nissan300ztt

Now I know carbon fiber is lighter then aluminum and stronger. But when it comes to Nitro buggy shock towers are they worth upgrading or not. Any info would be a great help.

Tom76

A guy at my local track had carbon fiber shock towers, but one of them shattered when he came down hard on a jump. He now uses aluminum.

nissan300ztt

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dicko

it's a personal choice, some like them, some don't any shock tower will bend or break if hit hard enough. if you're a bit of a basher, go ali, if you are a good racer, go carbon.

OffroadBEAR

My Feedback: (2)

I'm not anywhere close to a racer or even a good driver, but I would tend toward aluminum because if it bends or deforms, you can bend it back. If your carbon shock tower shatters or breaks off you are stuck replacing it. Once the aluminum is deformed and then worked back to its original shape it is weaker, but still usable.

apereira

If the landing does not break the carbon then carbon is better as it keeps the car setting because it does not deform at all, but if you land too hard then aluminum is better.

Tom76

The guy at my local track is a good racer and he was just unlucky. He shattered the front one. Now he runs aluminum on the front and carbon on the rear.

slayerphonics

Id go carbon,

nissan300ztt

Well im getting an RC8 Factory Team, and Im looking at the carbon fiber on this buggy. And its strong. Ive seen them in action, but i see all the aluminum parts look 10 times tougher. I guess thats all I know. I was gonna get an xray but im noticing a new CB is 35 bucks. A whole new clutch set-up is $85.99. And new shock towers are a lot. So the RC8 with a few minor hop-ups will be my buggy.

K_B

Doesn't the RC8 already come with carbon towers?

nissan300ztt

Yes but im saying if the carbon towers dont last. Ill be ordering aluminum ones.

slayerphonics

I've seen more bent alloy towers then broken carbon towers

rclynx

Bent aluminum stays around a lot longer than broken Carbon.........LOL.........I think when it comes down to carbon fiber if it didn't come with the buggy and your not on the Pro circuit don't bother, unless your just doing it for bling [&o]

Echelon

True... But some people say, when the alu shocktower's bent, just bent it back. But you just can't bent something like that back.

slayerphonics

Also remember it has a memory and loses some of its strength from being bent.

Carbon will flex and return with no memory, and pound for pound carbon is much stronger and stiffer.

But when the carbon fails, it fails. I haven't seen one break yet. i'm sure it can happen though.

I did a little research on carbon vs steel vs aluminum, was some interesting stuff to read.

One thing was about the plastic ratings on alloys, their ability to with stand being flexed and its ability to return.
And aluminum ranked lower then steel.

http://www.kastenmarine.com/alumVSsteel.htm

this link is the steel vs aluminum, do a search on the carbon one

BUGGIES_R_US

Whats the price difference? If they're fairly cheap I'd go with carbon. But yes CF will shatter.

Echelon

Shocktowers are not cheap. And CF is more expensive.

nissan300ztt

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