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

[Troopy]

Hey buddy, I 've done two leaf conversions on the GII chassis, and both with the normal TF spares. To what I can see, it is very similar to the kit that RC4WD has available, except that I think the kit is much easier. With the conversions I have made, you have to do a little custom work, such as making mounting brackets, and drilling holes in the chassis. I do however prefer to do my own conversion, as I can move the front axle forward, to mimic the look of the 1/1. That is on the 40 series Land Cruiser though. Maybe you can move the axle forward with the kit from RC4WD also, I'm not sure. Whatever you decide, good luck, and keep us posted.

[tkw75]

Hey Troopie, 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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[tkw75]

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


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[Troopy]

Great stuff buddy, enjoy and keep us posted.

[tkw75]

G2 Leaf Spring Conversion Update

It has been a while but I have finally found some time to work on my FJ40 leaf spring conversion for the RC4WD Gelande II. I started with a set of TF2 leafs and mounts/shackles and began planning from there. In the end I decided I really liked the look of a lifted FJ40 with 37-38" tires IRL, so I used a spring over axle configuration, placed the fixed leaf spring mount ahead of both axles and lengthened the wheel base a bit by moving the front axle forward and the rear axle rearward. This is a fairly common setup for the 1:1 Cruisers that are heavily modified, so I figured I would replicate it.
The results are almost exactly what I was after. The front is just about perfect while the rear gave me some fits and I had to disassemble/reassemble the frame about 3 or 4 times before I got it right. This only means that my next one will go much smoother. I fully expected the rear to be the easy part, but for some reason it was fighting me the whole way. Oh well, live and learn.
Right, so onto the pics. I am terrible at documenting anything I do (mostly because I have so little time to actually work on my RC's before I am interrupted by at least one of my 3 young sons) but at least I grabbed some after pics. And pay no attention to the loose wires, sideways leafs, etc. The truck is barely bolted together to test the fit/form/function of everything. I will fully disassemble and reassemble once everything is set.
Here is the look I am loosely modeling my Cruiser after, albeit with smaller tires as these appear to be 44" or so. But I really like the rear fenders being cut and the longer wheelbase.



Here is my GII FJ40 after the leaf spring swap, sitting on RC4WD Compass tires, which are 4.75" tall. The rear fenders obviously need to be cut, but I was planning on that all along. The front is just perfect though.



Here are a few shots of the leaf spring mounts and shackles for both front and rear. The rear shackles laid down quit a bit (lots of weight) and I may try some Revolver shackles to help out a bit.






After driving it around for a bit, I was shocked at how well the suspension seems to work, flexing perfectly with enough body lean to keep the weight planted. It is much more realistic than my TF2 kit, so I will most likely tear that one apart to see what’s up.
I am pretty sure I am using these jack stands wrong (there were no instructions... lol) but they illustrate the point. There is a ton of travel in this truck when fully loaded up with body, electronics and battery.

Obligatory flex shots...




I am very happy with the results thus far and will begin refining and adjusting the truck as I get further into completion. The list of items I need to take care of are as follows.
1. Axle degree shims to get the pinions pointed above level instead of toward the ground

2. Revolver shackles in the rear to help with the flat leafs/shackles

3. Chino and o-ring mod on the leafs

4. Replace lots of hardware with the proper length (many are currently 'just long enough')

and finally,

5. Cut those rear fenders

Thanks for looking.

[walter lee]

looking very good

[tkw75]

looking very good

Thanks!

[Teddy]

Nice flex ! Revolver shackles are radical.

[tkw75]

So I decided to tackle my list of to do items from the bottom and managed to find some time to cut the fenders. It was very easy in all reality. I used a Dremel cut offwheel to remove the large sections, then swapped to the sanding drum to refineand create the final shape. I had some flat files and some Tamiya 2000 gritsandpaper (the foam backed kind... I have found this so useful for so manyprojects) to complete the finished look. I created a paper template to transferthe cutout from one side to the other. Worked like a charm.

Overall I am very happy with the fit and finish. The reartires tuck perfectly with no/minimal rub and the look is just what I was after.I am thinking of adding some fender flares by buying 2 sets and combining themto make longer flares. But that is a project for another day.

Thanks again for all the advice! Here are some after pics...

[tkw75]

Nice flex ! Revolver shackles are radical.

I will find out soon enough... I have to find a set (ebay most likely) as they seem to be backordered everywhere. More updates soon.