The plastic frame of my Phantom keeps developing cracks and eventually breaks where the motors mount. I use thread locker and don't feel like I'm over tightening the screws. Has anyone had the same problem and is there something else I need to do to prevent the broken air frame shell. I'm on the second shell and it's breaking too.
Phantom motor Mount breaking
- Thread starter shill535
- Start date
I have read that thread lock eats the plastic and should not be used. The cracking plastic is a common problem from what I have read. I have had my phantom for almost two months. Roughly 45 flights, no hard landings, no crashes. No aggressive flying either. I am already noticing cracks in all four arms originating from the motor mount screw holes...
Keeping in mind that there are four screws and that the plastic should have to literally break in order for a motor to come loose, I am trying not to concern myself over it at the moment...
It seems like a HUGE oversight in the R&D dept. over at DJI that they picked inferior plastic to construct the phantom if it cracks so easily.
If my cracks get a lot worse I will cut a circular piece of gorilla tape (or duct tape) and stick it on the motor mount to keep the plastic together.
Maybe the phantom v2 will use better plastic or have a redesigned arm/motor mount?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Keeping in mind that there are four screws and that the plastic should have to literally break in order for a motor to come loose, I am trying not to concern myself over it at the moment...
It seems like a HUGE oversight in the R&D dept. over at DJI that they picked inferior plastic to construct the phantom if it cracks so easily.
If my cracks get a lot worse I will cut a circular piece of gorilla tape (or duct tape) and stick it on the motor mount to keep the plastic together.
Maybe the phantom v2 will use better plastic or have a redesigned arm/motor mount?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
Dji= china= cheap. What did you guys expect?
Burntpixel
Member
I would think it would be possible,but you would need to encapsulate the Phantom,s ESC,s somehow. Heck you probably would need to do it to all the electronic,s for that matter.
Burntpixel
Member
I just checked over my Phantom and found no cracks in any of the 4 motors to frame area. I have crushed it,had all 4 motors out of it,then back in and still no cracks. I do see DJI uses a very thick 'Blue" type of thread lock,but I think it is far different from the loctite or other traditional thread lock adhesives. The DJI stuff "Stays" on one side of the screw and does not come off. I have taken out my motor screws several times in order to both replace the motors bearings and also to paint and when needed,install prop guards.
I have used the same DJI screws over and over without ever having one come loose. You may have out of balance motors or props. That is the only thing I could imagine that would cause your problem.
I have used the same DJI screws over and over without ever having one come loose. You may have out of balance motors or props. That is the only thing I could imagine that would cause your problem.
Thanks for your advise and observations. I think it must be that DJI's thread locker is just different. I got another bag of treated screws with the last shell but decided to use the old screws with a bit of new blue thread lock instead and save the new screws for future work. it sounds like you have had good luck with reusing the old screws. That will be my plan for shell number three.
Burntpixel
Member
I think that is a good idea. I personally have wanted to use a thread lock material,but do not know if it would have an adverse effect on the Phantom,s body if some of it dripped out the threads. I believe the Phantom is made out of "Poly Styrene" and do not know how it work chemically react to the thread lock.
I did purchase a product called "Zap Z-42" thread locker from a hobby store,but it is just like the Loctite products. One drop flows around all the threads of the screw. I really would like to know what product DJI is using as it seems to do the job as intended and not cause a mess like the other loctite type products available. DJI is not the only company to use this "Blue" thick non flowing thread lock as I have seen it in many types of electronic,s before.
Superbluedude
New Member
Phantom Melt Down
“Thread Locker on Phantoms”
DON’T DO IT! I just became a member today to share my grief. I have been building and playing with multi-rotors for a couple of years now and have had both good and bad experiences relative to tight or loose screws that have taught me to be more diligent and when ever possible to use thread locker. I have been adding a single tiny drop to all screws on all my home builds just in case and then using a torque screw driver so as to not over tighten. I had split the phantom case to perform all of the necessary wiring and modifications for the installation of the Go Pro Zenkuse gamble and mini-OSD. Once it was all done tested and system working perfectly I proceeded to button it up and while doing so I added a tiny drop of thread locker to each screw as I put the machine back together.
Well as you might have already guest, the Phantoms are made out of some cheap soft very thin PVC plastic that DJI uses to attach all of there T-nuts too, one drop and you are toast, every single point where a screw attached to the body or bodies to each other had fallen apart.
How I discovered this horror was while I was doing something else with one of my other units I heard a soft thud to my left and as I turned around I saw my brand new Zenmuse gimble and GoPro lying on the table beneath the phantom and hanging by the ribbon cable. WTF… as I looked closer and as I went to pick up the unit the damn thing fell apart in my hands. Well you can imagine what went through my mind and subsequently out my mouth. If that’s not bad enough, it should be stated that I had with extreme discipline and purpose avoided and not flown the unit even once since I took delivery last Friday awaiting the complete package to take its maiden flight. In fact I had not even powered it up until I was ready for the OSD testing that happened just minutes before this happened.
The only upside to this experience is identifying cracks in the DJI production of the Phantom frame. Don’t be fooled! Now know this, this unit had never been flown by me or anyone else as far as I know, but the solvent and the colorant in the thread locker serves as perfect crack identifier. The viscosity of the solvent is so thin and with a light purple colorant it highlights hundreds of spider cracks in the frame around the screws and around areas where the frame may most likely experience in flight stresses when in use.
Can you imagine its first flight had it not fallen apart in my hands … use your imagination. Picture if you will the rapid disassembly of parts at a few hundred feet up.
I have already come up with a fix, needless to say it requires a little Egyptian Engineering, and of course it involves many Quality ZIP Ties but I believe it more structurally sound then it was new and a hell of a lot better then after the Melt Down.
Fly Safe My Friends
“Thread Locker on Phantoms”
DON’T DO IT! I just became a member today to share my grief. I have been building and playing with multi-rotors for a couple of years now and have had both good and bad experiences relative to tight or loose screws that have taught me to be more diligent and when ever possible to use thread locker. I have been adding a single tiny drop to all screws on all my home builds just in case and then using a torque screw driver so as to not over tighten. I had split the phantom case to perform all of the necessary wiring and modifications for the installation of the Go Pro Zenkuse gamble and mini-OSD. Once it was all done tested and system working perfectly I proceeded to button it up and while doing so I added a tiny drop of thread locker to each screw as I put the machine back together.
Well as you might have already guest, the Phantoms are made out of some cheap soft very thin PVC plastic that DJI uses to attach all of there T-nuts too, one drop and you are toast, every single point where a screw attached to the body or bodies to each other had fallen apart.
How I discovered this horror was while I was doing something else with one of my other units I heard a soft thud to my left and as I turned around I saw my brand new Zenmuse gimble and GoPro lying on the table beneath the phantom and hanging by the ribbon cable. WTF… as I looked closer and as I went to pick up the unit the damn thing fell apart in my hands. Well you can imagine what went through my mind and subsequently out my mouth. If that’s not bad enough, it should be stated that I had with extreme discipline and purpose avoided and not flown the unit even once since I took delivery last Friday awaiting the complete package to take its maiden flight. In fact I had not even powered it up until I was ready for the OSD testing that happened just minutes before this happened.
The only upside to this experience is identifying cracks in the DJI production of the Phantom frame. Don’t be fooled! Now know this, this unit had never been flown by me or anyone else as far as I know, but the solvent and the colorant in the thread locker serves as perfect crack identifier. The viscosity of the solvent is so thin and with a light purple colorant it highlights hundreds of spider cracks in the frame around the screws and around areas where the frame may most likely experience in flight stresses when in use.
Can you imagine its first flight had it not fallen apart in my hands … use your imagination. Picture if you will the rapid disassembly of parts at a few hundred feet up.
I have already come up with a fix, needless to say it requires a little Egyptian Engineering, and of course it involves many Quality ZIP Ties but I believe it more structurally sound then it was new and a hell of a lot better then after the Melt Down.
Fly Safe My Friends
Burntpixel
Member
I have built one Phantom from scratch and found it is better to buy a new packet of frame screws which already have a tiny drop of BLUE thread lock on each screw. I have been trying to source this kind of thread lock as it is VERY viscous and does not run or drip at all. It's not even wet! I also when mounting the screws in the motor mounting holes taking care to stagger each screw diagonally when installing them. This helps even out the pressure on the brass female nuts mounted in the plastic on the phantom!
Loc-tite also comes in "stick" form! I have not used it, but it is out there. Probably not the same stuff DJI uses though, and I don't know how it reacts to plastic.
http://www.mscdirect.com/product/65184921
http://www.amazon.com/Loctite-QuickStix-Medium-Strength-Threadlocker/dp/B000132VH6
http://www.mscdirect.com/product/65184921
http://www.amazon.com/Loctite-QuickStix-Medium-Strength-Threadlocker/dp/B000132VH6
ironbinder
New Member
Hello everyone, I had to add, I also have cracks developing on my Phantom2. right in the area where the motor mounts. Particularly on the outermost part of the motor arm where the tiny philip head screw threads in.
I have been searching the internet, and this seems to be a common problem with the Phantom airframe.
I have been searching the internet, and this seems to be a common problem with the Phantom airframe.
Hi all. My Phantom 1.1.1 has the same problem with the two rear motor mounts. I've found a solution for this as re-shelling is not so cheap I decided to fiberglass the two rear motor mounts with 3 layers of 18g/m2 fiberglass cloth.
I also posted a video on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/2TgdkMgMgaU
I also posted a video on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/2TgdkMgMgaU
Rotorfreek
Member
Hi guys, I've had a few phantoms, and know a lot of others who do too. I know a few who had the this issue... What they all had in common was the use of aftermarket props...
When we chased it through it turned out to be one of two things
1. Badly balanced props causing vibration
2. Props they thought were balanced via a balancer, but for some reason the mounting hole was a bit loose, allowing the prop to sit off centre when bolted down, resulting in bad vibration despite being balanced.
Those suffering this issue, set up your bird as normal and bring it into a hover in front of you, then from underneath pinch each motor mount with fingers and your thumb... If you feel a vibration, you have you problem right there
Sent by my thumb, a trusty slave to my crazy mind. The above is the ramblings of a lunatic, and should be treated as such. Terms and conditions apply.
When we chased it through it turned out to be one of two things
1. Badly balanced props causing vibration
2. Props they thought were balanced via a balancer, but for some reason the mounting hole was a bit loose, allowing the prop to sit off centre when bolted down, resulting in bad vibration despite being balanced.
Those suffering this issue, set up your bird as normal and bring it into a hover in front of you, then from underneath pinch each motor mount with fingers and your thumb... If you feel a vibration, you have you problem right there
Sent by my thumb, a trusty slave to my crazy mind. The above is the ramblings of a lunatic, and should be treated as such. Terms and conditions apply.
View attachment 21681 View attachment 21681 View attachment 21682 View attachment 21683 View attachment 21682 View attachment 21683 Hi, I know I am new to the forum, but I have been helping with phantom problems since the first one came out. Thread lock is a no no!!!! big sin... and it will kill your plastic on the phantom shell... I have tons of pictures of friends and mine which have had spider cracks etc that happened.. depends on how bad it is.. you might need to buy yourself a new shell and replace / swap out the electrics into the new shell... very easy job. I have put 3 photos of differant quads that all have cracked... none of them had locktight on them... but its the end screw that usually cracks if over tightened ...even by a hair.
