Granite Granite 4x4 already broke

[Hawkes]

Count me in on the bad servo. My son had it out for about 5-10 minutes Christmas day and came back into the house complaining that it was stuck turning right. Thinking he was crazy, I took a look and sure enough it was locked turning right. Of course, I got the look from my wife who thought I was crazy spending what I did. If you power everything down, the wheels move freely, but as soon as you turn on the controller the wheels turn right locking into position.

I called Arrma and was told that it was a servo issue and they were back ordered until mid-January, but that I would have to email them with my receipt. I did that, twice, and still have not heard back from anyone. I plan to call them again today. In my eyes, this is crap. I stepped him up from the Toys R Us junk so he could enjoy the vehicle more and he wound up watching it sit under the tree. Fortunately, his Uncle did buy him another Toys R Us RC Fast car and he spent the day racing that around the backyard. Another look from my wife.

Very disappointed in Arrma. I know things break, but it's how the manufacturer deals with it that makes or breaks the experience. In this, Arrma has failed miserably so far.
-Hawkes

 

[Megasty]

Count me in on the bad servo. My son had it out for about 5-10 minutes Christmas day and came back into the house complaining that it was stuck turning right. Thinking he was crazy, I took a look and sure enough it was locked turning right. Of course, I got the look from my wife who thought I was crazy spending what I did. If you power everything down, the wheels move freely, but as soon as you turn on the controller the wheels turn right locking into position.

I called Arrma and was told that it was a servo issue and they were back ordered until mid-January, but that I would have to email them with my receipt. I did that, twice, and still have not heard back from anyone. I plan to call them again today. In my eyes, this is crap. I stepped him up from the Toys R Us junk so he could enjoy the vehicle more and he wound up watching it sit under the tree. Fortunately, his Uncle did buy him another Toys R Us RC Fast car and he spent the day racing that around the backyard. Another look from my wife.

Very disappointed in Arrma. I know things break, but it's how the manufacturer deals with it that makes or breaks the experience. In this, Arrma has failed miserably so far.
-Hawkes

Arrma's customer service in the US is pretty much non-existent. I only called them once & never had to again. Their distributor on the other hand is awesome, Great Planes Model Distributors. I send them blown ESCs, burnt motors, & bad servos with a receipt for the car & a letter explaining what happened & they have new stuff at my door in a week. The most I ever sent them at one time was 2 ESCs, a motor, & 3 servos. All replaced w/o question.

Now if the part is out of stock or back-ordered then you're out of luck. That ADS-5 servo is pure junk. I bought my kids 2 Sentons & 1 Granite. The first thing I did was replace them with JX PDI-6221MG. 20kg is overkill but they are super cheap & I haven't broken one yet, even in my Kraton & Outcast. Since I had a few of the ADS-5s to play around with I tested one to destruction & it could barely lift a 3kg mass w/o stripping.

 

[BlurTheLines]

Count me in on the bad servo. My son had it out for about 5-10 minutes Christmas day and came back into the house complaining that it was stuck turning right. Thinking he was crazy, I took a look and sure enough it was locked turning right. Of course, I got the look from my wife who thought I was crazy spending what I did. If you power everything down, the wheels move freely, but as soon as you turn on the controller the wheels turn right locking into position.

I called Arrma and was told that it was a servo issue and they were back ordered until mid-January, but that I would have to email them with my receipt. I did that, twice, and still have not heard back from anyone. I plan to call them again today. In my eyes, this is crap. I stepped him up from the Toys R Us junk so he could enjoy the vehicle more and he wound up watching it sit under the tree. Fortunately, his Uncle did buy him another Toys R Us RC Fast car and he spent the day racing that around the backyard. Another look from my wife.

Very disappointed in Arrma. I know things break, but it's how the manufacturer deals with it that makes or breaks the experience. In this, Arrma has failed miserably so far.
-Hawkes

Take the servo horn / saver apart. My servo saver / horn was set up wrong from the factory. The triangle servo cap was turned around backwards in the horn. Causing it to drift and then after a hit (that wasn't even that hard honestly) it locked. That caused some damage to my servo.​

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The servo cap / triangular piece should fit in the horn perfectly. If the horn is sprung at the back then the cap is twisted inside. There is another guy on FB with the same issue right now. I'm convinced it was someone's first day at the factory or something.

As for their support...They were very helpful to me. I got an ADS-7 from them without issue.

 

[DWRECK]

Add me to the on going list of servo failures. Brand new, only outta the box for long enough to look at it while the batteries charged, then it's first drive with 2 other friends with new traxxas monster trucks. I lasted 2-3 minutes in the grass, turned sharp and rolled over. Went and flipped it back over and noticed that the wheels were locked to the left, turned it off and they released. Turned it back on and immediately locked left again. Being new to this hobby, (as of today at 37 yrs old since a kid playing with toys r us RC's) this is very discouraging. I know I didn't buy the most expensive RC they had, but having numerous much larger toys already......spending almost $300 on a RC to just play around with a couple friends seems like enough spent to have something of quality, in my opinion! But instead, I have a brand new RC truck that I can't use. If you all don't mind, I would like to ask for your opinion. Should I fix this truck or return for in store credit and buy a different one??? They bought the Traxxas Stampede I believe and I'm not for sure that I shouldnt go buy one of them, or is it a better idea to get a better steering servo for the Arrma Granite 4x4 Mega??

 

[Megasty]

Add me to the on going list of servo failures. Brand new, only outta the box for long enough to look at it while the batteries charged, then it's first drive with 2 other friends with new traxxas monster trucks. I lasted 2-3 minutes in the grass, turned sharp and rolled over. Went and flipped it back over and noticed that the wheels were locked to the left, turned it off and they released. Turned it back on and immediately locked left again. Being new to this hobby, (as of today at 37 yrs old since a kid playing with toys r us RC's) this is very discouraging. I know I didn't buy the most expensive RC they had, but having numerous much larger toys already......spending almost $300 on a RC to just play around with a couple friends seems like enough spent to have something of quality, in my opinion! But instead, I have a brand new RC truck that I can't use. If you all don't mind, I would like to ask for your opinion. Should I fix this truck or return for in store credit and buy a different one??? They bought the Traxxas Stampede I believe and I'm not for sure that I shouldnt go buy one of them, or is it a better idea to get a better steering servo for the Arrma Granite 4x4 Mega??

I had both a Slash & Stampede 4x4 back when I was 'young & dumb' in the hobby. The 2075 servo that come in those cars are plastic throw-aways, 9kg but the servo is too strong for the plastic gears & WILL strip eventually. The chassis on those cars have 3 weak points where the 3 sections attach & where the servo sits. My slash broke in half at all these points in the few years I ran it.

The chassis on the mega 4x4 is MUCH better. The only weakness I see in it so far is the bumper skid plates, the part where you see the red metal brace peeking through on each end. The plastic is VERY thin there & can break under a hard impact. The way it attaches also make it hard to replace. But I'll take that any day over the Slash's & Stampede's ability to break in half while jumping a curb. I did that once with the Stampede & 4 times with the Slash

If you want a cheap replacement servo, look up the JX PDI-6221MG. It's like $10-15. It's a little on the slow side but I have 9 of them in total & haven't broke one yet, even in my 1/8 rigs with huge trenchers, badlands, & mud slingers.

 

[BlurTheLines]

Add me to the on going list of servo failures. Brand new, only outta the box for long enough to look at it while the batteries charged, then it's first drive with 2 other friends with new traxxas monster trucks. I lasted 2-3 minutes in the grass, turned sharp and rolled over. Went and flipped it back over and noticed that the wheels were locked to the left, turned it off and they released. Turned it back on and immediately locked left again. Being new to this hobby, (as of today at 37 yrs old since a kid playing with toys r us RC's) this is very discouraging. I know I didn't buy the most expensive RC they had, but having numerous much larger toys already......spending almost $300 on a RC to just play around with a couple friends seems like enough spent to have something of quality, in my opinion! But instead, I have a brand new RC truck that I can't use. If you all don't mind, I would like to ask for your opinion. Should I fix this truck or return for in store credit and buy a different one??? They bought the Traxxas Stampede I believe and I'm not for sure that I shouldnt go buy one of them, or is it a better idea to get a better steering servo for the Arrma Granite 4x4 Mega??

See my post from earlier. The servo cap, part of the servo saver is inside the horn backwards. I’m convinced it is the culprit in every one of these cases.

This truck is so simple to work on it is literally the perfect truck for those new to the hobby. Sucks they’ve had this issue. I get how this is totally discouraging.

 

[Megasty]

See my post from earlier. The servo cap, part of the servo saver is inside the horn backwards. I’m convinced it is the culprit in every one of these cases.

This truck is so simple to work on it is literally the perfect truck for those new to the hobby. Sucks they’ve had this issue. I get how this is totally discouraging.

I was wondering about this. The servo horn has a hole in the back where you put a screw to keep the horn from jumping the triangle piece. So I took the ADS-5 that I locked up, set it up the right way (w/o the screw in the back) & tried to turn it by hand to see if I could jump the triangle piece. It took very little force to get the horn to pry open & 360 the triangle piece. I could see the car doing this by itself if a front wheel catches a bump while the car is moving causing it to flip over. I'm going to put a screw in the back of the horn. Arrma should have did that in the first place. I bought 2 sentons & 2 granites for myself & my 3 kids. None of them had backwards horns or screws in the back. I just think it was weird for them to design the horn for the screw then not use it.

 

[BlurTheLines]

I was wondering about this. The servo horn has a hole in the back where you put a screw to keep the horn from jumping the triangle piece. So I took the ADS-5 that I locked up, set it up the right way (w/o the screw in the back) & tried to turn it by hand to see if I could jump the triangle piece. It took very little force to get the horn to pry open & 360 the triangle piece. I could see the car doing this by itself if a front wheel catches a bump while the car is moving causing it to flip over. I'm going to put a screw in the back of the horn. Arrma should have did that in the first place. I bought 2 sentons & 2 granites for myself & my 3 kids. None of them had backwards horns or screws in the back. I just think it was weird for them to design the horn for the screw then not use it.

If you put a screw the saver function will cease to function. You could put it in there to limit it somewhat I guess. But tightening it like a clamp will negate the springing function and make it like a normal non saver horn.

Also to be clear horn is not backwards. The triangular splined cap that sits on the servo post is backwards inside the horn. It should point the direction as the arrow on the horn.

 

[Megasty]

If you put a screw the saver function will cease to function. You could put it in there to limit it somewhat I guess. But tightening it like a clamp will negate the springing function and make it like a normal non saver horn.

Also to be clear horn is not backwards. The triangular splined cap that sits on the servo post is backwards inside the horn. It should point the direction as the arrow on the horn.

Yes, the screw just have to be inserted but not clamped, just enough to keep the horn from jumping. If the triangle piece was installed backwards then people really need to be checking these things before running them. That ADS-5 servo is already a poor choice to steer a 6lb car, but the servo could easily strip instantly under this circumstance.

 

[BlurTheLines]

Yes, the screw just have to be inserted but not clamped, just enough to keep the horn from jumping. If the triangle piece was installed backwards then people really need to be checking these things before running them. That ADS-5 servo is already a poor choice to steer a 6lb car, but the servo could easily strip instantly under this circumstance.

Mine was definitely backwards. FWIW since I installed the ads-7 and new cap piece (not sure what you would actually call it) I have not had any hard locks or have the servo saver go too far and I have no screw.

If you look in the exploded view it does appear like it should go in backwards but the diagram on the bottom of the mount shows how it should really be oriented. (Another reason this truck is great for those new to the hobby)

 

[Bmansdad]

If you buy a replacement servo saver set from Arrma, it includes a thick and thin saver. The thin saver is what these are shipping with. I placed the thicker one on my Granite and it takes a much harder hit to cause it to "spring". Fortunately, I was sent an ADS-7 to replace my first ADS-5. I'm still waiting for Arrma CS to return my e-mails regarding my remaining 2 stripped ADS-5's :-(

 

[jaybe312]

Arrma's customer service in the US is pretty much non-existent. I only called them once & never had to again. Their distributor on the other hand is awesome, Great Planes Model Distributors. I send them blown ESCs, burnt motors, & bad servos with a receipt for the car & a letter explaining what happened & they have new stuff at my door in a week. The most I ever sent them at one time was 2 ESCs, a motor, & 3 servos. All replaced w/o question.

Now if the part is out of stock or back-ordered then you're out of luck. That ADS-5 servo is pure junk. I bought my kids 2 Sentons & 1 Granite. The first thing I did was replace them with JX PDI-6221MG. 20kg is overkill but they are super cheap & I haven't broken one yet, even in my Kraton & Outcast. Since I had a few of the ADS-5s to play around with I tested one to destruction & it could barely lift a 3kg mass w/o stripping.

I just bought my son a Granite 4x4 - he has not run it yet but wanted to know what upgrades I can do to it so he can maximize his time with the truck. Any chance you can post a link of the Servo JX PDI-6221MG you purchased?

Thanks in advance

 

[Megasty]

I just bought my son a Granite 4x4 - he has not run it yet but wanted to know what upgrades I can do to it so he can maximize his time with the truck. Any chance you can post a link of the Servo JX PDI-6221MG you purchased?

Thanks in advance

Besides the servo, the truck is strong OoB. I took my truck to the large sketchy yard that has claimed several of my cars & managed to break a spring, 2 A-arms, an upper link, steering link, & the Ackermann link. I also ripped 2 rear input gears, but that was on 3S brushless. My kids have ran their stock trucks in the same yard with no problems. The stock truck pulls 22-25mph, while mine can push 40+mph - all stock gearing. Kids can be pretty hard on steering servos. They like to turn @ full speed & both trucks can do so w/o flipping so a strong servo can go a long way even if they are a little slow because of the low voltage. They really don't care about that stuff. They just want it to work - like most people. That crappy ADS-5 servo will only last 1 or 2 tough runs.

I got the servo from banggood https://www.banggood.com/JX-PDI-622...il-top-buytogether-auto__3&cur_warehouse=USA#

It should direct to the US warehouse & you should get it in a few days. It impressed me so much I ordered 2 of these & got them in a week https://www.banggood.com/4X-JX-PDI-...tail-top-buytogether-auto__2&cur_warehouse=CN

 

[Bmansdad]

I'm running these on both of my Granite Mega 4x4's while I wait for Arrma to (yet again) replace the garbage ADS-5's that keep breaking.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073F92G2S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I've "activated" my server saver at least 3 times on one of them, and the servo itself doesn't care. It's the same speed as the ADS-5, if adjusted to full range, it perfectly matches the trucks turning capability, and at $17.99...... My friend stuck one in his Kraton and has beat the snot out of it for 4 weeks and it keeps going strong. Destroyed his ADS-15 in 2 runs.
Just something else to look at......

 

[jaybe312]

Besides the servo, the truck is strong OoB. I took my truck to the large sketchy yard that has claimed several of my cars & managed to break a spring, 2 A-arms, an upper link, steering link, & the Ackermann link. I also ripped 2 rear input gears, but that was on 3S brushless. My kids have ran their stock trucks in the same yard with no problems. The stock truck pulls 22-25mph, while mine can push 40+mph - all stock gearing. Kids can be pretty hard on steering servos. They like to turn @ full speed & both trucks can do so w/o flipping so a strong servo can go a long way even if they are a little slow because of the low voltage. They really don't care about that stuff. They just want it to work - like most people. That crappy ADS-5 servo will only last 1 or 2 tough runs.

I got the servo from banggood https://www.banggood.com/JX-PDI-622...il-top-buytogether-auto__3&cur_warehouse=USA#

It should direct to the US warehouse & you should get it in a few days. It impressed me so much I ordered 2 of these & got them in a week https://www.banggood.com/4X-JX-PDI-...tail-top-buytogether-auto__2&cur_warehouse=CN

Thanks you for the quick reply! I’ll check these out this weekend and see which one I’ll purchase.

I forgot to mention that I also purchased an OUTCAST 2018 that I immediately broke the front bumper on its second run on 6s. Went with an after market TBR that should hit my door this upcoming Monday.

I'm running these on both of my Granite Mega 4x4's while I wait for Arrma to (yet again) replace the garbage ADS-5's that keep breaking.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073F92G2S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I've "activated" my server saver at least 3 times on one of them, and the servo itself doesn't care. It's the same speed as the ADS-5, if adjusted to full range, it perfectly matches the trucks turning capability, and at $17.99...... My friend stuck one in his Kraton and has beat the snot out of it for 4 weeks and it keeps going strong. Destroyed his ADS-15 in 2 runs.
Just something else to look at......

Thanks! I’ll check these out too, looks super sturdy for just $18 and free shipping with Prime.

 

[Megasty]

I'm running these on both of my Granite Mega 4x4's while I wait for Arrma to (yet again) replace the garbage ADS-5's that keep breaking.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073F92G2S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I've "activated" my server saver at least 3 times on one of them, and the servo itself doesn't care. It's the same speed as the ADS-5, if adjusted to full range, it perfectly matches the trucks turning capability, and at $17.99...... My friend stuck one in his Kraton and has beat the snot out of it for 4 weeks and it keeps going strong. Destroyed his ADS-15 in 2 runs.
Just something else to look at......

I have this servo in my Yeti XL. It's awesome as well. I was about to buy a bunch of them until I found the JX. It has the exact same specs as the JX. This same Yeti XL burnt through a Savox 1231 that was replaced by Savox 3 times. 30+ runs later its still going strong. On the other hand the JX is in my Nero. It ate 7 ADS-15Ms (Yeah 7 of them) It's been in the Nero for over a year. I think these servos might have the same guts with different cases.

 

[Bmansdad]

I have this servo in my Yeti XL. It's awesome as well. I was about to buy a bunch of them until I found the JX. It has the exact same specs as the JX. This same Yeti XL burnt through a Savox 1231 that was replaced by Savox 3 times. 30+ runs later its still going strong. On the other hand the JX is in my Nero. It ate 7 ADS-15Ms (Yeah 7 of them) It's been in the Nero for over a year. I think these servos might have the same guts with different cases.

Very good to know... thanks. Seeing the JX listed at 4 for $39... damn. that can't be beat.

 

[Nosedive4130]

The Savox SW-0231MG is another option that works well for me so far. It's also waterproof and works well at the stock esc voltages. It's far from the cheapest option though, but it's still around the price of bangood's offering while still being namebrand...

Edit: I just realized the bangood price was for 4 pieces... My bad...

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Savox-SW-023...Metal-Gear-Digital-Servo-Glitch-/390823718196

 

[chazekxt46]

so the slot needs to be lined up with the arrow on the saver.? in the arrma video its not. but the guy in video said hey line up the key slot with arrow. so the were done wrong? when shipped

 

[BlurTheLines]

so the slot needs to be lined up with the arrow on the saver.? in the arrma video its not. but the guy in video said hey line up the key slot with arrow. so the were done wrong? when shipped

No. Just look at the diagram on the bottom of the servo mount and follow that.