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  #1  
Old 01-07-2017, 03:33 PM
SteveDownSouth SteveDownSouth is offline
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Default New RC trucker from the UK

Hello, I'm new here, new to RC trucking and this is my first post.

I have a couple Tamiya 1/14 scale trucks that have been gathering dust in a dark corner of the room, but I'd now like to convert them to RC. I don't know where to start the story, so I'll start at the beginning.

A couple years ago an old girlfriend suggested instead of buying each other 'normal' Christmas presents we should buy something we've always wanted from our childhood but never got. I made a list of things, one of which was a Tamiya truck – I had always wanted one of those Toyota Hilux's with the proper chassis and gearbox.

Christmas day came and I saw the big box under the tree. When I opened it, it was not a Hilux, but a Scania! What I thought of as a truck was obviously not what she interpreted. Regardless, I was very grateful and started to build it. It took a while, but I was so impressed with the presence of the thing I bought another in the January sales. I didn't have the money or the space to convert them to RC so they were simply display models. If I had received a Hilux I could have taken it to the park...

Fast forward a couple years and I was looking for presents for my son. He's 6 and has had radio controlled toys since he was 4, but they have always been cheap toys, and when they break you just have to throw them away. This time, I thought I'd buy him a Tamiya kit so he could build it and replace any parts that get broken. He was chuffed.

That then got me thinking maybe I should convert my trucks from display models to RC models, and in the last few days I have been buying kit, and even ordered another truck, this time the fake Tamiya Actros from China. The one thing that annoyed me a little about the Tamiya trucks was the steering, which is even sloppier now that I have servos attached. I've made a bracket to move the steering servo closer to the steering mechanism, but the parts in the kit are not very good and I'd like to get some better ones if I knew where to find them.

So, my first in a long line of questions is what can be done about the sloppy steering?
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Old 01-07-2017, 04:40 PM
SteveDownSouth SteveDownSouth is offline
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Default Re: New RC trucker from the UK

To illustrate my point, I've taken and labelled a couple pics.

This first image is a stock truck steering linkage, in this case from a MAN 4x2 truck. As you can see, there are several points along the chain that introduce play in the steering – 6 illustrated here by red circles (one is out of crop). In addition, the red rectangle represents the stub axle, which also has excessive play.

IMG_5017 2.jpg

I wanted to remove as much of that play as possible, which meant moving the steering servo closer to the mechanism. Now I only have 4 sources of play, plus the stub axle – still too much. As an added bonus I now have much more steering lock.

IMG_5018.jpg

What would help the linkage problem is to swap out the open ball joints to the better closed cup style. I will try to find some but I don't really know what to search for, in terms of thread size, etc.

I'd also like to do something about the stub axles – the fit is awful and creates quite a lot of negative camber, maybe as much as 5 degrees or so. Are there any aftermarket parts to help this? As far as I can make out I would only need to replace the stub axle for a better fitting part, rather than replace the whole axle.

In this shot you can see my homemade servo bracket. I have to cut down the bolts once I'm happy with it. This unfortunately puts my gear change servo too far from the linkage, so I also have to find a longer rod.

If anyone can help I would very much appreciate it.
Steve
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  #3  
Old 01-07-2017, 08:55 PM
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Bo Wallen Bo Wallen is offline
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Hi and Welcome to the Best RC Truck site on the net. The amount of helpful people and knowledge is astounding .
So let's start wit the steering mods. Take a look around, Most everything is here.
You can look at this tutorial and see what you could do. Good Luck and keep on Truckin'
http://www.rctruckandconstruction.co...ad.php?t=12133
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Old 01-07-2017, 09:26 PM
SteveDownSouth SteveDownSouth is offline
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Default Re: New RC trucker from the UK

Thanks Bo.

I think I've sussed out my steering lock, it's just the play I need sorting out. I've been looking around the web tonight and have seen that I wasn't anywhere close to inventing the bent tie rod idea and moving the servos to the front. I thought I was being clever, but some more clever people came way before me!

There are two things I need to sort this out:
1 the ball joint ends need to be closed cap type to reduce play
2 the stub axles need to be shimmed or replaced with better fitting items

I don't know what the technical term is for the first, or the correct size, so searching for them is difficult. I'm not sure if anyone makes the second item, and if they do, who and how much they cost.

Any help appreciated.
Steve
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Old 01-07-2017, 10:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveDownSouth View Post
Thanks Bo.

I think I've sussed out my steering lock, it's just the play I need sorting out. I've been looking around the web tonight and have seen that I wasn't anywhere close to inventing the bent tie rod idea and moving the servos to the front. I thought I was being clever, but some more clever people came way before me!

There are two things I need to sort this out:
1 the ball joint ends need to be closed cap type to reduce play
2 the stub axles need to be shimmed or replaced with better fitting items

I don't know what the technical term is for the first, or the correct size, so searching for them is difficult. I'm not sure if anyone makes the second item, and if they do, who and how much they cost.

Any help appreciated.
Steve
The answer on #1 No jus a better quality ball joint like this one that also help move the rod backwards a little.http://store.rc4wd.com/M3-Offset-Sho...0x_p_1741.html
#2 No not at all. tested that long ago. i does not matter if there is a bit of play on the stub axle. The solution is to increase the caster angle a few degree that will do a lot more improvement of running in a straight line. One other thing is to replace the plastic hub to a metal one. some of them brake easy where the servo arm connect . It seems this trucks need to have a bit of strange play to run well. and trust me i hate when things have play and look strange. but it works well.http://www.ebay.com/itm/252101908437...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Last edited by Bo Wallen; 01-07-2017 at 10:35 PM.
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Old 01-08-2017, 12:56 PM
SteveDownSouth SteveDownSouth is offline
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Default Re: New RC trucker from the UK

Thanks very much for the links Bo, much appreciated.

I just noticed my pictures haven't show up in my post. What have I done wrong?
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  #7  
Old 01-08-2017, 04:13 PM
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Thumbs up Re: New RC trucker from the UK

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveDownSouth View Post
Thanks very much for the links Bo, much appreciated.

I just noticed my pictures haven't show up in my post. What have I done wrong?
You need a Photo sharing site like Flickr.https://www.flickr.com and then read this tutorial. http://www.rctruckandconstruction.co...ead.php?t=4057

And then you will be up and running like a champ.

P.S. I do not recommend. http://photobucket.com Of that reason it's slow full of adds and goes down often. Just my 2 cent.
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Old 01-08-2017, 07:40 PM
SteveDownSouth SteveDownSouth is offline
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Default Re: New RC trucker from the UK

Thanks Bo. I attached them using the manage attachments option. I chose them from my desktop, uploaded them and selected them through the attachments drop down.
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Old 01-08-2017, 08:19 PM
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Default Re: New RC trucker from the UK

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Originally Posted by SteveDownSouth View Post
Thanks Bo. I attached them using the manage attachments option. I chose them from my desktop, uploaded them and selected them through the attachments drop down.
No that won't work. you need host site.
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Old 01-09-2017, 06:21 PM
SteveDownSouth SteveDownSouth is offline
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Old 01-09-2017, 06:22 PM
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Old 01-09-2017, 06:28 PM
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Old 01-09-2017, 06:36 PM
SteveDownSouth SteveDownSouth is offline
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Default Re: New RC trucker from the UK

I'm planning on converting the MAN into a multi-drop self-steering mid-lift, and maybe keep the Scania as it is, although I may do the same to that too.
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Old 01-22-2017, 04:07 AM
SHROPSHIRE LAD SHROPSHIRE LAD is offline
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Default Re: New RC trucker from the UK

Sounds like your are going to be busy. If have you have not been to an RC truck meet yet it is well worth it, lots of ideas and fun to be had. I'm hoping to make it to the big one in Leyland but I seem to work every Saturday it is on.
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Old 03-08-2018, 02:18 PM
ittigger ittigger is offline
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Default Re: New RC trucker from the UK

Have you been to a truck meet? Any updates here?

Last edited by ittigger; 03-08-2018 at 02:23 PM.
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