Multi Option Rear Suspension Install

How To: Install Your Multi-Option Rear Suspension: TRI SHOCK

First we will start with the Atomic SAS Shocks. We could have made these a direct bolt-on, but we did not. Why? Well it is to ensure proper clearance with Pan Car Bodies. If you are not planning on ever using pan car bodies, jus finding longer screws would suffice to make your shocks bolt-on directly. Since we want this system to be versatile, we are showing you how to modify the shocks to get maximum clearance.

The first step is to install the spring collar. Once you have done this, set them aside. If you want it to thread a little easier, you may use a little diff grease on the threads.

A regular shock pivot looks like the one above. One long side, one short side. We will be modifying the long side. The short side will always face the bottom, so that we don't have to worry about perfectly straight cuts.

First cut 2 pieces to look like above. Leave about 1-1.5mm of flange on the long side. Notice the long side is now the shorter side. The uncut side is in the back.

The other 2 pivots need to be cut even shorter. Leaving about a 0.5mm flange is about enough. The uncut side is closer to the front.

Here is a picture of 2 modified shock pivots, and 1 uncut one.

The pivot that we cut less (left the bigger flange) goes on the female side of the shock.

Install the pivot by pushing it in through the eyelet, until it snaps in place.

Once again, push the pivot through the eyelet.

Once you have lubed the shock, make a tiny breathing hole to prevent the shock from locking up. Use a really sharp knife or a small drill bit. If you use a knife, be very carefull not to slice the shock!

Once you have done both shocks, set them aside. Above is what it should look like.

Next, we are going into the actuall installation of the plates. Above you see the 2 Carbon pieces and the bag with the hardware and all the suspension parts. We will only use the parts for the Tri-Shock.

First thing to do is to install the screw for the top shock. Take the longest screw in the hardware bag and one of the lock nuts.

We installed the screw on the most furthest forward hole one the plate. This is to use the Kyosho Oil shock which is our favorite. In this position you must unscrew the shock bottom on the oil shock about 0.8mm to get a total shock length of 40mm. This gives you our "standard" pod droop setting. More pod droop gives you more grip on power, but we feel like too much makes the car impossible to rotate.

Slide the carbon plate on top of the chassis mount holes. In this case, we are building it in 94mm configuration.

Slide down the available washers over the mounting posts. We chose to use washers underneath because they clamp down better in combination with the aluminum cups that we slide on top. They also are able to slide underneath the damper plate in case you want to raise the mechanism higher. While we don't recommend this all the time, but it is necessary to get proper clearance when the car is built with a disk damper in 94mm setting.

Push down the first aluminum post cup into place.

Another positive is that the washers are able to keep the plastic mounting post from expanding and stripping. So clamp down those screws REALLY SNUG!!!

Use the M2 nuts to snug down your shocks, don't do it too much or you'll make them bind.

(In this picture we are using the Medium springs. Use the springs to adjust the reaction time and rotation of your car. The stiffer the spring, the quicker the car will change directions and rotate. Don't use pre-load for anything else than to set how much the shocks return the pod to center. When running on a road-course, you want both shocks to have equal amount of pre-load so that the car turns the same left to right. To check this, make sure that when the suspension is pushed to either side, it always returns to center. If it returns and it is slightly to the right, pre-load the right shock a bit, if it does it to the left, adust the left. TAKE NOTE THAT THIS APPLIES ONLY WHEN THE SUSPENSION IS COMPLETELY INSTALLED ON THE MOTOR MOUNT AND ON THE CAR!!!)