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Grasshopper: internal Spring Oilshocks

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Hello, i noticed that i do not drive my Grasshopper very often....

Just for looks, it`s one of my favorite RCs, but i do not like the handling. It isn`t fun at all if you drive ist "offroad". Its fun for me to drive it on "sandy roads" without many bumps, but on dirt or grass it is`t fun for me.

I want to fit some Oilshocks to reduce the bouncyness but keep the boxart design. (i aso like the lunchbox with oilshocks, even if many people say that the bouncyness is more fun).

I found these shocks:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LNL-4pcs-Aluminum-Oil-Dampers-Shocks-for-TAMIYA-Hornet-Grasshopper-US-SHIPPIN/303584357375?hash=item46af09abff:g:OmEAAOSwY-NeIVde

And someone on Youtube installed them and in the Video they seem to do their job very well.

 

 

Other People say they are super bad and not worth anything.

 

Soooo, i would buy these "bad" shocks, but i would not buy them for 40 bucks.

 

Are there any "internal spring shocks" in similar lenghts that i could install? I would like to keep the boxartish look.

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I had the original GrassHopper back in the 80's that I later converted to a Hornet.  Regardless of damper, the gear box kicks upwards stretching the dampers on throttle so even with good dampers the car would just keep hopping.  

Something to think about.  

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Quite right. If you want a Grasshopper to stop hopping, you will need more than a set of dodgy Chinese shocks.

Take a look at some of the videos by AmPro, and at some of the 3D printed mods available in his Shapeways shop. They will do your Grasshopper's handling far more good than those quite frankly abysmal damper-shaped oil dispensers.

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Those Cheap produced shocks will do nothing at all as they do not even hold the oil. They are so bad i now installed the stock springs again. Only positive thing is that they look better

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Thanks al ot for your opinions on that Chinaset, i will definetly not buying these.

 

 

I do know the Upgrades from AM Pro, his Products are awesome! For me the only AM Pro Part want is that Hornet rear suspensuon bracket and maybe the Batterydoor Lock.

 

For Shocks i would love to use simpe easy to get oilshocks, that look good. I know that you can fit Mini CVAs in the front and they seem to work just fine, but they destroy the look of that little buggy.

Mini CVAs are 63mm long, so i thought that i could fit something like these: in the rear.

https://www.ebay.at/itm/2x-RC-OEM-Aluminum-The-Ultimate-Scale-Shocks-60mm-Internal-Coil-Spring-Black/363214189966?hash=item549140b58e:g:akIAAOSwpzJaRa4e

 

And for the Front something like that (if i find a cheap set):

https://www.ebay.at/itm/Losi-Micro-1-36-Aluminum-Threaded-Shocks-BLUE-NEW-F-R-Micro-T-DT-B-R/402647252797?hash=item5dbfa57f3d:g:kc0AAOSw2S1fhkCI

The rear Shocks would be 31mm and the fronts would be 28 mm.

Maybe they would fit if you cut the eyelet to a spike.

 

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Ironically, Ampro simply uses a different kind of cheaply produced Chinese shock which happens to work fine.

 

They are often labelled as "HSP" and "1/16"

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I happen to order and buy shocks with internal springs that I recently installed in my Wild One. Surprisingly, they work great. No oil leaks and rebound is really nice. So much better than the stock dampers that came with the WO.

efiZTSrh.jpg

bj6ksJVh.jpg

Got all these for less than $25.

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@Nicadraus

The shocks look great on the Wild One,. It`s good to read that they work better than the originals. I love the Wil one and had felt that the originals work relatively good if you fill them up regularly.

What "brand" and length did you use? what length would a Grasshopper need? (sadly i have the Grasshopper at my other home on the countryside)

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I've found theses shocks, they aren' internal spring ones but should fit the Front, right?

spacer.png

 

 

I will give them a try, even if i'm not really shure how to mount the top.....

Maybe i will cut the Eyelet to a Pin and secure it with some Sort of Clip.

 

 

What would be the length of the rear shocks?

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22 hours ago, whahooo said:

@Nicadraus

The shocks look great on the Wild One,. It`s good to read that they work better than the originals. I love the Wil one and had felt that the originals work relatively good if you fill them up regularly.

What "brand" and length did you use? what length would a Grasshopper need? (sadly i have the Grasshopper at my other home on the countryside)

The one in the front is 90mm. I installed o-rings in the rod/shaft to make it shorter while I cut the springs to make it softer. Rebound is perfect. The back is 80mm with uncut hard springs. They're unbranded "China" shocks but they work great and no leaks.

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2 hours ago, whahooo said:

I will give them a try, even if i'm not really shure how to mount the top.....

Maybe i will cut the Eyelet to a Pin and secure it with some Sort of Clip.

Easy thing. They go backwards, with the lower part in the picture upside to fit the orig Grasshopper shock mounting point.

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I don't get it :huh: :D

 

How do you mean upsidedown?

The lower Part of the shock is also an eyelet, so you have to cut one side either way....

 

Maybe I'm to dumb to understand the simple Solutions :wacko:

 

 

 

Edit:

Ok, maybe now i think i get it.

You could remove the Eyelet, screw a nut on it so the shaft goes trough the Nut a few mm put the shaft trouh the upper Grasshopper shock mounting point and screw a Nut on the Other excess shaft.

 

I made sketch

 

grass.jpg.0e31cecfdb62a15c1d0340c8e35bf9d4.jpg

 

Did you mean like this? @mongoose1983

 

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On 3/27/2021 at 4:16 PM, TurnipJF said:

Quite right. If you want a Grasshopper to stop hopping, you will need more than a set of dodgy Chinese shocks.

Take a look at some of the videos by AmPro, and at some of the 3D printed mods available in his Shapeways shop. They will do your Grasshopper's handling far more good than those quite frankly abysmal damper-shaped oil dispensers.

As I seem to do often, I have to agree with him....

If you look at the "Superfly II" project Front Suspension... Besides the Double Wishbone (which IMO is a FIRST mod for these), the Cantilever Front Shocks are brilliant! 

Confusing yes, but if you follow Alberto in his Video, it's not difficult. Just tedious. They work GREAT. 👍👍 

Of course the good 'ol upside down Shock trick has worked since the early 80's, when we didn't have much choice....

But the AmPro Engineering Cantilever Shock Kit gives you a lot of smooth Suspension. 😉

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I know the superfly Hornet and the more i watch APro Videos, the more i want a super Fly Hornet.

 

BUT,  i love the look of the Grasshopper as it is, i would like let the little car look a little bit more "boxartish" with some "proper" shocks. Also the only Thing i don`t like about the hopper is that "hopping", my Hornet has some O-Rings installed in the Front and handles twice as good. So i want so simply install shocks filled with some oil. I have some more capable Buggys and want to have them as stock as possible, BallBearings and oilfilled shocks, and a better Motor (normaly a Sport Tuned) is my choice for nearly all of my Cars. I don`t own competidion Buggys nor Scale crawlers, so they motly stay as stock as possible.

In the first 3 Videos, you see that Oilshocks are a huge Impfovement, even if the whole geomatry of the Car is not "the best" :D

 

 

PS:

Sorry for my poor Ingrish, at the Time i struggle between more than 3 Languages :D

 

 

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Could anyoe tell me how long the rear shocks would have to be?
I would like to order some internal spring shocks.

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