One side of track keeps coming loose.

[Gotrek]

I drove some.kids around for couple hours yesterday and noticed one of my rear idler wheels was spinning free and no longer putting tension on the track.

Today I loosened the axle nut and retensionned the track, aligned it and torque the axle back together and went for a ride.

I didn't but much miles on it but I think it's working itself loose again as I retorqued it again when I got home. Should I loctite that nut. My manual doesn't say too.

All the bearings were re greased, two wheels are new. There is a tiny bit of play in one of the spacers like 0.5mm or so. Would that do it?

 

[Gotrek]

Reading old posts I'm thinking that tiny bit of wear is the reason. I'm making a shim right now to take up the slop in that spacer. I checked and all other pieces (washers spacers etc) all seem in the right order.

I drove some.kids around for couple hours yesterday and noticed one of my rear idler wheels was spinning free and no longer putting tension on the track.

Today I loosened the axle nut and retensionned the track, aligned it and torque the axle back together and went for a ride.

I didn't but much miles on it but I think it's working itself loose again as I retorqued it again when I got home. Should I loctite that nut. My manual doesn't say too.

All the bearings were re greased, two wheels are new. There is a tiny bit of play in one of the spacers like 0.5mm or so. Would that do it?

 

[STAIN]

are both adjusting bolts the same leanth? which side is loose? if it is the left side watch out for drive bearing wear......

 

[Roger]

The rear axle bolt isn't meant to hold your track aligned or tensioned.
Your tensioners are meant to hold the track aligned and tensioned.
Adjust your tensioners properly.
The rear axle bolt is designed to hold all your wheels, spacers, etc etc together and tight against each other.

 

[TOMBOB]

Good point Roger!!!!!!

 

[Gotrek]

The rear axle bolt isn't meant to hold your track aligned or tensioned.
Your tensioners are meant to hold the track aligned and tensioned.
Adjust your tensioners properly.
The rear axle bolt is designed to hold all your wheels, spacers, etc etc together and tight against each other.

Agreed and yes it it the tensionner that is working itself loose not the axle bolt. It's only the right side (passenger side in a car). When I found it loose it was unthreaded compared to the other side. I re-tentionned and aligned it and that side came loose again.

Last night I added a small (1/64") shim/ground down washer to the inside spacer (between the two center wheels) and I think I'm going to find a new nut for the tensionner or loctite it.

Does anyone know the size that center spacer is supposed to be. I measured all the other smaller spacers with each other and they are identical in size so I think the center one is worn. It's a 2008 Vector LTX

 

[Gotrek]

Another thing I noticed on the parts diagram the track adjuster is straight but mine both Welded offset/bent to one side slightly

Part 8DM-47479-00


Manual picture is offset and straight like

Mine are more like

 

[maim]

all the ones i have ever played with where the same as the lower pic.

my check for the proper rear axle nut is to see if any of the axle spacers rotate after i torque it. if it does, i am usually missing a spacer washer or i have a worn tube.

 

[Gotrek]

Yeah and I think that's my problem the center tube I think should be around 111mm and it's about 110.5 The shim tightened things up and it seems ok so far. I'm also replacing the tensionner nut later today (assuming I find one) or double nutting it. The nylon in it is pretty worn out.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Gotrek]

So apparently finding JIS bolts/nuts(fine Thread/small head) is a futile quest where I live and a standard M10-1.25 is too big to fit the tack window (17mm head vs 14mm head). Loctite it is until I can find some.