Grasshopper Oil Suspension Upgrade Modification Any Good? | A Tamiya Vintage RC Car Legend.

[@DUCato-ed3fw]

I went through the whole grasshopper upgrade thing years ago when i felt determined to race one in a vintage event. It was a fun process but a complete waste of time lol. The issue is no matter how plush you make the rear suspension the biggest weight ie, the motor is part of the unsprung weight along with the g/box/axle assembly & there's relatively little weight on the chassis so the chassis/body will just bounce anyway as there's not enough sprung weight to make the suspension work. The only thing remotely worth doing is a 5th shock mod to stop the 'kick' on acceleration like people do on Lunchboxes etc... The charm of the Grasshopper is the comical way in which it 'handles'

[@joedipietro2559]

Well I still like the Grasshopper and I don't need the fastest car around. I'm more than happy to just enjoy this lovely Grasshopper.👌

[@bar9501]

I also upgraded my wheel bearings too. Massive improvement in handling.

[@mattluszczak8095]

Best upgrade ever for the vehicle

[@MarcosBallesterMatito]

I really love this car... Most people go for Avante or Hornet, but with no doubts, this is my favorite Tamiya model followed by the frog. I think you made a huge improvement changing the suspension. Please, show us a video driving this car!!

[@smellurfingerrcdejesus9176]

No pep in the step I think I need that Pepto-Bismol pink frog for my stomach its upset a lil at least the Frog still got the hop in the pop!! 💂‍♂️🎅🐕⚖⚪⚫

[@andrewmurphy8724]

When i first started racing back in 1988 i borrowed the tires from a grasshopper and put them on mt gold pan rc 10 too see if they would work for racing. Well that did not go well. Had to stop on the side of the track and finished dead last with a total of 4 laps when everyone was getting 15 to 20 laps with the original schumacher minipins.

[@RCKickschannel]

He eheheh Well you have to try these things. You never know when you find a gem.

[@whome7004]

That's something I thought about cutting springs, but left it at thought I screwed so much up with bright ideas, that was a Real Bright One You Verified it for me

[@isftish]

there used to be adjustable coilovers for the grasshopper/hornet series cars. but that was in the 80s/90s

[@frankinstein6456]

No thanks my hopper is still hopping around on stock shocks and love it !

[@msackett4858]

Very interesting ones that fit, the Grasshopper does jump around a bit !! can you give me the details of where you got them please.

[@matthutch5919]

When the Hornet was 1st released in the 80's u could get a sway bar for the rear. That combined with upgraded shocks improved handing incredibly. Well worth looking at the sway bar mod if available.

[@RCKickschannel]

I have one on order funny enough. 👍🏻

[@captainchaos3053]

Soft and absorbent! oo er missus!

[@tomkirbygreen]

Very enjoyable. I like that you’re trying out these mods. Any plans in the future for more Kyosho models? It’s getting might close to Christmas and you’re still posting video sir, are we going to see 'The RC before Christmas?’ on the eve? ;-)

[@smellurfingerrcdejesus9176]

I'm going to put a Kyosho on layaway at the hobby shop now just because of this dude seriously though

[@DPoner]

I think I would’ve used 28-32 wt myself. Although it depends on your terrain. Good vid!

[@RCKickschannel]

As soft as you can make it would be my findings. The car is just so light.

[@DPoner]

@@RCKickschannel that is true. It’s a featherweight.

[@markbulley1179]

Wow, this car has advanced somewhat from my 1988 model.

[@vrooom666]

I have ampro double wishbone fiitted to my hornet and it made massive difference to handling. im still using stock friction shocks in front.

[@davidacave]

Where is this available? I meant the double wishbone conversion.

[@schuttrostig5729]

please put where to find them... like what to search for :). I was thinking of upgrading my Hopper with a brushless 380 motor and lightwight battery/servo for a while, making it eaven lighter than it already is, then the 380 motor should have easy time to pull it. Oil shocks + 380 motor + 35g servo + 800mah lipo battery should make the total car verry light with the already low base weight.

[@RCKickschannel]

You can find them on eBay 👍🏻

[@CarminesRCTipsandTricks]

Gavin, as a former Buggy Racer... I've got a tip or two. 😉 The Grasshopper is an odd Duck. I would do this if I had the Shocks - and the Grasshopper!! This and the Hornet have an unusual dilemma... An extreme amount of UNSPRUNG weight in the Rear. It's really the only case where you'd want SOFTER Springs and thinner Oil in the REAR, than the Front!! 😳 Those Springs might work in back, but go with 10 or 15w Shock Oil. In Front, maybe a little stiffer Spring, and 30 or 40w Oil. This kit should make a difference! But a dramatic difference would come with AmPro Engineering's Front Double Wishbone Kit. Really! I fitted a similar kit in the Front of my Lunchbox (same bad Swingarms!), and the Handling difference was dramatic!! NOT competition level of course, but much better behaved. 😊 Happy Christmas!🎄🎅 Carmine ✈🚂🚙

[@RCKickschannel]

Yep I have the same Apro kit for my Lunchbox and it’s so much better. I will take your advise and swap out the rear oil in the morning and see if that helps. 30w was too thick.

[@peterv1602]

How to cut these springs? What tool did you use? Thank you.

[@RCKickschannel]

Snips work fine

[@ZombieGamingMetalhead]

What is the name of these shocks so I can look them up. Thanks Gavin

[@aiwaloki]

I had oil shocks for the front of a Hornet back in the day when i was a kid and it would have been better to save my money for a better car.

[@gorrammit]

So how is it? Is it worth the money?

[@whome7004]

What was in shock???? Question Iv wondered if on new shocks should oil be changed?I went with the thought don't mess with Brand New

[@huwtindall7096]

I've installed some oil shocks on my grasshopper and the rear shocks are touching the 540 at rest. If the shocks are compressed they obviously come away from the motor. Surely this can't be right. They are pretty stiff and seem to be putting a bit of force on the 540 can? Even in this one here it looks like the larger motor is touching the shocks.

[@RCKickschannel]

You need to make the shocks as soft as possible.

[@jasongrosvenor8810]

Hi where do you get the shocks from please I am starting a grasshopper build

[@jasongrosvenor8810]

Just finishing my wild Willy

[@RCKickschannel]

EBay have them

[@depositionsandstuff7465]

I purchased this same kit from ebay. I am having a heck of a time trying to figure out how to install these as there are NO instructions with them, as you indicated. Do you have any instructions that you can provide to those of us who purchased this kit?

[@RCKickschannel]

Sorry no, I just made it up as I went along. Also it was ages ago now so I can’t remember off the top of my head.

[@JUMBOs-RC]

The problem with these grasshoppers is that there's too much un-sprung weight... for a shock absorber to be able to "absorb" shock, there needs to be enough sprung weight to cause enough "shock" to be absorbed in the first place

[@RCKickschannel]

Yes you are 100% correct

[@whome7004]

Rc Kicks Its My Birthday Partying with RC Kicks I'm doing the Moon Walk🕺

[@maverick744]

For the rear it’s a good upgrade,, the front are for looks only,, travel is limited. I got those a long time ago and ended up reverting my suspension. Tip,, use a very light weight oil. The Hopper is too light for modern oil dampening

[@pinmandan5164]

Nice video ! what price did you actually pay ? From what I can see, these aren't cheap at all ! I can nearly buy another complete grasshopper kit for that price...

[@russellsilverton4465]

I've just come across the RCKicks channel...wow! I can properly geek out on all this content...thank you!! I'm after a set of upgraded shocks for my original 30+ year old Hornet - is someone able to ping a link to the shocks in this video or recommend a set to use instead of the awful standard shocks? Thx

[@ericrichard5237]

Did you cut both front springs? Or is there enough length to cut one for each side?

[@cobybryson6668]

Awesome !!!

[@camrowdrone6497]

Need to do this on mine👍🏻

[@raymondwilson9662]

I was just wondering are you testing the shock performance with the battery installed or with out the battery installed ???

[@RCKickschannel]

I’ve tried both. I removed the front two as the oil kept getting out due to crap rubber gaskets but the rears have been fine. I will be running Lipo so the battery doesn’t add much to the cars weight.

[@simalarion9431]

Sima larion I got those, they all leak oil, 2 of them you can,t even screw on so i had to add thin layer of paper. The ones i had to add paper to popped right out after some driving, the others went stiff, tried to change oil and now i cant stop the leak because the very thin rubber broke (was very carefull). Luckely due to Ebay i got my money back, so for me these where useless im sorry to write

[@GTFour]

Is there s video of this running with the oil shocks?

[@RCKickschannel]

Sorry I’m not sure, it’s been a while since that video came out. Personally I wouldn’t bother with these as I found leaking was an issue. You could upgrade the rubber gasket rings to fix this issue but due to just how light the buggy is, the shocks just don’t get much chance to perform.

[@pixelpusher3589]

Can we get a link to as where you got them from?

[@RCKickschannel]

EBay

[@justins_toys]

I love your videos and have been looking for just this hop up fo a vintage GH yet when people ask you for the link you just say eBay. I’ve found them, I think and they are over £45 and you say they are cheep! Please do us all a favour and just link all the parts you use in you videos

[@2SubaruBrats]

Great video. I have been thinking of getting the same shocks for my Grasshopper as well. Just adding oil dampers with the right wt oil by itself would help dramatically on the bounce. I wouldn't go any further as it is a Grasshopper after all. Thanks for sharing.

[@RCACTIONAUSTRALIA]

Nice upgrade over Stock 😎👍🏻

[@alanmorris8783]

Can’t you pre-load the original front springs?

[@gabrielpichardo1492]

Is there a link to where i can buy the shock absorber kit?

[@RCKickschannel]

I think you can find it in the comments as people have been asking before. Sorry I can’t remember off the top of my head.

[@gwenaellefurnemont3330]

Hello what mag

[@mattluszczak8095]

I would go for a 15 weigt oil or so

[@bigcharliesmodelgarage296]

👍👍👍👍

[@anngo007]

Why does the front need to got up fully when your car not moving? You tuning the suspension for a non traveling rc. Once it driving a rwd will push the front it up...you want travel you need softer springs and oil... Weigh

[@ishtiaqahmed3629]

Great video but you have gone with 20w oil but very informative.

[@RCKickschannel]

I Need to go thinner oil in the rear I think. The front spring mod worked well.

[@Gene_the_OG_Raver]

You need to trim that tree rhats growing in the background

[@bayareaadventures4432]

I’d put 25wt rear and 20wt front shock oil.

[@rileykairc]

i have these on my grasshopper they work much better than the standard ones my hopper is so upgraded they do help

[@revidual]

I got those, were great for a few minutes, then fell apart. Total waste of money.

[@Gene_the_OG_Raver]

Put some 70 wt oil in them

[@viper-qi1po]

Putting oil shocks on a grasshopper is like putting a turbo charger on a Toyota Prius, sure you can.....but makes no difference lol

[@smellurfingerrcdejesus9176]

Well said I own a Prius LOL I'm not even mad though I just laughed really hard because you're right bro where did you come from your alien LOL JK

[@cscape1973]

You are going to “cut the springs”??…….are you going to add a big bore exhorts, a whale tale spoiler, lights in the wheel wells, and some fury dice 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@RCKickschannel]

100% YES!

[@cscape1973]

@@RCKickschannel well ok 🤣 but please promise me that when you get that Porsche you keep talking about……please leave it alown!!! 🤣🤣

[@GTMatukka]

Expensive crap, too bad. Nice effort tho.

[@johntuffy5721]

upgrade? can of lighter fluid and a match.

[@bayareaadventures4432]

45 is way too heavy for that light weight car. Remember it had zero weight oil before. The only reason I said to put 25 rear and 20 front is to help steer on throttle.

[@smellurfingerrcdejesus9176]

I wonder if gavin likes bounce why would u change ur hop on ur grasshopper I'll never get this tamiya thing down I'm to much of a new bee well looks solid like a rock gots a lil bounce tho stiff springs its looking good if you change the back tire I'll throw a fit lol jk I like a hop how is it so sopost to be a classic if ur up grading it's not the same when you ran it when you where a kid now I'm lost and sad turn back young grass hopper befor it's to late I never knew just any shocks didn't fit a odd duck so thay say wowza I dislike off set but freek it if you know what works go for it on another note I would have put a thumbs down not cuz I dislike the video because I dislike changing the Grasshoppers legs but I didn't would have been disrespectful to Gavin idea Gavin change the rear shocks back to the originals keep the front shocks upgraded so that way the front doesn't stay down and you still have the bounce on the back end problem solved now if I could get a problem solved with more RC content instead of the little content that I have oh well I'm happy with what I got happy happy happy

[@smellurfingerrcdejesus9176]

Weee!😇🤪🎅

[@smellurfingerrcdejesus9176]

Look a ufo

[@smellurfingerrcdejesus9176]

Made u look

[@GreatBirdOfHope]

The fun of tamiya is that they bounce all over the place and look awesome with the awful suspension they come with. Put oil shocks on it and that will be gone. If you want performance dont buy a vintage tamiya, buy a Losi. I have Tamiyas because they look the best but that's it.

[@SIRICKO]

I get what you'er doing but by doing this you just killed the whole meaning of the car is to hop threw the grass.

[@RCKickschannel]

Yes you are correct.

[@CollinBaillie]

So... No idea how they ran out-of-the-box? Shame.

[@RCKickschannel]

Terrible