2005 Avenger breaking axles

[squirrlyboy]

Hello everyone,

Mainly a reader on the site but I do have some questions for the guys on here. I know that this issue has probably been mentioned in a bunch of posts and I did try to search for some of the info but I thought I would try to post some questions as I usually on read what others have said/done!

I have a 2005 avenger running 18" rubber tracks and have experienced some broken axles over the past year. The front axle just recently went on our moose hunting trip this past week. The damage/break was at the spline area and it looked like it twisted/sheared right at the splines.

Is this a common break?

The other axle went last year and it was the second axle from the front or #2. The damage to this axle between the bearings and was a clean break.

Both times this has happened the tracks have been on. I do not have the track tuners installed but I have tried to match tire pressures from front to back to assist with chain wind up. I will admit that I have not measured the tire circumference so this may lead to the problem.

The terrain we travel on is a mix of swamp and bog with rocky ridges. I keep the tracks on because we encounter more bog than ridges to get to hunting spots.

Has anyone else had issues with axles breaking when running tracks? Is there an issue with axle breaking and chain windup when the tracks are off? This machine is mainly used in the winter and then for a week or two in the fall for hunting but the tracks are always on.

The machine has 330 hours and still original axles before the break. As well, the chains and sprockets are original.

I am looking at a complete overhaul on the chains, sprockets, bearings and axles. I just want to make sure that there is no other issue to be concerned with like a twisted frame or some other misalignment issue before the overhaul begins.

Do you guys recommend going to the HD axles and bearings for the 05 Avenger?

[msafi65]

The most common axle failure on the age of your vehicle with tracks is the stamped wheel flange breaking at the axle. Almost always the front then # 2 fail. I only install the HD axles. I would upgrade the corner bearings to 72mm at the very least. If new bearings are going in the HD ones run less than 50$ more per axle to upgrade. Breakage at the splines is rare while at the outboard bearing the #2 spot to fail that I've found. If it were mine I would upgrade all 8 axles and bearings.

[philipatmaxfour]

The most common axle failure on the age of your vehicle with tracks is the stamped wheel flange breaking at the axle. Almost always the front then # 2 fail. I only install the HD axles. I would upgrade the corner bearings to 72mm at the very least. If new bearings are going in the HD ones run less than 50$ more per axle to upgrade. Breakage at the splines is rare while at the outboard bearing the #2 spot to fail that I've found. If it were mine I would upgrade all 8 axles and bearings.

broken axles when using tracks is almost always having tracks too tight. You need to measure tire circumference and place them according to the manual iesmallest on front second smallest on rear etc.) then set pressures again according to manual. This will all but eliminate chain windup. I have to assume that you hate the wheel bearing grease procedure if you are removing the tracks. The new bearings have only one grease nipple and there is a hole in the axle plate. I wish I could say for sure if you can drill the needed hole in older wheels to allow easy bearing greasing. good luck.

[ARGOJIM]

It happens on the corners just like yours, suspect over inflation but just a guess.

[trapperjack]

i broke several axles while running tracks. I've done just about everything known to argo and they still fail. my axles broke where yours did several times and where they weld on the axle flanges on there hd axles many times. my tracks were not to tight and the air pressure was right, and track tunners were used. still broke... there axles are not induction hardened and the flange weld is a failure from the start. it crystalizes the metal shaft from the weld and heat. take a file and swipe it across one of you axle shafts and see how soft they really are. check out my new axle post and see just two pics of broken axles i have several more broke also. there just not strong enough for the stress and torque while running tracks. i will take a picture of all the axles i broke and post them soon. i owned 3 argos in the past 20 years and ran tracks on all of them. lots and lots of miles here in the UP of michagan winters.

[Rusty-Gunn]

Maybe go without tracks?