Sidewinder Drive axle bearing failure.

[Snody]

This is obvious but the bearing mount is bolted back to tunnel properly and tight?

Yes the three caliper bolts are tight and loctited. I am going to dive into it on my days off Monday/Tuesday. I think I am going to put a new OEM drive axle in it that I have as a spare, new OEM being for now to finish off the winter and go back to the 21/41 gearing.

Side Note: I was running 22/41 previously but after the first bearing failure and limping the sled 20 miles back to the truck with so much shaft movement missing the ball bearings it took out my 86 link HYVO chain. A couple links were broken must be due to the shaft movement because the chaincase was open the day before the bearing failure and chain was fine. I didn't have an 86 pitch chain so put a set of 24/50 chain and gears in it. Stage 6 on Max Spool 17 with 24/50 is insane for a couple hundred feet

 

[Sevey]

I am open to suggestions. I am unsure of how I could have installed the driveshaft without being seated correctly. The bearing was pressed into caliper until it was flush with the bottom. Snap ring fit on both ends. If there is something I am missing in the installation procedure please elaborate. Thank you for the reply Sevey.

The first time I overhauled the bearing I reinstalled with loctite and tightened up the three bolts fastening the caliper assembly to the tunnel. Even though the bolts were tight and everything fit back together, the bearing was not true on the shaft. When running it on the stand it would flex the side of the tunnel a lot. Total disaster. I could only imagine continuing to run it would have hurt the bearing.

Now I have a piece of pipe that fits over the shaft to tap in the inner race to make sure it’s tight against the inner snap ring
Ms

 

[Snody]

The first time I overhauled the bearing I reinstalled with loctite and tightened up the three bolts fastening the caliper assembly to the tunnel. Even though the bolts were tight and everything fit back together, the bearing was not true on the shaft. When running it on the stand it would flex the side of the tunnel a lot. Total disaster. I could only imagine continuing to run it would have hurt the bearing.

Now I have a piece of pipe that fits over the shaft to tap in the inner race to make sure it’s tight against the inner snap ring
Ms

I will have to take a look at that this next time. Thank you for the heads up.

 

[Richard Hodgins]

When you are putting the BOP driveshaft saver in are you tapping it further in then torquing? Travis mentioned he should have made them longer. Once it starts to seat by having a wrench on the flats, you need to tap it in so the bolt/washer is flush with end of shaft. If not it will be expanding shaft off center to the bearing.

 

[Snody]

When you are putting the BOP driveshaft saver in are you tapping it further in then torquing? Travis mentioned he should have made them longer. Once it starts to seat by having a wrench on the flats, you need to tap it in so the bolt/washer is flush with end of shaft. If not it will be expanding shaft off center to the bearing.

Yes I am mounting the drive shaft saver flush with the end of the shaft so that the bearing is tight with less torque and I still have rotor float.

 

[SideHogger]

Besides what Travis has shown with the brake rotor being worn, does the bearing give any indication it is going to crap the bed? Certain vibration, noise, feel, anything? Or does your bearing just go and obviously a very serious vibration becomes apparent? It must give some kind of indication? I ask because cruising on river yesterday thought I felt some kind of weird vibration but don’t know if it was just conditions. Came back to house in my test field and figured if it’s going to go might as well do it here. Full throttle 1/8 mile blast on mostly bare grass and little snow and nothing. Just pure fun.

 

[STAIN]

The bearing doesn't typically fail. It is the shaft that wears.

 

[Sevey]

The shaft spins on the bearing - there is virtually no feel to it. You cannot distinguish while riding if it has slipped, or is slipping. Did the best to stop mine but it still spun - you would never know.

Some guys have posted 10,000 km sleds and shown how sloppy the shaft was on the bearing and they indicated they could just start to hear and feel something funny.

Going 'Glass half full' on this one - In short, as much as i cant stand this issue, and dealing with this low level of engineering - this is not an issue that seems to leave people at the side of the trail.
MS

 

[SideHogger]

Well, didn’t hear anything but felt funny. Have bop saver in and put better bearing in 2 yrs ago. Over 5000 miles now. Not looking into tearing it all apart again. Especially when I only have 75 miles on this year!!!! Ugh……

 

[Fast Lane]

Probably just a cheap no name bearing. KOYO or National NTN. Not sure who makes Yamaha bearings. Buy one from the dealer and see how it goes.

 

[Richard Hodgins]

The shaft spins on the bearing - there is virtually no feel to it. You cannot distinguish while riding if it has slipped, or is slipping. Did the best to stop mine but it still spun - you would never know.

Some guys have posted 10,000 km sleds and shown how sloppy the shaft was on the bearing and they indicated they could just start to hear and feel something funny.

Going 'Glass half full' on this one - In short, as much as i cant stand this issue, and dealing with this low level of engineering - this is not an issue that seems to leave people at the side of the trail.
MS

Agreed! I have seen some high mileage sleds over 20,000kms and the shaft was finished. Never once did it leave that rider stranded. I've yet to see the bearing fail.
I see the top gear as a much bigger issue since that will definitely leave you stranded with no forward motion.

 

[SideHogger]

Agreed! I have seen some high mileage sleds over 20,000kms and the shaft was finished. Never once did it leave that rider stranded. I've yet to see the bearing fail.
I see the top gear as a much bigger issue since that will definitely leave you stranded with no forward motion.

Thank you all. Just trying to stay ahead of any issues. Richard Hodgins, gear already fixed.