TLR 22SCT Build – Part 3 – Front Suspension

The Build – Part 3
The front suspension is up next, which includes turnbuckles, suspension arms, the shock tower and front bumper.

Build Notes:
You’ll be building turnbuckles in this step…never any fun. Have a few rags around to hold the ballcups or, if you have some, grab your ballcup holding tool.

Part 3 of our TLR 22SCT build begins with the steering blocks. Start by installing the ball end into the block (note orientation), followed by the two bearings and crush washer. Make sure the crush washer is seated correctly between the two bearings or the bearings won’t sit flush.

Slide the axle through the steering block, insert the roll pin and slide the wheel hex into place. It’s a pretty tight fit so there is no worry about the pin falling out.

Losi provides 3 different sizes of washers for upcoming steps. As you can see, there are 2 thick washers (2mm), 2 thinner washer (1mm) and 4 thinnest washers (.5mm). For the next step we’ll want to use the 2 2mm washers. Keep the others, however, for tuning the front steering block height.

Screw a ball stud into the caster block, then mate the caster block and steering block as shown. Lock the two together with the shouldered screws. Don’t forget to add the 2mm shim above the caster block.

Take a front suspension arm and attach your caster block/steering block assembly to it. The washer shown is a small, metal ‘ringed’ washer. Note the orientation of the front suspension arm, also noting that it will have a slight ‘kick-up’.

Take both front suspension arm assemblies and attach them to your chassis assembly as shown. The pins will push into place…

…however you’ll need to lock them in place with the supplied setscrew. Tighten lightly until you feel it ‘drop’ into the cutout in the suspension pin. Do not overtighten.

Build 2 camber turnbuckles as shown. The length of 91.2 is a good starting point.

Make sure you have both turnbuckles ‘facing’ the same direction and snap them into place. You can tell which direction they are facing by the little ‘line’ cut into them just off-center of the adjustment square.

Build 2 steering turnbuckles as shown. The length of 91.75 is a good starting point.

As in Build Step 25, make sure they are facing the same direction (as well as the same direction of the camber turnbuckles) and snap them into place as shown.

Build the front shock tower. Note the orientation of the tower and the shock mounts.

Attach the tower to the chassis assembly.

Flip the 22SCT over and install the front skid plate. It’s best to key the skid plate to the chassis first, then screw it into place.

Attach the front bumper brace.

To complete the front bumper, we’ll need to use 3 different length screws; a long (16mm), a medium (12mm) and a short length (10mm).

Place the front bumper into place and secure with the 16mm and 10mm screws (the 10mm towards the back).

Here is a secondary shot of the bumper attachment. The front holes are empty, the middle holes are where the 16mm screws go and the back holes are for the 10mm screws.

Finally, attach the upper part of the front bumper with the 12mm screws.

Part 4 – Assembling the rear suspension.
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