9500 miles on drive shaft ???????

[STINKFINGER]

I'm in the process of changing out my factory track. She has 9500 miles on hers and has started to throw picks out. The square backers after all these miles are starting to cut out square holes in my track. I ended up throwing one through my front heat exchanger 100 miles from the truck but that is a whole other post.


I have the drive shaft out and have inspected it all around the area where they like to break. Is it a given this thing will break?? It looks fine and really do not see a need to replace. Looking for some imput from guys with high miles.

I plan on keeping the sled as a back up rig its a 2006. I have a new 2014 ski doo expedition on order which is my primary ride. The apex may see one big touring trip a year 500-700 miles per.

Secondly i will replace the bearings in the chain case. I have done the ones on the other side jack and drive shafts.

I will be looking for the camoplast part number for the fully clipped ripsaw 1.25 . anyone know it?

thanks for the info.

 

[sleddog66]

You already have it apart....I would change the shaft. They really give NO warning other than milage. Really cheap insurance IMO, than you are good for another 10,000 miles, which may be never from the sounds of it

 

[ranger1]

X2, you don't want to have your long touring trip ruined by a broken drive shaft that you knew could have easily been prevented by changing it while you had it apart!
Due to all the comments about the shafts breaking around that mileage I would be considering changing it anyway.

 

[thor452]

change it or you will regret it it is pretty much a foregone conclusion its not if its when. if any of the miles were hard ones it will be sooner then latter. very few make it very far past 10000 miles.

 

[vx700xtc]

I would reuse the bearings before the shaft.

 

[Mills]

Change it and then have the new shaft straightened before you put the drivers on. You would not believe how bad the stock/factroy shafts are. I think this is part of the problem with them breaking. Once it is trued-up, mouunt the drivers on it and then have a machine shop turn the drivers true to the shaft.
You won't believe how much vibration this gets rid of and it frees up the HP to be put to the track. I also would square-up your skid frame with it out and have all the idler and tensioning wheels turned true as well - more vibration reduction, more horse power to the track and reduced track wear.

Couple other things you can do prior to putting everything back in to gain more HP to the track and reduced vibration are:
1. put drive shaft in and then measure to the back of the bulk head. adjust it until it is square to the bulk head and then scribe lines around the mounting bolts and chain case so you can get it back in in the same position.
2. put the skid in without the drive shaft or track and square it to the bulk head and then scribe around bolts also.

I did all of this to a '99 SX 600 red-head triple and got an additoinal 6mph out of it in a 1,000 ft radar run from a dead stop. I ran 103mph which really T'd-off the guy with a moded SRX. He could only muster 99mph out of his SRX that day no matter how much he wrenched on it. He came over and asked what I did to my "little red-head" to make it go so fast. After I wouldn't tell him, he offered to by my sled off my trailer right then and there. He left even more mad than when he came over and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face because I won the 600 and 700 improved classes that day which his SRX was in.

 

[rbig18]

I am in the same boat as you. My Attak finished the year with 9400 miles and b/c I live in Texas and sled a week a year in Quebec I can't afford an issue. I just ordered a new track and drive shaft. I am also gong to add a new stator due to the crank position sensor issue. It is just insurance for me.

I came so close to Spring checking a Viper but at the end of the day I could not imagine giving up the Apex motor for a better chassis. PLEASE PLEASE Yamaha drop this engine in something new.

 

[Sled Dog]

If you are an agressive rider I would agree to change it if you are not then I would leave her be but thats just me.

 

[Blue Dave]

Change it and then have the new shaft straightened before you put the drivers on. You would not believe how bad the stock/factroy shafts are. I think this is part of the problem with them breaking. Once it is trued-up, mouunt the drivers on it and then have a machine shop turn the drivers true to the shaft.
You won't believe how much vibration this gets rid of and it frees up the HP to be put to the track. I also would square-up your skid frame with it out and have all the idler and tensioning wheels turned true as well - more vibration reduction, more horse power to the track and reduced track wear.

Couple other things you can do prior to putting everything back in to gain more HP to the track and reduced vibration are:
1. put drive shaft in and then measure to the back of the bulk head. adjust it until it is square to the bulk head and then scribe lines around the mounting bolts and chain case so you can get it back in in the same position.
2. put the skid in without the drive shaft or track and square it to the bulk head and then scribe around bolts also.

I did all of this to a '99 SX 600 red-head triple and got an additoinal 6mph out of it in a 1,000 ft radar run from a dead stop. I ran 103mph which really T'd-off the guy with a moded SRX. He could only muster 99mph out of his SRX that day no matter how much he wrenched on it. He came over and asked what I did to my "little red-head" to make it go so fast. After I wouldn't tell him, he offered to by my sled off my trailer right then and there. He left even more mad than when he came over and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face because I won the 600 and 700 improved classes that day which his SRX was in.

The older Apex's like Stinkfinger's '06 and my '07 are known to break drive shafts at around 10,000 miles. I replaced my original track before this season started with an Ice Ripper XT (love it!) and I did not replace the drive shaft. I regret that poor decision because I had everything apart replacing every bearing and that would have been a good time to replace the driveshaft. The sled now has 8500 miles on it and I have to ride with the fear of the drive shaft breaking in the back of my mind. I plan to keep the sled for a while and with a new track & chaincase bearings there shouldn't be another reason to have to take it apart again except if the driveshaft breaks or I decide to replace it as a preventative measure. If you have it apart and have anywhere close to 10,000 miles on the sled replace the driveshaft! I would install the heavy duty driveshaft from Ulmer instead of the Yamaha shaft.

Mills, I do not recall there being much adjustment in the chaincase mounting position when the bolts are loose. How much adjustment are you talking about?

 

[Blue Dave]

I am in the same boat as you. My Attak finished the year with 9400 miles and b/c I live in Texas and sled a week a year in Quebec I can't afford an issue. I just ordered a new track and drive shaft. I am also gong to add a new stator due to the crank position sensor issue. It is just insurance for me.

I came so close to Spring checking a Viper but at the end of the day I could not imagine giving up the Apex motor for a better chassis. PLEASE PLEASE Yamaha drop this engine in something new.

X2! on the Viper. Part of my decision to not replace my driveshaft before this season started was because I thought that there was a chance that I might buy the "groundbreaking" 2014 Yamaha that I was hearing about. I test drove the Viper and it is way underpowered IMO. As I said in my earlier post, I now regret not replacing the driveshaft because I will be riding my Apex for at least another season which will bring me to about 10K miles by the time we find out if Yamaha will be putting a decent engine in the 2015 Yamacat that I would consider purchasing.

 

[Mills]

Blue,
between the two sides of the drive shaft I was able to get it squared-up but just barely. If I would not have been able to get what I needed, I was going to slot the clutch side bearing housing holes, align it, lock it down and then create two additional holes to pin it in place.

 

[Wilbust]

How do shafts break

Do the drivers where out and slip or do the shafts somehow snap?
I have 9200 will beat miles. Changed track in 2011 when it had 7000 mi.
Shaft looked fine, that I could tell.

 

[Blue Dave]

The shaft will snap leaving you stranded. I believe they usually snap on the end near the speedometer drive bearing. Perhaps someone else can confirm the most common snap point.

 

[thor452]

from what i hear on here it is not if but when it will snap and if i was in your shoes it wouldnt even be a choice it would be a givin that i was replacing the drive shaft then that area of the sled is done possible for ever if you do the PM to the berrings each season. (grease them)

 

[vx700xtc]

The shaft will snap leaving you stranded. I believe they usually snap on the end near the speedometer drive bearing. Perhaps someone else can confirm the most common snap point.

They break between the chain case and the first driver.