Hpi baja 5t Sym steer and fonzie links problems

[Clubin]

i’ve looked at this for a long time now, and I cannot get it to do a left turn suspension compressed without binding on the left link or a right, turn to full lock full compression and binding on the right link. The links have one deeper brass spacer, and one shorter brass spacer I’ve tried them in a couple different locations, I cannot get the clearance. The links are binding against the upper plate. It’s like the links need to be on the bottom but that doesn’t work either. I’m thinking it has something to do with the symmetrical steering set up. But don’t know how to fix it other than put the stock plastic steering links back in.

@Mick Boomer anything look odd here?

 

[Mick Boomer]

The outer steering heim mounts underneath the hub arm.
Ill get you some pics when i get home

 

[Clubin]

Would you have a picture of that from the front? Where I have it they are all on the same parallel line. Are they mounted underneath on the inside?

 

[Mick Boomer]

No mounted on top in the inner. Ill have to see when I get home which spacers went on what side.

 

[Mick Boomer]

Large spacers outside small inside.

 

[Clubin]

See that’s where mine is different. Look at the height of the inboard mounting point is.
Way higher than yours.
I might be able to flip the whole assembly. I’ve never taken it apart. That’s the way it was when I bought it. Many tanks of fuel through it. I removed the steering assembly it needs bearings. Once I get the bearings I’ll try again.

 

[John Parks]

Yea your servo saver looks upside down and backwards

 

[Danzzz88]

I have the same problem..what was the resolution to this? I have the links mounted right on the hub but on the symsteer it doesn't seem to work properly either mounted top or bottom, it either catches the top plate or if mounted at the bottom catches the edge of my Kraken X3 chassis when arms full extended.

 

[Clubin]

I have the same problem..what was the resolution to this? I have the links mounted right on the hub but on the symsteer it doesn't seem to work properly either mounted top or bottom, it either catches the top plate or if mounted at the bottom catches the edge of my Kraken X3 chassis when arms full extended.

Chuck it and pick up a turtle racing billet servo saver.

I tried every possible way couldnt get it to work without binding. I bet I spent. 5 hours trying. Changed everything back to the standard radio box and all issues are gone.

This is what you need

The lower pic of the Sym steer servo saver it is not possible to get to work without binding.

 

[Danzzz88]

I did figure a way to stop it binding, pretty much by having the links mounted bottom on the servo saver with small brass fitting and top on the hubs with large brass fitting...this clears everything (pretty much) and I did see a guy on YouTube who runs it like this but trouble is the links are angled so much relative to the a arms that when the suspension compresses the wheels want to turn outwards...I would imagine this would put excessive strain. If I mount the links bottom on both the servo save and hubs then it will work but catches the chassis on large turn angle. Now I could fix that by just cutting away a tiny bit of the chassis which shouldn't do much harm but wanted to check first if someone knew a solution I didn't try. I mean surely Fonzie tested this system when he designed the links so there must be some way it's doable.
When mounting link below hub it catches chassis like this...
When mounted above hub like this the wheel toes out way too much on compression...but it doesn't catch at all...again I saw a guy running on YouTube like this with a big bore but he was doing any jumps.

I did figure a way to stop it binding, pretty much by having the links mounted bottom on the servo saver with small brass fitting and top on the hubs with large brass fitting...this clears everything (pretty much) and I did see a guy on YouTube who runs it like this but trouble is the links are angled so much relative to the a arms that when the suspension compresses the wheels want to turn outwards...I would imagine this would put excessive strain. If I mount the links bottom on both the servo save and hubs then it will work but catches the chassis on large turn angle. Now I could fix that by just cutting away a tiny bit of the chassis which shouldn't do much harm but wanted to check first if someone knew a solution I didn't try. I mean surely Fonzie tested this system when he designed the links so there must be some way it's doable.
When mounting link below hub it catches chassis like this...
When mounted above hub like this the wheel toes out way too much on compression...but it doesn't catch at all...again I saw a guy running on YouTube like this with a big bore but he was doing any jumps.

BTW.. as you recommended fitting Losi shocks I bought some but don't know how to fit them due to the larger hardware these shocks need..have you fitted any yourself to the Baja?

 

[Clubin]

I did figure a way to stop it binding, pretty much by having the links mounted bottom on the servo saver with small brass fitting and top on the hubs with large brass fitting...this clears everything (pretty much) and I did see a guy on YouTube who runs it like this but trouble is the links are angled so much relative to the a arms that when the suspension compresses the wheels want to turn outwards...I would imagine this would put excessive strain. If I mount the links bottom on both the servo save and hubs then it will work but catches the chassis on large turn angle. Now I could fix that by just cutting away a tiny bit of the chassis which shouldn't do much harm but wanted to check first if someone knew a solution I didn't try. I mean surely Fonzie tested this system when he designed the links so there must be some way it's doable.
When mounting link below hub it catches chassis like this...
When mounted above hub like this the wheel toes out way too much on compression...but it doesn't catch at all...again I saw a guy running on YouTube like this with a big bore but he was doing any jumps.

BTW.. as you recommended fitting Losi shocks I bought some but don't know how to fit them due to the larger hardware these shocks need..have you fitted any yourself to the Baja?

That won’t work like that. It’s bump steer. The controll arms and steering links need to all be as close to parallel as possible.

Buddy I tried! Trust me. I have the fonzy links for Symsteer too that are useless now. Wish sombody would have told me what I’m telling you. But before I bought all that stuff.
I know exactly what you tried. I cut the chassis off there too. It helps lots but still binds.

I did figure a way to stop it binding, pretty much by having the links mounted bottom on the servo saver with small brass fitting and top on the hubs with large brass fitting...this clears everything (pretty much) and I did see a guy on YouTube who runs it like this but trouble is the links are angled so much relative to the a arms that when the suspension compresses the wheels want to turn outwards...I would imagine this would put excessive strain. If I mount the links bottom on both the servo save and hubs then it will work but catches the chassis on large turn angle. Now I could fix that by just cutting away a tiny bit of the chassis which shouldn't do much harm but wanted to check first if someone knew a solution I didn't try. I mean surely Fonzie tested this system when he designed the links so there must be some way it's doable.
When mounting link below hub it catches chassis like this...
When mounted above hub like this the wheel toes out way too much on compression...but it doesn't catch at all...again I saw a guy running on YouTube like this with a big bore but he was doing any jumps.

BTW.. as you recommended fitting Losi shocks I bought some but don't know how to fit them due to the larger hardware these shocks need..have you fitted any yourself to the Baja?

I’m running irc shocks with black rear springs.

 

[Danzzz88]

That won’t work like that. It’s bump steer. The controll arms and steering links need to all be as close to parallel as possible.

Buddy I tried! Trust me. I have the fonzy links for Symsteer too that are useless now. Wish sombody would have told me what I’m telling you. But before I bought all that stuff.
I know exactly what you tried. I cut the chassis off there too. It helps lots but still binds.

I’m running irc shocks with black rear springs.

So when you say binds what do you mean exactly...it looks like I only have to remove about 5mm of chassis and it should work so what other issue is it you came across? There must be some way to do it surely, if they are still selling the links. If I have no luck I might have a chat with Mike and see if he knows what's up. The option is mounting it top and top but seems you had it hitting the top plate and now I have loctited all the servo save I'm not pulling it apart again unless it definitely would work which it appears it won't.

 

[Clubin]

Here is my pics.
One circled is what I removed. Didn’t help.

 

[Danzzz88]

Yea I'm saying remove that bit but mount the link below the servo saver arm and below the hub...this seems like it would be the solution from what I can tell...did you try that? So it's mounted like this either end but with the chassis cut away a bit as you did. As I say I guy did mount it on YouTube above the hub but that creates bump steer as you say...so the only combination can either be bottom bottom or top top and so far the solution to me seems to mount it bottom bottom and cut the chassis. Then after this the only other issue I noticed is if you rotate the wheels too far the link goes beyond parallel with the hub arm and the wheel flops inwards...guess this can be limited by setting servo travel but don't know what happens in the event of a crash or if all styles of setups do this.

 

[Clubin]

Yea I'm saying remove that bit but mount the link below the servo saver arm and below the hub...this seems like it would be the solution from what I can tell...did you try that? So it's mounted like this either end but with the chassis cut away a bit as you did. As I say I guy did mount it on YouTube above the hub but that creates bump steer as you say...so the only combination can either be bottom bottom or top top and so far the solution to me seems to mount it bottom bottom and cut the chassis. Then after this the only other issue I noticed is if you rotate the wheels too far the link goes beyond parallel with the hub arm and the wheel flops inwards...guess this can be limited by setting servo travel but don't know what happens in the event of a crash or if all styles of setups do this.

Nope won’t work. I did try exactly that.

 

[Danzzz88]

Not saying your wrong but why not? I can't see anything hitting anything neither on compression or extension other than that bit of the chassis that needs cutting. What else is the issue? What are all the guys running extended arms and symsteer doing to make it work then?

 

[Clubin]

Not saying your wrong but why not? I can't see anything hitting anything neither on compression or extension other than that bit of the chassis that needs cutting. What else is the issue? What are all the guys running extended arms and symsteer doing to make it work then?

Machine that corner off and you’ll see what I’m trying to tell you.

I don’t know what any one is doing. Sym steer is a Chinese thing. The geometry of how the wheels move through their sweep is not consistsnt. Meaning at full lock the wheels are way out of alignment.
I tried every way. Pics of what I did.
I really wanted to get it to work I bought two of them. But no way.
Unless you can figure something I missed. I’d be curious to see.

 

[Danzzz88]

So think I found a solution or at least improved the situation...these seems to provide almost maximum clearance of the top plate at maximum turn angle and provides full clearance at least when I have the shocks mounted to FLM shock tower that don't allow the arms to travel up as far as they can without shocks anyway. I basically swapped the top and bottom parts of the servoe saver around and had to modify one of the parts with a file....cut grooves in the part that attaches to the turnbuckles to match the grooves of the other part of the servo saver so the spring sits parallel in each (imo this should have been the case from factory even when setup the other way. Then all I had to do was file the corners of the servo saver side so the Fonzie ball joints have clearance.

 

[szaki75]

stock plastic steering links works just fine, mounted underneath inside and outside too.
though, the links are very sloppy and the servo saver spring is too soft. i replaced it with an FG type, but even that one could be even stiffer

 

[Danzzz88]

stock plastic steering links works just fine, mounted underneath inside and outside too.
though, the links are very sloppy and the servo saver spring is too soft. i replaced it with an FG type, but even that one could be even stiffer

You mean just replace the spring of the Chinese sym steer with an FG one? Are you not using Fonzie links then?