How much did it cost?
shannonrxwarrior
Veteran
drawing of bushing kit i had made
here it is folks dont have actual pictures as i have installed it allready i remembered some dimensions but not all of them and my original drawing went to shop were they were made as to the cost i swapped for a steering column out of a 86 chevy pickup truck a guy needed it for his hot rod he needed tilt wheel i hope this explains my idea pictures are worth a thousand words i used verneer calipers to take the measurements and everything fit nice the bushings were made out of aluminum and the axle tube was made out of brass and the bolt is a grade 5 3/8 coarse with locknut and blue locktite allthough i dont believe i needed loctite i wanted to use steel for the tube and bushings but i was not sure of the actual dimensions as i took them all when it was still together and i didnt want to do a lot of backyard machine work after i got them so the old boy made the axle tube out of brass and the busjings out of aluminum
here it is folks dont have actual pictures as i have installed it allready i remembered some dimensions but not all of them and my original drawing went to shop were they were made as to the cost i swapped for a steering column out of a 86 chevy pickup truck a guy needed it for his hot rod he needed tilt wheel i hope this explains my idea pictures are worth a thousand words i used verneer calipers to take the measurements and everything fit nice the bushings were made out of aluminum and the axle tube was made out of brass and the bolt is a grade 5 3/8 coarse with locknut and blue locktite allthough i dont believe i needed loctite i wanted to use steel for the tube and bushings but i was not sure of the actual dimensions as i took them all when it was still together and i didnt want to do a lot of backyard machine work after i got them so the old boy made the axle tube out of brass and the busjings out of aluminum
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The Pioneer/MPI design utilizes the stock steel bushing. That bushing is compressed by the bolt and is the only rotating part as the arm moves. The issue being the nut can work loose.
I would be a little concerned on the brass holding up here with a 3/8" grade 5 bolt.
I like the bushings you made to fill out the tube, I think if those along with a grade 5 equivalent metric bolt would work the best.
I'll be interested to know how this works out! I have 2 sleds with the Pioneer set up, I'd like to do something with them over the summer.
I would be a little concerned on the brass holding up here with a 3/8" grade 5 bolt.
I like the bushings you made to fill out the tube, I think if those along with a grade 5 equivalent metric bolt would work the best.
I'll be interested to know how this works out! I have 2 sleds with the Pioneer set up, I'd like to do something with them over the summer.
shannonrxwarrior
Veteran
the 3/8 bolt is supporting no load from the sled unlike mpi design that is why i went with a grade 5 3/8 bolt and they are easier to get if something does happen the brass ,aluminum bushings and a-arm tubes carry the wieght of the sled worst case senarrio the brass gives up and im riding on the bolt but i dont have to worry about losing another bolt and bringing it home on two rx1 tool kit screw driver blades fire wood and duck tape lol the machine work was done by people who work in a very large manufacturing plant these were not purchased if you know wat i mean on another note were are the stock bushings located in the mpi arms i dont recall seeing
Indy
TY 4 Stroke God
Very nice work. I do question the materials used though, I would think brass bushings with stainless axle tubes. So did you still use the stock bushings also? This would cause a weak point as they are the junk plastic and will still wear fast. If they were brass also, it would last for fricking ever! One thing you might want to consider also is adding grease zerts to the "spindles". I just did this on mine, but havent rode it yet. Please let us know @ the end of the season how it works out.
shannonrxwarrior
Veteran
i didnt have much of a choice in material used as i asked a friend if he could get these pieces made up for me were he works this is what some peolple call government work so beggers cant be choosers im sure these pieces will last a while and if they dont well get some more made up call it r&d
I see what you mean, shear load only so it should be strong. As long as the bending moment isn't enough to make it "Z" bend. I agree that with the solid bushing through the tube that will be much less likely.
Did you put Zerk's in the ski leg to keep the brass tube lubricated?
Did you put Zerk's in the ski leg to keep the brass tube lubricated?
shannonrxwarrior
Veteran
no i was jonesing to ride i figure a summer project i would like to replace all the bushings with brass or maybe stainless and stregnthen the a-arms i had a shock bracket brake on me also 1/2 mile from the house one nite wich spoiled the ride the better half and i had planned and spent the next day fabricating a new bracket that is a nother complaint i have about those arms the shock brackets have those fancy reliefs cut in them seems to me another week point maybe when it broke it took out my shock to so i have been running on a shock out of a thunder cat i replaced the shock mounts on the side that broke with a good old solid piece of steel another place to maybe look out for if you have thes a arms when mine broke i was coming down of a hill and my front end had a pretty good amount of air under so when that landed that is ahen the malfunction took place i didnt post the problem as i figured it was partly do to the way i was riding it but im throwing that out there now toothe new bracket is the same shape as the old one it doesnot have the slots (reliefs ) cut out in it though definitly a stronger piece i dont know if these were cut like that to save weight or make it look fancy but i would take strength over the other two any day especially when your hauling #*$&@ threw a stand of woods with a good share of the weight of the sled on the front end its all about control and you have no control when these parts fail wether there yami or after marketits just like the bolts that are used in the lower a arms there buried in the tube and if you notice one is loose there is not a tool in the kit that you can use to tighten it up some sockets are even to big to fit in those tubes to tighten em up another design flaw sure the front end looks cleaner with out the bolt heads and nuts sticking out there but its not very practical when you and your buddies are sitting on the trail wondering who your gonna call for a trailer at 3:00 in the morning I JUST HOPE THAT ALL MY R&D GETS BACK TO THE RITE PEOPLE AN MAYBE THERE WONT BE ANY BODY OUT THERE IN THE WOODS WITH THERE SLED PILED UP IN A TREE I BELIVE THESE ISSUES ARE A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN TO THOSE OF US THAT ARE RUNNING THESE PIECES ON OUR SLEDS AND THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN LAID OUT FOR THESE PARTS WE SHOULDNT HAVE TO REVERT BACK TO THE STOCK PARTS FOR SAFTEY SAKE IT WOULDNT TAKE TO MUCH FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO MAKE IT RITE BY PRODUCING A BUSHING AND AXLE KIT TO STREGTHEN THE LOWER A ARM AND ANY BODY THAT HAS PURCHASED THESE KITS HAVE TO BY THE MPI BUSHING KITS SO THE RETRO PARTS COULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO THEM WHEN THE BUSHINGS GET REPLACED AT 650.00 A POP I THINK THEY OWE US THAT MUCH
Indy
TY 4 Stroke God
I've been thinking of welding a set of carbides to the front edge of the a arms for strength and I ride a lot of fields with corn stocks and brush in them. What do ya think about that idea? Doesn't Ulmer sell the stock bushings in brass?
shannonrxwarrior
Veteran
i wouldnt weld carbides to the arms the rod wouldnt give much added strength i believe the yami arms are strong enuff and if you were going to do anything to strengthen the after market arms do something yami has done to there arms that has been left out on the aftermarket arms yes ulmers sells bushings but the inboard bushing dia.on the mpi/pioneer arms are not the same dimmensions as the stock arms you have to go to mpi or pioneer
