NITRO RUSTLER • 31
TUNING adjUSTmENTS
Once you become familiar with driving your Nitro Rustler, you may
wish to make adjustments for better driving performance.
Adjusting the Slipper Clutch
The Nitro Rustler features an adjustable slipper clutch on the spur
gear to help protect the drive train from sudden shock loads (such as
landing off of jumps with the engine at full throttle). Under normal
conditions the slipper clutch should not slip. Before adjusting the
slipper clutch, turn the model off. Do not adjust the slipper clutch while
the engine is running.
Use the supplied glow plug
(universal) wrench to tighten the
slipper nut (clockwise) until it stops,
and then back the nut out 1/4 of a
turn. If you notice any decrease in
performance after making changes
to the slipper clutch adjustment,
then it may be too loose. The slipper
must not be allowed to slip during
normal acceleration or the slipper
could be damaged.
Adjusting the Toe-in
Geometry and
alignment specs play
an important roll in
your truck’s handling,
so take the time to set
them correctly. Set the
steering trim on your
transmitter to neutral. Now, adjust your tie rods so that both wheels are
pointing straight ahead and are parallel to each other (0° toe-in). This will
ensure the same amount of steering in both directions. If you run out
of adjustment, then the steering servo will have to be re-centered (see
“centering the servos” on page 33). For increased stability add 1° to 2° of
toe-in to each front wheel. Use the turnbuckles to adjust the alignment.
Adjusting the Camber
The camber angle of
both the front and rear
wheels can be adjusted
with the camber rods
(upper turnbuckles). Use
a square or right-angle
triangle to set the camber accurately. Adjust the front wheels to 0° of
camber (wheel perpendicular to the ground). In the rear, adjust the
wheels to 1° to 2° of negative camber. These adjustments should be set
with the truck positioned at its normal ride height.
Fine Tuning the Shocks
The four shocks (oil dampers) on your Nitro
Rustler have tremendous influence on its
handling. Whenever you rebuild your shocks
or make any changes to the pistons, springs
or oil, always do it carefully and in sets (front
or rear). Piston head selection depends on
the range of oil viscosities that you have
available. For example, using a two-hole
piston with lightweight oil will give you the
same damping as a three-hole piston with
heavier oil. We recommend using two-hole
pistons with a range of oil viscosities from
10W to 40W (available from your hobby shop).
The thinner viscosity oils (30W or less) flow
with less resistance and provide less damping,
while thicker oils provide more dampening.
Use only 100% pure silicone shock oil to
prolong seal life. From the factory, the Nitro Rustler uses 30W oil.
The ride height for the Nitro Rustler can be adjusted by adding or
removing the clip-on spring pre-load spacers. Note that changes in
ride height will occur when changes in shock angle or spring rates are
made. You can compensate for ride height changes by changing the
pre-load spacers on the shocks
0
°
0
°
1
°
-2
°
1
°
-2
°
-1
°
-1
°
Toe
0
°
0
°
1
°
-2
°
1
°
-2
°
-1
°
-1
°
Camber
Pre-load
Spacer
