1) I shave my tower a bit so I can use the original mounts without spacers, then I use a black .090 spacer on the bottom. Clears everything with room to spare. This is the route that b4.2 took with a running change to the shock tower part as well I believe.

2) The o-ring is a pita when new, especially with the .050 head screw. The 1/16" head screw works much better, but both have the same problem. When the o-ring is new, it isn't large enough to not easily slip by the screw head. You kinda have to just keep working the wrench back and fourth a bit until it stays under and you don't tighten it much at all -- just enough to where you see the o-ring squished decently and the screw isn't completely loose. When the o-ring swells due to shock oil exposure, it becomes far easier to work with. Having said that, many folks don't even run the o-ring now, or have switched to a losi brass washer. Personally, I run the o-rings and just deal with it being a little dumb at first... then they swell, and it's fine. Granted, it's one of the worst designed bleeder systems I've seen and it's release in that state is second only to the release of the rc8.2 with it's front upper arms that banana in 3 outdoor races.

yeah, I shaved mine as well. I have crashed it a few times and the track and no breakage yet. /cross fingers

Has anyone found a good picture of the revised fr/rr towers yet? Pics on AE's site don't show much.

The front tower is just molded with an additional spacer already on it. The rear has just been molded to mimic you dremeling the underside to allow clearance from the shock cap. You can kinda see it here:

Must be a running change (part#'s are the same). Kinda unfortunate since the old stock will need to get burned through before you see the newer mold (unless you buy a kit of course).

A molder spacer? I cant really see that from the pics. But yeah the rear tower is simply pre cut. I am just hoping they did a better job and give a more vertical shock, but I doubt it. I think it will be better than the spacers, but worse the the v2 shock angle.

I would make sure you buy from the LHS and visually make sure you got the new tower for a while. Ordering from tower/amain might get you the old tower.

Look at the backside of the front tower. you can see additional material on the backside (just at the mount, not across the whole tower) compared to the tower that is on your car right now.

That is a good mod and I have been playing with it myself at home. But i have not put this on the first page for 2 reasons.

1) AE is making new tower and it might make this mod null and void.
2) The mod is nice, but the creator did not provide enough details on the mod for it to be overly useful. What sized screws did he use in the counter sunk holes. Where did he get the screws (part number)? How far should the tower be moved back(mm/inches)? What size spacers for the wing mounts are needed and where to buy them?


This MOD is complicated enough that it requires more details to be posted on the first page. I was under the impression he was still testing and perfecting the mod. How it effect handing? Did the body need to be trimmed? etc. No offense to the MOD creator.

"If" this became "the mod" for BB shocks. It would be great if the exact hole placement could be determined and premade drilling templates were created for those interested. Ideally you could make it out of steel. Then bolt it to you u-brace and drill out the holes according to the template. Maybe make the template and the rear spacers and missing 5-40 FHS screws included. So like a "BB Tower mod conversion kit". If i had the resources and the mod tested well, I would do it.

@matt yeah it does look thicker. I will pull up some top shots of the old tower and compare. I understood what you are staying, just hard to tell. That they did was essentially the same as the ubrace. They raised the area where the shock mounts, but left the rest of the tower alone. I wonder if the cut it also to try and get the shock angle to be close to the v2's. And the shock angle may or may not be a bad thing. It "could" help the handling or it could hurt it. I dont know that my BB shocks make the car feel completely different. Turning, jumping and the rougher surfaces all feel different. I am unsure how much is the shock angle, larger piston or lower stiction due to the smaller shafts.


I pulled up the manual for the 4.2 and 4.1 and looked at the profile pics. I can see it now. It is interesting that they did that instead of cutting the tower. I assume they was durability concerns in the front. The angle of the rears in both pictures look pretty close. No idea if it will rub or not with the new tower, but the manual does not call for the metal spacers on the bottom.

I went aggressive with the shaving of both my front and rear towers (both around a year old), and have not had an issue. I run weekly (sometimes bi-weekly), in addition to 3-4 practice days per month.

yeah, same here. That is why I don't understand why they didn't cut the front tower like the rear.

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I saw your post lol. And my spring collar rubbed. I dont think the shock cap was an issue.

for the one I got in, the kyosho big bores don't appear to be mounted with any mods to the towers themselves. just spacers, etc.