48.4 Bladder vs Emulsion shocks

[Nicochau]

I just bought a used EB48.4 with bladder shocks on it.

What piston should I use with 550 cst front / 450 cst rear in order to have a result as close to the stock box Emulsion setup? Or should I just get Emulsion caps and rebuild it this way?

 

[Billl DeLong]

I would get the emulsion caps back on if it were me, bladders tend to rebound too much and are very inconsistent to rebuild properly without a special shock took to measure rebound to make sure both shocks are identical. With the emulsion setup, you are guaranteed the same rebound every time making them far easier to work on without having to fuss with a shock tool.

Some people prefer more rebound on bumpy tracks, but I am fortunate that all the tracks in my area are smooth hard packed which is another reason for me to run emulsion and never look back

 

[Nicochau]

I would get the emulsion caps back on if it were me, bladders tend to rebound too much and are very inconsistent to rebuild properly without a special shock took to measure rebound to make sure both shocks are identical. With the emulsion setup, you are guaranteed the same rebound every time making them far easier to work on without having to fuss with a shock tool.

Some people prefer more rebound on bumpy tracks, but I am fortunate that all the tracks in my area are smooth hard packed which is another reason for me to run emulsion and never look back

Thanks for the great feedback Bill! (As usual!)

We mostly race on rough / temporary tracks in parks since I’m trying to keep the driving-to-the-track time to as short as possible.

I will however likely follow your lead for the simplicity of it and because I know which parts to buy.

 

[Billl DeLong]

Emulsion will tend to give you more grip, if you're finding that you are traction rolling too much on the bumpy terrain then it's possible that bladder setup may be better for you in your case... but to get a decent bladder rebuild, I would consider buying this tool here:
https://www.amainhobbies.com/rpm-shock-duplicator-tool-rpm70972/p456785

 

[Nicochau]

Emulsion will tend to give you more grip, if you're finding that you are traction rolling too much on the bumpy terrain then it's possible that bladder setup may be better for you in your case... but to get a decent bladder rebuild, I would consider buying this tool here:
https://www.amainhobbies.com/rpm-shock-duplicator-tool-rpm70972/p456785

As a matter of fact, I have experienced traction roll mainly due to the irregular nature of the track surface. e.g. moving from dirt to patches of grass

I am mainly mitigating this with lower profile knobs on the tires (I was using badlands that work great in loose dirt but can suddenly become very grippy).

The pistons that came with the bladder shocks are 3 holes pistons and I would not know what oil to get in there anyhow. So going back to a box stock setup actually works for me.

 

[Billl DeLong]

It's really hard to say what will be the best for you without actually seeing what is happening, if you can get someone to record a few laps and then post a video of it, then maybe I can help make a few suggestions. Shocks alone won't address everything, but yes tires will solve 50% of your issues first, then everything else will account for the other 50% of tuning. Mixing surface types can be nearly impossible to solve, you will have to make a trade off and decide which section of track is costing you more time, then tune for that section as your priority.

I would read this doc first:
https://www.teknorc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Set_Up_Guide.pdf

Then use the guide to make changes based on priority of what you need:

 

[lampshade9909]

I would read this doc first:
https://www.teknorc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Set_Up_Guide.pdf

Then use the guide to make changes based on priority of what you need:

This guide makes me feel like a teenager who just found the kamasutra book.