I looked high and low for a good guide on how to convert a DBXL to run 5ive-T shocks without murdering my car or buying $400 worth of alloy & custom fab. Couldn't find anything so I made one myself.
Disclaimer: This may not be the "best" way or the least expensive way. My goal here was to do a conversion that was durable, didn't wreck the car and was as cost effective as possible without being "cheap." So if you don't like the way I did it, please invent your own way or feel free to contribute CONSTRUCTIVE feedback to improve the design. Do this modification at YOUR OWN RISK. I'm not responsible for you messing up your car!
Problem: DBXL suspension sucks, the car jumps like a hard tail Harley Davidson and lands like a wet brick! The stock suspension makes the car turn like a sled. There is just no real reliable way to make it as supple, compliant and responsive as the 5ive-T without a massive amount of money. The easy solution is to get rid of the garbage shocks, but that presents yet another problem; the lack of aftermarket bolt on shocks for DBXL.
Solution: Losi 5ive-T shocks are PROVEN and RELIABLE. The front shocks for a 5ive-T are within 1mm of eye to eye length for the OE DBXL Shocks. So it's a home run if you can get it to work.
Parts Required:
4X M6 Metric Threaded Self-Tapping Furniture Insert (available at ACE hardware for .39 each)
(Alternates to Threaded Furniture Insert: 4X M6 Barrel Nuts or Brake Backing Bolt for bicycle)
8X6mm Flat Washer
Losi 5ive-T Shock Mount Kit LOSB2859
Losi 5ive-T Shock Plastics Kit LOSB2855
2 Sets of 5ive-T front Shocks Dollar Hobbys PN: 5T Shocks Front / UPC 015568431586
Tools Required:
Cordless Drill (small and easy to control)
Drill Bit : 5/16 (SHARP)
10mm Driver/Socket
6mm Allen Tool / Socket
Hobby Saw with metal blade (DO NOT USE A WOOD BLADE)
MISC HELPFUL PICS:
This is what you are trying to accomplish. Red one gone, blue one on - and then a happy person with a good suspension setup.
This is the underside of my 5ive-T for reference
Upper Mounting Hardware with part numbers
Lower Mounting Hardware (use stock lower bolts - both right handed M5's)
This is a pic of the setup I used in the end on my car.
This is an example of the alternate setup. This is using an M6 Barrel Nut. The only difference is you need a slightly larger hole in the shock tower which is in the end the reason I opted NOT to use this design. I choose to leave more material in the shock tower for strength.
This is an example of the alternate setup 2. This is using a Wheels Manufacturing Brake Barrel Nut which you can source at your local bike shop. CAUTION: This will require you to custom cut the barrel nut to length but it will work with the same drill bit size from the tools list.
These are barrel nuts and furniture nuts together. Note the barrel nuts diameter is larger so if you use them you need to drill a larger hole which is why I didn't use them.
THE GUIDE:
Step 1: Old shocks OFF. Remove them and throw them directly in the trash. (If you can't tell, I don't like the stock DBXL shocks. I've bent 3 of them, had two seize up on me, popped the caps off another two and had one squeaking perpetually even after rebuild for 2 months!.) So yeah, get rid of em.
Step 2: Remove rear bumper and bumper strut. Enlarge the INNER most hole in your shock tower on both sides to 5/16 CAREFULLY and SLOWLY with good control. If you don't know how to drill plastic without the bit grabbing and running away on you using your forefinger and hand as a brace, find someone who does and ask them to help you drill it. Plastic likes to grab bits and take off with them, you can crack your shock tower if you don't maintain control so do it carefully and always remain in control of the bit's forward progress. (NOTE: I used the inner hole. I did this because the strut tower is stronger there and because the new 5ive-T shocks are CLEARLY stronger than the DBXL shocks. I wanted to move the shock uppers in so that the suspension is as supple as possible. You can do this however you like.
Step 3: Using your hobby saw with a metal blade, carefully cut away the excess thin plastic/nylon material from the hole so that what you are left with is a clean flat surface to mount the 5ive-T shock tower mounts on to. Failing to do this will cause you to have a thin walled surface which is too deep and causes the shock angle to be incorrect. The shocks will bind and the caps will rub on the mounts if this step is skipped. You will also re-create one of the original down falls of the stock shocks which is poor angle to the A-Arm. This step causes the shock to sit nearly directly dead center over the lower mount which gives you amazing shock actuation.
(((This is what you are preventing. See the angle, how it goes towards the front of the car at the bottom. Also note that it will rub the cap if you leave it at that angle, removing the plastic as shown above prevents this and solves multiple problems)))
Step 4: Using a 6mm allen socket, push on the threaded furniture sleeve and thread it in carefully. Make sure it goes in straight because you basically get one shot. Note: Once the lip on the cap is flush with the plastic, STOP. If you over tighten it, you will strip the cap. The threads are coarse so tighten it 1/4 turn at a time. What I did was turn it 1/4 clock wise, then 1/4 counter-clockwise 2/3 times to make sure I got a good bite of the plastic then I set about threading it in slowly. Keep CONSTANT pressure on it so you don't strip the cap or screw up the plastic.
Step 5: Put it together. Use Blue Lock Tight on the threads for the upper mounts and when you tighten them, stop when the bottom of the hex nut shape on the upper mount is parallel with the bottom of the shock tower shape. This insures that the cap will not rub on the outside of the shock mounting surface.
Step 6: Install shocks like you normally would. Use a single washer on both sides of the lower shock mount to take up the space. The DBXL shocks have a wider lower mount than the 5ive-T does. That is why you put the washers on inside the A-Arm. Also note this will prevent the shock pivot from cutting into the plastic like it does on the DBXL shocks. You may need to fight with the washers a little bit to get them in there but do it, it's worth it.
Don't forget to use the plastic shock mount inserts for the upper cap mounts. Otherwise the shocks will shake like crazy. They also come with a washer and a lock nut. Use both.
Step 7: Repeat process on front.
Step 8: GET TO RIPPIN'
Disclaimer: This may not be the "best" way or the least expensive way. My goal here was to do a conversion that was durable, didn't wreck the car and was as cost effective as possible without being "cheap." So if you don't like the way I did it, please invent your own way or feel free to contribute CONSTRUCTIVE feedback to improve the design. Do this modification at YOUR OWN RISK. I'm not responsible for you messing up your car!
Problem: DBXL suspension sucks, the car jumps like a hard tail Harley Davidson and lands like a wet brick! The stock suspension makes the car turn like a sled. There is just no real reliable way to make it as supple, compliant and responsive as the 5ive-T without a massive amount of money. The easy solution is to get rid of the garbage shocks, but that presents yet another problem; the lack of aftermarket bolt on shocks for DBXL.
Solution: Losi 5ive-T shocks are PROVEN and RELIABLE. The front shocks for a 5ive-T are within 1mm of eye to eye length for the OE DBXL Shocks. So it's a home run if you can get it to work.
Parts Required:
4X M6 Metric Threaded Self-Tapping Furniture Insert (available at ACE hardware for .39 each)
(Alternates to Threaded Furniture Insert: 4X M6 Barrel Nuts or Brake Backing Bolt for bicycle)
8X6mm Flat Washer
Losi 5ive-T Shock Mount Kit LOSB2859
Losi 5ive-T Shock Plastics Kit LOSB2855
2 Sets of 5ive-T front Shocks Dollar Hobbys PN: 5T Shocks Front / UPC 015568431586
Tools Required:
Cordless Drill (small and easy to control)
Drill Bit : 5/16 (SHARP)
10mm Driver/Socket
6mm Allen Tool / Socket
Hobby Saw with metal blade (DO NOT USE A WOOD BLADE)
MISC HELPFUL PICS:
This is what you are trying to accomplish. Red one gone, blue one on - and then a happy person with a good suspension setup.
This is the underside of my 5ive-T for reference
Upper Mounting Hardware with part numbers
Lower Mounting Hardware (use stock lower bolts - both right handed M5's)
This is a pic of the setup I used in the end on my car.
This is an example of the alternate setup. This is using an M6 Barrel Nut. The only difference is you need a slightly larger hole in the shock tower which is in the end the reason I opted NOT to use this design. I choose to leave more material in the shock tower for strength.
This is an example of the alternate setup 2. This is using a Wheels Manufacturing Brake Barrel Nut which you can source at your local bike shop. CAUTION: This will require you to custom cut the barrel nut to length but it will work with the same drill bit size from the tools list.
These are barrel nuts and furniture nuts together. Note the barrel nuts diameter is larger so if you use them you need to drill a larger hole which is why I didn't use them.
THE GUIDE:
Step 1: Old shocks OFF. Remove them and throw them directly in the trash. (If you can't tell, I don't like the stock DBXL shocks. I've bent 3 of them, had two seize up on me, popped the caps off another two and had one squeaking perpetually even after rebuild for 2 months!.) So yeah, get rid of em.
Step 2: Remove rear bumper and bumper strut. Enlarge the INNER most hole in your shock tower on both sides to 5/16 CAREFULLY and SLOWLY with good control. If you don't know how to drill plastic without the bit grabbing and running away on you using your forefinger and hand as a brace, find someone who does and ask them to help you drill it. Plastic likes to grab bits and take off with them, you can crack your shock tower if you don't maintain control so do it carefully and always remain in control of the bit's forward progress. (NOTE: I used the inner hole. I did this because the strut tower is stronger there and because the new 5ive-T shocks are CLEARLY stronger than the DBXL shocks. I wanted to move the shock uppers in so that the suspension is as supple as possible. You can do this however you like.
Step 3: Using your hobby saw with a metal blade, carefully cut away the excess thin plastic/nylon material from the hole so that what you are left with is a clean flat surface to mount the 5ive-T shock tower mounts on to. Failing to do this will cause you to have a thin walled surface which is too deep and causes the shock angle to be incorrect. The shocks will bind and the caps will rub on the mounts if this step is skipped. You will also re-create one of the original down falls of the stock shocks which is poor angle to the A-Arm. This step causes the shock to sit nearly directly dead center over the lower mount which gives you amazing shock actuation.
(((This is what you are preventing. See the angle, how it goes towards the front of the car at the bottom. Also note that it will rub the cap if you leave it at that angle, removing the plastic as shown above prevents this and solves multiple problems)))
Step 4: Using a 6mm allen socket, push on the threaded furniture sleeve and thread it in carefully. Make sure it goes in straight because you basically get one shot. Note: Once the lip on the cap is flush with the plastic, STOP. If you over tighten it, you will strip the cap. The threads are coarse so tighten it 1/4 turn at a time. What I did was turn it 1/4 clock wise, then 1/4 counter-clockwise 2/3 times to make sure I got a good bite of the plastic then I set about threading it in slowly. Keep CONSTANT pressure on it so you don't strip the cap or screw up the plastic.
Step 5: Put it together. Use Blue Lock Tight on the threads for the upper mounts and when you tighten them, stop when the bottom of the hex nut shape on the upper mount is parallel with the bottom of the shock tower shape. This insures that the cap will not rub on the outside of the shock mounting surface.
Step 6: Install shocks like you normally would. Use a single washer on both sides of the lower shock mount to take up the space. The DBXL shocks have a wider lower mount than the 5ive-T does. That is why you put the washers on inside the A-Arm. Also note this will prevent the shock pivot from cutting into the plastic like it does on the DBXL shocks. You may need to fight with the washers a little bit to get them in there but do it, it's worth it.
Don't forget to use the plastic shock mount inserts for the upper cap mounts. Otherwise the shocks will shake like crazy. They also come with a washer and a lock nut. Use both.
Step 7: Repeat process on front.
Step 8: GET TO RIPPIN'