Kraton Odd rear wheels stance

[SaltyLocal]

Hi, are the rear wheels supposed to be tilted like in the picture? I’ve added rear RPM arms and don’t recall it looking so dramatic.

I also upgraded the stock servo and noticed the Kraton now turns extra wide. Quick but doesn’t seem to turn as sharp. Yes, I’ve set the endpoints and insured the remote settings were centered. However, once endpoints are set, the RC still goes heavy left unless I turn the remotes steering roughly a quarter turn to the left. Any suggestions?

 

[Tex Koder]

Hi, are the rear wheels supposed to be tilted like in the picture? I’ve added rear RPM arms and don’t recall it looking so dramatic.

View attachment 271936

I also upgraded the stock servo and noticed the Kraton now turns extra wide. Quick but doesn’t seem to turn as sharp. Yes, I’ve set the endpoints and insured the remote settings were centered. However, once endpoints are set, the RC still goes heavy left unless I turn the remotes steering roughly a quarter turn to the left. Any suggestions?

You'll need to bring the rear camber in toward the chassis (negative camber) by a couple of degrees.

And, set the front toe in a bit to get your steering back inline.

 

[SaltyLocal]

You'll need to bring the rear camber in toward the chassis (negative camber) by a couple of degrees.

View attachment 271938



And, set the front toe in a bit to get your steering back inline.

View attachment 271945

Thank you. Are there instructions somewhere to show how to adjust both? I didn’t know this was possible to adjust.

 

[slick2500]

Thank you. Are there instructions somewhere to show how to adjust both? I didn’t know this was possible to adjust.

When you swapped the a arms did you remove the rear camber links?
The links should be attached like in the picture below.

Also did you install the a arms on the correct side? The R a arm should go on the passenger side and the L goes on the drivers side.

 

[SaltyLocal]

.

 

[SaltyLocal]

When you swapped the a arms did you remove the rear camber links?
The links should be attached like in the picture below.

View attachment 272020

Also did you install the a arms on the correct side? The R a arm should go on the passenger side and the L goes on the drivers side.

I double checked and the rear arms are on the correct sides; left on driver and right on passenger. I did remove the rear camber links when I installed the arms.

 

[SaltyLocal]

You'll need to bring the rear camber in toward the chassis (negative camber) by a couple of degrees.

View attachment 271938



And, set the front toe in a bit to get your steering back inline.

View attachment 271945

Your detailed reply is much appreciated! The illustration definitely helped! Thanks @Tex Koder

 

[slick2500]

Your detailed reply is much appreciated! The illustration definitely helped! Thanks @Tex Koder

If you put the camber links back in the correct positions you won't have to adjust them.

 

[SaltyLocal]

OK, I adjusted the rear cambers inward towards the chassis on both wheels. I then did the front toe in a little. However, I then turned the vehicle on to double check the endpoints and reset if needed. Unfortunately, the front wheels turned full left and I’m unable to move the wheels by hand without the servo screaming at me.

So, I decided to recenter the servo. I took off the servo arm, began unscrewing the bolt holding the servo link to the bellcrank and noticed with ever turn of the bolt it was severely warped (see pic). I then recentered the servo, insuring the remote knobs were centered, used a new bolt to put the servo arm back onto the servo, insuring the correct positioning, and used small nylon washers to fill in the gap between the servo link and bellcrank. Prior to this, I used a small aluminum tube (which I cut from a servo mount leg I no longer used). It was less than 1/4” in height and I used a thin aluminum washer on each side of it. I’m puzzled on what and how the bolt bent like that. I’m now left with what’s shown in the video below. Did I bend something else? I drove the RC one pack and prior to driving it, I felt the endpoints were way more centered. Any suggestions?

Nylon shims in place of a slightly taller aluminum tube. Does the servo link look level enough? Too much, too little?

Video:

 

[nomis38]

Yes Sir push in the rear, pull in the front. All good!!

 

[SaltyLocal]

Yes Sir push in the rear, pull in the front. All good!!

My apologies, but I don’t understand your message. It seems far from all good as the servo doesn’t seem to be centering, as the video shows. Also, why would the bolt bend so badly?

 

[slick2500]

My apologies, but I don’t understand your message. It seems far from all good as the servo doesn’t seem to be centering, as the video shows. Also, why would the bolt bend so badly?

Because it is stainless steel. Even the highest grade of stainless steel has half the tensile strength of the stock 12.9 screw.

 

[SaltyLocal]

Because it is stainless steel. Even the highest grade of stainless steel has half the tensile strength of the stock 12.9 screw.

Any idea why the front wheels/servo won’t center, even with a new, non bent, bolt?

 

[slick2500]

Any idea why the front wheels/servo won’t center, even with a new, non bent, bolt?

Pillow balls could be over tightened or the servo could be bad.

 

[SaltyLocal]

Pillow balls could be over tightened or the servo could be bad.

Ugh, brand new servo. I’ll check pillow balls this evening. Could the servo have been damaged due to the torque to bend that stainless steel hex bolt? Anything else that possibly could be damaged now?

PS. I hope @slick2500 and @Tex Koder are being compensated for their dedication to this forum. They’ve been more than helpful with this noobs RC journey. Thanks Fellas!

 

[Tex Koder]

Ugh, brand new servo. I’ll check pillow balls this evening. Could the servo have been damaged due to the torque to bend that stainless steel hex bolt? Anything else that possibly could be damaged now?

It's technically possible.
But without having your rig here on the workbench, it's a bit difficult to confirm with any certainty..

PS. I hope @slick2500 and @Tex Koder are being compensated for their dedication to this forum. They’ve been more than helpful with this noobs RC journey. Thanks Fellas!

We're happy to help out a fellow hobbyist

Just doing our small part to give back to the Awesome community that we all share

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Just one observation on turning/adjusting the front toe angle
Most off-road RCs come out of the box with or toe out (reference Tex's picture above) which makes the turning more "nimble" the downside is that toe out creates some instability at higher speeds like 50+. That is why your road car 1:1 will have a slight toe-in.

In general racers and off-road RCs will have the front tires pointed ever so slightly out or neutral.


Regarding the steering issue you have. While the servo arm is disconnected from the servo turn the front assembly and see if anything is tight during the movement. Turn the electronics back on with the radio having the steering trim and sub-trims all at zero and reconnect the servo arm. Then go from there to set your end point adjustment.

 

[SaltyLocal]

Just one observation on turning/adjusting the front toe angle
Most off-road RCs come out of the box with or toe out (reference Tex's picture above) which makes the turning more "nimble" the downside is that toe out creates some instability at higher speeds like 50+. That is why your road car 1:1 will have a slight toe-in.

In general racers and off-road RCs will have the front tires pointed ever so slightly out or neutral.


Regarding the steering issue you have. While the servo arm is disconnected from the servo turn the front assembly and see if anything is tight during the movement. Turn the electronics back on with the radio having the steering trim and sub-trims all at zero and reconnect the servo arm. Then go from there to set your end point adjustment.

I’ll try this tonight! Thank you @LibertyMKiii!

When the servo arm is disconnected from the servo, the front end manually moves freely with no stoppage anywhere. I realized this last night.

 

[SaltyLocal]

I checked again and once the servo arm is disconnected from the servo, the front is free, no binding or difficulties being moved manually.

After centering the servo with all steering trim at zero, the servo arm does not mount perfectly centered. It’s either just a tad bit pointed to the rear or a tab bit pointed to the front. I mounted it slightly facing toward the front. When I powered it up, the wheels were way better and centered than before. I set the endpoints and all seemed well UNTIL I turned to the right. The left definitely turns a lot further. The right, only about half of the left full turn. Is it because the servo arm is mounted more towards the front? If I place the servo arm pointing more towards the rear, won’t I have the same exact result but with the left wheel turning half way?

I just noticed that when I turn fully to the right, the servo link is hitting the top plate/mount. Also, will these three holes help with it?

 

[SaltyLocal]

Any thoughts that the servo may be defective now? I recall during the initial install, the arm didn’t mount to the centered servo in a perfect middle position. It was off by a few degrees from true middle.