Savage Flux and RPM arms: A warning

[Freezebyte]

Hey all, felt this needed to be brought to all current and future Flux owners as this issue will probably become alot more apparent as more peeps are buying Flux's and upgrading them, most obviously including RPM parts, especially the arms.

After my stock arms broke just after a few weeks of bashing I decided it was time to go RPM to prevent another disaster like this:

Seeings how RPM has such a good rep to prevent breakages like that from happening of course I went all out with new RPM arms on my Flux

However, upon installation I noticed immediately that all my arms started to bind and hardly even move in some case as the fitment of the Flux with the RPM arms for some reason wasn't quite as good as the stock arms

Being as one to not back down from a minor issue, I decided it was time to pick up a new dremel and grind away some minor plastic and all would be well.

Well, two days over the weekend was what it took to get these arms to fit and work properly. I was astonished at how much I had to grind away for the arms to flex and move. I had to enlarge the pin holes as well with a bit as they also were binding terribly. It took me so long cause I had to continually go back and forth checking the fitting, grind, check fitting, grind some more. Repeat..... All hinge point area's had to have this done.

Needless to say, NOW my arms move up and down nice and freely but damn. I certainly hope these things don't fail on me as there is no way in hell I'm gonna go through that grind session again. Much as I love RPM products, this was definently was not amusing to me.

Just a general warning to all so you know what you may be getting yourself into.

 

[Londoner]

Read on another forum of RPM arms being tight on an XL, same issues and needed to be filed to make them fit, so glad i didnt buy them.

Edit: it was here i read it https://www.hpisavageforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12524

 

[Larsenracing]

This is not the first time I have heard that there is some shaving you have to do to get these to fit. I believe the reason they made these tight is so you have can kind of customize them to fit your truck as tight as you would like allowing for a tight suspension removing as much slop as possible. This is the same on any savage as far as Nitro to Flux. I have not heard of it taking this long or as much work to get it to work thought. I am glad you got them to fit and to be tight but move with ease.

 

[whipnet]

I love RPM products, but they are soft and make your suspension feel gummy on a big 1:8 vehicle.

I went with Flextek titanium arms, but I hear they are not making them anymore.

http://www.rccoh.com/rc.companies/flextek/savage.arms.html

*

 

[josh9mile]

If i recall correctly any grinding/filing you do on rpm stuff voids the warranty. Kinda lame if you ask me

 

[maximusraylius]

Yes I agre all rpm arms are to tight. Mine I used on the iron maiden truck I had the same issue. Not only that. Imo they flex way to much. Cause a lot of shock shafts bending. So over all I'm not impressed with the rpm arms. And I never broke a stock arm ever.

 

[Shaun]

ya there the same on any savage,i was in touch with RPM directly about this when i bought my set and was told there supposed to be "tight" and that they usually work themselves in within a few tanks,mine don't bind there just stiff if you know what i mean...

 

[Fritz77]

I have RPM arms lying around which I originally bought for my nitro Savage but then I decided to not mount them because it didn't work out with the HPI sway bars. Now I want to fit them on the Flux which is in the mail (ordered Bluegroove sway bars for this one) and must read about all the problems you guys have with these arms. I have friends which never had problems with RPM arms on the Savage. Is this a new problem? Maybe a new batch of arms which have changed dimensions? Would it be possible to just mount them and drive the truck so they will loosen up on their own?

Thanks for your help!

 

[hpinitromt]

i had the problem too, i used my tabletop beltsander to remove quite a bit of material, more than i thought i would have to, but the rpm arms are worth it and there practically indestructable,
i was just amazed that such a good company would have fitment issues like that, maybe they did it for a reason?

 

[hpinitromt]

 

[Preacher_Ed]

I had the same problem when I put RPM upper and lower a-arms on an e-maxx that I used to own. I don't like paying good money for parts that don't fit right, so chances are that I won't be going with RPM again.

 

[orcusomega]

I just put RPM arms on my son's Savage, and on mine.

Yes, the fit was tight, and I needed to grind away some material to make them move freely, but it did not take any more than 15-20 mins per truck extra to get the added strength of RPM arms. Think of how much more time than 15-20 mins it saves you in preventing arm breakage... As someone who has gone through god knows how many OEM arms - I welcome "only" 15-20 mins extra if it means I won't have to do it again, unless under dire circumstances.

I will put RPM on every vehicle I own where they make parts - I love their stuff and beat the snot out of their parts and I have never had one fail - and coming from me that says a lot!

Bob

 

[]-[0pa]0ng]

I just put RPM arms on my son's Savage, and on mine.

Yes, the fit was tight, and I needed to grind away some material to make them move freely, but it did not take any more than 15-20 mins per truck extra to get the added strength of RPM arms. Think of how much more time than 15-20 mins it saves you in preventing arm breakage... As someone who has gone through god knows how many OEM arms - I welcome "only" 15-20 mins extra if it means I won't have to do it again, unless under dire circumstances.

I will put RPM on every vehicle I own where they make parts - I love their stuff and beat the snot out of their parts and I have never had one fail - and coming from me that says a lot!

Bob

I had to do the same with both my savages. They do have a life time warranty.