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Gazzalene

1/14th truck newb. several questions

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Hello just got my first 1/14th Tamiya truck. A Scania R620 with MFC 03 and 7.2v 5000mah NiMh pack.

I have come from RC heli`s which I stopped some years ago. So I am using that radio, JR DSX9. I have sprung the throttle to self centre.

Servo wise the model shop said just to use standard full Futaba servo`s for all controls. I have read that a higher torque servo for steering is required if on carpet ect. But no mention of how powerfull is needed.Can any one tell me requirement for steering,gearbox and coupler?  Also what is best size for these, Standard / medium etc , this being for gearbox and coupler.

Also do you really need a servo saver?  I remember years ago with buggies how much slop they induce.

Will higher torque DIGITAL servo/servos harm the Tamiya MFC?

Diff grease, read again that its best not to lock the diffs BUT use much thicker grease, Again no mention of thickness, My LHS don't even do a selection of grease,Just general moly stuff. What do you guys do?

That's it for now until I get into the build,would like to get diff grease if needed prior.

 

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Hi,

These trucks dont require anything special.

I just use the Futaba S3003 servos for steering and gearbox. They seem to have enough torque for carpet etc.

No extra grease is really requied as couple of tubes in the kit and I am fairly liberal everywhere.

Servo saver, at least I presume thats what it is , is in the kit.

I would suggest a full ball bearing kit from ebay for around £15. Just type in your model number and 'bearings' to get a few come up,

Cheers

Russ

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Do you need to fit the servo saver?  Its not like a off road buggy after all?

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18 hours ago, Gazzalene said:

Do you need to fit the servo saver?  Its not like a off road buggy after all?

Strongly suggest you assemble as per the build manual to avoid problems later on.

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To re-iterate what has already been said - standard servos will be fine for normal running.  If you're running on deep carpet then you might struggle but there again you might have other issues like traction to contend with on deep carpet.  More of a concern will be the generic slop in the steering components which will cause the wheels to follow the pile of the carpet and not run straight.  If you're running on a hard surface then it isn't so noticeable.  There is an aftermarket axle that removes the slop, gives a tighter turning circle and also adds a lean to the wheel like a 1:1 truck.  I have one for my MAN 6x4 but haven't got around to fitting it yet.  Alternatively Carson make replacement front axle stubs which fit tighter in the uprights and have less slop.  You might only notice this if you're running on carpet.

https://astecmodels.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=302

https://astecmodels.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=201

Carson also make a bent steering link that can give you more steering angle, or you can use cranked ball ends or bend your own link.

There are also various how-tos around on getting more steering angle from the stock axle.  If you're running on tight club layouts you might struggle with the steering lock on a 6x4.

For that reason I also wouldn't play with the diffs.  A little bit of the supplied grease will give an open diff to aid best the turning circle.  I only ever have traction problems when transitioning from carpet onto the club's plywood road layout.

IIRC digitial servos are known to cause issues with the Tamiya MFUs.  I'm not sure they blow the MFU but the MFU can do weird things with digital servos attached.

As stated, fit a bearing kit when you build the truck, but don't use bearings in the gearbox.  Use the supplied metal bushings and glue them as per the instructions.

Otherwise have fun with the build, read ahead through the instructions as the European rigs have various chassis parts that need to be painted before fitting and that can hold your build up for a while (took me 5 months to build my MAN chassis as I had to wait 4 months for the weather to improve so I could start painting).

 

ETA: the servo horns supplied in the kit are just fine for what the rig is intended for.  A steering servo saver probably isn't explicitly required since you won't be bashing into cars or scenery but the length is tuned to give the right throw to begin with.  The gearbox servo horn is designed with adjustable throw so you can tune it to your gearbox and servo throw if you have issues with gear selection later.

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