Wheel_Nut

I think reducing the anti-squat must improve compliance and grip. I suspect it may have a slightly forward C.o.G, so it may benefit from higher front spring rate. I look forward to the news of your track test.

Removing the anti-squat may help with traction. Sounds good to me. Do you have a gear cover to fit on?

PS63 Bright gun metal. The ribbon decal has been trimmed and no numbers!

Problem for me is the association with the TD4. So much has been said about the design issues with steering linkage, battery access, and front suspension. I really dislike the delicate appearance of the front wishbones and uprights, so that in itself is the first deal breaker. I’m actually angry that Tamiya choose to design both TD2 and TD4 on the same chassis. By default this means that both of them are compromised designs. To me it seems obvious that one design approach will not be optimum for two instances. ( /rant)

Colours work well together. The bight colour scheme is very visible and helps with orientation too.

Thanks for your comment and interest in my thread. I haven’t run the car because I needed to get decent pics for the gallery first. I’m expecting there to be some handling vices and it’s probably over-powered too. The un-sprung weight of having the motor on the rear axle is definitely a disadvantage for rear grip. The thing in it’s favour is the extra front width from Grasshopper 2 front arms. I didn’t fit any inner sponge in the rear tyres so they are softer than what is normally used. It would be good to test the standard kit tyres to make a back-to-back test in the same conditions. Looking at some of the stock tyre and wheel combinations on similar buggies such as The Super Hornet and The Grasshopper 2, they are all different but not as large diameter as what I’m using here.

I prefer to keep the looks as simple as possible so I have eliminated some decals. I trimmed the yellow part of the stripe decal in some places so it shows the window line a bit more.

Without decals the lines of the bodyshell look really clean. I'm about to apply decals though.

I spent a few hours this weekend cutting and trimming the body outline, and preparing for paint. I masked the roll cage hoops / roof structure of the body so I can paint them black. I'm pretty amateur at paint preparation, so I'd much prefer having the PC series of polycarbonate paints (discontinued item) and paint by hand with a brush. My masking job wasn't ideal, so there were places where the paint bled in the gaps of the masking tape. Luckily it was easy to remove the recently applied paint with methylated sprit (alcohol) and rubbing with a cotton bud. The body has now been cleaned up and I can spray the PS-63 body colour tomorrow.

What spur gear sizes are available for your transmission? The BBX seems to have short gearing, but I don't know about the TD2.

This is beautiful and looks like an extremely functional design. I also like the stock items such as the front bumper and grey CVA damper bodies from the kit. .

Looks awesome. The overall layout of suspension and transmission really suits the Grasshopper body. CAD modelling seems to have paid off, as it all seems to fit. Can we see the underside of the chassis? How long is the wheelbase now?

Not much to update yet, since I have been distracted with other things.. Easter seems like a good time for painting the polycarbonate body shell.

The front end looks pretty awesome. Especially the chassis brace and shock tower. The 25 degree kickback looks like it fits perfectly. I hope the suspension mounting is strong enough to absorb frontal impact. Did you consider a front suspension brace like Kyosho use on the Dirtmaster?

Very nice work on these changes. I had some doubts about the extra-wide suspension on the first build revision. It looks like you now have the best of performance, faithful design, and durability. I just wonder if the ride height needs to be slightly higher.

Typically lowering the ride height will lower the roll-centre. Lower rear roll-centre relative to the front should improve stability in theory. This approach is sometimes used in full size race cars. With RC models there are probably better ways to achieve the same outcome.

The 25 degree angle looks a lot more contemporary, but the Ultra G seemed already quite decent for what it was, judging from the video in the other thread. I think these Grasshopper style cars have a forward C.o.G compared to other buggies, so it probably affects the handling balance. Anyway it will be interesting to see how well these changes translate to on-track performance.

Nice to see the CAD 3D model. I definitely approve of the chassis reinforcement. I wondering how much caster angle is used compared to the Ultra G. Are all of the parts already on order?

I think it's better for aero to re-locate the rear shocks away from the rear wing. The mighty Frog had the right idea, so I guess this could be taking some inspiration from Tamiya.

I finally added the electronics: Tamiya Superstock BZ. 23-Turn. Hobbywing Quickrun 1060 ESC. Futaba R314SB Receiver The battery is 5000mAh NiMh from "Tornado RC". Next I will slowly start masking and painting the body shell. I'm aiming to have some more progress around the end of the month.

Are you in the USA?

I'd love to see an updated and stronger TA-02 drive line. Do you think its possible to make a M chassis TA-02 style car, but using XM-01 suspension?

I got a set of those XV-01 alloy bellcranks in preparation for my 2WD truck project. I think they are a bit shorter than the one you made for the earlier edition Ultra G with blue suspension arms. I wonder if there may be a compromise in precision for the servo linkage. Do you see any benefit in designing a custom bellcrank with revised geometry, instead of the alloy ones?

Are you still running the stock GH2 rear tyres?

I am wondering about the 4 gear transmission. Can you reduce the height of the transmission by changing to a 3 gear design? I admit I'm not a fan of 4 gear transmission because it increases gyroscopic and inertia reaction forces. I believe 3 gear is more popular because these forces will partially cancel between the rotation of the motor and the axles.