Drone Broken Arm & Propeller Repair in Charlotte, NC

1. 1
   Inspect the whole corner

   We check the arm, hinge, motor mount, motor bell and shaft, and the wiring that runs through the arm. A broken arm often hides a pinched motor wire or a cracked shell.

2. 2
   Check the motor

   Each motor is spun by hand and under power to listen for bearing noise and look for wobble. A bent shaft is replaced, not straightened, because it will never run true.

3. 3
   Replace the arm

   The shell is opened and the motor wires are disconnected or desoldered, depending on the model. The new arm is fitted, the wires are routed so the hinge won't pinch them, and the joints are reconnected.

4. 4
   Check antennas in the arm

   On many DJI folding models, transmission antennas run through the arms or landing legs. If the crash damaged an antenna, we replace it so you don't lose range.

5. 5
   Balance and calibrate

   We fit balanced props, confirm each motor spins the right way, then calibrate the IMU and compass.

6. 6
   Hover test

   The drone has to hold a steady, level hover with no visible vibration before it's ready. We check the video for jello at the same time.

Arm damage is often more than one part. We quote only what the inspection shows is damaged.

Arm and propeller repairs usually take 3 to 5 days. Simple arm swaps on common models are at the short end. Models that need the motor wires soldered, a cracked shell replaced or a part ordered take longer. Your quote includes the expected window.

• Collect any broken pieces, including arm fragments and props, and bring them in a bag.
• Bring the controller and a healthy battery so we can test fly it.
• Don't try to fly it again to see if it works.
• Save your flight log or note how the crash happened.

A broken arm is one of the most common and most affordable drone repairs. The expensive parts, like the camera, gimbal, flight controller and batteries, are usually fine. Repairing almost always beats buying a new drone. The exception is when the arm damage came with a hard impact that also hit the gimbal and main board, and then we'll give you the full picture.

Swapping props is a normal owner job, and you should do it whenever one is chipped. Arms are another story. On many DJI models the arm comes with the motor attached and the wires have to be desoldered from the main board, sometimes right next to delicate cables. Routing the new wires wrong lets the hinge cut them after a few folds. If you've tried and the drone now beeps, won't arm or vibrates badly, stop and bring it in with the old parts.

DIY repair gone wrong? See DIY repair rescue →

• Unfold the arms fully until they click before every flight.
• Spin each prop by hand during preflight to feel for grit or rough spots.
• Replace props as soon as they show chips or cracks, and always in pairs.
• Avoid taking off and landing on sand or loose dirt. Use a landing pad.