ThunderTiger
Hardcore RCTalk User
I am not sure if this "How-To" has been covered anywhere before, but i thought it might be of use to fellow Rc'ers because it has served me well since being carried out on my buggy.
It will take about an hours work and around £15-£20 GBP (possibly less in the U.S) but this will depend on the make and scale of your rig. I know this workls in 1/10 aswell, as i have carried the same work over to a t/tiger TS-4N nitro touring car with sucess.
Now, in the picture below, you will see a left hand side view of a 1/8 Thunder tiger EB4 buggy in "standard" configuration. You will note, that although the post is metal, the bell crank is of GRP (Glass reinforced plastic) and un-sprung like the right hand side that the servo actuates. What i am about to describe is the "Light" modification of this to the same sprung setup as on the servo side.
You will need:
A Set of servo saver metal parts (unless you can purchase a suitable compression spring seperatly)
A Set of servo saver bell cranks to match the servo actuated side
The correct hex or screw driver for your bolts/screws
The correct sized spanner (normally the supplied box spanner)
A Pair of "Soft Jaw" pliers
A Small/medium flat (spade) blade Screwdriver
A Small/medium size posi drive (X head) screwdriver
A pot to keep the various nuts/bolts/ washer etc in. (i prefer to use a cleaned 750ml fizzy pop bottle as it has a lid to keep parts inside if knocked over)
A strong magnet in case you drop/lose a nut/bolt/washer
You Will Also Require;
Patience (!!!!)
a clean working area (a MUST have)
About an hours spare time to carry out the required work (A Definate !)
a second pair of hands to help with the fitment of the circlip on semi completion (Optional)
A cool glass of beer/wine/pop or a hot cup of coffee/Tea to serve you thirst. (Again, Optional)
The How-To
Stage 1: Pre-modification Preperation
In the photo's below, you will see the servo saver top plate (Photo 1) and the under side of the chassis (photo 2). The circled "bolts" are those that must be removed. Also, you will see the circled "nut" on the retaining bolt that retains the steering slider to the servo saver bell crank(photo 3). This must also be removed. Store the removed nuts and bolts in a container. When this is complete, you should be able to slide out the servo saver post and have in your hand or on your work top/work bench/table what you see in photo 4 (The photos are no'd 1 - 4 from left to right)
Stage 2: Removing your Stock Left hand side Servo Saver & Bell Crank Unit
Here is where the "Real" work starts. You will need to remove the top "e-clip" (photo 5). To do this, use a small flat bladed screwdriver being careful not to stab/gouge your self. Once this is done, you should be able to remove the parts from each other and have before you what you see in the below photo (I have intentionally left out the central servo saver core post for clarity).
Stage 3: Modifying your left hand servo saver
Now, here you will see what parts you will need. The parts are Top servo saver bell crank (1), lower servo saver bell crank (2) and the servo saver spring (3).
Action 1: Take the upper servo saver bell crank and trim of the main bulk of the arm. This can iether be cut with a hacksaw or ground off with a bench grinder (as i did).When trimmed, file the stub of the bell crank arm back until you have what you see in the photo below, and place to one side for a moment.(The image is a composite "before" and "after" image)
Action 2: Take the new spring and slide over the post and push to the bottom.
Action 3: Take the lower servo saver arm and slide onto the post and push down until sitting aginst the spring.
Action 4: Take the modified upper servo arm, slide onto post and down until engaged with the lower servo save arm.
Action 5: Fitting the e-Clip.
Push down on the top servo saver arm until the "e-clip" groove is visible then push down a little more until you have a 1-2mm gap between the top of the top servo saver arm and the e-clip groove. Slide the E-clip partly "into the groove" (Great Madonna track that, "Get into The Groove"), carefully and slowly release the pressure holding down the servo saver arms and the spring until the top bell crank meets the part fitted e-clip. Don't worry, it will not spring off anywhere, however, if it does spring off, then you didn't quite get the e-clip into the groove enough and you have a hunting mission on your hands before you can try again
Practice makes perfect they say (so explain me then !!! )
Action 7: Take the soft jaw pliers and ensure the e-clip is fitted fully and snugly onto the servo saver post.
Action 8: re-fit to the buggy reversing the actions you took to remove the "original", un-modified servo saver post. The below photo is a composite before and after image)
Action 9: Ensure all nuts/bolts are tight.
Action 10: Test action of servo saver to ensure that no "binding" is evident, then "test Run".
Final Stage:
Enjoy, your work is done and you have a more durable servo saver bell crank set-up for the work you have just completed.
Now hopefully having carried out the above modification, you should not have any more broken left hand bell cranks. I am not overly sure how or why this mod works, but i suspect it has something to do with the manufacture and design of the servo actuated bellcrank to be stronger than the left hand bell crank. What i do know is that it does work and that this modification has served two years of hard knocks (My Missus Driving), high speed cartwheels (My Missus Driving), high speed tree impacts (My Missus Driving), kerbing at speed (My Missus Driving) and a host of other "abusive" situations (Aaaaannnnnnd......My Missus Driving again. Surprised ??).
If you do carry out the mod and break the servo arm, i would be intrigued to hear from you and the situation that caused the bell crank to break.
DISCLAIMER: IF YOU CARRY OUT THIS MODIFICATION YOU DO SO ON YOUR OWN RECOGNISCENCE. BY CARRYING OUT THIS MOD YOU AGREE THAT I SHALL NOT AND WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY ACTIONS YOU TAKE AND ANY RESULTING DAMAGES OR INJURIES OR OTHER CONSEQUENCES THAT MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THE WORK DESCRIBED HEREIN, OR SHOULD ANY NOTED OR UN-NOTED INCIDENTS OCCUR FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OR IMPROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS MODIFICATION OR THROUGH LACK OF FORETHOUGHT ON REASSEMBLY BY LACK OF USING THREAD LOCK COMPOUND ON CRITICAL COMPONANTS OF THE MAIN STEERING SYSTEM. NOR SHALL I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OR BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES, PERSONAL OR OTHERWISE THAT MAY OCCUR DURING ANY AND ALL OF THE WORK DESCRIBED HEREIN AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THIS WORK THROUGH YOUR OWN OR ANOTHER PERSONS ACTIONS, INTENDED OR OTHERWISE.
** EDIT ** @ 8/March/2009 **
Having studied what was right in front of me, I now understand why and how this mod works. The Servo saver bell crank for the servo operated side is designed and moulded in way conducive to strength and durability, unlike the non servo side standard bell crank. The spring is therefore only required on the mod side to keep the two parts of the bell crank together. For evidence of this fact, please refer to the composite "Before Mod & After Mod"
** EDIT ** @ 8/March/2009 **
It will take about an hours work and around £15-£20 GBP (possibly less in the U.S) but this will depend on the make and scale of your rig. I know this workls in 1/10 aswell, as i have carried the same work over to a t/tiger TS-4N nitro touring car with sucess.
Now, in the picture below, you will see a left hand side view of a 1/8 Thunder tiger EB4 buggy in "standard" configuration. You will note, that although the post is metal, the bell crank is of GRP (Glass reinforced plastic) and un-sprung like the right hand side that the servo actuates. What i am about to describe is the "Light" modification of this to the same sprung setup as on the servo side.
You will need:
A Set of servo saver metal parts (unless you can purchase a suitable compression spring seperatly)
A Set of servo saver bell cranks to match the servo actuated side
The correct hex or screw driver for your bolts/screws
The correct sized spanner (normally the supplied box spanner)
A Pair of "Soft Jaw" pliers
A Small/medium flat (spade) blade Screwdriver
A Small/medium size posi drive (X head) screwdriver
A pot to keep the various nuts/bolts/ washer etc in. (i prefer to use a cleaned 750ml fizzy pop bottle as it has a lid to keep parts inside if knocked over)
A strong magnet in case you drop/lose a nut/bolt/washer
You Will Also Require;
Patience (!!!!)
a clean working area (a MUST have)
About an hours spare time to carry out the required work (A Definate !)
a second pair of hands to help with the fitment of the circlip on semi completion (Optional)
A cool glass of beer/wine/pop or a hot cup of coffee/Tea to serve you thirst. (Again, Optional)
The How-To
Stage 1: Pre-modification Preperation
In the photo's below, you will see the servo saver top plate (Photo 1) and the under side of the chassis (photo 2). The circled "bolts" are those that must be removed. Also, you will see the circled "nut" on the retaining bolt that retains the steering slider to the servo saver bell crank(photo 3). This must also be removed. Store the removed nuts and bolts in a container. When this is complete, you should be able to slide out the servo saver post and have in your hand or on your work top/work bench/table what you see in photo 4 (The photos are no'd 1 - 4 from left to right)
Stage 2: Removing your Stock Left hand side Servo Saver & Bell Crank Unit
Here is where the "Real" work starts. You will need to remove the top "e-clip" (photo 5). To do this, use a small flat bladed screwdriver being careful not to stab/gouge your self. Once this is done, you should be able to remove the parts from each other and have before you what you see in the below photo (I have intentionally left out the central servo saver core post for clarity).
Stage 3: Modifying your left hand servo saver
Now, here you will see what parts you will need. The parts are Top servo saver bell crank (1), lower servo saver bell crank (2) and the servo saver spring (3).
Action 1: Take the upper servo saver bell crank and trim of the main bulk of the arm. This can iether be cut with a hacksaw or ground off with a bench grinder (as i did).When trimmed, file the stub of the bell crank arm back until you have what you see in the photo below, and place to one side for a moment.(The image is a composite "before" and "after" image)
Action 2: Take the new spring and slide over the post and push to the bottom.
Action 3: Take the lower servo saver arm and slide onto the post and push down until sitting aginst the spring.
Action 4: Take the modified upper servo arm, slide onto post and down until engaged with the lower servo save arm.
Action 5: Fitting the e-Clip.
Push down on the top servo saver arm until the "e-clip" groove is visible then push down a little more until you have a 1-2mm gap between the top of the top servo saver arm and the e-clip groove. Slide the E-clip partly "into the groove" (Great Madonna track that, "Get into The Groove"), carefully and slowly release the pressure holding down the servo saver arms and the spring until the top bell crank meets the part fitted e-clip. Don't worry, it will not spring off anywhere, however, if it does spring off, then you didn't quite get the e-clip into the groove enough and you have a hunting mission on your hands before you can try again
Practice makes perfect they say (so explain me then !!! )Action 7: Take the soft jaw pliers and ensure the e-clip is fitted fully and snugly onto the servo saver post.
Action 8: re-fit to the buggy reversing the actions you took to remove the "original", un-modified servo saver post. The below photo is a composite before and after image)
Action 9: Ensure all nuts/bolts are tight.
Action 10: Test action of servo saver to ensure that no "binding" is evident, then "test Run".
Final Stage:
Enjoy, your work is done and you have a more durable servo saver bell crank set-up for the work you have just completed.
Now hopefully having carried out the above modification, you should not have any more broken left hand bell cranks. I am not overly sure how or why this mod works, but i suspect it has something to do with the manufacture and design of the servo actuated bellcrank to be stronger than the left hand bell crank. What i do know is that it does work and that this modification has served two years of hard knocks (My Missus Driving), high speed cartwheels (My Missus Driving), high speed tree impacts (My Missus Driving), kerbing at speed (My Missus Driving) and a host of other "abusive" situations (Aaaaannnnnnd......My Missus Driving again. Surprised ??
). If you do carry out the mod and break the servo arm, i would be intrigued to hear from you and the situation that caused the bell crank to break.
DISCLAIMER: IF YOU CARRY OUT THIS MODIFICATION YOU DO SO ON YOUR OWN RECOGNISCENCE. BY CARRYING OUT THIS MOD YOU AGREE THAT I SHALL NOT AND WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY ACTIONS YOU TAKE AND ANY RESULTING DAMAGES OR INJURIES OR OTHER CONSEQUENCES THAT MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THE WORK DESCRIBED HEREIN, OR SHOULD ANY NOTED OR UN-NOTED INCIDENTS OCCUR FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OR IMPROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS MODIFICATION OR THROUGH LACK OF FORETHOUGHT ON REASSEMBLY BY LACK OF USING THREAD LOCK COMPOUND ON CRITICAL COMPONANTS OF THE MAIN STEERING SYSTEM. NOR SHALL I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OR BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY INJURY OR DAMAGES, PERSONAL OR OTHERWISE THAT MAY OCCUR DURING ANY AND ALL OF THE WORK DESCRIBED HEREIN AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THIS WORK THROUGH YOUR OWN OR ANOTHER PERSONS ACTIONS, INTENDED OR OTHERWISE.
** EDIT ** @ 8/March/2009 **
Having studied what was right in front of me, I now understand why and how this mod works. The Servo saver bell crank for the servo operated side is designed and moulded in way conducive to strength and durability, unlike the non servo side standard bell crank. The spring is therefore only required on the mod side to keep the two parts of the bell crank together. For evidence of this fact, please refer to the composite "Before Mod & After Mod"
** EDIT ** @ 8/March/2009 **
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