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View Full Version : what weight for shockie oil?

Matt
13-11-2004, 06:39 PM
yo!

i bought some shock oil when out today and i bought some 55 weight. i picked 75 weight first off but the dude behind the counter reckons it would be too hard for an off road bugger and probably blow the o-rings in the bottom of the shock.

does 55 sound orright for shockie oil!?!?
BALISTC
15-11-2004, 12:42 AM
Although the O-rings would have been fine with the heavier weight oil, the thinner stuff is better for an off-roader.

Generally, anything from 20W-40W is ideal for an off-roader, but 55 will be fine if your bashing around in the dirt.

An off-road car needs its suspension to work as quickly as possible to react and absorb jumps, bumps, etc, so the thinner oil will be more suitable for this. The thinner oil allows the shock to react quicker and absorb shock faster.

This is critical in a race application, but for bashing, not so critical.

It is a matter of preference, conditions, suspension setup, etc, to what oil you choose....so it might be worth trying different types of oils to see which one you prefer :)
Matt
15-11-2004, 06:51 AM
at 8 bucks a pop, its not too expensive to try different types. i might grab something around the 20 mark next time i goto the hobby shop.

thanks for your reply mate!!
Matt
20-11-2004, 10:52 AM
i went to the hobby shop this morning (shit ive been there a lot this week) and swapped the 55 for 25 (they didnt have anything else). the boys @ the track run 25 in the front and 30 in the rear... pfft 25 all 'round will be fine for me.

but 55 just would have been way too stiff i reckon.
BALISTC
22-11-2004, 09:36 AM
Yeah it would have been very slow to react too, the car would have sat nice and flat, but wouldnt have been too good over a series of quick jumps, not enough time to react...
mc68
22-11-2004, 07:43 PM
sorry to jack the thread, but what would be a good wt for drifting? :)
Matt
22-11-2004, 07:59 PM
from what ive learnt, hard hard oil (like 60-75 wt) would be good for drifting.

something that will make the car not absorb the shock, loose traction and continue to not regain traction therefor giving an ongoing slide.

thats my guess, am i right or wrong with this one?
BALISTC
23-11-2004, 12:53 PM
Correct.

You want the back end as stiff as can possibly be, to allow snappy handling..