Funny Servo

[brutaltactics177]

Does anyone know why a servo would work fine spinning one way, but have no torque spinning the opposite way? I've taken my steering servo apart, cleaned it, re-greased it, and it still has no torque spinning to the right? I've noticed that the servo numbers are all the same, so is it possible to switch the servo's around, and if so which servo should be switched with which? Anyone with any experience with this?? Thanks..

[Double G]

Could be the servo going out. Swap it with another and see what happens. Also make sure that the rest of the steering is pretty loose but not sloppy.

[brutaltactics177]

Is it common for servos to just loose their torque like this? My truck is at least 7 years old but has very little time on it. I've taken it apart, and cleaned/re-greased it but it's still the same. Does it matter which servo's I switch around?

[Monte_1977]

Over time servos will wear out just like anything else depending how often its used but not from just sitting around and doing nothing. I'm going to assume that you have the stock Traxxas servos that came with your vehicle. More than likely being that they are the 2055 and 2018 servos. 2055 has more torque than the 2018 and should be used for steering. You're going to need that torque to compensate for the big tires and wheels that are mounted on your truck. Like Double G said... try another servo if you have a spare sitting around. Also... what is the condition of your batteries? Are they fresh? Weak batteries only cause trouble. Here is what I have done to my TMAXX.... I upgraded my servos to 2056(For throttle/brake) and 2075(for steering). They're waterproof and provide more torque. Got them off eBay for about $40.00 together not separate. I upgraded from the stock alkaline battery holder in the truck and installed a 5 cell hump pack. They cost about $15.00. Changing from alkaline batteries required me to get a hump pack charger. I got a good deal from a friend that is getting out of the hobby and picked up a Onyx 230 charger for $40.00 but it included a few tools and a fishing tackle box that he used as a spare parts/track box. The Onyx 230 charger sells for roughly about $30.00 new at my local hobby shop. Its a highly recommended charger and in my opinion is well worth every penny spent. Switching to a 5 cell hump pack is highly recommended because it will save you money in the long run. Continuously buying alkaline batteries hurts the pocketbook. Almost forgot to mention that I had to pick up a new wiring harness with the connector to fit the hump pack. Don't remember the cost but it was only a couple bucks. Got a lil off topic. i apologize for that.

[brutaltactics177]

No Monty, not off topic, any insight as to what works is awesome! Thanks. Now the 2056(For throttle/brake) and 2075(for steering) servo's you have, are they a traxxas product?. I was looking at servos today but I dont know what to get. I dont want to spend too much, besides I dont need a pro level servo anyway

[Monte_1977]

Yup... the servos are waterproof Traxxas servos. Here's something to think about... The 2056 and 2075 servos are awesome and affordable being that if you really wanted to you could spend over $100.00 on just one servo. Sure they have metal gears,have 2 or more ball bearings etc but in my opinion those are for people with deep pockets. I honestly don't see any point in spending that kind of money on a servo unless you are a hardcore racer and want nothing but pure perfection and true precision response. $40.00 for 2 servos as compared to $100.00 for just one suits me fine. In all honesty... you cant go wrong with the 2056 and 2075 servos from Traxxas.

[BAD RC]

^ Great advice. My T-MAXX has the same setup. 2075 steering works just fine.

Sent from Mars Curiosity.

[Monte_1977]

Also wanted to mention and cant stress enough how much i really like the 2056 and 2075 servos being that they are waterproof saves me the headache of completely removing the servos from the vehicle. I don't have to worry about getting water or moisture inside the servo which causes the servos to twitch and malfunction. The I would have to open the servo and spray a quick shot of "CRC Electronic Parts Cleaner" and dry it with my air compressor and put the servo back together and hope it still works. Also I don't have to worry about rerouting the servo wire and tying up the excess with a zip tie. I'm one of those guys that takes pride in his rc cars and takes them apart and thoroughly cleans them up from top to bottom after use. That way they're good to go next time out. No fear of rust or premature parts failure due to neglect. I start by taking the wheels and the hex hub and pin off and set them off to the side. Then i use a 50/50 diluted combination of simple green and water in a spray bottle and spray the vehicle down and let it soak for a couple minutes. Then I dry it off with my air compressor as good as possible. A friend of mine goes as far as even spraying his cars down with WD-40 then drying it off completely with his air compressor and his cars are all shiny and look new afterwards. No oily residue is found afterwards either. I always make sure to spray a quick shot of WD-40 in through the glow plug hole and down the throat of the carburetor and turn the flywheel a couple revolutions to coat the piston and cylinder wall. Some people are superstitious about using WD-40 as after run oil and only use the Hobbico After Run Oil. Traxxas actually suggests using WD-40 as after run oil as there is no harm in doing so. I clean the foam element and air cleaner housing in detergent(like dawn) soap and water and dry it with the air compressor, the spray it with a lil WD-40 and squeeze out any excess and put the foam element back in the air filter housing. Back to the wheels and tires... I carefully clean them with detergent soap and water with a small brush or toothbrush being very careful to not get water in through the vent hole on the back side of the wheels.( I put a small piece of tape over the holes to avoid water entering) I put the wheels back on the vehicle and set it in a warm room to be sure it dries completely. It's kind of a lengthy process but I wouldn't treat my cars any other way. Always with respect. All it takes is a little time & TLC to keep your cars running and looking like new. Anytime i bring my rc cars to my local hobby shop they always ask me if I have ever ran it because they're always so clean and well cared for. I just tell them that I do run them but I unlike others take pride in my rides and want them to run flawlessly at all times and clean them from top to bottom after every run. You wont find a speck of dirt on any of my cars. Besides... if you dont take the time to take a little pride in your cars and take care of them, don't expect them to last long. Every time I look around on eBay and see a filthy dirty rc car, I just shake my head in disgust and think "Gee...lemme guess,... you were too lazy to take the time to clean it so now your selling it and also it wont run because something broke. Sorry for ranting but surely some of you can agree with me. It only takes me an hour or just a little bit more to clean my rides after a day at the track or backyard.

[brutaltactics177]

Thanks monte 1977, It's about 4 30 here in NEPA and i just got back from my LHS. I went there to purchase a few things along with the servo's you suggested. I needed a whole rear shock assembly- $18.00(x2) considering each package only has 2 complete shocks and i need 4 all together, a dynamite turbo flow filter-$7.99(traxxas' was $12), a new fuel tank-$14.00 since mine is cracked and leaks bad, a fuel line-$2.95, 2 glow plugs $4.99 each, and the 2056 servo-$24.95. I know you told me to get the 2075 for steering and the 2056 for throttle, but i figure why not try the 2056 for steering (anything is better than whats on it now). the hobby shop had the 2075 servo for like $28 bucks or something and to be honest I just didnt have enough money to get it. Those other things I listed above are things i desperately needed so I had to get them. Do you think the 2056 would be good enough for the steering for now until i can go get the 20 75 like you said??

[Monte_1977]

2056 would be ok for steering if that's all you have for now. Beats the stock 2055 servo. In my opinion the 2055 servo doesn't have enough torque or speed to turn the wheels left and right only because the TMAXX weighs a lot. If Traxxas had used two servos for steering rather than just one servo, that would have been better. Not trying to degrade Traxxas by any means just to clear the air on that. Sounds like you have your hands full with a project. It takes time and money but you will have it up and running again in no time. Money is tight even for me so I make sacrifices what I can afford from week to week.Trust me I feel your pain when it comes to where to start as far as buying parts goes and having the money to do so. Being that you are having to replace a bunch of parts. Now would be a perfect time to upgrade from stock parts to beefier parts(like RPM suspension arms and shock towers) if you haven't already made some purchases. If you already did, no big deal just try to keep it in mind for next time. My TMAXX suspension is still stock Traxxas parts only because I'm not a hardcore basher and break something every time I run it like i have seen some people do. Granted you're taking a chance on breaking something every time you run it,but I still wont take my TMAXX (or any other rc car) to the local skate park and launch it off a half pipe...lol.

[brutaltactics177]

Yea, I hear you. Money is tight right now. HaHA and yea I've got this de-grading T MAXX sitting on my work bench that has been tucked in the corner of my basement since probably '05 (the year my dad got bought it for me) and there's not much time on it at all, maybe 3 tanks or so. Pretty much broke it in and that was it. I'm 21 now and I've been racing motorcycles (or dirtbikes if you will haha) since I was 4 years old and my dad has taught me everything he knows. So I think I'm pretty mechanically sound when it comes to full sized motors(motorcycle motors at least). But when you scale it down, throw some servos and electricity into the game, it gets pretty tricky. I know I can never stop learning, and that fact alone is probably what keeps me up for days at a time just working on my bikes and this RC. It's really awesome knowing I can jump on this forum and learn from some pretty experienced people like you, and your all nice? Its hard to find that.
But back to the truck, I figure by the time I get my motor, and the rest of the truck, cleaned up and put back together, I should have the money to buy the the 2075. If not I know the 2055 will work decently until I can purchase the 2075 like you said. Thanks Monte

[Double G]

2056 would be ok for steering if that's all you have for now. Beats the stock 2055 servo.

The 2055 and the 2056 have the same internals. The latter is waterproof and that is the only difference.
You may have meant to write 2070/2075 (the latter again being waterproof).

[brutaltactics177]

really? their pretty much the same servo? Going by these numbers,
2055: 86.0 oz-in (6.2 kg-cm) 0.20 sec/60°
2056: 80.0 oz-in (5.8 kg-cm) 0.23 sec/60°
from what I make of them (I'm not experienced so I could be wrong) it even looks a little weaker, and a tiny bit slower?? is that right?. haha and if it is, this sucks. I wouldnt say I wasted my money, but I thought I was getting something better. Someone please shed some light on this situation. I know the 2056 I bought will be better than whats in my truck now. But should I just hold off, save some money, and take the 2056 and get the 2070 or 2075???? THANKS Monte '77 and Double G, you two have been very helpful so far




Please watch the language and edit out the ** when you see them in a post.

[Double G]

That's news to me. I've always seen it advertised that the 2055 and 2056 are the same except that the latter is the waterproof version. Unless Traxxas did a recent tweak to it now I see the slight difference.
Just buy a 2070/2075 off eBay or the Market Place as the prices are very reasonable for them.

[brutaltactics177]

2055: 86.0 oz-in (6.2 kg-cm) 0.20 sec/60°
2056: 80.0 oz-in (5.8 kg-cm) 0.23 sec/60°

I got those numbers from a site that listed all of the traxxas servos with all the specs for each one so I'm assuming their right.? But If they are, does that mean that the 2056 is a little weaker and a little slower than the 2055?