I own a Tmaxx 3.3 (4909 model) and have used it for two summers. This evening a friend of mine bought an EMaxx. I've never driven a truck that was so easy to steer as the Emaxx !!!!!!! When turning it would respond the same as the Tmaxx, however when I let go the steering wheel the Emaxx would return to a straight path on it's front wheels. My Tmaxx stays turned and it's like I'm fighting the wheel all the time. Is there a Servo that I can put in my Tmaxx to have it return to centre when I release the wheel?????????
I realize that the servo centres when there is no input but there was something crazy easy about steering the Emaxx tonight as compared to the Tmaxx. I'm just wondering if there is a steering servo that would be smoother than the stock servo??
You may have a sloppy servo saver in the bellcrank and a couple chipped teeth on the servo gear....After about 100+ jumps with my new 4908 model the bellcrank assembly became so sloppy that it made my steering unpredictable blasting across rough terrain or running the track...that slop killed my servo and made me look worse at handling an r/c than a noob driver...I thought it was due for a changing because of the abuse it endured so i bought a replacement from my LHS so I didnt have to go home.While I was changing it I noticed alot of side to side play in the steering assembly but I still wanted to bash..when it lasted 10 mins i was so mad I went home ;- ripped apart my front end and put in a new bellcrank assembly and metal gear high torque servo and it steered/handled like a champ again.You have a slightly different type of bellcrank and you can get a heavy duty servo saver for your steering or you could swap in the newer 4908 bellcrank;-it will fit......Your pillowball adjustments have alot to do with how smoothly the steering can react....If the pillow balls are too tight to the top a-arms it will add stress to the servo when the steering is turned fully and the knuckles hit the arms...If the pillowball tension cups are too tight it will bind and slow the servo too causing it to weaken and fail.I like to tighten the cups snugly not tightly and then back off 1/8 turn on all 8 cups.When I initially set my tire angles I screw the pillow balls all the way in and turn all the tops out 1 full turn and all the bottoms 1 1/2 turns as a place to start from and then I finetune from there....you're probably due for a small overhaul using proper refurbishing/frontend aligning technics....Everyone says the hitec servos are really good but I havent had much luck with them but I got them in used vehicles also so I really can't say but the OFNA Mutillator Pro.32 Truggy steering servos are cheap/powerful,metal geared and very sturdy...I have alot of bashing abuse time on the truggy now and the servo and bellcrank assembly is just as tight as it was when I pulled it out of the box so I recently bought some OFNA servos from ebay for my out of commission bashers to see how they hold up in them....
Thank you for the reply. Forgive me as I am very new to the hobby. What the hell are pillow balls and too tight this and too loose that. Give me more detail to go on and how to properly tune it all. Do I need a wheel alignment kit or can I do this on my own without the alignment kit. Whatever will work. It's not about the money, whatever you think will work best.
The pillowballs are round links at the ends of the a-arms that help the steering knuckles rotate and the suspension to travel up / down...they emulate balljoints in cars....If you remove the wheels from the truck youll see two rubber plugs with cut crosses in the center on each knuckle;-this is where you stick the allen wrench while holding the suspension to negative height
to adjust the pillowballs for the tire angle .With your truck if it was purchased new should have a 4 way looking plastic tool with fancy type bit tip ends......The round end with dashed outter ring that fits the outer ring around the rubber plug in the knuckle is the one that adjusts the pillowball tension..........
