Down travel is reduced by moving the lower shock mount further away from the chassis. Shock position also affects the overall down travel of the suspension arm. The more the shocks are laid down, the greater the difference in rate change the spring and damping rates increase as the shock is compressed. The closer the shocks get to vertical, the less the spring and damping rates will change from full extension to full compression. The angle of the shock also changes as you move them in or out on the arms, and this effects their spring and damping rates. Moving the shocks inward on the arms has the opposite effect. Moving the shocks outward on the arms will decrease the leverage the arms have to compress the shock, making the suspension feel stiffer. There are two positions located on each front suspension and there are five possible positions on each the rear suspension arms. The lower position of each shock can be adjusted to achieve different handling characteristics. Raising the rear end will also provide a little more on-power grip by keeping more weight directly above the rear tires during acceleration. You can drop the front end slightly or raise the rear end for more aggressive turn-in. This allows a slightly lower rear stance, which provides a good weight transfer entering a corner. A good base setup is with the rear drive shafts set a little below level, and with the front suspension arms set level with the surface. Pump the front and rear suspension by hand a few times (evenly, front to back) and let go. This means the battery should be installed and the body should be mounted (The body was removed in the photos for better visual). It's also important to note that when setting proper ride height, the truck should be ready to drive. Heavier battery packs, such as 6 or 7-cell NiMH battery packs will require an extra preload clip or two to achieve the same ride height versus a lightweight LiPo battery pack. The type of battery pack also plays a big part in this. How much preload you need to tune into the shocks depends on how much traction and weight transfer you're looking for. The 60wt oil in the rear shocks provides ample 'pack' for jump landings and keeps chassis roll to a minimum. This allows a lighter damping setup to be used up front to balance out the overall feel and sets the chassis up nicely in the corners. The front end of the Slash is much lighter than the rear end. I fill the front shocks with 50wt shock fluid and the rears with 60wt shock fluid. This keeps the chassis from bottoming out harshly and better manages weight transfer under accelleration and braking. However, with the fast-paced action of track racing and hard landings from big jumps, slowing down the dampers by increasing the oil viscosity is generally beneficial. This allows the suspension to absorb bumps easily at slower speeds. The Slash shocks come filled with 30wt shock fluid. These include spring preload and ride height, damping rate, and shock position (see right). With that in mind, let's focus on the adjustments we can make within the rules. Although springs of different rates can be installed, most tracks' stock-Slash rules do not permit spring changes. The heart of any suspension system is the shock absorbers, and the Slash's shocks are fully tunable. Since everyone has the same amount of horsepower in a stock-Slash race, a well-sorted suspension system is the single biggest advantage you can give your machine on the racetrack. For now, let's go over the fundamentals of setting up a Slash for the track using the adjustments that are built into the truck. Since most racing clubs are currently holding stock-spec classes for the Slash, I'll save the hop-ups and go-fast goodies for a future article. In this article I'll cover all of the base setup principles of the Slash. The Slash is "Ready-To-Race" right out of the box, but there are a few tricks that can be utilized to get the most out of this distinctive machine. It's inexpensive, easy to operate, ultra durable, and looks extremely realistic. The Slash is the perfect foundation for fun. Enthusiastic racers all over the country enjoy the electric-powered Slash 2WD short-course racing truck.
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