Maintaining bearings and chains.

[Rj1]

I read a lot of post on greasing and oiling the bearings and chains and it seems everyone has there own time table on the subject.Like anything else the more you use it the more maintenance it will take and if you use it in water even more on the up keep. I bought the Argo Vanguard 6x6 3 weeks ago. I didn't get a chance to check it out before I bought it because of the distance so a friend of mine who's a good mechanic lived close and he checked it out. He told me the Vangaurd 16hp motor was in good shape the tracks were in okay shape not new but still useable and I would get a few years out of then he told me the chains all looked good and the inner bearings seemed in good shape but he could not check out the outer bearings because the tracks were on the machine. The guy selling told him and me all the bearing in the Argo were replaced less then 3 months ago and taken care of since. Last week I removed the tracks so I could grease the bearings behind the wheels. It was not easy to get the tracks off I had to cut the coolers because all the set screws were stripped and I tried ever one. That's when I started to think if all the bearings were replaced 3 months ago I should've found a spot in the tracks to come apart easy but I didn't it seemed these tracks haven't been off in years so how were the bearings changed and maintained? After I removed the tracks I started to check the wheel bearings first one I checked was shot then the 2nd one to. The 2 middle bearings seemed fine the the 2 rear one will on both there was no bearing left totally gone and both flanges were shot to the one shaft was not bad but the other has to be replaced. There was no grease near any of the outer bearings so I don't know if this guy didn't know to grease them or what but it seems like common since that if you have bearings on your machine you need to grease them. So now I'm a little pissed off I probably would have still bought it if he told me the truth I would have payed less because of the money I know have to put into it. I don't mind doing the work I kinda like it but again it's the being lied to that gets me. I called the guy a couple of times and text him to but he never got back to me but when I was buying it he would always get right back to me. There's really nothing I can make him do about it I got taken and it happens. I ordered all the parts I need and someone here told me Argo parts are not cheap and there right.

[Laird]

I would be VERY po'd if that were me. I ran into the same situation when I bought my machine only not so bad. I couldn't be upset because I had every chance to check out the machine. The guy I bought it from said that there were some bearings that were changed recently. I even tried the bearings with the tracks off and the machine up in the air. Like yourself, I wanted the machine so I bought it anyway. Turns out I ended up changing 10 out of 12 bearings and all of the chains. The bearings only had a small amount of play but I figured that they only would get worse. I went to the local machine shop/ manufacturing place I used to work at and bought higher end offshore bearings. The seals were ok so I reused them. I replaced the chain with RBL chain, again I believe offshore. Again, the chain was not stretched to the limit but I wanted no problems down the road. These products work fine for MY application due to the low hrs I put on my machine. But I do feel your disappointment in your fellow man. Even though you like working on this kind of thing, you would hope at least others would be honest and tell you of the problems. I have run into problems before because I try to be honest and up front on any deals, I figure the other guy will be too. MOST people I deal with are. It's the odd one that makes it hard to trust anyone. I do feel your pain......especially the one in the wallet.

[Rj1]

I knew when I bought it that it was a 20 year old ATV and I would run into things that needed to be worked on.The thing that got me was if I didn't take off the tracks to grease and inspect things and went by what the guy told me I would have caused a lot more damage to the machine. Laird your right when you said you think people will be honest I'm the same way if I sell something I tell the person every thing I now about it and if it has a problem I tell them. I guess spending so many years in the Military made me think most people have some kinda honor to them. My wife keeps telling me in the real world people are not the same way.

[allwheeldrive]

Speaking of chains I'm soaking the short length of #50 chain for my coot in Diesel. It's ancient chain with 3 frozen links. I've gotten away with running it all these years but finally decided to clean it up. Once I dry them what kind of lube do you guys use to replace what was on them?

[Laird]

As no one has answered back, you may just want to replace the chain with a new piece. 50 chain is not that expensive unless you are in a place where it may not be available. Most farm dealers will sell it by the foot or just buy a 10 foot roll and cut your own. But should you chose to keep the old chain, you may want to get some motorcycle chain lube. I use that on my argo. I use it quite liberally. A farm supply place may carry a chain lube of some sort. I have found that the chains need to be lubed regularly, old or new.