ORIGINAL: aerobob
David, FWIW - I have done many airplanes with pull-pull elevators and rudders, and keep putting the cable through the servo arm. Saves weight, eliminates a failure point, and lets you balance the tension on installation more easily. At least in my experience.
Of course, I'm also a guy who has ignored Ackerman for a few decades and didn't have a tail flutter off yet....although I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express the other night
Bob, are you saying that you've commonly had the cables shorter than the distance between the hinge line and the servo rotation point, or longer. Longer is OK, shorter causes the flutter.
KeithB