Bent track shaft symptoms?

[Firecatdude]

Hi,

Yesterday I hit a rock hiding under the snow cruising down the lake. It sent me in the air but I landed upright luckily. I turned around to see how big it was and it looked like I hit it just off center of the skid. It was roundish and about the same width of the track. The rock I hit is at a location with thinner ice so I didn’t want to stop to get a picture or slow too much doing the drive by. The sled now has a clicking type noise when decelerating and has a shake to it as well. I am thinking I bent the drive shaft. Any easy ways to tell if this is the case before I take it apart? Skid looks ok so far. Still trying to get ice off of skid/ drive. Lots of slush on the lakes.
Thanks

 

[Yamajon1]

Get the track off the ground, have some one work the throttle to slowly rotate the track while you watch the front axle. Should be able to visually see if shaft is bent.

 

[KnappAttack]

If it's shaking, it's bent. Had one, too sleds actually, in here a few years back had the same thing happen. You'll see the runout on the shaft with it off the ground, track will also shake tight and loose, you'll see it when running it slow on stand. Chances are one of the drive sprockets also got warped or bent too.

 

[Goose1200]

I had the same thing happen to me a few years back. Landed on a rock coming over a hill. Mine bent the sprocket and had a vibration. Replaced the sprocket’s but didn’t notice a crack in the drive shaft between the sprockets. The next year on a hard acceleration take off I twisted the drive shaft in half between the sprockets

 

[Turboflash]

I just fixed one 2 weeks ago. Shaft was straight but, beleve it or not, one of the plastic drive sprockets was deformed.
Oh, also had to install a new chain case because it was cracked. Not fun.

 

[Pstn head]

It could very well be your track shaft or drivers like said above, but have a real good look at the front suspension arm in the rear skid for cracks on any of the welds, and the top shaft in your tunnel to see if it’s bent, that’s sometimes another symptom of vibration. Also check if it might of hit the the brake rotor plastic protector that could result in a bent rotor.

 

[Firecatdude]

Thanks for all the replies. It’s definitely a bent shaft. I watched it while the wife gave it some throttle. Shafts are back ordered until August. Ended up ordering whole assembly

 

[KnappAttack]

Thanks for all the replies. It’s definitely a bent shaft. I watched it while the wife gave it some throttle. Shafts are back ordered until August. Ended up ordering whole assembly

Figured it was. Typically you need new drivers too because one or both will be damaged, bent & warped beyond use.

 

[Turboflash]

BTW - FWIW - the exact same driver and shaft is used in the Riot 146 800cc sleds, with a different part number. Why? The 800 Riot speedo configuration is different. It has different gearing than the 998s. The ONLY thing different is the number of magnets in that black plastic plug that goes in the end of the shaft on chain case side! I just repaired a 2017 Riot 800 with ruined track shaft. Been spinning in bearing since day one. That track shaft assembly was readily available. At the same time, I was also repairing a 2018 TCat 998 for same condition. That track shaft assy was back-ordered. So, I just ordered the one for the 800 Riot, pulled the old black plug out of the old 998 track shaft, and put it into the new shaft assy.
The bonus for the the situation (for the owner of the TCat) was that the new track shaft assy for the 800 Riot is about $200 less than the assy for the 998!!!
At Country Cat: 800 assy = $347.95
998 assy = $520.95.

 

[Firecatdude]

BTW - FWIW - the exact same driver and shaft is used in the Riot 146 800cc sleds, with a different part number. Why? The 800 Riot speedo configuration is different. It has different gearing than the 998s. The ONLY thing different is the number of magnets in that black plastic plug that goes in the end of the shaft on chain case side! I just repaired a 2017 Riot 800 with ruined track shaft. Been spinning in bearing since day one. That track shaft assembly was readily available. At the same time, I was also repairing a 2018 TCat 998 for same condition. That track shaft assy was back-ordered. So, I just ordered the one for the 800 Riot, pulled the old black plug out of the old 998 track shaft, and put it into the new shaft assy.
The bonus for the the situation (for the owner of the TCat) was that the new track shaft assy for the 800 Riot is about $200 less than the assy for the 998!!!
At Country Cat: 800 assy = $347.95
998 assy = $520.95.

Ya I saw that but the 8000 assembly was back ordered so I ended up having to buy the 9000 shaft assembly. The back in stock date got changed twice for the 8000 assembly and didn’t want to wait any longer.

 

[Rtbo]

Try black diamond extreme, they sell aftermarket driveshafts. I put one on my 17

 

[Turboflash]

May want to do your homework before going down that road. That BDX shaft has some history with breaking. Just saying.

 

[Rtbo]

Get the steel one, not the aluminum

 

[Firecatdude]

May want to do your homework before going down that road. That BDX shaft has some history with breaking. Just saying.

I already purchased and received the new 9000 shaft assembly since the 8000 was back ordered so I went down that road .

Now just need to figure out if I going to do anything with the damaged holes for the calliper bolts/tunnel or just leave it as is.

 

[Turboflash]

8000 & 9000 shafts are same. Only difference is the number of magnets in the plug. That's why the part numbers are different.