CLASSIC
PLASTIC
TUB TIME
Deep tub chassis were the most common type of platform in the ’80s, and
Tamiya’s one-piece ABS design was copied by many. ;e shock towers
are molded in, and the battery is installed beneath a removable lid. Simple,
simple, simple. And dig that front bumper—all the hot buggies had ’em. When
choosing a battery for the Grasshopper, stick with a relatively low-capacity
NiMH pack; high-capacity cells and LiPo packs are larger than the 1200mAh
batteries of old and may not fit in the chassis.
POGO-STICK SUSPENSION
No oil-filled shocks here—the Grasshopper
get simple spring holders to suspend
the chassis. ;e rear units are molded
to look like dampers, with shafts that
slide into plastic bodies, but the fronts
are simply metal rods that pass through
the shock towers. If you’re thinking that
sounds crude and definitely not smooth,
you’re right. But it sure does cut costs
and make assembly easy, as does the
super-simplified front end. ;e C-hubs are
molded into the arms, so camber changes
dramatically with suspension movement.
And instead of pivoting on separate
metal hingepins, the arms simply
have molded-in extensions that are
captured by the chassis.
Lower-capacity packs fit the Grasshopper best; this 4600m Ah LRP pack is
a tight squeeze.
Each “shock” is just a spring and a rod. Note that the suspension arm
and C-hub are one piece.
;e chassis is molded
as a single piece,
contributing to the kit’s
low parts count.
With the arm retainer/skidplate removed, you can see
how the suspension arms simply pivot directly in the
chassis instead of using separate hingepins.
