<p>Your printer probably has an issue with binding in the lower region (binding means extra friction possibly causing the Z stepper to skip steps). Disconnect the lead screw an manually move the X gantry up and down. If there is binding, you need to find why this happens, with the unfortunate design of the Ender, many people experience issues when the rollers on both posts are not correctly installed.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-18T12:57:23.020Z
2021-01-18T12:57:23.020Z
0scar
<p>The problem turned out to be that the two extruded pieces of aluminium on the z axis were too close together - I tightened the screws too tight. This made the gap between the z axis bars smaller than desired and the z movement only lifted one side of the bar in the beginning.</p>
<p>After I loosed those screws holding the gantry crane on, everything works now!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-17T16:27:08.063Z
I am experiencing the same problem in my tevo tarantula pro... can you explain better the way you solved yours?
Gabriel Lopes
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-17T22:08:44.323Z
@GabrielLopes [This answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/15360/) describes in more words what exactly happens if you fasten the wheels to tight.
0scar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-19T02:59:00.097Z
2021-01-19T02:59:00.097Z
Jugglingboss
<p>I just bought an Ender 3 Max and from the start I knew something was wrong. I figured out the problem: it is with the first few millimeters of the Z axis movement.</p>
<p>I turn on my 3D printer, go to prepare, move axis, move Z, move 1 mm.</p>
<p>Then I tell the printer to move up 1 mm. But in reality it only moves up 0.3 mm.  I then tell it to move up another millimeter, except it only moves up 0.4 mm. When I tell it to move up another millimeter, and it moves up only 0.45 mm.  I then tell it to move up another millimeter and it moves up 0.6 mm. And then anytime after that when I say to move up a millimeter it actually moves up a millimeter.  Below is a little chart to help you understand what is happening.</p>
<pre><code>Set height | Actual height
--------------------------
         0 | 0
         1 | 0.3
         2 | 0.7
         3 | 1.15
         4 | 1.75
         5 | 2.75
         6 | 3.75
         7 | 4.75
         8 | 5.75
         9 | 6.75
        10 | 7.75
</code></pre>
<p>As a result of this error on my printer, the test prints I have run so far are splayed out and uneven at the bottom, making my prints warped at the first 5 mm and several millimeters shorter than they should be.</p>

<z-axis><linear-motion>
Incorrect beginning Z movement
Jugglingboss
# Incorrect beginning Z movement

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-18)

I just bought an Ender 3 Max and from the start I knew something was wrong. I figured out the problem: it is with the first few millimeters of the Z axis movement.
I turn on my 3D printer, go to prepare, move axis, move Z, move 1 mm.
Then I tell the printer to move up 1 mm. But in reality it only moves up 0.3 mm.  I then tell it to move up another millimeter, except it only moves up 0.4 mm. When I tell it to move up another millimeter, and it moves up only 0.45 mm.  I then tell it to move up another millimeter and it moves up 0.6 mm. And then anytime after that when I say to move up a millimeter it actually moves up a millimeter.  Below is a little chart to help you understand what is happening.
Set height | Actual height
--------------------------
         0 | 0
         1 | 0.3
         2 | 0.7
         3 | 1.15
         4 | 1.75
         5 | 2.75
         6 | 3.75
         7 | 4.75
         8 | 5.75
         9 | 6.75
        10 | 7.75

As a result of this error on my printer, the test prints I have run so far are splayed out and uneven at the bottom, making my prints warped at the first 5 mm and several millimeters shorter than they should be.

**Tags:** z-axis, linear-motion

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-01-18. Score: 2

Your printer probably has an issue with binding in the lower region (binding means extra friction possibly causing the Z stepper to skip steps). Disconnect the lead screw an manually move the X gantry up and down. If there is binding, you need to find why this happens, with the unfortunate design of the Ender, many people experience issues when the rollers on both posts are not correctly installed.


---

### Answer by username_0 on 2021-01-19. Score: 0

The problem turned out to be that the two extruded pieces of aluminium on the z axis were too close together - I tightened the screws too tight. This made the gap between the z axis bars smaller than desired and the z movement only lifted one side of the bar in the beginning.

After I loosed those screws holding the gantry crane on, everything works now!

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I am experiencing the same problem in my tevo tarantula pro... can you explain better the way you solved yours?  
> **username_1**: @GabrielLopes [This answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/15360/) describes in more words what exactly happens if you fasten the wheels to tight.  

---

