Z lead screws

The G1 uses four lead screws (threaded rods) to drive the Z axis — the vertical motion of the extruder.

Watch it

Ginger G1 Assembly Tutorial — 21:37, official Ginger Additive video. More on Official videos.

Role

• Convert rotary motor motion to precise vertical movement

Note

The letter labels (e.g. A) on the vertical profiles are assembly aids only: during assembly, the piece marked A pairs with the other piece marked A, and so on. The arrows next to the letters have no meaning — they do not indicate travel direction.

• Maintain extruder position under gravity
• Drive the auto-leveling mesh (fast Z moves during the probe sequence)

Common symptoms requiring attention

Squeaking or clicking during Z moves

Cause: dry lead screws — the threads have run out of grease.

This is normal after roughly 4 months of regular use.

Fix: apply solid screw grease (not liquid oil or WD-40):

• Use a white lithium grease, PTFE grease, or dedicated lead-screw grease
• Apply a small amount to the length of the screw with a cloth or brush
• Run the Z axis up and down several times to distribute the grease
• Wipe off any excess that drips onto the bed or frame

Note

Do not use liquid oil on lead screws — it drips onto the print surface, flows away quickly, and provides poor lubrication. Solid (pasty) grease stays in the thread and lasts much longer.

Z collar clicking during bed leveling

Symptom: clicking sound from one of the top Z screw supports during fast Z moves (especially during the mesh bed leveling sequence).

Cause: the locking collar at the top of the lead screw is rubbing — it sits too low, so the screw hits it during travel.

Fix:

1. Locate the collar at the top of the lead screw (black ring with a grub screw)
2. Loosen the grub screw
3. Raise the collar by ~1 mm
4. Re-tighten the grub screw
5. Test with a manual Z home

Extruder pushes hard into the bed at homing

Cause: solidified plastic left under the nozzle. During homing, the probe must touch the bed — but if a hardened blob under the nozzle reaches the bed first, the probe never triggers. The Z axis keeps driving down looking for contact, the nozzle presses into the bed, and the four Z carriages get knocked out of calibration.

Fix:

1. Before homing, always check the nozzle tip is clean — heat the nozzle and remove any solidified plastic residue
2. If the nozzle is already close to the bed when the printer starts: raise it manually (Mainsail → Move → Z+) before pressing Home
3. If the carriages have been knocked out of sync, bed levelling will not put them back. The four Z motors run from a single driver, so the firmware cannot move one column relative to another — it can only map the bed as it finds it. Realigning the columns is a mechanical job; contact Ginger Additive support. Once the gantry is square again, recalibrate Z offset and first layer

Maintenance schedule

Interval	Action
Every ~4 months	Apply solid grease to lead screws
Every 6–12 months	Check collar positions, check belt tension
When noise appears	Grease immediately

Related notes

• Belt and pulley mechanical issues — XY motion system maintenance
• Z offset and first layer — Z calibration after maintenance
• Bed leveling system — auto-leveling probe