Not even a newbie just a friend(Chain prob)

[rustybutredy]

Hello,My friend bought a max11 for her boys.She told me the chain had come off and asked if I could help.This is what I found.(After finding this great site and reading about 20 pages of post I hope I can ask the right questions and not be too repetitive. Also she is battling cancer and I am currently unemployed, so we are doing this on a small budget)
The first thing I saw was a missing chain.It was on the right side,the short one that runs from the top shaft down too the drive axles(I found the parts to a master-link on the bottom of the tub)
The next thing I noticed was that(I'll call this component,the top shaft chain adjustment) two of the threaded rods,the vertical ones, were broken and the area the rods ran thru misshaped(both the broke angle part of the front subframe? and the stiffener angle on top) and showing signs of major stress.
My idiea for a fix is to replace the threaded rods with larger ones.Most likely 3/8". 1/2" seemed like overkill. Also to stiffen the area with some stronger angle.There was a broken rod on both sides of the tranny.This will require removing both shafts.Is there a way to shorten the shafts to remove them?
Is this a commen problem.I'd appreciate any comments or idea's on this fix

After reading about 20 pages of post, worn tensioners and stretched chains seem to be the root of the problems.Does any body know the proper amount of links each chain should have?
Replacement of the stock tensioners or the purchase of aftermarket ones are not a option at this time, so I'm most likely going to fab some roller type.

I'd love to here from any of you that have already done this, ANY advice would be much appreciated!!!!

Thank you all for taking the time to read my rambling post.Any and All help or advice is greatly welcome.
Rusty

[Mike]

Hi, welcome to the site. The threaded rod that you are talking about doesn't need to be any thicker. It doesn't actually support the jackshafts, that's just how you adjust them. There are four larger bolts that hold the jackshaft in place. You are supposed to loosen them and then turn the nuts on the threaded rod (on the top and the front) to adjust the jackshafts a little at a time. Once you have the chains tight you tighten the larger four bolts back down and that holds the jackshaft in place.

Someone probably tried turning the nuts on the threaded rod without first loosening the four bolts holding the jackshaft in place. That's probably why it is mangled.

For the number of links in each chain, you can call the factory and they will give you that information. Amphibious Six-Wheel Drive All-Terrain Vehicles: MaxATVs - Call 1-800-255-2511 You are correct in trying to make sure that you have the right number of links. Often people remove links instead of replacing the chain and while it works fine for a while it will eventually cause premature wear of the sprockets. So hopefully you have the right number of links.

For the tensionors you can just replace the plastic if that is all that is worn. Here is a how-to article explaining what to do: http://www.6x6world.com/forums/gener...placement.html You could price just the plastic when you are on the phone with the factory. That part shouldn't be too expensive at all.

Finally, for your transmission / drivetrain questions, make sure you check out the how-to section even if it's just for the pictures of what the Max should look like. This first one shows the jackshafts and how you adjust them:
http://www.6x6world.com/forums/aatv-...tallation.html

This one details the inner workings of the transmission:
http://www.6x6world.com/forums/aatv-...r-rebuild.html

Good luck!