Suspension: 1/8 buggy style

[Nairb]

1) The flatter your shocks are positioned, the better it will handle hard cornering. The more vertical they are, they'll do better at soaking up small bumps quickly.

2) More pack = less likely to bottom out off a jump.

3) I heard that spring stiffness controls how fast your shocks rebound, but it's more complicated than that...

4) hmm...

5) Toe-in = faster turn-in, Toe-out = weird looking car (J/k, faster turning out of turns) and tends to be more squirrelly.

6) More camber = more stability in hard turning corners.

[dsp]

I'm running a Mugen MBX4 (not an RR) on a rough/rutted and fairly tight track (NorCal Hobby World). I've got the engine cruising along just fine so now it's time for suspension tuning. So here goes with a few questions on 4WD 1/8 scale buggy suspensions:

1) Let's be progressive: Okay, I've heard that as you "lay down" the shocks the suspension becomes more progressive. So as you place the top of the shock "in" and the bottom further "out" you achieve what? What type of track is this setup best suited for?

2) Pack it in: I started with 1 hole Mugen pistons in my shocks with 60wt oil. I've been told that using multi-hole shock pistons coupled with a heavier oil I can achieve the same "feel" as the single hole setup. However, I gain the advantage of less "pack". How does this help me? Better for landing off big jumps or better on ruts?

3) Spring it on: Generally speaking if I am using the same weight shock oil all around what effect does a lighter spring in the front achieve? What about heavier in the front? Also, what is the benefit of the 2 stage or progressive springs?

4) Spoils of oils: I found out today that my track is much better suited to a lighter weight oil. Most everyone runs 35 to 40 weight and I've been running 60wt. This had me bouncing all over the place on the ruts and on jump landings. I'll probably start with 35wt all around but, if I bias the front with 40wt vs rear at 35wt what happens as opposed to going front 35wt and rear 40wt?

5) Toe the line: 3 degree toe in for the rear certainly helps the car track better in a straightaway. What does toe in or out do for you in the front? I've heard that 1 degree of toe out can help with faster and more responsive cornering but is this the adjustment I make first or last when I want more steering?

6) Camber (no puns this time): As you lean the tires inward in the front what happens? What about the rear? Does it help in sand or more hard packed conditions? Does the inward angled centrifical force change jumping characteristics (dive vs wheelie in the air)?

7) Caster: What is it and why does it matter?

Okay, so it was a little lenghthy but I've got to beat some locals with Kyosho 7.5's next time around...