Bad Horsie RC Shock Covers (Socks) 101

RC Shock Cover (Socks) Protection 101

Although our Shock Covers may look cool, this is not their reason of origin. We have been using them for years due to the simplicity of minimizing shock rebuilds. As most avid RCer's see the need to rebuild their shocks for maximum handling performance, we have yet to meet anyone who enjoys doing it, particularly on an eight-shock RC Monster Truck. As with any scale of vehicle, shocks make all the performance difference in the world, with the power-to-weight-ratio's we have these day's if you can't put it to the ground and keep it there, what's the point? Because of this very reason, we pay just as much attention to our shocks and suspension as we do our nitro content or battery conditions.

Facts and Common Misconceptions

All RC shocks have one common inferiority in their design. They all share a required open-element design factor. This open-element design factor is where the shock oil must pass between the o-rings and the shock shaft in order for the shock to actuate smoothly. When the shock shaft is cycled through its range of motion, shock oil is drawn from the shock body leaving a thin coat of oil on the shock shaft at all times. When the shock is extended, the oil coated shaft is open to the elements where it then becomes a dirt magnet. As the shock is compressed and the shaft is drawn back inside of the shock body, dirt is then introduced to the volume of oil in the shock body. This is why your shock oil is always dirty when you drain them during a rebuild. This very contamination is the single largest factor in o-ring failure and leaky shocks.

As many of you already know, a leaky shock makes for a suspension tuning nightmare and causes terrible and inconsistant handling. With that said, enter the RC Shock Cover, or Shock Sock as many like to call them. An RC Shock Cover is much like an air filter. It doesn't take much imagination to see the similarities and it doesn't take much common sense to realize that like an air filter, shock covers should also be cleaned on occassion. Running your RC without Shock Covers is like running a nitro RC without an air filter.

Importance of design quality and how it effects you

It takes a certain type of stitching method to correctly produce a good quality Shock Cover. Many different stitches exist that may work, but with much compromise. Intended use, material weight and composition dictate the required stitch pattern and very few sewing machines offer more than one, if any, stitching capabilities for this type of Lycra material, thus, Buyer's Beware! Incorrect stitching as well as incorrect materials will always guarantee an inferior Shock Cover that will fall apart, fit incorrectly and/or cause inconsistent spring rate fluctuations between your shocks.

Watch out for those who use mutilple-stitches or multiple spools of thread to keep their Shock Covers from falling apart. These people market their junk with absolutely no proper knowledge of sewing this material. Applying these machines and sewing methods to the construction of an RC Shock Cover is like hammering a roofing nail with a wine glass. There is just no point to it when there is a proven industry standard that ensures proper manufacturing with this material. To this day, some home-made shock socks are still produced and sold on the internet with a "one-size-fits-all" approach. This method of trying to make a quick buck ruins the idea of shock protection. Don't fall for their lazy excuses!
There is no such thing as "one-size-fits-all".

Bad Horsie Shock Covers are designed for a specific size spring as to offer truly uncompromised functionality without hindering spring rate performance. Certainly, several of our Shock Cover sets share the same size diameter but we offer several sizes in diameter alone in our "Standard" size Shock Cover section. We use these sizes throughout all of our Shock Cover sets as required. This is a modeling hobby so aside from functionality, keeping things to "scale" is a huge part of what we do! Which is why a properly made Shock Cover for an RC10 is not going to fit a T-Maxx or a Losi 8ight.

The use of party balloons as a shock protector has got to be the dumbest thing we have ever seen! It would be a cheap and easy alternative if it worked but it doesn't. An RC shock cover must fulfill one objective; To reduce dirt build-up on your shock shafts for prolonging shock rebuilds while not hindering the spring-rate performance of your shocks. If you are so inclined to stretch a rubber party balloon over your shock then you might as well use a different weight shock oil at each corner of your RC. Balloons will inconsistently alter your shock performance and cause suspension tuning nightmares.

Over the years, we have witnessed hundreds of Shock Sock inquiries on various RC forums from interested hobbyists and it never fails, someone always chimes in and states that they paid 50 cents for a bag of party balloons and that they work great. These comments come from amateur's so save yourself the time, hassle and embarrassment. Party balloons also quickly and easily tear proving nothing more than a really big waste of time.

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