Kraton Tekno shocks on Kraton. I had no idea........

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Bigfella

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Arrma RC's
I put the Tekno full option shocks on my Kraton today. The build was easy and fun. The shock kits were very well organized and the quality? WOW! They are just dripping with quality.

The shocks are basically 99% "bolt on" too except for drilling a bigger hole in your shock tower, but that is easy. Their were no problems at all installing them. The only thing that made me sweat was drilling my carbon fiber shock towers for the new 4mm shock stand-offs. Carbon fiber can be sketchy when drilling but drilling the stock aluminum towers would be super easy.

When I bought these shocks it was really just to avoid the parts hassle that Arrma has created with shock shafts and ends. However, once I got the shocks installed and drove the truck I realized I was mistaken....badly mistaken. These shocks are not just a durability upgrade, they are a HUGE performance upgrade. I HAD NO IDEA shocks could be this good. I'm dumbfounded.

Everything about the truck is enhanced by these shocks. Jumping, cornering, drifting, and overall control have improved greatly. These things are SMOOTH.....I mean like butter.

Had I known the Tekno shocks were this good, they would have been my first upgrade. They are that good. They are worth every penny. If you have been considering these shocks for your Kraton, just buy them......you can thank me later. :)

Thanks to the guys who went before me with these shocks. You have made my Kraton even more fun. I'm a little poorer but .........oh well.;)
 
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That's a pretty glowing review, fella! Glad they're workin out for you and that I made the right choice in picking these up. Mine should arrive in the next few days and I can't wait...
 
You are gonna love them 83N. You made a really great decision getting the Tekno's.
 
That's a great review. Can you post part numbers?

I wrote this in another post, but have pasted it here for simplicity - Dollar Hobbyz have the Tekno ET48.3 shocks available as a full kit (shocks, bodies, caps, shafts, seals, springs, cap bushings, etc.), for $35-40*:

Front: https://www.dollarhobbyz.com/products/tekno-1-8-et48-3-front-shocks-springs
Rear: https://www.dollarhobbyz.com/products/tekno-1-8-et48-3-rear-shocks-springs

Stand-offs: Tekno TKR5027 (2pcs) for the standard ET48.3 part or TKR8027 for the extended 'option' part.

* These aren't the 'option' shocks with the TiN-coated shafts and delrin guides, however, they are a complete kit and still have 4mm shafts. And parts support.

...
And in case you ever want the TiN-coated rods you can buy them separately. Ebay these as well.
http://www.teknorc.com/shop/tkr6061t-shock-shafts-w-tini-coating-rear-x-long-steel-2pcs/
 
Thanks for the info, Just ordered them. I have never put together shocks before. I aint scared. What shock oil works best with these shocks?
 
Thanks for the info, Just ordered them. I have never put together shocks before. I aint scared. What shock oil works best with these shocks?

The oil weight is going to depend on the piston you put in. More hole area = thicker oil, less = thinner oil. I have the 4 hole pistons from Teckno and use 80wt in front and 70wt in back.

ALSO

Be sure to pick up a tube of Team Associated Green Slime or equivelant. It will prevent nicks in the O-rings as you assemble and will prevent leaks later on. Green slime can be used as generously as you want. A little too much slime is fine.


@Bigfella said it right, the Teckno shocks are an awesome upgrade. I was glad the topic came up and one guy had already posted a success story regarding them. That made it a lot easier to take the leap. $180 to redo shocks seemed crazy, but they really are a dream. Also if I ever bite on that ET48.4 or the new ET48.4 I'll have the upgrade shocks for it, and can swap the Full Option kit to the ET48. I've been wanting a real race buggy, and after seeing the quality of the shocks, I can't imagine they put any less into their kits.
 
What would be the correct shock standoffs to get, the regular or the extended ones?
 
I've bought the standard ET48 parts (TKR5027) on the reasoning that they're meant for a truggy so should work in this application.

Mine haven't arrived yet, so without seeing them on the car, I'm not sure why you'd need the extended ones?
 
I used these and am not having an issue - Tekno rc part number tkr8027; I guess they are the long version. I did not know there was a short version. My shocks seem close to the shock tower now even though I have the long stand offs.

 
question: did you use the Tekno springs before you had the Tekno shocks? I found that the springs alone are a vast improvement over stock Arrma springs.
 
Yes I did, and you are right the Teckno Springs make a huge difference. I also thickened up the oil. But it came down to bending shock rods and breaking the rod ends. Which became almost impossible to find. I also liked the look of them and having something on the car that no one else had. At least for a while anyway. No people are jumping all over these, and while they are great, they may be a bit overkill, for the FULL OPTION set, but what is done is done. Haven't broken a shock or end, and that was the original purpose.
 
These are the parts numbers for my shocks. Everything you need is listed. I used 55wt oil front and back with the "high pack" pistons. These are the same pistons that come in the ET48.3 truggy kit. The 55wt oil is what the stock MT410 uses. These pistons are great for jumping.

I will be experimenting even further with even lower weights of oil and softer "yellow" springs in the back. The set up I have now is great but you know how it is......I just like to tinker.

I want to mention something about the Tekno tools listed. They are optional but are probably the best tool investment I've ever made in rc......right up their with the MIP hex drivers. You will never regret buying them. They make every task I do with them fast, pleasurable, and without struggle. If you don't use the Tekno shock shaft tool, you will need to use another shock shaft tool with the ability to hold a 4mm shock shaft.

I'm tending away from shocks that are too hard. It puts a ton of stress on the car when the shocks are too stiff imo. Going to kinda mid weight stiffness has been a good thing (like Rich Duperbash). A bit of chassis slap can be desirable.


Shocks:

TKR6152 – Full Option Shock Kit (122mm, no springs, no pistons)
TKR6153 – Full Option Shock Kit (137mm, no springs, no pistons)

Accessories needed for mounting:

TKR1202 – M4 Locknuts (black, 10pcs)
TKR1211 – M3 Locknuts (flanged, black, 10pcs)
TKR5027 – Shock Standoffs (2pcs) (Buy two of these for total of 4 standoffs)
TKR6007 – Shock Cap Bushings (4pcs, EB/NB/ET/NT/SCT)

Piston, springs, oil:

TKR6051 – Shock Pistons (CNC, conical, 8×1.3, 10.6mm²)
TKR6093 – Shock Spring Set (front, 1.6×7.5T, 80mm, orange, 6.11 lb/in)
TKR6083 – Shock Spring Set (rear, 1.6×9.0T, 90mm, orange, 4.80 lb/in)
Associated 55wt oil (or oil of your choice)

Tools:

TKR1115 – Pivot Ball and Shock Multi-tool (aluminum) OPTIONAL
TKR1116 – 17mm Wheel Wrench, Shock Cap Tool. OPTIONAL
4.0mm drill bit
The small "t" wrench from your Kraton kit for attaching pistons to shock rod
 
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I've got Tekno GREEN springs that were supplied with the DH kits. In addition to these, I've also picked up the yellow springs so I have setup options.

I'm also using 700cst oil (AE 55wt).
 
The Dollar Hobby kits seem like a better decision, full set of shocks for under $70, and they come with Green springs, which is where I settled for the rear on the Kraton, would have saved me $12 there.

I have only bent 1 front shock shaft (from impact, my bad), and managed to bend it back for acceptable use. If it happens again, I might consider trying the front DH kit version, or just buy the Arrma front shafts for the parts stock when they're available.
 
I just ordered the kits linked in this post from Dollar Hobbyz. And also order th standard length offsets. After reading the review from the OP, and how much of an improvement they are, I figured I'd get a set.
 
Through testing, I found my best spring combo for Kraton is 90mm green with 80wt oil rear, and either the 90mm yellow, or 80mm orange on the front with 70wt oil. I can hit a harsh speed bump at a fast speed and it jumps, rather than kicking the tail over hard, also launches off rolling jumps nicely.
 
I got the full option kits on eBay. I paid $57 for the fronts and $62 for the rear with free shipping.
 
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