High Lift Direct Pull Steering Mod

[liquorboxracing]

I was needing the Hitec HS5645MG Servo I had in my Lift so I could use it on my K5 project. So while I had the Lift apart, I decided to mod the steering. The two JR servos I am installing are not as strong as the two Hitecs I removed, but they will do the job. I mounted the two servos side by side on the front servo mount. I then cut down a white nylon stock 4 blade servo horn for the shift servo. ( Note: this mod may not work for those who can not adjust travel % on there TX. I adjusted mine out to 110% to get the high and low speed gears to fully ingage. Every TX is differant so it may or may not work for you.) I cut the horn to clear the steering servo saver. I had to rotate the servo saver to face the front of the truck. Next I swapped steering knuckles from left to right and put the steering arms facing the front of the truck. I put new rod ends on the steering tie rod and lowered the tie rod under the steering arms. Next I swapped the stock rod end nut and ball stud and installed only one of them on the right side of the truck on top of the steering arm. I then shortened the hooked drag link by about an inch, and rethreaded the end with a 3mm die. I installed the stock rod end and installed drag link on the truck. This made an awesome difference in steering performance. I miss my HS5645MG though! : ( This tightens up the steering radius and really helps if you have your front diff locked. It is still not a touring car, but it doesn't steer like a dump truck now! Here's a couple pics.

http://gassaninedesigns.com/21985ee90.jpg

http://gassaninedesigns.com/219a5ee90.jpg

I plan on making a new drag link. One that looks more scale and doesn't look like a fish hook!:D

[Wyoming]

great mod, I need to do this, I have an R2 so I have all kinds of room to move the steering just been to lazy, thanks for pics

[Dakillswitch]

This is what i did to my HL :

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x276/ceodude/The%20Jeep/IMG_3268.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x276/ceodude/The%20Jeep/IMG_3269.jpg

it works great :thumb:

[Moondoggie]

Indeed, a great mod! :)

Steering improvements are always good. I remember thinking about that when I first put my Highlift together but I never did. My goal at the time was to get the thing built though. Maybe I will do something like that in the future.

[Dakillswitch]

I did it right from the start ,never did like the original way :thumbdown:

[Dakillswitch]

So liquorboxracing, any update on this??

[william]

the more parallel the linkage the more predictable the handling will be. To much of a slope from servo to knuckle is not good.

[liquorboxracing]

So liquorboxracing, any update on this??


I just got some more stainless rod today! I used the last I had to make new axle skids this past weekend. I plan on trying to make time tonight or tomorrow to make the new drag link. I will update as soon as it is done.
:D

[liquorboxracing]

the more parallel the linkage the more predictable the handling will be. To much of a slope from servo to knuckle is not good.

True William! Unfortunatly I found out tonight with the set up I have and with using the stock plastic steering knuckles there is a problem getting the link parallel. If I raise the rod ball up from the knuckle, to clear the top of the spring and get the link more parallel to the servo saver it flexes the arm on the knuckle. It flexes enough to be kind of scary! I do not want to brake the knuckle so I lowered the mount on the knuckle back down and made a dropped drag link. This in my opinion is to much of a drop still. But it does work! It just looks like crap! So I am going to pick up an aluminum servo horn from my loacal hobby shop tomorrow, and redo this again. The aluminum servo horn will alow me to space the ball mount down off the horn and lesson the drop in the drag link. The way the stock plastic horn is made it will not allow me to fit the spacer on it for the drop. ( at least not the spacer that I have. ) So I am stuck until I get the aluminum horn. Here are some pics of the dropped drag link.

http://gassaninedesigns.com/21bf5ee90.jpg

http://gassaninedesigns.com/21c55ee90.jpg

Hopefully I'll have an update tomorrow night!

[Moondoggie]

That link looks pretty good! :)

[Dakillswitch]

".........it flexes the arm on the knuckle,It flexes enough to be kind of scary!......"
This is why i've switched to the aluminum horn for the servo and for the steering knuckles,and since then the steering is working very very good :thumb:
you can see it at the pic that i've posted few post up.:D

[liquorboxracing]

".........it flexes the arm on the knuckle,It flexes enough to be kind of scary!......"
This is why i've switched to the aluminum horn for the servo and for the steering knuckles,and since then the steering is working very very good :thumb:
you can see it at the pic that i've posted few post up.:D


Yeah I noticed you had both an aluminum servo horn and aluminum knuckles. I looked at knuckles last night online! They are definatly on my want list! :D

[Dakillswitch]

Thats the way to go man :thumb: you can't go wrong on that,When i switched to the 2.2, the plastic steering knuckles and the servo horn
use to flexe so hard that i lost the steering on tuff rock crawling.
Actually i did tear the servo horn in half....

[Skip]

Hi everyone - first post here but I am about 90% through this mod so though I would share my experience and you can all tell me whether its good or not! :p

I moved the steering servo parallel with the shift servo and have the bit that moves (what is that called???! :confused: ) nearest the gearbox - easiest way I could see was to use the standard servo saver and horn pointing towards the rear of the truck and a new arm linking to the opposite side that the manual tells you to. I havent driven it yet as I am still sorting the shift servo out but on the bench it seems to work well with good lock both sides. Had to space up the ball that the rod end connects to with a nut to clear the leaf but other that it was pretty straight forward - got loads of parts left over now from removing the standard setup too! lol

Comments welcome :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v607/skip665/rccars/P1000023Large.jpg

[Dakillswitch]

First :welcomeani: now that i got this out of the way.....
you did the mod as it should be :thumb:,so are you going to stay
with the 1.9 or you are going the 2.2 way?coz if you do the 2.2 way i recommend
switching to the aluminum horn for the servo and for aluminum steering knuckles,you can see it on my post.

[Skip]

Thanks for the welcome :cool:

Yup all those things are on the list of upgrades to do! I have Tamiya's 51000 hi-torque servo saver that was fitted when the standard setup was in place but the standard horn fitted better in this configuration.

Glad to hear I got it somewhere near right! :D

Ref: 2.2s - I am sticking with 1.9s as I like the look - I have a set of SDI Trail Doctor XLs to go on which are totally huge! :eek:

[Dakillswitch]

Oh! go with the doc's they are great tires :thumb:

[scalenut]

Dakillswitch,I did my pull set up the way you did yours,but I still use the stock plastic parts on mine,and haven't broke anything yet.I don't know how,I'm not easy with it.

[Dakillswitch]

Let me show you the carnage on the servo horn:

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x276/ceodude/The%20Jeep/IMG_3389.jpg

the steering knuckles are ok! but i didn't want to see if i could break them as well so i switched to all aluminum.
......."and haven't broke anything yet"..... just wait......you'll get there soon mate:LOL:

[Moondoggie]

Let me show you the carnage on the servo horn...

Oh man! It's been decapitated! :(

[Dakillswitch]

Oh man! It's been decapitated! :(

Oh ya!:oops: it did ,and it was just after 10min of driving :mad:
it toke me some time to see that something was not good with the
steering....
that's why aluminum rule !!!:thumb: :D

[Pete359]

that's why aluminum rule !!!:thumb: :D
Couse it dont brake, it bends :LOL:
Just kidding :banplease:

[Dakillswitch]

:rasp: :LOL:

[IceChilly]

Would you mind telling me is it mandatory or just a suggested upgrade to use aluminum knuckle and servo horn for the use of 2.2s. I just got my truck yesterday and was looking at starting the build and already have my 2.2 wheels and tires...Can I get away with stock set up for a bit until I can order these upgrades or should I just wait to use the 2.2s and use the stock rims/tires? Thanks!

[PsycoJuana]

I'd say yeah, on my used hilux its all normal! and running 2.2's. the tundra i did put the knuckles and aluminum servo arm(with direct steer mod) on it just to be safe.

[Dakillswitch]

Would you mind telling me is it mandatory or just a suggested upgrade to use aluminum knuckle and servo horn for the use of 2.2s. I just got my truck yesterday and was looking at starting the build and already have my 2.2 wheels and tires...Can I get away with stock set up for a bit until I can order these upgrades or should I just wait to use the 2.2s and use the stock rims/tires? Thanks!

Yes , do it if you look back up this thread you'll see what i did to my plastic servo horn. IMO it is mandatory, if your going for hard off road running :D

[Arcocustom]

On my high-lift I run RCP Crawlers Super-Max Clearance TLT-1 Aluminium Knuckles ( # 10100). They fit with no modifications and increase strength while adding steering throw.

[Dakillswitch]

Can you post a pic of your Aluminium Knuckles please....
Thanks

[Arcocustom]

Here's a link for those knuckles. http://rcpcrawlers.com/home.php?cat=17

[QIK-RX4]

Just get onto rcmart and pick a set up off them cheap as.

I have 2 full sets of them now.

[scale crawler GOD]

I did the same thing a few years back it worked great!!!:D

[Dakillswitch]

I have this mod for about 2 years now and it's one of the best mods i did on the HL:D

[skinny_TC]

Sorry to bring back an old thread, but reading through the posts I see some guys are using a servo saver with this mod and others are not. Can I assume that if I don't use a servo saver, the servo will prematurely fail and will need to be replaced?
Besides the servo failing are there any other cons to not using the servo saver? Like bent tie rods, broken uprights, etc.?

[Arcocustom]

If you are using a standard servo with plastic gears, you must use a servo saver, or you will strip the gears in the servo. If you upgrade to a high torque servo with metal gears, then you can run an aluminium servo arm, which will greatly improve the steering of your truck. Bigger wheels and tires also put a greater load on a servo and the servo saver is necessary to make a standard servo last. A high torque servo will be power hungry and have a higher amp draw so the speed control needs to be able to handle the demands of a high torque metal gear servo. This is often overlooked. If the higher load is not taken into account, you could overheat your ESC.