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I've been playing around with my current RC10 build, dropping it on the bench, reading all the (generally B4, SC truck) tuning guides on line, in an attempt to understand pack and traction as much as I can. This may be of interest to those out there working on getting their "old is new" buggies to track better.

http://youtu.be/VlruGyaM_uM

(Some of the longer discussion threads we have that go around and around about spring colors, oil weights, and travel limiters just got even more difficult to read )

pretty cool implementation, more or less an adjustable reed valve on the piston to control pack or rebound. It's gonna be a double edged sword. Guys that understand it will do well, and it will just confuse the crap out of the average racer.

even though there is a TON of adjustability, I think you are going to find that one specific combo is going to cover specific track types and vehicle weight, ie, you run a loose track with BIG jumps, then a standard 'pack' combo will exist for buggies vs SC etc.

jwscab wrote:..even though there is a TON of adjustability, I think you are going to find that one specific combo is going to cover specific track types and vehicle weight, ie, you run a loose track with BIG jumps, then a standard 'pack' combo will exist for buggies vs SC etc.

Totally. I can see how at the R&D level, all the fine increments are good, but I bet it may get a bit simpler with time. It is interesting to think about the track with mostly small jumps, and then the one or two big ones, and the smooth straights but the rutted sections in the back corner, and how you may be able to kill a couple of the birds with one stone instead of having to pick the poison.

Hopefully it's not the Paragon Jump Jets all over again.

I still have a set of those taking up space.

well...the jump jets really kinda do the same sorta thing when those MIP pistons are stacked in a certain order....so....I know I have a set also, just not sure which shocks in what car that happens to be, hah

RPM has a similar setup. I haven't tried them yet, but they have been around for years. I would assume if they were awesome, all the factories would have adopted them. -Jeff

the rpm units are crap. the fit is ridiculous on the shaft and within the shock body.

There are also a couple companies producing pistons with non moving valves. One is a manufacturer of full sized shocks for big time dirt oval cars in IN (forget the name). Their stuff is all based on piston shapes. The other is an Italian company that has been making them for 1/8 for a while now- their shocks were on Mark Pavidas' worlds winning car. It uses an o ring that is pressurized against the shock inner wall by the fluid flow in one direction to change dampenig feel. Might be Crono or someone like that. It's all on rctech in the offroad sections.

I think the real benefit to the MIP product is that they have dyno tools to evaluate the changes. Whether that will transfer easily to the track is one thing, but at least the changes are quantifiable with the dyno.

littleVETTE wrote:the rpm units are crap. the fit is ridiculous on the shaft and within the shock body.

I have a set of the red RPM 2-stage pistons in my runner RC10 and they actually fit better than the AE pistons on the shafts and in the bodies. I didn't notice a huge difference after installing them, but I also changed spring rates and camber angles at the same time.

Most of the technical jargon in that video went way over my head. Unless you're racing at the professional level, I think the oldschool piston and oil setup will work just fine.

LTO_Dave wrote:

littleVETTE wrote: Unless you're racing at the professional, I think the oldschool piston and oil setup will work just fine.

Especially, if like 99% of us, you can't run two laps without crashing anyway

i scanned this a few years back.

http://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=8343

tm racing still had the valve-o-matics on their website for purchase up until just recently.