Common R/C Car Steering Problems and How to Fix Them
When you first started, you spent hours racing around in your Traxxas hobby car because you were so happy to spend time with it—the spins, the jumps, the turns, or simply going in circles. As long as your car followed your instructions, it didn't matter.
However, something is wrong now, and you're not sure how to fix it. Oh no! How teaseful!
Your entire pastime experience can be ruined by poor RC car maneuvering. Why would you want a car that isn't responsive to your remote control?
Ineffective RC vehicle maneuvering might wreck your entire hobby. Why would you want a car that doesn't respond to your remote control, to be honest?
Let's start with some basic information on how your steering actually functions, which is also known as a beginner's lesson on RC cars.
All Roads Lead to The Servo
Every Road Ends at the Servo
A servo is necessary for every RC device in order to translate radio impulses into motion. There is a servo somewhere in the body of every off-road vehicle, train, boat, helicopter, and slippery pavement car. Your servo determines your car's speed and virtually every aspect of its steering quality, especially for RC car kits.
Check your Traxxas race car for the following issues before continuing:
1) You Have the Right Servo and Servo Horn
Make sure the servo horn is correctly mounted on the chassis, regardless of whether you built your car from a kit or purchased it already built. Your servo's main arm, or conductor's wand, if you will, is this horn.
The instruction handbook should be doubled or tripled. For specific models, the servo horn must be angled slightly or off-kilter on the chassis. If the servo horn is mounted perpendicularly, the vehicle will not operate as intended. However, for other models, the servo horn must be on the chassis at a precise 90-degree angle.
It's also possible that the servo you're using is too small and weak for your driving style. If you suspect that your servo needs to be replaced, it's rather easy to locate replacement carts per model and install them yourself.
2) All Your Links are the Right Length
Every automobile kit includes pairs of links connecting the steering rack to the wheels and the servo to the steering rack. Your car won't move if the connections are incorrectly placed or are the wrong length, even if your radio and servo are communicating correctly.
Check your linkages after confirming that your servo and servo horn are operating correctly. Verify that nothing is blocking the servos, steering racks, or tires' movements. They should all react quickly and fluidly.
3) Your End Point Adjustment is Set Correctly
Adjusting the endpoint adjustment (EPA) on your radio may help your steering rack and servo learn the subtleties of your steering.
Before setting the EPA, your automobile must be at drive height and on the ground. When setting endpoints, make sure the wheels lock all the way to the left and right. To ensure that your automobile is at actual driving height, press it into its shock mounts a few times.
4) Your Radio and Servo Have a Good Connection
When your radio doesn't turn on, it's evident. Sometimes, even when the radio and the rest of the servo are working, the transmitter on your servo will cease receiving any signals from the radio.
Switching the servo and throttle connectors is a simple method for confirming whether the servo transmitter is operational. If your radio's controls switch, you know everything is operating as it should.
Have you got all that?
The majority of steering issues can be traced back to one or more elements of this fundamental configuration.
Let's now dissect and resolve the most typical RC steering issues that are discussed in hobby forums:
Throttle Works, But No Steering
The steering is completely broken, but your car starts and lights up nicely.
Verify whether the...
- The servo gears are disassembled.
- There are frayed servo wires.
- The servo connector is not tight.
- The links respond to the servo and are correctly connected.
Steering Sticks Left or Right
Although your car may turn left and right, it leans more in one way than the other. Alternatively, it struggles to remain upright or focused yet has no trouble turning.
The servo horn or the centring of the servo trim is most likely the source of this issue. Verify all of the links and your servo horn.
Tires Automatically Turn Hard Left/Right
When you turn on your car or after a few minutes of driving, the tires instantly turn hard to the left or right.
Verify the servo trim setting and the servo horn once more. Verify that the EPA has been correctly reset. If none of it works, it's possible that some of your servo's gears are stripped or that the linkages on one side of the vehicle are loose.
More About RC Car Steering
You see? You and your malfunctioning vehicle have hope! There is yet hope.
In summary, RC car steering issues are usually resolved by addressing these issues first.
The servo itself: Verify that it is correctly installed and that it is the appropriate size. Verify that the wiring and gears are in good shape and that your radio is working correctly.
Links and servo horn: Verify that the servo horn is positioned on the chassis at the proper angle for your vehicle's make and model. Also, verify that every link is the proper size and reacts fluidly to servo instructions.
The EPA: Verify that the radio and servo are communicating correctly and reset your End Point Adjustment a few times.
