Grasshopper 2 / Super Hornet / Rising Fighter Fully Independent Suspension Conversion (Project Ultra G)

[ThunderDragonCy 7881]

Last year I converted a Grasshopper 2 to independent suspension all round using a Thundershot rear gearbox and suspension and some 3D printed parts I designed. I called Project Ultra G. Here's the build thread:

As this conversion uses a lot of Rising Fighter parts and the fact that that buggy comes with fairly modern 12mm hex rear wheels, then that kit is the best place to start. The Rising Fighter body is very Hornet like so build an Ultra Hornet! My conversion was predicated on using the neon yellow Super G wheels which I love, but it would run modern tamiya 2wd bearing front/12mm hex rear wheels just as well and open up your tyre choice. Although I have tried low profile Schumacher Cut Staggers on the front and they drop the ground clearance too much. I use Schumacher Minipins which are regular profile and have a really nice level of clearance. Rising Fighter kit fronts and Super G kit tyres work great too for ground clearance.

The main things you need are a buggy of the types mentioned and a Thundershot rear gearbox and suspension.

Here are the parts you need from my Shapeways store:

Front suspension conversion for the Thundershot wishbones - http://shpws.me/QLkw

If you don't mind mismatched coloured wishbones (the Thundershot wishbones are blue) then my front suspension conversion using DT02/3 wishbones does just as well

The bobbins for mounting the gearbox to the Rising Fighter transmission mounts (you need 2) - http://shpws.me/QLky

Direct fit front uprights with better clearance and 5 deg caster fit perfectly with the Thundershot wishbones. You need 1 of each (or just get DT02/3 c hubs and fit with spacers as I did originally)- http://shpws.me/QLkD http://shpws.me/QLkG

If you want to go whole hog then the Thundershot/Dragon 3 deg toe in rear uprights are these: http://shpws.me/QLjE http://shpws.me/QLjx

Thundershot rear uprights work just as well really. I just like fiddling.

I'd highly recommend getting the DT02 turnbuckle set 53828 as you'll get all the bits you need for upper arms and steering arms including rod ends and ball screws. The rear suspension in particular benefits from upper camber link, but you will need to make a chassis end rod end using a spacer and a ball collar.

For the rest you need some 5mm thick ABS/styrene plastic to cut to shape to make the solid rear gearbox mount plates. The rest is just M3 threaded rod, lots of rod ends and ball screws and nuts to make the chassis reinforcement and top gearbox connections. 

Shocks are 64mm front/94mm rear so either the DT03 shock set 54567 or for more tunability 50519 and 50520. I run the stiffer DF03 silver rear springs from 53927 and DT03 kit fronts (very soft). Any of the TRF201 front spring set work nicely too. 

Would be great to see another one. As I mentioned earlier, I think the Rising Figher is probably a better basis for this project if you're not hopelessly attracted to the Grasshopper 2 Super G like I am!

[kontemax 1725]

You made the exact thing we made in the far 1988 but we kept the original Grasshopper transmission and gearbox with Thunder Shot arms all around.

Max

[ThunderDragonCy 7881]

5 hours ago, kontemax said:

You made the exact thing we made in the far 1988 but we kept the original Grasshopper transmission and gearbox with Thunder Shot arms all around.

Max

Nothing new under the sun! 

[Tamiya80sBuggyFan 14]

On 10/10/2018 at 2:29 AM, kontemax said:

You made the exact thing we made in the far 1988 but we kept the original Grasshopper transmission and gearbox with Thunder Shot arms all around.

Max

So what's so good about the Thunder Shot arms over the DT03 arms? Also why as no one made a 3D printed part that lets you just put cheap DT03 arms on the side of the Grasshopper gearbox? Wouldnt that be easier? I found someone that's done this but with perspex and carbon fibre. See link https://free73.tistory.com/m/107

[ThunderDragonCy 7881]

The Thundershot arms aren't as good as DT03, but the Ultra G project was about using vintage parts. However bolting the whole Thundershot gearbox is a way easier way to get to 4 bar rear suspension on the GH2. To fit the dt03 arms to the gh2 gearbox would mean cutting the gearbox extensively and then figuring out bearings and outdrives. It's a big job. AMPRO Engineering did it with his Hornet Super fly 2. Check out his YouTube channel. 

[Tamiya80sBuggyFan 14]

On 10/7/2018 at 9:49 PM, ThunderDragonCy said:

Last year I converted a Grasshopper 2 to independent suspension all round using a Thundershot rear gearbox and suspension and some 3D printed parts I designed. I called Project Ultra G. Here's the build thread:

As this conversion uses a lot of Rising Fighter parts and the fact that that buggy comes with fairly modern 12mm hex rear wheels, then that kit is the best place to start. The Rising Fighter body is very Hornet like so build an Ultra Hornet! My conversion was predicated on using the neon yellow Super G wheels which I love, but it would run modern tamiya 2wd bearing front/12mm hex rear wheels just as well and open up your tyre choice. Although I have tried low profile Schumacher Cut Staggers on the front and they drop the ground clearance too much. I use Schumacher Minipins which are regular profile and have a really nice level of clearance. Rising Fighter kit fronts and Super G kit tyres work great too for ground clearance.

The main things you need are a buggy of the types mentioned and a Thundershot rear gearbox and suspension.

Here are the parts you need from my Shapeways store:

Front suspension conversion for the Thundershot wishbones - http://shpws.me/QLkw

If you don't mind mismatched coloured wishbones (the Thundershot wishbones are blue) then my front suspension conversion using DT02/3 wishbones does just as well

The bobbins for mounting the gearbox to the Rising Fighter transmission mounts (you need 2) - http://shpws.me/QLky

Direct fit front uprights with better clearance and 5 deg caster fit perfectly with the Thundershot wishbones. You need 1 of each (or just get DT02/3 c hubs and fit with spacers as I did originally)- http://shpws.me/QLkD http://shpws.me/QLkG

If you want to go whole hog then the Thundershot/Dragon 3 deg toe in rear uprights are these: http://shpws.me/QLjE http://shpws.me/QLjx

Thundershot rear uprights work just as well really. I just like fiddling.

I'd highly recommend getting the DT02 turnbuckle set 53828 as you'll get all the bits you need for upper arms and steering arms including rod ends and ball screws. The rear suspension in particular benefits from upper camber link, but you will need to make a chassis end rod end using a spacer and a ball collar.

For the rest you need some 5mm thick ABS/styrene plastic to cut to shape to make the solid rear gearbox mount plates. The rest is just M3 threaded rod, lots of rod ends and ball screws and nuts to make the chassis reinforcement and top gearbox connections. 

Shocks are 64mm front/94mm rear so either the DT03 shock set 54567 or for more tunability 50519 and 50520. I run the stiffer DF03 silver rear springs from 53927 and DT03 kit fronts (very soft). Any of the TRF201 front spring set work nicely too. 

Would be great to see another one. As I mentioned earlier, I think the Rising Figher is probably a better basis for this project if you're not hopelessly attracted to the Grasshopper 2 Super G like I am!

This is great work! Like the way you have tired to keep the 3D printed parts to a mint to save cost! We have a lot of Grasshopper and Hornets in my family and always looking for cheap ways to improve them. 

[ThunderDragonCy 7881]

Oh, and that grasshopper in the link is one of the things that inspired me. It's an amazing piece of kit. 

[ThunderDragonCy 7881]

3 minutes ago, Tamiya80sBuggyFan said:

This is great work! Like the way you have tired to keep the 3D printed parts to a mint to save cost! We have a lot of Grasshopper and Hornets in my family and always looking for cheap ways to improve them. 

Thanks! If you can pick up a Thundershot wreck then it's a great conversion. Mine moves incredibly well for a box of vintage bits! 

[Tamiya80sBuggyFan 14]

Yeah it looks so need. Not sure what he's used to mount the bearing after cutting off the fixed axels of the Grasshopper gearbox. Do you think is possible to replicate this on the cheap? 

[Tamiya80sBuggyFan 14]

On 10/7/2018 at 9:49 PM, ThunderDragonCy said:

Last year I converted a Grasshopper 2 to independent suspension all round using a Thundershot rear gearbox and suspension and some 3D printed parts I designed. I called Project Ultra G. Here's the build thread:

As this conversion uses a lot of Rising Fighter parts and the fact that that buggy comes with fairly modern 12mm hex rear wheels, then that kit is the best place to start. The Rising Fighter body is very Hornet like so build an Ultra Hornet! My conversion was predicated on using the neon yellow Super G wheels which I love, but it would run modern tamiya 2wd bearing front/12mm hex rear wheels just as well and open up your tyre choice. Although I have tried low profile Schumacher Cut Staggers on the front and they drop the ground clearance too much. I use Schumacher Minipins which are regular profile and have a really nice level of clearance. Rising Fighter kit fronts and Super G kit tyres work great too for ground clearance.

The main things you need are a buggy of the types mentioned and a Thundershot rear gearbox and suspension.

Here are the parts you need from my Shapeways store:

Front suspension conversion for the Thundershot wishbones - http://shpws.me/QLkw

If you don't mind mismatched coloured wishbones (the Thundershot wishbones are blue) then my front suspension conversion using DT02/3 wishbones does just as well

The bobbins for mounting the gearbox to the Rising Fighter transmission mounts (you need 2) - http://shpws.me/QLky

Direct fit front uprights with better clearance and 5 deg caster fit perfectly with the Thundershot wishbones. You need 1 of each (or just get DT02/3 c hubs and fit with spacers as I did originally)- http://shpws.me/QLkD http://shpws.me/QLkG

If you want to go whole hog then the Thundershot/Dragon 3 deg toe in rear uprights are these: http://shpws.me/QLjE http://shpws.me/QLjx

Thundershot rear uprights work just as well really. I just like fiddling.

I'd highly recommend getting the DT02 turnbuckle set 53828 as you'll get all the bits you need for upper arms and steering arms including rod ends and ball screws. The rear suspension in particular benefits from upper camber link, but you will need to make a chassis end rod end using a spacer and a ball collar.

For the rest you need some 5mm thick ABS/styrene plastic to cut to shape to make the solid rear gearbox mount plates. The rest is just M3 threaded rod, lots of rod ends and ball screws and nuts to make the chassis reinforcement and top gearbox connections. 

Shocks are 64mm front/94mm rear so either the DT03 shock set 54567 or for more tunability 50519 and 50520. I run the stiffer DF03 silver rear springs from 53927 and DT03 kit fronts (very soft). Any of the TRF201 front spring set work nicely too. 

Would be great to see another one. As I mentioned earlier, I think the Rising Figher is probably a better basis for this project if you're not hopelessly attracted to the Grasshopper 2 Super G like I am!

This is great work! Like the way you have tired to keep the 3D printed parts to a mint to save cost! We have a lot of Grasshopper and Hornets in my family and always looking for cheap ways to improve them. 

[ThunderDragonCy 7881]

14 minutes ago, Tamiya80sBuggyFan said:

Yeah it looks so need. Not sure what he's used to mount the bearing after cutting off the fixed axels of the Grasshopper gearbox. Do you think is possible to replicate this on the cheap? 

No idea. The ampro parts might do it but I don't think it's super cheap.