'08 APEX drive shaft's...

[apltx08]

I'm starting to look into servicing my sled for the coming season and I'm a little concern on the famous DRIVE SHAFT failures some older models had, RX1 '05 and APEX '06 & '07 breaking in the centre or shearing at the chaincase, they seem to break at the 10.000 to 14.000kms, have any of you riders with '08 or newer broken any yet? I've got 10.000kms on my '08 so far and seems to be fine, no VIBRATIONS or signs of stress cracks on shaft...

 

[mork110]

the part # is the same for 08 as it is for 03 ( not sure if the 03 have been updated to the new #) but for the money I would replace it for the piece of mind on a trip
know a few that twisted apart with no warning and the shafts where inspected before the trip and 2000 klm in to the trip had to be replaced (3 at the same time with in 100 klm of each other )

 

[kinger]

Micro Belmont makes a stronger one to. Its funny it happens at the same freq to stock sleds as say boosted ones with 100+ more hp. Wierd deal I almost think its a function of a hard hit vs power going through it.

 

[snowpromod]

I called Micro Belmont in regards to getting a new shaft - when I told him I was going to run an M-10 he said I was pretty much guaranteed to break my drive shaft at some point - anybody have additional info regarding the M-10 and breaking the shaft. I am still going to buy his shaft, just looking for some other opinions in regards to this matter.

 

[guardrail]

I DID have an m-10 on my 04 warrior when that shaft broke.
This is the first time I've heard of the m-10 association to shafts breaking.

 

[ahicks]

Because the M-10 geometry is designed as a "falling rate" (gets softer as the suspension collapses), an M-10 installed "by the book" will stretch the track as the suspension collapses to help control bottoming by design. That extra track tension is not helping the shaft issue one bit....

The fact many Yammi suspension tracks are run so tight (to control ratcheting) doesn't help anything either!

 

[kinger]

I was going to say something about the ratching as well. I run mine so loose after the extroverts its got to help with driveshaft reliability.

 

[guardrail]

Because the M-10 geometry is designed as a "falling rate" (gets softer as the suspension collapses), an M-10 installed "by the book" will stretch the track as the suspension collapses to help control bottoming by design. That extra track tension is not helping the shaft issue one bit....

The fact many Yammi suspension tracks are run so tight (to control ratcheting) doesn't help anything either!

That makes sense now. When I broke the shaft on my warrior, I put extro's on it and ran the track looser. I never had a problem with it again. I also sent my shock back to FAST to get it re-valved because it was bottoming in the ruff stuff. I put extro's and a different track on my attak the day I bought it. I also run the track on the loose side. I haven't had a problem in 6000 miles.

 

[Yamahammer485]

Mine went at 11 000 kms, after extros were on...

Replaced under warrenty, next shaft will be micro belmont if this one breaks.

Not that I think this is what happened, but just putting it out there.... What if the extra track resistance that would normally make us ratchet was actually releiving some stress by being allowed to slip. Thus with extros, no longer being able to releive that stress and causing more stress on the driveshaft.

Regardless, a long track without extros such as in my case will always be used with extros.

 

[apltx08]

My question is, are newer models as prone to break than the '05 where, seems like the '05 for some reason are always the ones to go!, my buddy changed his on his RX1 '05 at 13.000kms and the new 1 is the same colour material as my '08, more of a silvery colour as oppose to his old 1 that was a goldish pourous material, maybe they UPGRADED them to a better material?