3 Must Do Tamiya Grasshopper Upgrades

[@happyq88]

Grasshopper !!! also my 1st RC car..............at least 38 years ago

[@arkyrc]

It's amazing that the Grasshopper is still being sold. So many RC enthusiasts love it. It's has a character that no modern RC has!

[@powderriver2424]

So here's the Grasshopper, I finally found a channel with somebody in my age group that knows old school RC.

[@arkyrc]

The new stuff is amazing, but I will always love the old school cars. Thanks for commenting and watching. Greatly appreciated!

[@blkft]

Back in my day,,, it was definitely a basher with a 27T Trinity motor in it.

[@benb.1273]

The sport tuned is the perfect fast motor for these things, It makes my hornet absolutely rip on the beach.

[@arkyrc]

I was surprised how fast the Grasshopper is with it! Like you said, it's the perfect motor for these cars.

[@rcinhand9671]

My friend had a Grasshopper when I had a Tyco Turbo Hopper. I was way outclassed.

[@maochiang]

When I was a kid in the 80's we used to install springs from a click pin under the stock springs to help stiffen up the front of the hornet and grasshopper.

[@bar9501]

I LOVED my modified Grasshopper. My first RC.

[@arkyrc]

They are so underrated!

[@juliusdream2683]

Good advice especially the bearings. Some people like the 380 because of the time and it’s the grasshopper it’s known for that . The great thing is the grasshopper is one of the best looking Tamiya buggies around. Just get the hornet and throw bearings and you’ll have a better car I mean it’s good advice.

[@arkyrc]

I've always preferred the look of the Grasshopper to the Hornet. They are both great looking buggies. The Hornet is the better "performing" of the the two I suppose! :)

[@AddamsPlayground]

They are fun buggies in their own way. Hearing that skittering rear end and having it occasionally dart in one direction or another is all part of the charm of them but i agree, these things can make them much better and more fun!

[@arkyrc]

Thanks Adam! The Grasshopper is one of my favorite RC's. For me...it takes me back to my childhood. Such a classic. I used to race one on an oval track back in the day..so much fun!

[@thedave-1970]

My first rc car! Loved it! I had every upgrade possible in the day!

[@perfectsplit5515]

It was very durable. And there were lots of aftermarket upgrades available.

[@discovolante6624]

maybe you should of made an upgrade video lol, I'm pretty sure the ones in this video would be mentioned in the book or on the box it comes in

[@stretchmak4538]

I still have mine from back in the 80's. I think the only parts that are still original are some of the screws. Grasshoppers are awesome.

[@madsrcbuggy]

Yup, those are great upgrades! The bearings shouldn't even be necessary to mention, ha ha! Bigger motor and better traction, who says no to that? Great stuff, I saw you got part two to this up now, I will head over watch that video also...

[@grahamhurst4613]

Great ideas, I’ve done the bearings, don’t know why I didn’t think of changing the tyres!

[@LandMisfitComics]

Yeah i added a 6500K brushless to my vintage Grasshopper. It is crazy fast and can do backflips!!! Had to add a custom wheelie bar!! I will be adding a video and build checklist ot our channel soon along with the FROG.

[@arkyrc]

I bet it's crazy fast!

[@LandMisfitComics]

@@arkyrc Hi just uploaded a video on our vintage FROG build with all metal telescoping drivetrain and CNC rear trailing arms by OOP .50 Caliber Customs from 2010!! Link here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5Sllomhea-YmdEsi=a7rqi3j_ZO6bEUgA

[@Blastfromthepastrc1346]

Those are the exact upgrades i will do for my Candy Green edition Grasshopper. I have a 540 in my Grasshopper II and that is plenty of power for that type of buggy. Thank you for sharing!👍

[@arkyrc]

Love the Candy Green edition! Looks awesome!

[@ericchristopher9037]

Fast AttackVehicle tires work well too and they are hard wearing as well. Nice video. 🤓

[@arkyrc]

Love the look of those tires. I have an vintage set. I haven't tried them out on the Grasshopper yet!

[@ericchristopher9037]

@@arkyrc that’s cool. 🤓

[@hanscombe72]

Love any good tip based on the FAV. My favourite rc kit ever!

[@gigglehurtz3167]

good comments about it being what it is, its for put put-ing around the yard on the sidewalks, etc. Its never gonna be anything more than that, and thats part of the charm.

[@barrygiddey9139]

Great video and a classic RC Car-l like the upgrades you did it will breathe new life into it-Thanks very much for sharing 👍

[@arkyrc]

Thanks for the comment!

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

You completely read my mind. Lol I was just thinking today that I should do a grasshopper upgrade video. Lol Great video and upgrades,👍

[@arkyrc]

There are so many upgrades available for these cars these days but most of them are just a waste of money. I just thought I'd share my opinion on what I think are reasonable upgrades that actually do something for the Grasshopper. Looking forward to watching your upgrade video! 😂

[@houseofrandomness]

Many moons ago, I added lunch box/midnight pumpkin spindles. With that, I put the extra monster beetle wheels/tires on. If memory serves a novak 410m5 was added with a twister motor. Man, that thing would scoot. 😂

[@arkyrc]

I bet it was a blast and looked very interesting!

[@TwistedVertex]

Lol I wish I had this video last week when I bought my grasshopper. I just happened to fit all the upgrades you stated here. All that's left to do is replace metal bearings inside the gearbox.

[@arkyrc]

The bearings will make a huge difference. The Grasshopper is such a great RC and so much fun to drive. Thanks for watching and for commenting. Greatly appreciated.

[@RCBirds]

Great tips. This should give some more performance and like you said not too much. These cars aren't made for high end hop-ups

[@dogsandwich77]

One of my first rc cars ❤ Had a mechanical speed control with a HUGE resistor. Twin stick controller, it was so hard to drive and so much fun hahaha

[@arkyrc]

Oh yeah!! Those resistors got dang hot too!

[@dogsandwich77]

​@@arkyrc then it would get outta range, and whatever happened next was up to no one hahaha

[@dogsandwich77]

Had those gigantic, tan colored Futaba servos with the 3 metal prongs that stuck out for the plug lol showin my age here

[@arkyrc]

@@dogsandwich77 Happened to all of us. Having your servo and trim properly adjusted was very important! 🤣

[@Santor-]

Best simple upgrade I found, was to cut a servo arm so it has only one part of the 4 arms, then mount it underneath right on the mounting screw for the rear suspension blocks, right next to the battery door. This gives a turnable lever that holds the battery door in place, avoiding the battery to fall out on jumps. And is a free fix vs expensive ebay battery door upgrades. I agree that bearings and hornet tires sre greeat upgrades though, and ive done those too. Night and day difference. As for motor, ive had various 540 upgrades, even technigolds and BRZ's, but the last one i got was a 380 sport tuned, which helps reduce bounce as its light weight. The suspension design really doesnt work very good with a heavy 540.

[@arkyrc]

Love the sport tuned 380 idea! I've seen the motor advertised and wondered how fast they 'd be compared to the a 540. I'll have to try the servo arm mod mod. Thanks!

[@Santor-]

@@arkyrc I keep 6 of these things running at all times for family members, so any upgrades becomes price sensitive when the cost is x6. The lever thing fixed all of them though. We put the difference in the paintjobs instead of multiple different models. Much easier to stock parts for just 1 model. Motors/tires vary.

[@arkyrc]

6 Grasshoppers! I bet everyone has a blast! @@Santor-

[@AidanMacnamara777]

My brother and my first RC car. We kept it stock, just changed the wheels to the big truck ones and the thing flew on the straight enough to overtake the mod engine cars, but was so slow on the corners

[@arkyrc]

I agree....they are surprisingly fast if the motor is upgraded....but they don't corner great! I actually raced a Grasshopper in the 80s on an dirt oval track..with a 57 Chevy shell....cars just bounced off it! They are so much fun! Thanks for the comment!

[@scottsymonds5497]

Had one. They made a “Grasshopper hop up kit”. I remember the 3speed. First RC 1988.

[@arkyrc]

I think I got my Grasshopper in 87? Those 3 speed controllers were something else! It's was all part of the fun back then.

[@scottsymonds5497]

We don’t need stinkin reverse. Plow on thru!

[@JoevsRc]

The fourth upgrade you should do is put i the hornet lower gear case mount. it allows the rear to pivot up and down independently.

[@arkyrc]

Thanks! No doubt that would help.

[@Santor-]

Actually, it's a question if that is a benefit handling wise at all. Having driven the hornet and grasshopper together for years with my kids, I don't see that the hornet actually handles much better.

[@arkyrc]

I agree. Very little difference between the two. As a kid I always though the lexan shell of the hornet was cool difference, but I like the look of the Grasshopper better. @@Santor-

[@JoevsRc]

@@Santor- I have both, I think the hornet turns slightly better offroad and does not hop as much. Not a dramatic difference just a little bit. In my kids hands no matter what it is it will hit the fence lol

[@hubdeep9452]

I originally upgraded mine to a HPI Saturn 20T motor and it was great fun on the beach. However i am now switching mine back to a 540 silver can because i plan to run it in fun/tamiya class at our local club and the silver can is the maximum allowed in that class. It certainly won't run any races but it will be fun.

[@arkyrc]

@@hubdeep9452 A Tamiya class sounds like a blast. I used to race a Grasshopper back in the day on an oval dirt track. I put a 57 chevy body on it. It did ok for what it is was...it was so much fun as a kid to drive it. It's definitely one of my favorite RC's!

[@hubdeep9452]

@@arkyrc ah, I put a typo in my comment. I meant I won't win any races. I bet it looked amazing with a Chevy body on it.

[@arkyrc]

@@hubdeep9452It did! Other cars just bounced off of it! LOL! It was a lot of fun.

[@Pablo668]

Good advice! Yeah the gearbox will hold up to a Traxxas VXL Velineo brushless motor/esc combo. But it's pretty pointless. Backflips! Both my Hornet and Grasshopper have bearings thru them and slightly better than spec motors and....1060 esc's I'm pretty sure.

[@arkyrc]

Thanks man! VXL in a hopper! I bet that's crazy!

[@dans2423]

Thanks for the tips! How many ball bearings should we buy to replace the bushings?

[@arkyrc]

I just bought the entire replacement kit. I can't recall how many bearings were in it. It really improves the car. :)

[@NordicRC]

Good tips! Thumbs up

[@arkyrc]

Keep it simple right?

[@mattmclafferty6265]

Thanks mate, really helpful Hare Krishna 🙂

[@harlyquin]

i cant stand tamiya grasshoppers and hornets but people did race them back in the day, it was a cheep way to get into racing, i didnt because i could afford somthing with proper suspension, but still alot of people did race these silly things and i guess they had fun

[@arkyrc]

These cars, as bad as they compared to modern cars, jump started the RC hobby to where it is today. For me, the old classic cars like the Hoppers, take me back to my childhood and recall to mind the golden days of RC. They are still a blast to drive and a joy to build.

[@harlyquin]

@@arkyrc yeah, i started racing in the 90's with a Tamiya thunder dragon, thats what i was comparing the grasshopper to, and even tho the Thunder dragon was a much better car it annoys me to no end how the grasshopper was way more of a fan favorite because of its quirkiness.

[@arkyrc]

I think, people were drawn to the Grasshopper because it was a cheap, good-looking fun RC that was reasonably tough for the time. Those who wanted to race seriously (beyond novice) bought an RC 10, Ultima, JRX2, Optima Mid, etc. I really enjoyed racing my Grasshopper but quickly moved up to a Raider and then my Ultima. The Thunder Dragon definitely outperforms the Grasshopper though. 😀

[@traxxasfans]

Great video I have just subscribed

[@discovolante6624]

id be very surprised if these 3 upgrades weren't written on the box or at least in the book it comes with

[@arkyrc]

I'm sure they were!

[@PhilipKish]

Arky, all, is there a link to recommended bearings?

[@arkyrc]

I used Fast Eddy Bearings. www.amainhobbies.com/fasteddy-tamiya-the-grasshopper-bearing-kit-tfe1857/p674450?gclid=CjwKCAiAmZGrBhAnEiwAo9qHicnxX49hAOpqsTgS4olA-0OsWumAC9u9d0opFQkmclOx_PI1gHMuSxoC6A4QAvD_BwE

[@kanenstuff]

I wish someone would make an aluminum rear diff housing. I know you can get aluminum chassis then with some good shocks could be a bit more of a durable buggy.

[@Santor-]

The gear box on these cars are the most bulletproof in Tamiyas complete lineup. It certainly do not need an upgrade. Suspension design though, now that could need and upgrade. But that's what makes it so rugged and affordable.

[@kanenstuff]

@Santor- I would love to make a Hornet or Grasshopper into a nitro buggy take a few custom parts but it would be unique as I prefer nitro over electric.

[@martinb.770]

Oh come on! The rear axis is a pain for offroading, but great, if you give it road tires (like the ones for the Frog-based Audi Quattro/Lancia 037). The modified variant of the Hornet with pendulum parts don't change much, there. The gearbox can break on hard jumps and I wouldn't bet on how much power it might handle. The plastic dampers are a joke (for ANY Tamiya model), and while you might fit decent ones at the rear, the front suspension is a hopeless toy. Yes. The Grasshopper/Hornet is cheap and light, for long runs with the 380, if you prefer that kind of fun. And yeah, it's a legend as many many boys started with it, in the 80ies. But apart from that, there's half a dozen better options out there. If you want fun: Go for the Wild Willy 2000. If you want RWD race feeling and plausible looks - I'd recommend the Wild One. For real RWD racing and heavy modding - I am waiting for some Frog update, adding front dampers, real tube frame and more sensible steering mechanism (without unwanted uneven progression)

[@arkyrc]

The upgrades I recommend keep in the mind the nature of the Grasshopper. It's not a basher nor a racer, just a fun "lovable" RC that can provide tons of enjoyment for the vintage RC driver. Without the solid gearbox, it wouldn't really "hop" so what fun its that right? LOL!! My 3 simple upgrades liven up the Grasshopper without going overboard. I love the Frog too, but back in the 80's, I ran my Grasshopper way more than my brother ran his Frog which was always losing a dog-bone or having transmission issues. Thanks for the comment!

[@thedave-1970]

I had the Black motor in there in the day no transmission problems.

[@arkyrc]

Awesome! I bet it really moved out! The gears are surprisingly tough....and cheap to replace. 🤣

[@Santor-]

I run super stock RZ motors in mine, which is the fastest brushed motor Tamiya sells, definitely no issues with the gears. The handling though, that's another matter. Suspension design makes it go airborne if it hits any bumps.

[@arkyrc]

I figured the sport tuned would be plenty fast! I can't imagine the RZ motor in it! Wow! @@Santor-

[@reitplace4765]

😎👍

[@berwynrogers1450]

Where did you install the bearings

[@arkyrc]

I replaced all the white bushings with bearings. The gearbox and the front wheels. Makes a big difference.

[@berwynrogers1450]

@arkyrc have you got a vid on this me and my brother are trying to get into this hobby !! Ps thanks for replying

[@arkyrc]

@@berwynrogers1450 No video on installing the bearings. When you build the kit it will be pretty obvious where the bearings go. Fast Eddy Bearing sells them all together. The Grasshopper was my first hobby grade RC car back in the 80's. They are perfect for learning on. Welcome to the hobby!

[@heklik]

What's the size of the bearings ?

[@arkyrc]

They vary. I just ordered the entire kit from Fast Eddy Bearings.

[@arkyrc]

Makes it easy and it's just as cheap as buying them all separately. Makes a huge difference in the gearbox. Thanks for watching.

[@jwatriss]

What’s the functional difference between doing this, and just building a Hornet? (Aside from lexan body…)

[@arkyrc]

There are a couple of differences.....the "axle" holders are different on the Hornet. They allows the axle to articulate providing slightly better handling. The shocks on the Hornet are oil filled which helps some, but IMHO not that much. The upgrades I mentioned keep the Grasshopper a "Grasshopper" but improve the speed and handling without spending a bunch of money on parts that really don't do much. For me, I have always like the look of the Grasshopper over the Hornet. Both cars function the same, they hop!

[@Santor-]

I have both, no real functional difference. Handling is poor on both. Grasshopper bounces more, but the hornet is only slightly less bad. Both have the worst handling of all Tamiya buggies by far. Hornet is one of the fastest in a straight line though, due to lowest weight of any Tamiya buggy. Soon as a turn come, bye bye. Rolls, flips, skids. It's fun to drive as handling is so mentally bad. Now if you run 4 of them together with family, it's great fun. Who cares other models handle better. Everyone can get their own custom paintjob etc. Lots of fun. And best of all, ALL parts are readily available, all crash damage can quickly and easily be repaired. Can be rebuilt forever.

[@autogyro333]

540 size 27 turns is standard I think

[@kanenstuff]

The thing that's always confused me that why can't Tamiya bulk buy bearing and just charge a few bucks extra for the kit. I travel to Japan for work there very efficient so to see this it doesn't make sense to me when you buy a lot you get things cheap and make more money.

[@arkyrc]

My guess is that they are selling kits so why bother. Back in the day bearing kits were actually sort of pricey so I can understand it back then. Tamiya should modernize the kits and throw in bearings. Hey...they throw in a modern electronic ECS so why not bearings? LOL!!

[@kanenstuff]

@@arkyrc agree, hop ups are a differently you can buy a TT02 R or buy what you want just give us bearings, then they can over ABEc or ceramic bearings for upgrades.

[@abullock1995]

Aren't you supposed to be doing a driving review on a couple Optimas?

[@arkyrc]

I know a guy who has a couple....I need to talk to him!

[@arkyrc]

You need a Grasshopper!

[@abullock1995]

I might this winter.

[@arkyrc]

Good winter project for you!@@abullock1995

[@SCUBAJAY2000]

I bashed the shit out of mine back in the day

[@jerzinho92]

You wont never make grashopper a race car:) leave it stock, it s designed for that😂

[@arkyrc]

Believe it or not I did race a Grasshopper back in the 80's. The track was oval and I ran a 57 Chevy shell on it. It actually did fairly well. The big body protected the car from being pushed around. I did eventually upgrade though....to a Kyosho Raider!! :)

[@Santor-]

​​@@arkyrcDid you have any steering or suspension mods that actually worked? I see they sell alot of aluminum bits that does nothing but add weight where one don't want it. Short of the FX front suspension, i don't really see anything actually working.

[@arkyrc]

I've done nothing to the suspension and don't plan to. I don't see the need for it and from what I can see most of these "upgrades" really do little to nothing for the car. The suspension design is honestly horrible, but that is what makes the car what it is! @@Santor-