Gelande II Cruiser leaf spring conversion - custom vs kit

[TKW75]

Hi everyone,

I have recently picked up a (barely) used Gelande II Cruiser to compliment my not quite yet completed TF2 kit. I really want to convert the Cruiser to leaf springs but cannot find anything on the newly released RC4WD conversion kit.

As far as I can see, the main difference between theconversions I have seen in the various forums is the leaf springs being used.The RC4WD kit uses the TF2 SWB springs while most of the internets have usedTF2 springs, which are just a bit longer and use multiple leafs.

Has anyone used the RC4WD kit and if so, any idea how itcompares to doing a custom conversion with the longer TF2 springs? Pardonmynoob and New2rocks, really interested to see ifeither of you have played with the new kits as you have been running theconversions for quite some time.

Thanks in advance!

Tim from Michigan

[new2rocks]

Hi, Tim. Welcome and congrats on the pickup. I have not tried out the new conversion kit, as I had already done the conversion myself long before the kit came out. From what I've seen in the pix, it looks like the kit comes with chassis rails that have the necessary mounting holes added, mounting brackets and hardware (some of which are specific to the G2 and some of which are generic), plus the shorter leafs. In theory, that suspension setup should be very similar to the SWB (which I also have) save for the longer WB. The SWB has a very stiff ride and not much suspension travel. That's not always a bad thing (the SWB with Tamiya Jeep body is an absolute blast to drive), and it may well be a good match for the top-heavy Cruiser body.

That said, I really, really like the setup on my Cruiser. The red main leafs in front and black main leafs in back (with various helpers) combined with the revolver shackles in both front and rear provide a very stable, predictable and compliant ride. It makes for a very capable truck, as you can see in my review on my YT channel. So...if I had it to do over again, I'd do it the exact same way. Hope that helps!

[TKW75]

Hey New2Rocks, thanks for weighing in.

So here is my plan:

1. Purchase the kit without the frame rails - includes the proper brackets and shackles
2. Sell/repurpose the springs from the SWB TF2 that are included in the kit
3. Purchase the TF2 springs
4. use the above hardware and springs to custom mount to current frame (no mount/shackle drillings)
5. Enjoy leaf springs

So using the mounts seems like the easiest path as I can mount them where I want to enable the axle to move forward as well as flip the shackles around in the front. It appears 80mm shocks are popular with the leafs... any other recommendations?

Thanks again!

[TKW75]

Alright, so a change of plans. RCRecycler had a full set of TF2 springs, shackles, hangers and hardware on eBay so I pulled the trigger. I think I can make it work but I will have to see once it arrives.


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[new2rocks]

The TF2 set should work fine. You can follow my step-by-step instructions...the only difference will be regular shackles instead of Revolvers,

[TKW75]

Originally Posted by new2rocks

The TF2 set should work fine. You can follow my step-by-step instructions...the only difference will be regular shackles instead of Revolvers,

Yep, that's the plan.

[TKW75]

So this arrived today... looks like I need to set aside some time for the swap.



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[Teng]

Hi TKW75, Any updates for this build? Would like to get some inspiration from you.

[TKW75]

Originally Posted by Teng

Hi TKW75, Any updates for this build? Would like to get some inspiration from you.

Hi Teng,

Yes, sorry for the delay in the updates. My work/life balance is not what you would call conducive to RC (or any other hobby for that matter). The Cruiser is up and running and I will be sure to post an update soon for you and others to glean some knowledge from.