orcusomega
Well-Known Member
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- Royersford, PA
This article is meant to address some common issues with the steering on the various Savage platforms. This is not meant to be anything more than just a set of pointers for the newer members of the community. I am FAR from an expert, but being in the middle of the process of learning the ins and outs of the Savages, I wanted to share the stuff I have learned so far, and try to give something back!
So the steering, as a general consensus, has a few "opportunities for enhancement". In its stock form it works OK, with the later models having some nice improvements that are applicable to earlier models. So here is a list of things to look for and how to add these enhancements:
1) The stock steering on the older versions consists of a solid set of bellcranks and a servo-saver horn on the servo itself. This horn can absorb a lot of the turning power and minimize how far, and fast, your steering operates. One of the best ways to improve this is to remove this servo horn and replace it with an aluminum one, and move the servo-saver functionality to the steering bellcrank itself. The kit, HPI #87197 has all the replacement parts for the bellcrank, and the aluminum arms are also available as well (just be sure to get the right one for your brand of servo!)
2) The stock plastic bushings in the bell cranks are also prone to wear and additional drag. They can, and should, be replaced with ball bearings, you will need 4, and this will dramatically increase the fluidity of your steering as well. This has worked very well for me, particularly with larger tires.
3) Clearance your steering components! The Savage suspension and steering components are STURDY - and thick! This causes them to interfere with each other well before the servo runs out of throw. If you use a dremel, you can remove a lot of unnecessary material and really make your truck turn tight - especially if you have a longer wheelbase, this will help a lot! I was skeptical at first that this would weaken the parts to the point of failure, but I have not broken anything yet and I do beat on my truck LOL
4) Aftermarket steering components are available, but expensive. Look into the HPI RSC conversion if you want one that is pre-packaged. Note that the RSC kit only changes the outer components, and does not include anything in items 1 or 2 above.
I hope this helps someone to save the time and grief that I went through trying to find all this info all over the place 🙂
Bob
So the steering, as a general consensus, has a few "opportunities for enhancement". In its stock form it works OK, with the later models having some nice improvements that are applicable to earlier models. So here is a list of things to look for and how to add these enhancements:
1) The stock steering on the older versions consists of a solid set of bellcranks and a servo-saver horn on the servo itself. This horn can absorb a lot of the turning power and minimize how far, and fast, your steering operates. One of the best ways to improve this is to remove this servo horn and replace it with an aluminum one, and move the servo-saver functionality to the steering bellcrank itself. The kit, HPI #87197 has all the replacement parts for the bellcrank, and the aluminum arms are also available as well (just be sure to get the right one for your brand of servo!)
2) The stock plastic bushings in the bell cranks are also prone to wear and additional drag. They can, and should, be replaced with ball bearings, you will need 4, and this will dramatically increase the fluidity of your steering as well. This has worked very well for me, particularly with larger tires.
3) Clearance your steering components! The Savage suspension and steering components are STURDY - and thick! This causes them to interfere with each other well before the servo runs out of throw. If you use a dremel, you can remove a lot of unnecessary material and really make your truck turn tight - especially if you have a longer wheelbase, this will help a lot! I was skeptical at first that this would weaken the parts to the point of failure, but I have not broken anything yet and I do beat on my truck LOL
4) Aftermarket steering components are available, but expensive. Look into the HPI RSC conversion if you want one that is pre-packaged. Note that the RSC kit only changes the outer components, and does not include anything in items 1 or 2 above.
I hope this helps someone to save the time and grief that I went through trying to find all this info all over the place 🙂
Bob
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