Metal Gear Servos

Introduction

A common problem that people encounter with the Stampede is stripped servo gears. The factory servo, or cheap servos that come with radio/receiver kits, are not strong enough to endure the punishment the Stampede receives when jumping and being driven off-road. Sometimes even just driving the truck easily over pavement or through the yard can cause the plastic servo gears to strip. A cheap servo may work on a touring car, but the Stampede needs something a little more durable.

Be sure to consider the choice of a servo wisely, as their specifications can vary considerably. If you are using smaller tires, such as those found on a stadium truck, servo speed may be more of a concern. However if you primarily run large monster truck tires, you'll probably be more concerned with purchasing a servo that has a higher torque rating to help turn the tires while cornering. Whatever you do think carefully about your decision. The purchase of a metal gear servo can be fairly expensive, so you want to make sure you chose wisely the first time.

Servo Saver

Depending upon the servo you purchase, don't forget that you may need to change the servo saver or servo horn. Different servo brands have slightly different servo output shafts, so without matching the servo saver/horn properly you'll experiance problems. For more information regarding this, see my section on servo savers and servo horns.

Servo Screws

If you happen to loose your screw that attaches the servo saver onto the servo, you can buy replacement screws easily. Hitec and Futaba servos use a 2.6x8 screw. JR servos should use a 3mm screw, although the exact length needed will be determined by the servo saver used. This set provides several sizes to choose from.

You can also use a 2.5x8 screw, and use some thread lock as the screw will have a small amount of play. The link provided also makes the screw a hex head. The exact length you need, will be determined by the servo saver you use, as some may require something slightly longer. For instance a Kimbrough servo saver will work better with a 2.5x10 screw.

I do not have the screw size needed for anything other than the servos mentioned above, so you can take the servo to your local hobby store and have them match it up with a replacement. If you would happen to know the size e-mail me at eric@misbehavin-rc.com, and I'll add the information to this page.

Part One:	Introduction
Part Two:	Differences and Compatibility
Part Three:	Installation Tips
Part Four:	Recommended Servos
Part Five:	Servo Comparision