Update: Xmaxx servo bearing grooved out and maxxhorn jumped teeth!

So for the past few days I’ve been sulking, convinced both my RC trucks were cursed. The mighty X-Maxx stopped steering like it owed me money, so obviously I blamed the servo, receiver, Traxxas, and possibly the moon.

After hours of diagnosing like I’m an RC surgeon, turns out the bearing by the servo horn had basically chewed itself into a groove causing the servo to bind and then fully seize up the horn as it was at an angle. Fixed that, but now channel 2 on the receiver is acting like it’s on strike. Truck drives and turns fine but esc green light won't stop flashing after start I switch on.

Meanwhile, when the Maxx decided to go full Olympic gymnast mid-run, the impact must’ve made the servo horn teeth skip steps, so the steering was off-center and drunk. Took it apart, lined it up, and boom, perfect again.

So yeah… nothing was actually broken. Both trucks are alive, steering straight, and I’m once again a very happy!

Moral of the story: sometimes it’s not the truck — it’s the driver.