RC Car Suspension Setup Basics (Caster, Camber, Oil and more)

[@gihonda127]

Older video, but good info. I have a Typhon 6s track buggy, and a Senton3s short course truck. I am currently rebuilding and upgrading the suspension and steering components and your video really made it understandable. Thanks. 😊

[@RCexplained]

glad the video helped!

[@higgout]

Absolutely love this video. The way you break every thing down made it easier to understand.

[@RCexplained]

Hey higgout, thanks a lot for your comment. I'm glad the video is easy to understand.

[@kavikkang9411]

Your videos about shocks were very helpful, thank you for making them. I knew almost nothing about shock absorbers when I got an RC car. Knowing basically how they work and what the spring and oil are supposed to be doing armed me with enough knowledge to get both of my cars shocks tuned to what I think is perfect for me. How did I wind up doing it? This is how to find just the right stiffness for your shocks on a basher without actually knowing what you are doing... Haha! Find a patch of ground that is "a little bumpy", for me it was a nearby park where they don't care for the grass/grounds very much... so it is "a little bumpy" instead of like a lawn. Drive your car on the bumpy terrain and stare at the car and suspension/a arms as you drive it. Go around you close looking at slower speeds, and do full speed passes over the bumpy ground. What you are looking for, assuming a basher, is the stiffest suspension you can get (for landing jumps) while still gliding over slightly bumpy ground with the car body remaining generally level as the suspension absorbs the bumpy terrain. The body should remain mostly level as the a arms bounce up and down taking all of the bumps. If the shocks are too stiff the body will be "bouncing around" and tires will occasionally bounce up off the ground. I just kept going back too the park and it took 5 or 6 times/battery charges doing this to find the exact right level of tension (I have adjustable aluminum shocks) for both cars (Kraton 4S & Typhon 3S) right at the edge of being "too stiff and bouncy" without being too stiff and bouncy. If this is the tuning you are looking for, as stiff as it can be to land jumps while still handling well... this is a good way to do it if, like me, you don't really know what you are doing. M&M

[@kanenstuff]

Great video a few new things I didnt think of before even though I dont race still good for my weekend bashings.

[@Ricer_RC]

Thank you for this. I just started racing and this is the video I was looking for.

[@RCexplained]

Perfect!

[@cdinero9053]

Positive camber for circle track sir

[@RMH386]

Your page is amazing and so helpful. I keep re watching videos to soak it all up

[@b00ts4ndc4ts]

thank you, best video i have seen and explained it the best way.

[@RCexplained]

Glad it helped! Thank you Gareth for taking the time to comment!

[@BMR3]

Awesome, thank you so much for the info man! Really appreciate all the great content & information.

[@RCexplained]

I'm glad you like the content! These type of comments really motivate me to continue making videos. Thanks!

[@yopplay]

Hi Ryan. Another very good video. I am getting back slowly in the RC car world after almost 30 years and I like very much all you video which help me save some time and learn again faster. Just a question, would you have some figures to share about oil thickness and springs for off-roads to give some guidelines based on your experience / different tracks? I was wondering if you would think necessary to make a more advanced video about shocks like about angles and mount position and share your experience even if there are other videos outside speaking about this subject.

[@RCexplained]

Hello, thanks for the comment. It's hard to make specific recommendations as the weight of fluid and spring stiffness changes due to a handful of variables. In addition, my recommendation may not be the desired preference for many. I tend to like a stiffer setup coming from majority of my experience being on road. I don't have enough experience/data for shock angles and positions to make a more advanced video at this point. Maybe in the future!

[@zacharybolin7572]

one purpose for positive camber would be oval track... just left turn. But not much. doing 0 on the inside tire will be the solution at some tracks but others you will need up to 1 degree of positive camber on the inside tire.

[@zacharybolin7572]

other than that, this video is great. I finally understand camber a little bit now. thank you

[@RCexplained]

Hey Zachary, great point and thanks for the comment.

[@nitrobyrd7636]

Your videos are great , straight forward, and to the point. Also you explain how and what your talking about in very easy to learn way. I'm pretty new to rc but really new to electric rc. Do you ever run any nitro cars? Any how thank you very much I look forward to more videos.

[@RCexplained]

Thanks for the comment Nitro Byrd. Appreciate it! I have run a few Nitro cars and boats. Currently, I don't own any Nitro vehicles.

[@xaviertaylor759]

Can you share one of those slo-mo vids to help explain about harder spring and thicker oil, and vice-versa? I have seen it suggested for on-road to make side springs stronger, but oil thinner? That was for 12th scale LMP. Cheers.

[@RCexplained]

Hey Xavier, I'd love to make a slo-mo video. That's such a good idea! However, I don't have the equipment to get more than 60FPS.

[@xaviertaylor759]

@@RCexplained Its Slo-Mo so 60fps should be good.

[@xaviertaylor759]

More information / examples on Caster would be great - I've heard the phrase Reactive Caster, but I don't know what it means.

[@PopalongRC]

Great info

[@RCexplained]

Glad you think so!

[@42pyroboy]

That is one sharp shirt man!

[@PFinkoloTL87]

Thank you very much for sharing. Thumbs up number 22. Your video is helpful for setting up my suspension. I am building and setting up a 1/10 touring car for speedruns. Thanks for the advice to use a heavy spring rate for onroad driving. That's the way my car is and I was worried it will be too stiff. Right now the rear has a heavier spring rate than the front. What is your opinion on this? Then, perhaps an odd question: Do you think using a fixed slight steering angle on the rear suspension would give any benefit for straight line hard acceleration? Or should it just be plain straight and parallel to everything else?

[@RCexplained]

Hi TN RC. Is the rear springs a little heavier because of more rearward weight in your particular RC? You will know if the suspension is too stiff if you hit a bump in the road and the car becomes unstable. Are you talking about toe on the rear tires? A small amount of positive toe may work out ok for you on the rear end.

[@PFinkoloTL87]

@@RCexplained Thanks for your reply. 1. answer: Yes, rear springs are heavier, because my RC touring car has more weight in the rear. 2. answer: I am sorry if I expressed myself unclear. I didn't mean toe on the rear tires, I meant the rear steer angle on the rear axle as a whole. In other words the rear part of the drivetrain including the suspension is turned a very few degrees. My idea is that when lots of torque is applied, there's the risk of the car having a tendency to rotate sideways a bit. I think in the RC world some call this torque steer or something like this. But in the full scale world there was for example this Dodge Ram truck with the Viper V10 engine in it, and it refused to oversteer in left or right turns (I don't remember which one) when heavy throttle was applied. Anyhow, despite the cold temps I went outside today with my build and tested straight line stability. I only accelerated the car up to approximately 55-60 mph (about 90-100 kph where I am), and the car seemed heading straight and nicesly stable. For this test the rear axle/assembly was rotated 1-2 degrees. Will do some further testing hopefully soon without any rotation of the rear assembly. The road I was testing on has an okay surface, but is far from being smooth. When driving on it with my full scale car, at 60mph it's quite bouncy :D RC car seemed to handle the imperfections nicely. But will also do some further testing with different spring preloads.

[@RCexplained]

Hi TN RC, your test will be the best answer for your setup. The fact that you feel the car is handling the rather bouncy road way at 100km/h well is a great sign. Keep testing and adjusting until you get the settings to your liking.

[@PFinkoloTL87]

@@RCexplained Will do. Thanks for your replies.

[@43SunSon]

good video!

[@RCexplained]

Thanks!

[@mjuratich1]

Great video my man

[@RCexplained]

Thank You! Appreciate you taking the time to comment!

[@jeepmanxj]

what is that 1/8 scale touring car

[@RCexplained]

Ofna DM1

[@brandonshifflett7808]

Damn Tom Brady does RC?

[@LawrenceTimme]

It's a shame they don't make bypass shocks for rc cars like they do for real size rock racers.

[@RCexplained]

I have never used them but I thought they do make bypass shocks for RC.

[@LawrenceTimme]

@@RCexplained nice, I have never seen them before, they allow for progressive damping which would be great for bumpy tracks with large jumps.

[@RCexplained]

ya for sure! I'd love to get my hands on a set.

[@deltazero3796]

All the talkimg is nice, but still no idea how to adjust this crap properly, it's kinda boring

[@RCexplained]

When you say adjust "properly." The properly part is based on your own opinion/preference of the handling characteristics of your vehicle.

[@soundofbread6811]

hey that art in the back sucks.