Steering slop Outcast 8s EXB

[MrWednesday]

FEEL FREE TO POINT OUT WHERE IM WASTING MY MONEY…

At first, I attributed the sloppy steering to a weak servo and was advised to get a servo closer to 50kg, so naturally I upgraded to a 65kg servo, but there’s still a lot of unacceptable slop ao
I thought maybe if I up the voltage to 7.4 (Max 5 top voltage) that would do it. While it did speed things up it still wasn’t solving the issue at hand. The fkn slop. My 3rd solution was to upgrade the cheapo stock servo saver to the hot racing saver horn. The result was not noticeable… to me anyway - an admitted newb, this is my first real RC vehicle, had it shy of 2 months ftr.
So now I’m thinking I have to get the aluminum hinge, pin hangers, aluminum top and bottom arms and aluminum bell crank with cap. Possibly even Hot Racing triple bearing support steering blocks. Eventually I will get the Vitavon complete steering redesign but it’s like 400$… wtf…
I’ve included images of the upgrades I’m considering, prices are in Canadian $ except for the hot racing knuckles.

 

[Moirae]

haha I'm glad this doesn't bother me.

 

[Raginbull74]

I was bothered by this at one time.
I went with some gpm steering and top plate. Then went with the vitavon links with the scorched rc captured ends.
I don't have nearly as much as I used to.
You will always get slop from the hinge pin blocks rounding out after a bunch of sh it ty landings, but that's how it goes.

 

[John_]

So many folks here blame the servo but; I tightened up my steering pivot ball adjustments to min slack, re-aligned the front end to 0 toe in (or out) (seems most all arrma bashers/vehicles come with plenty toe out to help it turn in. These things did help out to some degree (my second post here on AF was about the bad understeer under heavy throttle with my O8s BLX. So after more running and observing what's actually goin on, clearly with the O8 initiating a turn under hard throttle, the front end gets light (lifted, weight transfer to the rear end and less front tire contact with the ground) and it doesn't want to turn. It wants to go straight, or understeer. Pretty much expected, given the light front end under hard throttle.

Second observation (and a big one imo) on the work bench is with my O8s on a lift, slowly work one front wheel/tires and watch whats going on, where is the slop or dead play. What is the source of the slack in the steering linkage? It doesn't appear to me to be the servo or the servo saver, but that front support mount of the servo saver/ linkage connection. That front 180 degree "half support" (like an afterthought in the plastic front bulkhead) allows quite a bit of errant side movement. Watch and move using one tire, that servo saver and front support is moving prob 4 or 5 degrees off centerline before a forced movement to the servo saver and the servo itself. Just a poor design imo, and I don't own one but from studying pics on line, the K8s shares the same linkage design. My new Notorious has a way better steering linkage design. Less slop, less deflection, less errant movement in the steering linkage and tie rods.

I was thinking hard about picking up a K8 EXB with these big sales running right now, tempting but that steering linkage design and it's end operational effect, no thanks I'll pass. One 1/5 scale Arrma is enough for me, TY. Glad I purchased the metallic blue Notorious, I like the way it drives out and performs, a lot. One of the guys here recommended the 4 or 6s vehicles to me and he was right on. My 6s battery arrived yesterday and I have a motor heatsink and fan coming in the next couple days for it too. Slap in the speed pinion and the 6s batt, it should be a beast!

Put your O8 on the workbench on a couple short 4x4 pieces stacked (lift) and study the movements, and where the play is. Move one wheel slowly while holding slight resistance on the other. Its a combined effect from a couple sources, but that servo saver shaft front bulkhead support/stabilizer isn't very good. Nor a very good design or execution, imo.

 

[John_]

And to add at first I thought the arms fore/aft minor slack was a contributor but under power, the front wheels are clawing forward, pulling the truck. So any slop there is pretty much nullified under power. Let off or brake and that force or slight movement in arms reverses in relation to the truck chassis. Not a substantial steering impact imo. Excess play in the upper and lower ball joints (pivot balls) is never a good thing. Remove wheels on a lift, tighten ball pivot adjustment socket to stop (don't overtighten or torque it, just to a soft stop), then back out a quarter turn. Remount wheels.
Its all about that linkage from the servo output shaft to the tie rods and the steering knuckles ultimately.

 

[djrahbee]

So many folks here blame the servo but; I tightened up my steering pivot ball adjustments to min slack, re-aligned the front end to 0 toe in (or out) (seems most all arrma bashers/vehicles come with plenty toe out to help it turn in. These things did help out to some degree (my second post here on AF was about the bad understeer under heavy throttle with my O8s BLX. So after more running and observing what's actually goin on, clearly with the O8 initiating a turn under hard throttle, the front end gets light (lifted, weight transfer to the rear end and less front tire contact with the ground) and it doesn't want to turn. It wants to go straight, or understeer. Pretty much expected, given the light front end under hard throttle.

Second observation (and a big one imo) on the work bench is with my O8s on a lift, slowly work one front wheel/tires and watch whats going on, where is the slop or dead play. What is the source of the slack in the steering linkage? It doesn't appear to me to be the servo or the servo saver, but that front support mount of the servo saver/ linkage connection. That front 180 degree "half support" (like an afterthought in the plastic front bulkhead) allows quite a bit of errant side movement. Watch and move using one tire, that servo saver and front support is moving prob 4 or 5 degrees off centerline before a forced movement to the servo saver and the servo itself. Just a poor design imo, and I don't own one but from studying pics on line, the K8s shares the same linkage design. My new Notorious has a way better steering linkage design. Less slop, less deflection, less errant movement in the steering linkage and tie rods.

I was thinking hard about picking up a K8 EXB with these big sales running right now, tempting but that steering linkage design and it's end operational effect, no thanks I'll pass. One 1/5 scale Arrma is enough for me, TY. Glad I purchased the metallic blue Notorious, I like the way it drives out and performs, a lot. One of the guys here recommended the 4 or 6s vehicles to me and he was right on. My 6s battery arrived yesterday and I have a motor heatsink and fan coming in the next couple days for it too. Slap in the speed pinion and the 6s batt, it should be a beast!

Put your O8 on the workbench on a couple short 4x4 pieces stacked (lift) and study the movements, and where the play is. Move one wheel slowly while holding slight resistance on the other. Its a combined effect from a couple sources, but that servo saver shaft front bulkhead support/stabilizer isn't very good. Nor a very good design or execution, imo.

Oh boy...I just bought a K8 exb on sale. lol

 

[Raginbull74]

I can understand the sentiment of getting the slop out, but how far do you want to take it for the sake of what these bashers...and I mean bashers are made to do. They are not meant to be ultra technical track monsters that turn on a dime. If someone wants to atrempt to make that from the platform, go for it. In the end though, you can only go so far with the tuning. Blaming the design because of this isn't the designers fault because it wasn't designed to be something it's fundamentally not.

 

[Moirae]

Oh boy...I just bought a K8 exb on sale. lol

Having tons of fun with mine.

 

[Niz55]

Take these plastic ball cup sets out and use a torch to burn the inside of them just a bit and press back in the aluminum bushing. I do this to all the vehicles with sloppy steering and suspension. Works absolutely perfect. I also shim the bell crank and the hubs to a certain point to remove the sloppiness but not too tight for the bearings too drag.

All those parts you listed will not do a damn t hing to fix the sloppy steering. It will actually make it worst because is heavier. And forget about those Amazon garbage parts specially aluminum arms.


Here are the plastic ball cups

 

[John_]

I can understand the sentiment of getting the slop out, but how far do you want to take it for the sake of what these bashers...and I mean bashers are made to do. They are not meant to be ultra technical track monsters that turn on a dime. If someone wants to atrempt to make that from the platform, go for it. In the end though, you can only go so far with the tuning. Blaming the design because of this isn't the designers fault because it wasn't designed to be something it's fundamentally not.

you do realize both the O8 and K8 and the Notorious are all bashers? Diff scale yes. Yet the steering design on the Arrma 1/5 scale just plain sucks! Why didn't they just scale up the steering design (bellcrank) of the Notorious for the 1/5? So many posts here on the forum with peeps complaining about 1/5 scale steering and the slop. Replacing servos, upgrading the servo saver, new arms, new pivot blocks, yada yada, yet owners are still unhappy (complaining) with the steering on their O8s or K8s. I guess this just sails right over your head.

My 6s Notorious simply steers WAY better than my O8s. Way better driving, way better control @ any speed, end of story. I ran em back to back today, and it's so obvious.

 

[Raginbull74]

you do realize both the O8 and K8 and the Notorious are all bashers? Diff scale yes. Yet the steering design on the Arrma 1/5 scale just plain sucks! Why didn't they just scale up the steering design (bellcrank) of the Notorious for the 1/5? So many posts here on the forum with peeps complaining about 1/5 scale steering and the slop. Replacing servos, upgrading the servo saver, new arms, new pivot blocks, yada yada, yet owners are still unhappy (complaining) with the steering on their O8s or K8s. I guess this just sails right over your head.

My 6s Notorious simply steers WAY better than my O8s. Way better driving, way better control @ any speed, end of story. I ran em back to back today, and it's so obvious.

Nothing sailed over my head. I expect a 35lb car to react differently than a 15lb car. Ita physics dude. Between my HR servo saver, vitavon links gpm bellcrank and an aliexpress $60 100kg @8.4v servo along with 200k rear, earplugs center and 500k front fluids, I have no problems throwing my outcast around just as well as my k8. If you have better designs, make it a reality.
Don't b itc h and moan about it. Just go get another car if you don't like it so much. I understand anyone can be a fan boy on here and that's annoying, but also just complaining about it get old also. Who cares. Arrma probably has something in the works with the next design. They read these forums and take note.