Great video! I have been having an issue with my printer where the first layer would be perfect, but the next 4-7 layers are really roughed up. I used a dial gauge and measured that the right side of the gantry was sagging as the z-axis was moved up compared to the left side. There was a difference of as much as 0.46mm! Just bought the dual axis upgrade, will update on how the printer turns out. Update: Wow, I can't say enough how great this tutorial was. Very easy to follow! Printer is working like a charm now. Have been using it for a few week now. Its truly a necessary upgrade
@@bobclavi yeah its still fun. i am done with upgrading it now and prints almost never fail anymore . aside from making trinkets its handy for making small prototypes for work
After watching other videos, this was the one that made the installation work! Good detail, no extra stuff, nice camera views of the parts. Thank you for making this upgrade work for me.
I came back to watch again, as my kit arrived from banggood today. Your video was very helpful. I routed the cable for the new stepper back under the bed past the control board, out the back by the PSU and up from the base just below the new motor.
Thanks for the fantastic video. When I opened the dual-Z kit box, I was worried that the installation was going to be much more complex than I initially thought, but your video explained everything perfectly!
The T-nuts I got in my kit are the kind that you can stick directly in the front of the cross member. When you turn it to tighten it, the nuts self rotate so there's no need to slide them in from the side and bend the screw to get the bracket on.
Excellent instruction, on my new kit from "creativity", aliexpress you don't have to open the mainboard. Just connect the splitter to the existing z wire on the top. I hope this helps someone.
@@RH3D I bought it as I went with a direct drive setup and felt the added weight on the gantry could lead to it sagging. So far it has stayed perfectly.
Super simple explanation and instructions. There is not too much talk, just the important thing and some advice. Thank you for your effort and explanation.
I didn't know the installation was so easy. Thought I was going to have to tinker with Marlin and stepper currents after reading very mixed feelings about dual screws on the Ender faimily. I have noticed a small decrease in quality after switching to a Direct Drive (BMG+Dragon) due to the weight on the print head, so depending on the price I will most likely install this. Thank you!
Even after two years this Video is still helpfull. Thank you very much! Good explanation, well chosen camera angles and views, helpfull tipps and Tricks. Thumbs up!
Thank you. Your video convinced me to buy this kit. I just installed it and after a bit of fine tuning I am very happy that I watched and purchased this.
Great instruction and review! I just assembled and installed mine. It had weird noise initially when moving. Turned out the guiding nut for lead screw was not at perfect 90 degree angle. I straightened that out and now it works really smooth. So watch out if all parts are really straight and the angle they should be ;)
Thanks for this! Got one of these for my ender 3 v2. The non motorized side on my printer either sagged or was lifted by a fraction of a mm depending on the last direction it last went, screwing up my bed leveling and making it almost impossible to print sometimes, even with a BL touch which seemed to make the problem even worse lol.
Excellent video. I added a micro swiss direct drive extruder & hot end. I followed this video carefully to add the dual z-axis; it was very helpful thanks!
Thanks. Just got V2 to tinker with in addition to my Prusa. I was astound to figure out that machine has so poor Z axis solution. Having bunch of nema's at hand I think I'll do this completely diy and design that bracket myself. I thought wiring was harder and didn't expect motors to be just parallel wired. But it makes sense, very little power needed for Z motors.
Thank you so much for this clear installation video! Had a little challenge with my V2 Neo, since it has beauty plates in the frame, so I couldnt unscrew the last wheel, but I managed to work around that, and it is now printing a testprint with the dual screw upgrade! Thanks again! :D
Thank you for this video. Really helped considering the instructions aren't particularly descriptive. Combining this with the auto leveler yields fantastic results. Super awesome to have an actually level bed + dual Z and see no Z axis movement during X/Y panning.
Great point about adding weight with other upgrades (I did the same thing, and noticed that the beam can actually lower much easier than I'd like when working anywhere near the beam!). Great video! Exactly what I needed!
Also, aligning the stepper motor mounting bracket by rotating it so that the bracket is on the table is a great idea! You must be a mechanical engineer, or maybe a carpenter, or maybe you are just one smart bastard!!!
Thank you for your amazing videos. Very thorough and well filmed. I used this video to put my dual z kit and you saved me so much headache. Thank you sir.
Hey there. Thanks for the video. I used it as reference in my printer on a similar kit. I had serious skipping and z axis issues until I noticed I didn’t give the coupler enough space on the bottom as you had.
Thank you for the video. I suppose that i could figure out how to install it, but it always nice to have a follow along tutorial and it saved me a lot of time.
I also did that a couple weeks ago. BUT(!) You should not Contrain the Rod at the Top and it works much much better with an SKR 1.4 Board that as an Spare Driver Slot to run the second Z Stepper. This way the Gantry can level itself with an BLTouch and the G34 Marlin Command. Since that Day i don't even need Bed Leveling anymore, which i had to use all the time before.
I have an ender 3 v2 for a while and i was looking for upgrades and i see lots of coments about constraining the z rod at the top , well my daily job is large format printing like banners corugated boards textile and soo on and i came across and printed on lots of printing machinery and some of them used screw bearing to lift the print cariage for thicker media and every single one had the bearing supported at the top
Thank you for spending so much time to make a thorough video. I watched this before unboxing my kit so I had a good idea how to do it. Great video and thanks again
Not sure if it would add any issues but I just plugged the existing cable into the splitter to avoid running wires to the motherboard to make it easier.
I'm so happy I found your channel. I watched your later video, with the timing belt, but this seems a bit more... better for my needs. The timing belt is also more expensive kit. You just earned a sub! Thank you very much for creating these videos!
I think, You dont have to open for mainboard connection. The cable can be connected to the old one (outside) and have so You have a longer way arround the devices. Sorry for the english ....
A suggestion to the manufacturer, instead of a y cable that goes from the motherboard to the motors, have a cable that plugs into the original motor that branches into a shorter cable with a female and a longer cable with a male end. This way there's no need to access the motherboard.
the cables to each stepper motor need to be the same size. equal length makes sure both trigger at the exact same moment. try playing whack-a-mole with one hammer having to switch between hands each swing versus 2 hammers at once, no switching. may seem too small to matter, but it IS attention to detail for a kit meant to keep everything level up there.
Great video, I followed along and installed my own, It was tougher than I imagined but got it done, my z axis cable was hot glued on the original so that was a pain to remove, but kudos for a very well made video. I agree, not really worth buying unless you're adding weight to the x axis gantry, but great learning experience! Look forward to watching more of your videos!
Creality now hot glues the crap out of every connection...good luck guys. Isopropyl Alcohol softens it...scrape it away after softening with needle point tweezers.
T hank you for your advice. Very helpful. I am installing a dual drive kit and discovered that the brass nut plate for the top of the lead screw has the mounting holes offset from the lead screw. I doubt this was done by design. Can't expect much being from China.
on some enders, double z-axis requires a grounding adaptation, because the housing of the PSU is now sitting isolated in the plastic bracket. so what you have to do is to wire the ground to the gantry and to the frame. the easiest fix ist to clamp it under one of the already existing mounting nuts. regarding the angles: using a bl-touch or setting measurement points in your marlin firmware will even out the issues of uneven build plates
I don't know a ton about this stuff, but I'm confused. The ground wire on mine goes to the ground wire on the power cable which goes into ground in the wall. Why would I want to instead ground it to the printer itself? First of all that seems dangerous because ground is like if there's a short or something all the electricity goes out it, and so you would shock anyone who may be in contact with the metal frame, and on top of that it seems like it could damage any electronics or steppers that are in contact with the metal frame, turning oops I shocked myself into oops I shocked myself even more and the printer is broken
@@emmettjohnson142 you don't understand what i mean. the additional z-axis requires you to place the power supply in a plastic bracket which removes the existing ground loop from the frame. this is what builds up static and will give you (small) shocks over time. all you gotta do is add a ground cable from the frame (screwhole f.e.) to the psus internal ground terminal (do not remove existing ground connections!!!!). one may say, this is electricians ocd, but it is definitely the correct workaraound. Of course you should inform yourself about the validity of my statement, but i have made said adaption myself and have received no shocks whatsoever.
@@emmettjohnson142 the idea is intended for less electrocution. not more. but if you fail to implement it correctly or don't know what you are doing and why you are doing it, the chance of electrocution might increase drastically. i successfully failed to electrocte myself so far, that doesn't mean you won't manage. a good starting point is to make sure your houses safety switches are working and you unplug the machine BEFORE you screw around the psu terminals and not touching the metal parts when you switch it back on. That would pretty much exclude you as collateral damage to your printers PSU or mainboard frying away.... then again: it's really not that hard to do right...
@@imacmill i got the creality from crealitys own web shop. got it now and isntalled it too. Did a quick test to see if it worked, house dint burn down yet. I dont even know what the difference is if you get one that says for v2, i saw one on some creality site. bl touch fit too. www.creality3dshop.eu/collections/extruder-kit/products/creality-3d-direct-drive-extruder-nozzle-kit-with-stepper-motor-for-ender-3-series
@@TommiHonkonen Thanks so much for the link. I ended up finding a printable bracket that is supposed to work on an Ender 3 V2, and I am able to use the stock extruder/stepper with it. Gonna give that a try soon (waiting to receive and install a dual z-drive kit first).
Does the new Y-split wiring not connect to the end of the original wiring coming out from the motherboard? I may be wrong, but I don't think you need to remove the original wire -- just connect the splitter to it. No opening the case required, I think.
Great Video! One suggestion for video and general usage is printing clips and holders for cable management. I found it to be better than using cableties since you can undo if you need.
Do you think if you level your bed well and use something like a CRTouch you could get similar good results with the 90 degrees print? I wanna increase accuracy but would prefer to not install a second Z (mainly because I was it with a belt or levelling mechanism but don't want to buy 2 kits).
Leveling the bed means make it parallel with moving path of the nozzle. So if nozzle path is not in 90° with vertical alu extrusion, CR Touch will not help.
@@MyTechFun Thanks so in theory if you lower the right side of the bed due to sag in right side of the X axis structure you will the result be an angle greater than 90 degrees on the test print?
It would be easier if creality included just a sort of Y extension stepper motor cable instead of the hole cable, it wouldn't be necessary to open the cover to disconnect from the mainboard
How do you make sure both steppers are running at the same pace? Any Z-Step calibration you could make will be applied to both steppers. So, if there are differences, Z-step changes won't eliminate them.
Same signal goes to two steppers. If the motion is smooth (what you can test with your hand), then they will move together in sync. Z-step calibration is done with bed surface, but bed leveling is making the bed paralel with the nozzle. If you have BL Touch, then doesn't matter.
As long as both stepper motors work properly and get the same signal they will run synchrone and it will be level. But if for any reason they no longer run synchrone your concern is correct. The limiter switch however sends its signal to both motors so that is not an issue.
Samai's comment was correct. When motors are powered, they work in synch. But when they power is off, I have to be carreful, not to press one side of X gantry for example, so they stay leveled. That's something I have to keep in mind. I will test soon a version with pulley and timing belt (and 1 stepper motor). I will compare these two systems.
Just be careful when using tall prints when using the top rod blocks ....I replaced mine with aluminium type blocks.... now ....removed you should be OK with 239 high any higher and the extruder wheel hits the block
Thank you for this excellent vid. I installed mine today! Why Creality can’t include decent instructions is beyond me. How can they provide a warranty if they don’t tell you how to install the kit? Anyway - brilliant detail so thank you.
@@bobboyett3142 Agreed on support - but if you don't buy from Creality, it's the supplier who has to honour the warranty of course. I feel sorry for the suppliers! Also, if Creality then don't support the suppliers, they'll stop selling the printers. Creality are pretty stupid! It seems to be the same with parts - I bought a BLTouch and installed it only to find the cable was faulty (I think). When I took the cable out - very carefully - the entire plug came off the patch board and one of the wires popped out of its plug. So now I have to either wire it into the main board or replace the entire patch board as well as the new cable. Nightmare!!
Thanks for video, very useful. I did along your instruction but ....when command given: one motor goes up and another down. It would be cool if you also include what to do in this case :(
Did you connected the wires correctly? The stock stepper moves in correct way? I don't think that cable is not connected correctly, BUT it is very easy to swap the direction of the stepper motor. Only two wires from same coil has to be swapped. The same coil you can find with continuity tester. More info here (but be sure, that you did everything else correctly): electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/70643/how-to-reverse-rotation-direction-of-stepper-motor
Great video. But why are you checking the angle of the x axis after installing it? If it is horizontal) it is more important to level the table so that any angle of the x axis will be compensated by the angle of the bed)
Yes, you are right, printing will be fine. BUT if I need some mechanical part, which you need to be square in X-Z direction, you want to check that too.
I'm surprised you didn't mention adjusting your vref? a lot people around different forums seems to mention you should adjust it when adding another motor?
This will double the load on the Z axis drive chip but as long there is power margin enough and it dont overheat it will be fine i guess. Havent been able to check how hot they get during operation as the control box is under the machine (where it however should be, tucked in nicley).
@@johnpekkala6941 More like split the load. The x gantry being driven from one side makes that stepper work harder (eccentric nut on opposite side has to grip tighter) . Creality sell an identical setup. Having 2 motors, divides the work. I also have 80 mm fans on the MB & PSU.
Why not plug the extension cable socket into the original Z Axis plug that used to go into the original stepper motor? Then just plug the extension cable plugs into each of the stepper motor sockets?
nice one! funny is the creality have produced ender3 and they know a lot of people asked them to install the second z and direct!!!!!!!!!!! and they once again they have produced the v2 but without what we asked them )))))))))
Always check the mechanic first. Rotate manually and it should move smoothly (if you move manually, you probably need to level the bed again). If not smoothly, you have to "play" with bolts on several places (motor bracket, top holders etc, shaft coupler.. ). Also check if your lead screw is not bended.
I didn't noticed any additional problem or heating. I think cable connected in serial the motors (I pulled out one, the other still works), so same current is split to two steppers, less current per stepper, but less load too.
The eccentric adjusting nut on the original Z axis is between the back plate and the wheel and the new one you installed on the other side of the wheel. Would it be better to have them on the same side for adjusting the wheels?
Hi. So, if i got it right, the dual z-axis makes sense for who is going from original to direct drive because of the added weight on the x-axis, right?
Great video, thank you. One of my planned upgrades along with the MicroSwiss direct drive (inc. all metal hotend) I'm also debating whether to tether the tops of the screws with a belt etc but need to research that a little more. Would stop any 'wondering' of the z-axis motors. Anyway, off to watch some more of your videos. Be safe brother (oh and subscribed)
I couldn't get it right on the axis on the other side, how did you get it right on the Z axis? Sorry for my english, it was by google, I am Brazilian Your videos are too top, congratulations, and go my like
I don't understand your problem, but try to separate it, is it mechanical or electrical problem. Can you move it with your hands easily. Or if not installed, does the second motor rotate..
@@stephanw196 If you pay attention, it will stay. For beginners I always recommend adding the timing belt too, it keeps the synch even when powered off.
Just received my 3 Pro the other day and have been looking at everything others have done to their printers in an effort to avoid making too many self-corrections. Appreciate the content you provide on your channel.
thank you for a very detailed guide. By the way, do I need to adjust the Z-axis Vref since it's controlling 2 motors now? what is the Vref value. I'm using a 4.2.7 creality board. Thanks a lot
Are you sure that this is the same kit? If you are 100% sure that your wiring is correct it is very easy to reverse the direction of the stepper. You only have to exchange two wires, but they must be from same coil. Which two are from same coil, you can find out with continuity probe. electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/70643/how-to-reverse-rotation-direction-of-stepper-motor
27:54 That is a very good demonstration of how the duel Z axis motors squares up a print.
I was able to install the Z-axis kit on my Ender 3 Pro way more confidently thanks to your video, thank you!
Great video!
I have been having an issue with my printer where the first layer would be perfect, but the next 4-7 layers are really roughed up. I used a dial gauge and measured that the right side of the gantry was sagging as the z-axis was moved up compared to the left side. There was a difference of as much as 0.46mm! Just bought the dual axis upgrade, will update on how the printer turns out.
Update: Wow, I can't say enough how great this tutorial was. Very easy to follow! Printer is working like a charm now. Have been using it for a few week now. Its truly a necessary upgrade
how is it going?
Yes, I too was wondering what your dial gauge difference was after you upgraded.
the v2 is my first 3d printer and just the upgrading alone has been so much fun!
are you still having fun with yours. i also just picked one up and having loads of fun with it.
@@bobclavi yeah its still fun. i am done with upgrading it now and prints almost never fail anymore . aside from making trinkets its handy for making small prototypes for work
@TaiRone Wassup I love mine have fun with it
@TaiRone Wassup just a spool relocation. Next will be fans
@TaiRone Wassup have fun with and dont be afraid to try and create anything you want !
After watching other videos, this was the one that made the installation work! Good detail, no extra stuff, nice camera views of the parts. Thank you for making this upgrade work for me.
I came back to watch again, as my kit arrived from banggood today. Your video was very helpful. I routed the cable for the new stepper back under the bed past the control board, out the back by the PSU and up from the base just below the new motor.
Thanks for the tip on pulling the piece sideways to get the screw in. That saved me a ton of time
Thanks for the fantastic video. When I opened the dual-Z kit box, I was worried that the installation was going to be much more complex than I initially thought, but your video explained everything perfectly!
The T-nuts I got in my kit are the kind that you can stick directly in the front of the cross member. When you turn it to tighten it, the nuts self rotate so there's no need to slide them in from the side and bend the screw to get the bracket on.
I just got the V2 and this was on the list before the first print. A very good upgrade.
Like many of the commenters, you've saved plenty of headaches.Great no frills comprehensive tutoring. Thank you.
Excellent instruction, on my new kit from "creativity", aliexpress you don't have to open the mainboard. Just connect the splitter to the existing z wire on the top. I hope this helps someone.
Thanks for the info!
First time buying through a an affiliate link, bought the dual Z upgrade, im excited and cannot wait!
Hope you will enjoy it! Thanks
Just received my kit. Couldn't find any videos on installation. Thanks a lot for this!
If you put the threaded shaft in the coupler first you'll get perfect depth and the coupler
I found this video at just the right time, I am going to be installing the same kit to my V2 tomorrow. Thanks!
hi - did you get this because you were having problems levelling? and did this help? thanks
@@RH3D I bought it as I went with a direct drive setup and felt the added weight on the gantry could lead to it sagging. So far it has stayed perfectly.
Awesome video! Your instructions were way better than the ones that came with the kit
Super simple explanation and instructions. There is not too much talk, just the important thing and some advice. Thank you for your effort and explanation.
I didn't know the installation was so easy. Thought I was going to have to tinker with Marlin and stepper currents after reading very mixed feelings about dual screws on the Ender faimily. I have noticed a small decrease in quality after switching to a Direct Drive (BMG+Dragon) due to the weight on the print head, so depending on the price I will most likely install this. Thank you!
11 months later. Did you install it?
@@lambdaman3228 no he's dead
@@CreepyMemes People "most likely" do all kinds of things but often don't actually do them. Talk is cheap.
Even after two years this Video is still helpfull. Thank you very much! Good explanation, well chosen camera angles and views, helpfull tipps and Tricks. Thumbs up!
Thank you. Your video convinced me to buy this kit. I just installed it and after a bit of fine tuning I am very happy that I watched and purchased this.
did it work well for you? are you still happy with it?
@@lautarogatti Yes works great
Great instruction and review! I just assembled and installed mine. It had weird noise initially when moving. Turned out the guiding nut for lead screw was not at perfect 90 degree angle. I straightened that out and now it works really smooth. So watch out if all parts are really straight and the angle they should be ;)
HI, which guiding nut are you talking about?
@@chrisboring3170 I guess he means the brass nut.
I just ordered 2 kits, thanks for making the video. I will give it another watch once they show up.
Very well done instruction and explanation, the best I’ve seen so far!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS!
Excellent video. About to upgrade to this for my direct drive extruder and this the best video I have found. Well done.
Thank you for such an informative video. Bought mine on the strength of this video, and following you, complete it 20 mins...
Thanks for this! Got one of these for my ender 3 v2. The non motorized side on my printer either sagged or was lifted by a fraction of a mm depending on the last direction it last went, screwing up my bed leveling and making it almost impossible to print sometimes, even with a BL touch which seemed to make the problem even worse lol.
Excellent video. I added a micro swiss direct drive extruder & hot end. I followed this video carefully to add the dual z-axis; it was very helpful thanks!
Adding a 2nd lead screw to my Tevo Tornado print. You showed me exactly what I needed to know. Thank You!
Thanks. Just got V2 to tinker with in addition to my Prusa. I was astound to figure out that machine has so poor Z axis solution. Having bunch of nema's at hand I think I'll do this completely diy and design that bracket myself. I thought wiring was harder and didn't expect motors to be just parallel wired. But it makes sense, very little power needed for Z motors.
Hello Igor, I just bought it from ES warehouse using your link.
Thank you for the video!
Great! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this clear installation video! Had a little challenge with my V2 Neo, since it has beauty plates in the frame, so I couldnt unscrew the last wheel, but I managed to work around that, and it is now printing a testprint with the dual screw upgrade! Thanks again! :D
Thank you for this video. Really helped considering the instructions aren't particularly descriptive. Combining this with the auto leveler yields fantastic results. Super awesome to have an actually level bed + dual Z and see no Z axis movement during X/Y panning.
Great point about adding weight with other upgrades (I did the same thing, and noticed that the beam can actually lower much easier than I'd like when working anywhere near the beam!). Great video! Exactly what I needed!
Also, aligning the stepper motor mounting bracket by rotating it so that the bracket is on the table is a great idea! You must be a mechanical engineer, or maybe a carpenter, or maybe you are just one smart bastard!!!
And, the music kicking in at 11:20 made me feel like I was at a drive-in movie in the 1970s! I love it!!!
Thank you for your amazing videos. Very thorough and well filmed. I used this video to put my dual z kit and you saved me so much headache. Thank you sir.
Hey there. Thanks for the video. I used it as reference in my printer on a similar kit. I had serious skipping and z axis issues until I noticed I didn’t give the coupler enough space on the bottom as you had.
Thank you for the video. I suppose that i could figure out how to install it, but it always nice to have a follow along tutorial and it saved me a lot of time.
Thanks for sharing. Brilliant vid. I’ve been looking reviews on the two motor version and you’ve just made my day! Thanks
No entiendo ingles completamente, pero este video fue tan claro que creo haber entendido todo. Muy bueno.
You saved my life, my knockoff came with no instructions!!!!! this is a must for the ender extender 400XL
I know my z axis doesn’t move up and down even, gotta get this for mine
I also did that a couple weeks ago. BUT(!) You should not Contrain the Rod at the Top and it works much much better with an SKR 1.4 Board that as an Spare Driver Slot to run the second Z Stepper. This way the Gantry can level itself with an BLTouch and the G34 Marlin Command. Since that Day i don't even need Bed Leveling anymore, which i had to use all the time before.
I have an ender 3 v2 for a while and i was looking for upgrades and i see lots of coments about constraining the z rod at the top , well my daily job is large format printing like banners corugated boards textile and soo on and i came across and printed on lots of printing machinery and some of them used screw bearing to lift the print cariage for thicker media and every single one had the bearing supported at the top
the print carriage rides on linear bearings supported on 2 sides with 4 bearings and for the z axis to lift the head and screw bearing for the stepper
Thank you for spending so much time to make a thorough video. I watched this before unboxing my kit so I had a good idea how to do it.
Great video and thanks again
Thank you for the video. Great upgrade option for my Ender3 V2.
Tak!
Thank You Jeppe!
Not sure if it would add any issues but I just plugged the existing cable into the splitter to avoid running wires to the motherboard to make it easier.
Very clear step by step walk through, thank you for creating this guide!
I'm so happy I found your channel. I watched your later video, with the timing belt, but this seems a bit more... better for my needs. The timing belt is also more expensive kit.
You just earned a sub! Thank you very much for creating these videos!
Glad it was helpful! Combination of two would be the perfect solution, but both systems works great separatelly too.
I think, You dont have to open for mainboard connection. The cable can be connected to the old one (outside) and have so You have a longer way arround the devices. Sorry for the english ....
Looks like a solid upgrade 👌
Excellent video! My kit came with terrible instructions, but you helped me get my coupler issues sorted. Thank you!!
One of the best videos for this out there! 😄 So thorough! Thanks!
3:11 in case you were wondering what the stepper motor holds
goteem
A suggestion to the manufacturer, instead of a y cable that goes from the motherboard to the motors, have a cable that plugs into the original motor that branches into a shorter cable with a female and a longer cable with a male end. This way there's no need to access the motherboard.
Great idea, not everyone likes to open the printer
the cables to each stepper motor need to be the same size. equal length makes sure both trigger at the exact same moment. try playing whack-a-mole with one hammer having to switch between hands each swing versus 2 hammers at once, no switching. may seem too small to matter, but it IS attention to detail for a kit meant to keep everything level up there.
13:42 and that's a design flaw. The motor is not parallel to the base profile, it moved when tightening the attaching bolts.
Happens to me as well. How to solve this ?
@@Flexigem Add folded aluminium foil between the top part of the motor and the aluminium profile.
Just don't fully tighten everything. Tighten it just enough so it doesn't move and wobble and just before it starts to lift off of the base profile
@@hiagooliveira6510 I printed a new mount from thingiverse. Makes everything more square.
Great video, I followed along and installed my own, It was tougher than I imagined but got it done, my z axis cable was hot glued on the original so that was a pain to remove, but kudos for a very well made video. I agree, not really worth buying unless you're adding weight to the x axis gantry, but great learning experience! Look forward to watching more of your videos!
Safed my life!
Thx dude keep up the great work!
Creality now hot glues the crap out of every connection...good luck guys. Isopropyl Alcohol softens it...scrape it away after softening with needle point tweezers.
Thats so dumb I bought one too and have the same problem
For anyone with this problem I recommend just pulling the glue off from the BOTTOM
thank you for sharing , the video was very detail for this upgrade kit. I just got the ender 3 v2 but still on study before my first print.
Thank you sir my dual z axis kit came in the mail today woo!
That was awesome guide for me.I made it in 30 minutes.Thanks man.
Assemble the bearings above the Z axles upside down .....! I do not know if it affects the function.
Your video is great!
thanks Dr Igor to your video i was able to install it flawlessly.
T hank you for your advice. Very helpful. I am installing a dual drive kit and discovered that the brass nut plate for the top of the lead screw has the mounting holes offset from the lead screw. I doubt this was done by design. Can't expect much being from China.
on some enders, double z-axis requires a grounding adaptation, because the housing of the PSU is now sitting isolated in the plastic bracket. so what you have to do is to wire the ground to the gantry and to the frame. the easiest fix ist to clamp it under one of the already existing mounting nuts. regarding the angles: using a bl-touch or setting measurement points in your marlin firmware will even out the issues of uneven build plates
I don't know a ton about this stuff, but I'm confused. The ground wire on mine goes to the ground wire on the power cable which goes into ground in the wall. Why would I want to instead ground it to the printer itself? First of all that seems dangerous because ground is like if there's a short or something all the electricity goes out it, and so you would shock anyone who may be in contact with the metal frame, and on top of that it seems like it could damage any electronics or steppers that are in contact with the metal frame, turning oops I shocked myself into oops I shocked myself even more and the printer is broken
@@emmettjohnson142 you don't understand what i mean. the additional z-axis requires you to place the power supply in a plastic bracket which removes the existing ground loop from the frame. this is what builds up static and will give you (small) shocks over time. all you gotta do is add a ground cable from the frame (screwhole f.e.) to the psus internal ground terminal (do not remove existing ground connections!!!!). one may say, this is electricians ocd, but it is definitely the correct workaraound. Of course you should inform yourself about the validity of my statement, but i have made said adaption myself and have received no shocks whatsoever.
@@mynameismynameis666 my bad, that makes sense now.
@@emmettjohnson142 the idea is intended for less electrocution. not more. but if you fail to implement it correctly or don't know what you are doing and why you are doing it, the chance of electrocution might increase drastically. i successfully failed to electrocte myself so far, that doesn't mean you won't manage. a good starting point is to make sure your houses safety switches are working and you unplug the machine BEFORE you screw around the psu terminals and not touching the metal parts when you switch it back on. That would pretty much exclude you as collateral damage to your printers PSU or mainboard frying away.... then again: it's really not that hard to do right...
@@mynameismynameis666 thank you for the advice, could save a life.
i got 1 from your link. Ordered direct extruder earlier already, figured this was good to have too.
Can I ask what direct extruder you ordered? I can't find one that says it works with an Ender 3 V2 (ie, one that has an appropriate mounting bracket).
@@imacmill i got the creality from crealitys own web shop. got it now and isntalled it too. Did a quick test to see if it worked, house dint burn down yet. I dont even know what the difference is if you get one that says for v2, i saw one on some creality site. bl touch fit too.
www.creality3dshop.eu/collections/extruder-kit/products/creality-3d-direct-drive-extruder-nozzle-kit-with-stepper-motor-for-ender-3-series
@@TommiHonkonen Thanks so much for the link. I ended up finding a printable bracket that is supposed to work on an Ender 3 V2, and I am able to use the stock extruder/stepper with it. Gonna give that a try soon (waiting to receive and install a dual z-drive kit first).
Does the new Y-split wiring not connect to the end of the original wiring coming out from the motherboard?
I may be wrong, but I don't think you need to remove the original wire -- just connect the splitter to it. No opening the case required, I think.
Thank you this was most useful when I fitted mine - the instructions that came with the kit (like many from Creality) were poor.
Please think about removing the black enclosure plate from the PSU, I consider it an unnecessary fan blockage. (Air slots are covered!)
Thank you. Great idea!
Great Video!
One suggestion for video and general usage is printing clips and holders for cable management. I found it to be better than using cableties since you can undo if you need.
Great video! Good speed, informative, thorough! Looking forward to following the Journey!
Do you think if you level your bed well and use something like a CRTouch you could get similar good results with the 90 degrees print? I wanna increase accuracy but would prefer to not install a second Z (mainly because I was it with a belt or levelling mechanism but don't want to buy 2 kits).
Leveling the bed means make it parallel with moving path of the nozzle. So if nozzle path is not in 90° with vertical alu extrusion, CR Touch will not help.
@@MyTechFun Thanks so in theory if you lower the right side of the bed due to sag in right side of the X axis structure you will the result be an angle greater than 90 degrees on the test print?
I got a duel cable for stepper motors on Amazon came this morning.
Thanks for the instructional video, I ordered via your affiliate link.
Awesome, thank you!
Maybe we can fold the excess part of the cable on top of the other branch and stuff all together into the braided sleeve... :-)
It would be easier if creality included just a sort of Y extension stepper motor cable instead of the hole cable, it wouldn't be necessary to open the cover to disconnect from the mainboard
Great idea! You should write to Creality!
How do you make sure both steppers are running at the same pace? Any Z-Step calibration you could make will be applied to both steppers. So, if there are differences, Z-step changes won't eliminate them.
Same signal goes to two steppers. If the motion is smooth (what you can test with your hand), then they will move together in sync. Z-step calibration is done with bed surface, but bed leveling is making the bed paralel with the nozzle. If you have BL Touch, then doesn't matter.
How are you sure that both sides of the z axis are level? You need to put another limit switch and calibrate machiene every time you turn it on
As long as both stepper motors work properly and get the same signal they will run synchrone and it will be level. But if for any reason they no longer run synchrone your concern is correct. The limiter switch however sends its signal to both motors so that is not an issue.
Samai's comment was correct. When motors are powered, they work in synch. But when they power is off, I have to be carreful, not to press one side of X gantry for example, so they stay leveled. That's something I have to keep in mind. I will test soon a version with pulley and timing belt (and 1 stepper motor). I will compare these two systems.
Just be careful when using tall prints when using the top rod blocks ....I replaced mine with aluminium type blocks.... now ....removed you should be OK with 239 high any higher and the extruder wheel hits the block
Thank you for this excellent vid. I installed mine today! Why Creality can’t include decent instructions is beyond me. How can they provide a warranty if they don’t tell you how to install the kit? Anyway - brilliant detail so thank you.
Because they don't honor their warranty, it's similar to their support.
@@bobboyett3142 Agreed on support - but if you don't buy from Creality, it's the supplier who has to honour the warranty of course. I feel sorry for the suppliers! Also, if Creality then don't support the suppliers, they'll stop selling the printers. Creality are pretty stupid! It seems to be the same with parts - I bought a BLTouch and installed it only to find the cable was faulty (I think). When I took the cable out - very carefully - the entire plug came off the patch board and one of the wires popped out of its plug. So now I have to either wire it into the main board or replace the entire patch board as well as the new cable. Nightmare!!
Thanks for video, very useful. I did along your instruction but ....when command given: one motor goes up and another down. It would be cool if you also include what to do in this case :(
Did you connected the wires correctly? The stock stepper moves in correct way? I don't think that cable is not connected correctly, BUT it is very easy to swap the direction of the stepper motor. Only two wires from same coil has to be swapped. The same coil you can find with continuity tester. More info here (but be sure, that you did everything else correctly): electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/70643/how-to-reverse-rotation-direction-of-stepper-motor
Great video. But why are you checking the angle of the x axis after installing it? If it is horizontal) it is more important to level the table so that any angle of the x axis will be compensated by the angle of the bed)
Yes, you are right, printing will be fine. BUT if I need some mechanical part, which you need to be square in X-Z direction, you want to check that too.
I Like your filament guide . Where may I purchase or make one ?
This one? th-cam.com/video/YbRUOPs7guQ/w-d-xo.html
I'm surprised you didn't mention adjusting your vref? a lot people around different forums seems to mention you should adjust it when adding another motor?
I didn't. Both motors run very cool and no issues with the gantry going up and down!
This will double the load on the Z axis drive chip but as long there is power margin enough and it dont overheat it will be fine i guess. Havent been able to check how hot they get during operation as the control box is under the machine (where it however should be, tucked in nicley).
@@rorywquin They never get out of sync either?
@@AngelSpirit81 No been running for about 30 days & no issues even with a 20 hour print (moon lamp). Creality sell the identical setup.
@@johnpekkala6941 More like split the load. The x gantry being driven from one side makes that stepper work harder (eccentric nut on opposite side has to grip tighter) . Creality sell an identical setup. Having 2 motors, divides the work. I also have 80 mm fans on the MB & PSU.
Why not plug the extension cable socket into the original Z Axis plug that used to go into the original stepper motor? Then just plug the extension cable plugs into each of the stepper motor sockets?
Just for less connection, less resistance. But it may work too
is there a test with a thicker threaded rod used for z axis? a bigger rod will not bend...?
Not on my channel, I don't have that kind of test.
nice one! funny is the creality have produced ender3 and they know a lot of people asked them to install the second z and direct!!!!!!!!!!! and they once again they have produced the v2 but without what we asked them )))))))))
Great video, does anyone else have an issue where your printer makes a loud noise when moving up and down with the new z axis
Always check the mechanic first. Rotate manually and it should move smoothly (if you move manually, you probably need to level the bed again). If not smoothly, you have to "play" with bolts on several places (motor bracket, top holders etc, shaft coupler.. ). Also check if your lead screw is not bended.
@@MyTechFun I figured out the problem I might have been the wrong kit.
Great video.
I've just bought a dual lead-scrow
Thanks for sharing your experience :-)
Hi. But adding the second stepper with y cable (double connector) does not overload the vref causing the pilot drivers to overheat?
I didn't noticed any additional problem or heating. I think cable connected in serial the motors (I pulled out one, the other still works), so same current is split to two steppers, less current per stepper, but less load too.
now that you finished this, please check the cables and fix that cable binding and rubbing on the bed. Please.
Perfect observation. I already did. You can see my new wire management here (time stamp link) th-cam.com/video/fa7IflGJH2Y/w-d-xo.html
The eccentric adjusting nut on the original Z axis is between the back plate and the wheel and the new one you installed on the other side of the wheel. Would it be better to have them on the same side for adjusting the wheels?
Maybe. But anyway, you have to adjust them VERY rarely.
Hi. So, if i got it right, the dual z-axis makes sense for who is going from original to direct drive because of the added weight on the x-axis, right?
Yes
Excellent video! How is the name of the tool that is used to compare the angle?
Great video, thank you. One of my planned upgrades along with the MicroSwiss direct drive (inc. all metal hotend) I'm also debating whether to tether the tops of the screws with a belt etc but need to research that a little more. Would stop any 'wondering' of the z-axis motors. Anyway, off to watch some more of your videos. Be safe brother (oh and subscribed)
I couldn't get it right on the axis on the other side, how did you get it right on the Z axis?
Sorry for my english, it was by google,
I am Brazilian
Your videos are too top, congratulations, and go my like
I don't understand your problem, but try to separate it, is it mechanical or electrical problem. Can you move it with your hands easily. Or if not installed, does the second motor rotate..
Thanks a lot for this assembly guide! Do you have a good way to level the arm? I understand that in the video you check that by eye.
You can put two same size objects on two sides and lower the arm untill it is on object on both sides
@@MyTechFun Thank you! I will try that. In your experience, does the alignment stay fixed or need to be adjusted from time to time?
@@stephanw196 If you pay attention, it will stay. For beginners I always recommend adding the timing belt too, it keeps the synch even when powered off.
Think I like this dual stepper motor kit more than the single stepper motor with the belt drive.
Cheers
Me too, but you must be careful with Z screws when motors are not powered, don't move them. Best is the combination of two.
Just received my 3 Pro the other day and have been looking at everything others have done to their printers in an effort to avoid making too many self-corrections. Appreciate the content you provide on your channel.
Great video. Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
thank you for a very detailed guide. By the way, do I need to adjust the Z-axis Vref since it's controlling 2 motors now? what is the Vref value. I'm using a 4.2.7 creality board. Thanks a lot
As I mentioned in video, if everything is set coorectly, smooth moving, no (since the load is also reduced).
I installed this upgrade today but now my stepper motors rotate in the opposite direction. How can I fix this?
Are you sure that this is the same kit? If you are 100% sure that your wiring is correct it is very easy to reverse the direction of the stepper. You only have to exchange two wires, but they must be from same coil. Which two are from same coil, you can find out with continuity probe. electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/70643/how-to-reverse-rotation-direction-of-stepper-motor