modding you steering servo for 180 degree throw
this mod will take you servo from 90 degree throw to 180 degree throw or more.
okay after i modded my steering for everything it was worth to get the most out of it. it was quite apparent that the servo was now the issue. i had done everything i know to get the most steering out of my rig. shaving the dogbones. shaving the stoppers, gas line in the axle stubs to push the dogbone in the axle further and opted for high clearance knuckles. even modding the steering wheel on my radios. when i got my axles the first thin i noticed was the lack of steering. for the guys that are running rear steer might not notice it as bad. but for us that dont want rear steer im sure you noticed the same thing. well here is your cheap fix.
i preformed this mod to my current servo and it works flawless. ran it for a couple weeks now. there are other systems that will do the same thing. the only difference is that this is 99 cents plus tax. very cheap. if your soldering skills are up to par, you are good to go. ill will do a step by step. not to detailed. if there is a need for more detail i will edit a better one to further aid if anyone would like. on another note. im not on here alot lately, and i am also not very good at checking all the threads i post in
. so just shoot me a pm if more detail is needed and i will add to this post. the pics of the servo are from a junked one i have in the bin, but same thing for most servos.there are some exceptions. i have seen some servos that do not have a full gear on them so they are not capable of this mod. with that being said on with it.
on the left was what i had after some modifications. on the right is what i had after all the modifications.
this is about what i was getting for throw before give or take a little bit.
this is what i have for throw now... much better:mrgreen:
okay for starters. the yellow lines are you basic travel of a servo. the orange line is what you will get with this mod in both directions. big difference in throw. first you will want to make sure your stoppers let you get the 180 degrees.the red line over the case is where the stoppers are. this one as well as my other one did not need trimming. trim if needed, but do not take off more then you need to prevent damage. the stopper on the gear has the arrow. this is what will make it stop when contacted the stoppers. this protects the pot in the servo from being damaged as well as prevents destroying gears. the pot should be able to handle the extra throw.it also helps to have just the gear that goes on it to test, so you can see how much you have before the stopper hits or the pot maxes out. the pot must be centered after being put back together. you will know it if it isnt. there will be buzzing or if all your gears are off the motor will be turning. if centered it will stop.
these are the resistors i used. 1/8watt. i picked up 1k's as well as 2.2k's.i suppose you could go with 1/4 but space is limited in a servo. i ended up using a total of four 1k resistors to preform this mod. other resistances may work better or worse. these can be had at radio shack for 99 cents a pack.
the resistors are to be soldered to the outer posts of the pot. leaving the center one alone. in my case since i used a total of four. two for each post in series creating a total of 2k per side. this one would be much easier then the one i am running now. the posts were directly soldered to the breadboard, so there was no wires like this one. after the resistors are soldered in. stuff it all back together. assemble the servo. before running the servo. turn your trim pots all the way down. then turn them up to increase the travel til your max is achieved. with my dx3e i can control throw right and left. when they were turned all the way down the servo did not operate in one direction til the trim was turned up.it would be a good thing to test before installing into the truck. i have not tested this on a tx that only has a single steering rate knob or switch. all in all with this mod i got the most out of my steering. well worth the time and the minimal dollar it cost. happy steering!"thumbsup"