What would you say the best shock oil weight is? I want to do a lot of jumps and still fly down a smooth surface. I thought I needed a 20 or 15 weight but now I'm wondering if that isn't enough support? Also I'm looking at getting good shocks, are the Aluminum shocks they suggest in my manual a good fit (I know $ is decent) or is it better to get some that cost a bit more? Also is it worth getting a bleeder cap vs dealing with the rubber bladders?
For loose, bumpy surfaces with small jumps a less viscous (thinner/lighter) oil is better. This allows the shock to respond more quickly to all the little bumps that would throw the car around.
For smoother surfaces with bigger jumps, go with a more viscous (thicker/heavier) is better as it will absorb the big hits better. But the car will bounce around more in rough terrain with smaller bumps.
I race on carpet and astro (indoor) that is on concrete with medium height wooden jumps. (But we're typically not landing flat on the ground, the goal is to land on the descending face of the jump- it's smoother.) So I run 30wt front and 35 (or 37.5wt) at the rear in the ECX aluminum shocks. In my TLR 22 buggy, it's more like the opposite: 35/37.5 front and 32.5 rear.
My recommendation: Using the stock springs, start with 30 front and 35 rear. Experiment. Unhappy with rear-end bounce? Try 37.5.
The ECX aluminum shocks are great. I highly recommend them. You can pay more for Traxxas Big Bore or Pro-Line or whatever, but they won't really perform that much better. I install Kyosho "x-ring" o-rings in all my ECX shocks and it greatly improves their sealing performance without a lot of drag.
The bladders in the aluminum shocks are good: keeps air out. They are a little fiddly to refill and set properly, but you'll get it with practice. Bleeder caps are not needed.
What should I get when it comes to motor cleaner spray?
Any brand is fine. I actually use a commercial electric motor cleaner spray I got at an auto parts store. But it wasn't any better value than buying RC-specif stuff from Dynamite.
Grease (for drive shaft)? Not just what would be good to use with stock parts but will be decent to use with upgraded parts...
If you're running in the dirt... avoid adding any unnecessary grease as it will attract dirt and wear away the tiny RC parts like sandpaper. That kind of biz if for actual cars with CV boots and sealed systems. Or, grease and just be prepared to clean, clean, clean after every couple of runs in the dirt.
What is a good pinion to get for what I want with torque? I am waiting for the one I ordered.. it's a 48P 16T pinion gear, also a 48P 81 T spur gear.
Generally speaking, any given motor will have a "sweet spot" for gearing. You can go up or down on the pinion for more torque or higher speed, but you pay a price for it in increased heat/decreased efficiency. Keeping a large spur (87t) will provide the optimal torque. Using a smaller spur will actually "gear up" the car and make it go faster and have less torque.
And a 16t pinion with an 81 spur might not even mesh. The AMP has a rather limited range of adjustment for moving the motor back and forth.
Bottom line: This is a hobby, a pastime and is made to experiment. Try something. If it doesn't work, try something else. You learn from both outcomes!
Enjoy!
