Monster Truck Madness – Upgrade that Servo
When you start talking true 1/10+ size monster trucks, there is not an upgrade on the market that will be more noticeable than a quality steering servo. The bigger the tires get, the better of an upgrade this is.
My criteria for judging whether a servo is good or not is fairly simple – can it turn the tires with ease while at a complete stop on cement. If the answer is yes, you are probably good. If not, it’s time to head to the hobby shop.
Take it from someone that has for the longest time always “made due” with RTR or marginally upgraded servos- just spend the cash. Only in the last year have I truly understood the value that a big time servo brings to the fun equation.
In my personal experience, it really doesn’t matter whether you have a solid axle or independent suspension’d bashing monster as it pertains to what kind of servo to get (again, assuming we are talking you have a 1/10 to 1/8 size truck). Just shoot for over 300 ounces of torque. My servo of choice is the Hitec HS-7954SH, but there are a good number on the market with similar specs for around $100 dollars, give or take a little. While I’m Hitec 4LYF, I have friends that are big Savox users that love using the SV-1270TG.
It’s amazing how much different your truck will drive when it’s actually you telling it where to go versus allowing it to push a weak servo around. Only after putting a high-zoot unit in do you see just how much slop you were dealing with previously. It took me awhile to get used to it.
While the servo is great, don’t forget the last part of the puzzle- a nice servo saver. The wilder you drive, the more imperative it is that you have one of these to absorb the shock you’ll be administering to it. I’m a big fan of the legendary “Extra Strong” Kimbrough #KIM124, and have been monster trucking with it for a loooooong time now.
Trust me fellow monster truckers, before you spend money on those new high grip Pro-Line or JConcepts tires, upgrade the servo first. There is a good chance it needs that much more than new rubber. And hey, it will only make those new tires feel extra sweet when you eventually bolt them on!
