how exactly are droop screws used? i read somewhere that you lower the droop screws on one end and it does something for the handling. dont flame me for not searching because i did search and couldnt find anything

They limit down travel in the suspension, which in turn makes it hard to traction roll. Speaking of the rear end here. It probably would have similar effect on the front.

rite but if you tighten them down in the rear what effect does it have on the front of the buggy?

Less Droop
Front less on power steering
Better for small jumps
Rear less off power traction


More Droop
Front more on power steering
Better handling on rough tracks

Rear More rear traction
Better handling on rough tracks

so if i am racing oval and i want loads of steering coming out of the corner at full throttle i want as much droop as possible in the front? please correct me if im wrong

I would think so but keep in mine on any setting there are many variables. Try it both ways and see how it affects handling.

rite. thanks. i wasnt getting enough steering coming out of the corners so i just took the wing off. if that gives me too much im going to put it back on and cut my extra one up and see how that does

I only race off road and not oval so I am limited to say what will work in your situation. Good Luck.

Thanks for asking me to contribute to this, but to be honest I have nothing to add to 46u's correct analysis of the effects of droop, and that acceleration out of corners should require a lower droop setting (more suspension travel), but you'll have to experiment and find a happy medium, as lots of droop introduces other concerns.

I must confess it's difficult for me to envision what exactly is happening to your car on a track such as you describe. I can only really tell you that I use lower droop when I find that I want all 4 wheels on the ground a bit more, like on bumpy tracks, as described. If you're track isn't that bumpy you're going to dramatically increase squat under acceleration by lowering the front droop settings. Another thing to try is increasing the weight of the oil in the front and centre differentials. Remember, the more you want a buggy to behave like an on-road car, the stiffer you want the front and center diffs.

I think you'll find experimentation is the answer.

EDIT: I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think your problem will be solved by the droop settings, they're intended for a different situation. Stiffen the diffs (including the rear a bit) I bet that helps more.

thanks foxy42. i already went up 2k in the center to 5k.(keep in mind its an ofna spider diff.) and i took off the wing so that should keep some weight on the front wheels.

I run 5K,5K and 2K off road. I am even thinking about trying 7K in the middle.

ya but this spider diff just throws everything off. on off-road i ran 3k 3k 5k and it ran great

Not enough for smooth tracks (same to you 46u), seriously, take the plunge, try 10-10-2, this is what I used to run on my hyper 7 (which also had an 8 gear spider), it makes it handle much more like a road car, more traction out of the corners. Makes the buggies want to drive more 'on traction' than swinging them round corners. depends entirely on your driving style, but this suited me nicely, as I came from on-road cars, I can't help trying to drive my buggy like an on road car.

More caster will give you better on power steering.

I agree a lot has to do with how you drive as well as the track and so far I am trying combinations that other drivers are using on the tracks I run. So far have not found one person running over 7K yet. Not saying in might be better but will try what others using first. I will say I have not found any yet that run heaver in the rear then the front and middle.

No, indeed that would be odd. You can only really run very heavy diffs on smooth tracks, and I understand yours is bumpy, so that's why you have softer diffs. Yor setup does sound light to me though, for any track, still you've been running buggies longer than I, and I bow to your wisdom. I'm currently running 5-7-1 in the XB8, but as I have mentioned, my track is bumpy and technical, so I have to trade off a little my driving style in favour of keeping some forward motion.

No I more then likely have not been running buggies as long as you but bottom line fine tuning has to do with the driving styles and the track so they are going to vary. I all so believe in starting where the majority at the tack run as normally they are in the ballpark. Just my opinion.

I'm one of those annoying people that automatically assumes that the majority are wrong.

On the premise that one person is smart but a mob is blind. Heh, it's not failed me yet.

I'm only kidding, I know what you mean. I been using buggies for about three years, bashing the first year, racing rarely the second year, and a bit more toward the end of last year. The track has been left to rot unfortunately lately, and is no longer satisfying in the least to run on. That's why I'm going back to on road this year, I hope they sort it out, cos I do like to get DIRTY sometimes.

ya well im gonna see tomorrow when i go and if it doesnt turn well enough ill see about almost locking the center or rear diff. thanks guys for all your help!!