Metal Gear Servos

Installation Tips

Something that I hear about on a regular basis, would be owners complaining that the servo mounting tabs on the servo case have broken. Many times this is a result of improper installation. A servo that handles a function such as throttle and braking typically sees only a fraction of the stress that a steering servo will encounter. So while it's fine to mount a throttle/brake servo straight to the truck's chassis, different measures are much more appropriate for the steering servo.

Most servos include some rubber insulators and brass eyelets. These are used in situations where the servo may encounter heavy hits or shock-loads. The picture below shows a set of these sitting alongside a servo.

To install the insulators and eyelets, you simply squeeze a rubber insulator into the mounting hole. Then, once the insulator is in position, push an eyelet through the hole. You'll do this for all four mounting holes. The picture below shows a servo with the insulator and eyelets installed on set of mounting tabs so you can see the difference.

The end result is that the servo will now be able to move slightly when subjected to an impact. This will place less strain on the servo mounting tabs. While it's still possible that a hard enough hit will damage the servo's case, it will take much more abuse than it would without the insulators and eyelets. One last factor to keep in mind is that due to the cushioning you have provided, the servos response may be subdued slightly. For backyard bashing it probably won't be noticed, but an experienced racer may prefer to still mount the steering servo straight to the chassis.

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