrawlingaddict207]

@@chevyon37s I watch many channels where people don't use oil in their shocks because they believe it appears to be more scale. But, thanks for explaining it in such a way that makes you feel more intelligent. If the pistons in those shocks are so tight and the holes are so small....maybe, just maybe they would be OK empty. How do they feel when you drop the rig from 2ft. while they are empty? We can see that they leak, we can see that the 15wt oil is way, way to thick. We all can see everything that canyon-man showed in the video! I don't ever run dry shocks but other people do and they seem to like it.

[@idiot_RC]

I really don't understand how so many of the...."China brands" get shocks so wrong. They machine a really nice shock body, they obviously spend effort on the appearance of the shock, many of them cycle smoothly, so they're made with great tolerances...but so many of them just leak like crazy, and most include spring weights sufficient for a lawn mower. But I've also never understood the people who buy these types of shocks, then argue that they're "worth it" because all you have to do is replace the seals, pistons, machine some stuff, sacrifice your firstborn, and BAM! They work great!

[@CrawlerCanyon]

I think we agree that it's worse that Axial and Vanquish (Incision) can't really make a shock that doesn't leak either. I have a set of 10 Pro shocks, and yep-- Traxxas seals in them. S8Es? Traxxas again. If the state of the industry is any indication, making a non-leaking shock is the most difficult thing in the world, followed by halfway-decent suspension geometry, and an RTR tire not made out of recycled pool toys.

[@idiot_RC]

@@CrawlerCanyon I completely agree...and although I don't feel like it's asking much to expect an RTR shock that seals properly, it's more mind-blowing to me when aftermarket options are just as bad, since we wouldn't need the aftermarket in the first place if half the OEM's would do it right. The only reason I tend to give some leeway to the OEM's is because we know cost-cutting takes place, but when Element can offer an RTR for $300 with shocks that don't leak and tires that are at least passably decent for crawling (though then they go and screw up something as simple as the wheelbase and give us spaghetti for links), it's hard to cut the OEM's too much slack considering most of them are $400+.

[@WasNiksIsNiksWordtNiks]

Brass for bushing material is bullshit, should have been bronze. These are terrible shocks, just as expected 🥹