lyons238

iTrader: (15)

I have an XRAY XB4 16' and when I crash or hit something with my front wheels, the steering gets knocked out of whack basically everytime I wreck or hit anything.

Let me start by saying I already have an aluminum Hudy servo horn.

At first I thought it was was the servo saver, so I tightened it...kept occuring. Then I thought it was maybe the turnbuckles...kept happing, so I started measuring them to check. Again I turned to the servo saver...so I bought the aluminum exotek steering cranks. Now even with the alum cranks it still does it.

Also when I hit, both wheels and cranks appear to be out of whack equally. Which seems to make me think it is potentially the servo because if it were anything else most likely one side would be out of whack, not both equally...

I have a $160 Futaba BLS571 brushless servo. Is it possible that the servo is jumping gears inside? I checked the servo horn, and that doesn't appear to be mucked up or slipping. The servo sounds normal and seems to work fine.

I can't figure this out for the life of me. Any thoughts?

fenton06

iTrader: (24)

At this point the only thing left is the servo... You can take it apart and check for a missing tooth.

MikeR

iTrader: (15)

Could be many other things still. I would also check;

Servo is not moving? tighten down to chassis (are you using a floating mount? Could be bending).
Servo horn? use a clamping servo horn. Make sure the servo horn is not bending.
Ball ends? make sure all ball ends are secure and not bending and not shifting (including the camber and steering)
Make sure the shock tower and bulkhead (upper and lower) are not moving- look for shifting camber as that also affects steering center.
Make sure your hinge pins aren't bent- if they are bent they will rotate around, changing the arm angle and thus the steering center.
Are you using alum screws in the bulkhead or tower? When they bend they change camber geometry and there goes steering center with it.

Been there done that
Good luck!

John Myall

How are you fixing the issue between each time it's being knocked out of whack?

Are you having to re-centre the servo horn on the servo? The XRAY kits ones are made from cheese, so that may be slipping even if it doesn't look too bad. Try an alloy one.

bd581

Sounds most like a stripped servo horn.
Happened with mine very quickly, looked good, but wasn't.
Replace with an aluminium one ASAP.
If you get a hudy one, you need to shorten it as they hit the body on the '16

tailendcharlie

iTrader: (1)

mine just done same ,its teeth in servo,start car turn servo full lock & hold wheel to stop it from centring it will make horrible noise & I bet it stripped teeth at full lock. depending on servo u can go in rotate stripped section of gear a certain degree so teeth don't get used when operating ,if u can be bothered.

SerpJimmy

iTrader: (2)

I've never owned an rc car or truck that the steering wasn't throw off when it was in a good wreck. Just say'in..

lyons238

iTrader: (15)

Thanks for the reply but did you even read my post? I tried most of that stuff and the wheels are both equally out of whack which means it wouldn't be any of the other stuff you listed.

At first I adjusted the steering links, then the next couple times I took apart my entire front end, re measured everything to spec and re aligned the servo horn and trim.

I am already using the hudy aluminum servo horn, I should have mentioned that.

I forgot to mention I'm already using a Hudy alum servo horn, I have never used a plastic servo horn and never will.

This is what I'm starting to think. Now that I think about it the servo does buzz when turning full lock but I figured that was because the steering was out of whack I would have to readjust the end points. But now it's really seeming like the servo.

Why does this expensive futaba servo jump gears so easy if so? My savox never did this to me! I thought the Futaba would be even better!?

It's not just huge wrecks. It's mostly any wreck or any time I hit my front wheels on a pipe or clip a wall, not even head on just a little bit, it happens WAYYY to easy and it's happening easier and easier now.

symmetricon

iTrader: (27)

Do you have an aluminum servo horn mounted?

lyons238

iTrader: (15)

Yes, I just stated that and I edited my first post. Forgot to mention that, but honestly that would be the first place I turn before checking anything else.

Also, I'm remembering the first time my wheels went out of whack. I took a huge wreck where I hit a big jump going really fast (5.5t motor) into a corner and landed a bit off center, lost traction for a second, then went to make the corner and the outside wheels caught traction (astro) and I traction rolled, then the car turned from a roll to a cartwheel maybe 5 times and one of the time it bounced 3-4ft high (picture the way a football tumbles) and landed on the pavement like 20ft away!!

That one torqued my steering out of whack (as expected) and ever since then every little hit knocks my steering out of whack. I had to have sheered some teeth on my servo. which is weird because it doesn't appear to be loud or not functioning under normal use. And quite honestly, I've taken harder crashes with my Savox (at least for the servo), I've ran into a wall at the end of a big straight into a tight corner and popped a ball cup and tweaked some stuff. Servo was fine. Are these Futaba servo's weak?

symmetricon

iTrader: (27)

Have you checked to see if you maybe bent one of the steering posts?

Pville Stig

iTrader: (4)

That one torqued my steering out of whack (as expected) and ever since then every little hit knocks my steering out of whack. I had to have sheered some teeth on my servo. which is weird because it doesn't appear to be loud or not functioning under normal use. And quite honestly, I've taken harder crashes with my Savox (at least for the servo), I've ran into a wall at the end of a big straight into a tight corner and popped a ball cup and tweaked some stuff. Servo was fine. Are these Futaba servo's weak?[/QUOTE]

A lot of the Futaba metal gear servos have one plastic gear in them to protect them. It acts like a servo saver in a way. You need to pull the servo out and apart, inspect the gears to see if they have any damaged teeth. If there is a plastic one, more than likely its damaged.

lyons238

iTrader: (15)

You have to read the thread man I said both wheels are out of whack equally and Iv taken everything apart multiple times measured put back together. There's no possibly way one of anything is bent because both wheels and steering cranks are equal. Furthermore everything is perfect once I recenter.

I guess I was wondering if there was any other source besides the servo that could account for my situation. And if not if anyone else has had this happen to their servo more specially the Futaba BLS571

symmetricon

iTrader: (27)

I did read the thread "man," if you want people to help you it helps not to be a d*i*c*k, good luck.

lyons238

iTrader: (15)

No need to get emotional lol. You commented twice about things that I already covered in previous posts. I wasn't even being rude about it I was just saying read the thread before posting because it seems like you didn't.

But I'm the a hole carry on friend.