Friday , 29 March 2024

HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 10 – Shocks

HPI Savage XS SS Build
HPI Savage XS SS Build

The Build – Part 10
Step 10 involves building and attaching the front and rear shocks. There’s nothing new or complicated about the shocks so it’s a pretty straightforward build.

Build Notes:
Shocks involve shock fluid which, if you’re not careful, can easily get all over the place. Have some clean towels ready for clean up.

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 147
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 147
The first step is to build 4 shock shaft assemblies. Take the shock shaft and, on the end that has the smaller threaded area, slide the parts on as shown: steel shim, piston, shim, locknut. Tighten down the locknut. You can go pretty tight here; we don’t want the piston wiggling around at all. Build 4 of these.

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 148
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 148
Place two red o-rings into the bottom of the shock body as shown. Drip a drop of two of shock fluid down into the center of the o-rings and screw the lower shock cap into place. Build 4 of these.

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 149
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 149
Slide one of the rubber downstops onto the shock shaft as shown. Take the shock shaft and SLOWLY feed it through the shock body and through the o-rings at the bottom of the shock. Once through, plunge the shock shaft a couple times to get it coated with the shock fluid you installed in Step 148. Now feed the two outer rubber bump stops onto the shaft (note the direction of the first bumpstop). Screw the shock eyelet onto the shock shaft and press the shock eyelet ball into place. Build 4 of these. Make sure they are all the same length; if they’re not, you can tighten or loosen the eyelets to adjust the length. WASH YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY WITH SOAP AND WATER BEFORE THE NEXT STEP!!

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 150
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 150
We will now press the black spring collar o-ring into the spring collar nut. This is much easier if you’re hands are not covered in shock oil so if you haven’t yet, WASH THEM! Build 4 of these and screw them onto the shock bodies. If they feel sticky, apply a small drop of shock fluid to the inside of the collar and thread them on.

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 151
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 151
Press the orange o-ring into the shock cap as shown. This is a much easier step than Step 150. Build 4 of these.

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 152
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 152
Set the shocks in your shock stand (you do have a shock stand, don’t you?) and fill them up with shock fluid. Plunge the shock shaft slowly up and down to release any air bubbles below the piston. Place back in the stand and let sit for a few minutes. Once the bubbles have risen to the top (and popped), fill thoe shocks up again to the top and screw the shock tops on about 90% of the way.

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 153
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 153
Pull each shock from the shock stand and slowly collapse the shock shaft into the body as shown. You should see some shock fluid pour out the bleeder hole in the side of the shock cap. If you don’t you may not have enough oil in them. Open and fill with oil to the top of the body and repeat. If the shock won’t collapse, unscrew the cap another 1/2 turn and repeat this step. Once you have bled the shocks, tighten down the shock cap.

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 154
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 154
Install the spring and lower shock spring retainer on all 4 shocks.

HPI Savage XS SS Build - Part 155
HPI Savage XS SS Build – Part 155
Attach the shocks to the Savage XS SS as shown. Make sure you add the o-rings to the top of the shock mount.

Part 11 – Installing the wheels, tires and body.
Back to the HPI Savage XS SS Build List

About Tony Phalen

Tony Phalen - As an avid RC enthusiast, Tony has been building, bashing and racing RC Cars for over 30 years. He has participated in every kind of surface racing events - 1/18 scale trucks, 1/10 scale TC, Rock Racers, Rally - if it had wheels, he's raced it! He's also worked on both sides of the industry fence; collaborating with many major manufacturers (as well as being a sponsored driver) to working for a high-profile industry magazine. During this time he has learned many tricks, tips and techniques and is sharing that knowledge on CompetitionX - the most informative RC website on the internet!

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