TC3 problem driving straight line, anyone else?
08-23-2003, 01:37 AM
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TC3 problem driving straight line, anyone else?
TC3 problem driving straight line, anyone else?
What I have is a TC3 Team Kit that I purchased back in 2001. Every since I have assembled the car I have never had much luck getting it to drive a straight line. You move the steering/servo a little to the lift, it drifts to the left, move the steering to the right, it drifts to the right. I have spent hours checking and rechecking alignment to the chassis, by checking the toe and camber settings, but no matter how good I think I have the settings, the car won't drive a straight line.
What else could I check? Could it be the servo? It does not seem sloppy, but it is a standard Futaba servo. I have not upgraded the steering rack to bearings, still bushings, but the car should at least drive straight out of the box, right?
What I have is a TC3 Team Kit that I purchased back in 2001. Every since I have assembled the car I have never had much luck getting it to drive a straight line. You move the steering/servo a little to the lift, it drifts to the left, move the steering to the right, it drifts to the right. I have spent hours checking and rechecking alignment to the chassis, by checking the toe and camber settings, but no matter how good I think I have the settings, the car won't drive a straight line.
What else could I check? Could it be the servo? It does not seem sloppy, but it is a standard Futaba servo. I have not upgraded the steering rack to bearings, still bushings, but the car should at least drive straight out of the box, right?
08-23-2003, 11:45 AM
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TC3 problem driving straight line, anyone else?
OK I think I can solve your problem here. Do the both of these and you will be fine. Trust me on this.
Front Toe Out 1 degree. Rear Toe In 2-3 Degree ( I do 3 for current set up)
Ok now for a big problem that many tc3 owners don't relies that they have.
I have both TC3 and a NTC3 and this problem can be found on both. The servo saver on the car sucks, to put it bluntly. It sits right below the drive cup. And when folks assemble the car they tight the servo saver down. Then when they run the car it either pulls to the left or the right. Couple problems and fix's here. Either you have the servo saver screw tight ( which is ok, just a slight mod needs to be done) and it has rubbed into the drive cup cause your steering to be wacky or you have it to loose causing the car to "wander" about. Both of those are common problems.
First thing you need to do is look at the drive cup on the front above the servo saver do you see a wear mark in it? If so you have it to tight( I will explain the mod later)
If there is no mark turn your car on and your radio. Try to move your wheels left to right. if your wheels move a bit then your servo saver might be to loose. Which you would need to tighten but sometimes ( depending on tension of spring, and other small anomalies) when you tighten it with the correct force it now rubs creating another problem.
What I did was cut the screw length by .5 mill at a time with my dremel until I could tighten it all the way down with out it rubbing on the drive cup. Then once you achieve that turn the screw about 1/3 of a turn out and you are set. Also while you have it all apart its a could thing to replace that spring around the servo saver screw.
Hopefully this helps. I am almost positive it will.
I am assuming you have tried and checked the usual.
bent hinge pins, broken parts, burnt bearings, nothing is binding and put it on a set up board and checked to make sure your servo doesn't have any striped gears?
Let me know if you have anymore questions.
Front Toe Out 1 degree. Rear Toe In 2-3 Degree ( I do 3 for current set up)
Ok now for a big problem that many tc3 owners don't relies that they have.
I have both TC3 and a NTC3 and this problem can be found on both. The servo saver on the car sucks, to put it bluntly. It sits right below the drive cup. And when folks assemble the car they tight the servo saver down. Then when they run the car it either pulls to the left or the right. Couple problems and fix's here. Either you have the servo saver screw tight ( which is ok, just a slight mod needs to be done) and it has rubbed into the drive cup cause your steering to be wacky or you have it to loose causing the car to "wander" about. Both of those are common problems.
First thing you need to do is look at the drive cup on the front above the servo saver do you see a wear mark in it? If so you have it to tight( I will explain the mod later)
If there is no mark turn your car on and your radio. Try to move your wheels left to right. if your wheels move a bit then your servo saver might be to loose. Which you would need to tighten but sometimes ( depending on tension of spring, and other small anomalies) when you tighten it with the correct force it now rubs creating another problem.
What I did was cut the screw length by .5 mill at a time with my dremel until I could tighten it all the way down with out it rubbing on the drive cup. Then once you achieve that turn the screw about 1/3 of a turn out and you are set. Also while you have it all apart its a could thing to replace that spring around the servo saver screw.
Hopefully this helps. I am almost positive it will.
I am assuming you have tried and checked the usual.
bent hinge pins, broken parts, burnt bearings, nothing is binding and put it on a set up board and checked to make sure your servo doesn't have any striped gears?
Let me know if you have anymore questions.
08-24-2003, 04:36 PM
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TC3 problem driving straight line, anyone else?
I checked all that out. After thinking I found what you were referring to, and corrected it making the steering smooth, the car still dirfts to the left or right with slight inputs to the servo. I am beginning to thing the servo is the issue. It is a plastic gear with bushings, and it has to be the source of slop.
08-24-2003, 09:09 PM
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TC3 problem driving straight line, anyone else?
I think its the servo.
If the car was consistantly drifting one way or the other, then it'd be the set up, but since it drifts whichever way that u turned last, it appears to be that the servo isnt recentering. You could have the steering rack to tight, and thats not letting it move easily, and that hurt your standard servo, but chances are its just that the standard servo's plastic gears have developed slop etc.
If the car was consistantly drifting one way or the other, then it'd be the set up, but since it drifts whichever way that u turned last, it appears to be that the servo isnt recentering. You could have the steering rack to tight, and thats not letting it move easily, and that hurt your standard servo, but chances are its just that the standard servo's plastic gears have developed slop etc.
