First of all I havent bought a new servo in about 12 years....so no laughing!
I have need for a new steering servo for 2 vehicles...

First for a Factory Team TC6, which Im using for VTA. Im running indoor asphalt now but this car will see some parking lot racing and carpet also....


The second is a XXX-SCT that Im running in the mod class.

The last time I bought a new servo the only choice was plastic or metal gears. The servos available now say things like "high speed", "corless", and I dont have any clue where to start.
Any help is appreciated...Thanks

I'm not trying to start a "whatever the best servo" debate. I'm just looking for some explanation on servo features.
One guy at motorama said its all about the speed, another said its torque.
I just need a little educating before purchasing.
Thanks,
Anthony

It's about the proper balance of what you are putting it in you don't need 300oz worth of servo in your VTA you also don't need .07 speed in a monster truck.

a spektrum 6040 would be a good example of something that would work well for both cars it's fast @.08 has metal gears and I believe 166oz of torque.

Do you need digital or analog servos?

There are decent analog servos still available, ones that were around 12 years ago. If you like Hitec, take a look at the high speed for touring and high torque for short course. Cost is around $30.

Futaba made/makes some affordable analog servos too, high torque for about $25 and the metal gear version cost $35. Speed is average, metal gear is a bit slower by 0.05 sec

Ok. This is good.
Now in regards to speed....what does.07 an .08 mean? Is that the amount of time it takes for the servo to transfer the input, or how fast the servo actually moves?

And what does the torque measuring? Is that how much force is behind the movement?

[QUOTE=superspeed;10355583]Do you need digital or analog servos?

I don't have ant brand preference really. Iv used JR, Hitec, and Futaba over the years in a multitude of aplications.

What's the difference in digital and analog, and how do I k.ow which I need. I'm using a spektrum DX-3S if that makes a difference.

0.07, 0.08, the amount of time in seconds for the servo arm to move by 60 degrees. Complete description is 0.07s/60 degrees for example. A faster servo (lower number) makes the RC more responsive.

Sort of. Technically it’s a twisting force, but with a given servo arm it relates to force. Correct units are a force times a distance, ounce-inch or kilogram-centimeter, abbreviated oz-in or kg-cm. Need to have enough torque to resist wheel forces when loaded up in a corner, including shocks from bumps and such, and provide durability.

Generally, not always the case, but in general digitals provide higher performance, usually faster, hold position better, and can be used with quicker responding radios/radio modes for quicker response.

AWESOME! Thank you Dave H.
So the lower the number the faster the reaction in the servo.
And I would assume I need a servo with higher torque for an off road aplicatin than an on road car>
Thanks for all the help dude!

Not sure on the on road thing, imagine a touring car could load up the steering quite a bit due to high traction and cornering speeds, and 4wd, but I’m just speculating, don’t know.

I don't have a short course, but imagine 2wd SC would be fairly similar to a stadium truck, suggest looking for at least 140 oz-in or so, would expect 200 or so to be plenty. Little advantage in having way more torque, but it probably won’t hurt anything.

For speed I would suggest 0.10s or quicker for both of your cars. Some will disagree, concerned about making the car darty, but for me more speed has always been helpful. With one caveat, this can get complicated to explain, but some servos have very hot feedback tuning in an effort to improve performance with a given motor, and are twitchy & noisy just sitting, they tend to overshoot slightly under a quick input. I don’t care for that, prefer a smooth response without overshooting.

Good questions, in my opinion a good quality fast steering servo with enough torque is the single best and most important hop up there is. A fast car isn’t much good if you can’t control it.

Dave you are the man!
I agree a good servo is important, which is why I want to upgrade.
Im guessing if I get a servo thats fast, I can always smooth it out with some expo?
I also prefer a smooth response from my steering, and I also dont care for a servo to twitch and make noise when standing still. I like a nice smooth, quiet servo and drivetrain on my cars.