K021 Instructions v1.0
Tuning
Page
80
Changing the spring rate is pretty easy: change the springs. We’ve included the most
commonly used springs worldwide to get you on the track; AE offers two shock spring
kits, one for the front (ASC # 1581) and rear (# 1582), which will give you plenty of
options. In general, stiffer springs will make the car feel more direct and jump a little
better; they’re suitable for high traction surfaces. Softer springs are better for bumpier
surfaces, and can help generate traction on low-traction tracks. That holds true for each
end of the car. Stiffer front springs will take away steering but can make it easier to
drive, while soft springs add steering. Too soft will make the car hook spin out mid-
corner. Stiff rear springs will add steering, especially in long sweepers, but at a loss of
rear traction. Going softer in the rear will add bite, good on bumpy tracks, but take
away steering.
The damping in your shocks is a combination of the pistons inside and the oil they travel
through. Heavier damping (thicker shock oil) will make the car smoother on the track,
and better landing jumps, but will make the car bouncy in bumpy or choppy sections.
Lighter damping makes the car more reactive overall and better through bumps, but it
will bottom out more jumping and be slightly harder to drive.
You should also consider the “pack” your shocks have. Due to fluid dynamics, the
resistive force of our dampers greatly increases at high shock speeds. The smaller the
shock piston holes, the more quickly the shock will pack and the greater the force will
be. Big shock piston holes are the opposite. By adjusting the shock pistons and oil
together, you can tune both the static damping and pack. To change the pack while
leaving the static damping similar, adjust the oil 5 wt for each piston change. So if you
started with #2 pistons and 30 wt oil, you could:
Increase pack with #3’s and 25 wt
Decrease pack with #1’s and 35 wt
and all three shocks would feel very similar on the bench (static damping). Increased
pack is good over smooth tracks and very good for big jumps with flat landings; it also
carries more corner speed. If your car is bottoming out hard landing jumps, try
increasing pack in the rear. Less pack is good for bumpy sections, as the suspension
can soak up high speed movement better.
Suspension travel is controlled by adding limiters inside and outside of the shock.
Limiting inside the shock (where the oil goes) reduces the amount of downtravel in the
suspension: how far down the arms can go. More downtravel (fewer limiters inside) is
better for rough tracks, as it goes over bumps and lands jumps better. Less downtravel
(more limiters) makes the car corner flatter, change directions quicker, and prevents
traction rolls, all at the expense of rough-track handling. In the rear, make sure you limit
