Beginner’s Guide to What is a Servo Saver! [Design, Function, & Uses Explained]

A busted servo just might ruin your day while you’re racing with your buddies. Servos are an excellent way to incorporate movement into your RC. But they are very fragile. Ever heard of servo savers? This is exactly what you need to handle the situation.  

So, now the question pops up in your mind, what is a servo saver?

Servo savers as the name suggest protecting the servo motor. After impact, the servo is supposed to take the shock. But if you use a servo saver, it absorbs the majority of the shocks and saves the servo. You can check the functionality of your servo with just a servo tester beforehand. This will allow you to check the compatibility of the servo. 

Still not clear? Relax! We’ve gathered everything you should know about servo savers. We will try to answer each of your queries precisely. 

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get into the business.

What is a Servo Saver? 

Servo Savers are essentially like servo horns. These are built to withstand the brunt of a massive jolt to keep the servo from stripping out.

A powerful tuning option is what you need to help you handle your RC on track. A servo saver gives you that precise steering option while protecting your expensive servo. It allows you to drive bumpy tracks and have a few hits. 

While you’re racing, if your RC is in a collision, it could potentially break the expensive servo. So the servo saver will absorb the energy of the crash and then collapse.

How Does a Servo Saver Work?

Suppose you’re racing on a bumpy road. A servo saver flexes in response to those road bumps that’ll cause the wheels to turn. 

So if you want to turn right, the servo will make your RC turn right. But,  if a bump sends your RC wheels left, the servo would take all of that stress. Meanwhile, you could readjust your servo gears. 

The servo saver protects your servo by flexing and allowing the wheels to move slightly without moving the servo gears.

This might delegate some extra duties to your RC shocks. So, you should probably know the rc shock oil details and choose a good one. 

Material & Compatibility of Servo Saver

You’ll find different servo savers, so don’t get confused. Some have U-shaped springs, and some have multiple parts that collapse in the event of an impact. The material, shape, and size of the servo saver depend on your servo.

What are Servo Savers Made of?

Most of the time, servo savers are made of aluminum. But you might find some branded RC servos that require plastic servo savers. 

Aluminum servo savers are robust, long-lasting, and have more precision. These are a bit pricey. But aluminum servo savers are best to protect the gear of the servo during hard crashes. However, the downside is you might experience some sloppy steering. 

If you have plastic gears in your servo, then use a plastic servo saver. Plastic servo savers are compact and light. These servo savers should be used when you race in a high-stress situation or have a high impact rate.

Are all Servo Savers Compatible with all Servos?

No. Not all servo savers are compatible with all servos. Some brands make servo savers for specific branded servos. Fingertech Robotics makes servos that are compatible with Futaba, Hitec, and JR servos. It also includes inserts for these brands’ splines.

A servo saver servo adjusts quite easily. Normally, servo savers come with 10 degrees of wiggle room. Moreover, some servo savers come with adapters that allow you to mount your servo saver on the most popular servos.

Furthermore, if you want to check the compatibility of your servo, you could always use a servo tester. This is a more definitive way of checking if your servo is up to par or not. 

Functions and Uses of Servo Tester

Checking if your servo is ready to hit the road or not should be your first priority. A portable servo tester will allow you to check the functionality of your servo.  By using this small device, you can easily center your servos while attaching the servo saver

Now let’s check out the functions of servo testers and how they can help us select a quality servo saver-

Function 1: Tests & Protects the Servo 

A typical servo tester tells you if your servo is compatible or not. Some servos are fragile and not at all compatible with racing. So if you just test your servo beforehand, you’ll identify all the weaknesses in it. 

Ultimately, you’ll be able to protect your servo if you know what’s wrong with it. 

Function 2: Check If You Need to Replace Damaged Parts

After testing your servo, you’ll know what changes you need to make in order to make it more durable. You’ll be able to determine if you really need a servo saver or not. Replacing or repairing damaged parts of your servo saver becomes easier if you know what’s wrong with it. 

Function 3: Enhances the Performance of Your RC Vehicle

Servo testers will help you decide about changing control adjustments to RC vehicles. Just a simple test will tell you what is wrong with your servo. 

After that, you’ll tune the servo according to your liking. This lightweight tool instantly enhances overall performance in handling the servo.

So, you should definitely consider choosing a top notch servo tester

Is Servo Saver Important for Your RC Vehicle? 

Yes, if you leave it up to me, I’d say it’s very important for your RC. Although most current servos can withstand the stress of a hit. However,  this does not rule out the possibility of breaking something.

Besides, you might think that you’ve bought metal gears for your servo, so it will be safe even after a crash. But that might not work in your favor. Sometimes metal-gear servos have a plastic gear that runs the servo motor to the gear train. So there’s a chance that you might wreck your servo even after having metal gears. 

A servo saver does more than just keep the servo safe. The arms, turning knuckles, tie rods, and even the rims are relieved of stress. Furthermore, running a servo saver takes a little edge off the speed of the newer generation servos.

What Kind of RC Vehicles Need Servo Savers?

This actually depends on the drivers and the RC vehicles. Servo savers are compatible with all kinds of RC vehicles. Especially RC trucks, Buggy, Truggy, and Race cars. 

You should not use servo savers for rock crawlers. When you wedge the front tires and want your high torque steering servo to crank through it, a servo saver will simply prevent this from happening. Also, the speeds of the crawlers are so low. So, you don’t have to worry about impacts damaging your powerful servo.

Suppose you have a Tamiya TT02RR and use a racing servo saver on the Power HD steering servo. In that case, you might feel unstable twitching. It will move inconsistently from side to side, even in straight lines. So use a normal servo saver in this case. 

Should You Use Servo Saver or Not?

If you’re new to the RC world, then you should definitely use a servo saver. This is just to stay safe and not to wreck your new RC. Think of it like this that you’re protecting your $250 servo with just a $10 servo saver. So it’s an excellent investment. 

We have seen that most RC enthusiasts use servo savers. And why not? This is kind of like wearing a seatbelt. Maybe you don’t need it, but you should wear it for added protection. 

But if you’re racing on a track with berms, you won’t need one. Moreover, if you’re on a high traction road or path, racing with no servo saver might be better. This is when the servo saver isn’t engaging. So, you might feel that your RC steering is a bit laggy.

My advice to you is that use a good quality servo saver that matches with the servo. Kimbrough makes several excellent servo savers that you won’t notice when driving but will come in handy if you get into an unexpected accident. 

Get the aluminum horn if you’re just trail riding or crawling. You’ll need the servo saver if you have a fast setup and will frequently jump and crash. 

You might think, is there a difference between the horn and the servo saver? To answer that, yes, there are a few differences. So let’s check them out. 

Servo Saver vs Servo Horn – The Differences

Most pro drivers these days use metal servo horns, but this is probably not a good idea if you hit something. Servo horns are similar, but not identical, to servo savers.

First of all, servo horns are like a stick of solid plastic or aluminum. These are mostly used on Truggy or Buggy. It is nothing more than a lever that attaches to the end of your servo. This component connects the output spline to the linkage that turns the wheels.

And just like servo savers, you can also replace servo horns!

A servo horn is attached to the servo and creates a rigid connection between the servo and the steering rack. Alternatively, a servo saver can be attached to the servo or be built into the steering rack. 

Servo saver gives your RC vehicle more stability and reacts a lot quicker. But with a direct servo horn, you won’t have to sacrifice any performance in steering response!

The difference between a horn and a saver is most noticeable at high speeds. This is when the suspension is heavily loaded, and it gets a bit tricky to control the steering. 

FAQs

How do I adjust my servo saver?

Most of the servo savers actually have an adjuster on the spring. So you can set the tension on the spring to something stiffer, so it has less movement. Or you can lose the pressure. 

How do I remove the servo saver?

Just remove all the screws from the servo saver using a screwdriver. Then slowly remove the adapter. Remember, there are screws on the underside of the servo saver. 

How tight should the servo saver be?

The servo saver should have the right balance of stiffness. It should not be too tight, then the spring won’t work. But if it is loose, the steering will slip. For the right balance, you should tighten yours up to 2 or 3 turns.

What are the best brands for RC servo savers?

The best brands for RC servo savers are Tamiya, Kimbrough, and Traxxas. These servo savers are compatible with different RC vehicles. 

EndNote

That’s all about servo savers. We hope you’ve got to know everything about what is a servo saver. Now, you can decide if you want a servo saver or not. 

A quick suggestion to you is that use a servo saver whenever you can. But if you’re in a performance situation on slopes, then don’t use a servo saver. In that way, you’ll find it easy to enjoy your RC journey more seamlessly. 

We wish you all the best for the next race!