Hustler axle broke again,, i wonder why?

[fmints]

Its official,,, I broke a brand new axle that I purchased this past February. I was told before I purchased them not to, but everyone knows that I'm impatient at times, so I did anyway. The axle broke inside the sprocket where the sprocket bolts goes in. And get this,,, the axle was one of the centers!!! Lucky for me I have a spare that I got from my buddy in Louisiana. The axle has never been redrilled or welded or even bent before. I don't get how it managed to break!!

[fencepostjed]

A little to agressive with Rawhide 3's in the mud is what got me to snap one, I think! Now back to regular Rawhides.

[amphibious drew]

Time to get some splined axles. Every axle I have ever broke on my attex was through the bolt hole in the sprocket. either put cheaper bolts their and replace them a bunch or bite the bullet.

[coosaridgerider]

Time for some apache gear.

[highrollinmopars]

My other 980 Bigfoot told me that it wants first dibs on your old your axles and sprockets. It would put me a little closer to having both machines up and running : )

[fmints]

will do, you got them, I'll let you know when i receive the apache gear, an you can come down and pick them up. It wont be until aug-sept time frame next year,,, but you got them buddy!!

[brushcutter]

Yes indeed, they always seem to bust apart right where the bolt goes through. Mine was always because I was trying to use a plow on the 950 and play push dozer with it. First it bends and you feel the bump bump bump for a bit then it breaks. I had good luck doing a heavy beveled grind, aligning them with a piece of 1/2" X 3" X 3" angle and some clamps then welding them up. They always held until I got the urge to push on something, and after the 3rd time I quit doing that and had no more trouble.

[Dan67]

Its official,,, I broke a brand new axle that I purchased this past February. I was told before I purchased them not to, but everyone knows that I'm impatient at times, so I did anyway. The axle broke inside the sprocket where the sprocket bolts goes in. And get this,,, the axle was one of the centers!!! Lucky for me I have a spare that I got from my buddy in Louisiana. The axle has never been redrilled or welded or even bent before. I don't get how it managed to break!!

You break them because you drive it like a rental! Easy on them tired old steel axles. Drive it like I drive mine.. wait never mind.. I blew out the sidewalls on mine.. Defiantly time to get some Apache Gear running through your machine. That is my plan after I get some cash built back up. Hopefully before April Busco I will be riding on ASX tires and splined axles.

[Model Citizen]

[Dan67]

I have shoulder bolts in my Hustler. Are those what you are referring Bridget? I have not broken and axle so far. I'm lucky I guess..

[fmints]

I don't have inner splined axles on the SS & I drive him pretty much like a rental. (My mechanic cut corners) The trick is to check the bolts to make sure they stay tight. When they aren't, they wallow out the hole, which then creates the weak point.
Use the search feature to find out more about body bound bolts. Whipper had a post a long time ago explaining them, but I think it was lost when the site was updated.

Bridget

Thanks Bridget for the info, I will check it out.

[Model Citizen]

[fmints]

Thanks Bridget,,, Yeah I've done this remedy. I've tried everything, to include filling in the wallowed hole and redrilling it. It's kind of disturbing because the axle was brand new from Richard Clark. I am kind of hard on my machine, but if you don't push it to the max then you will never know it's limits. Honestly, I'm pretty feed up with breaking axle bolts and or axles. So once the funds grow a lil more in my recreation account, then I'll be looking to out fit the 980 with some of Whipper's Apache Gear and satisfy my Hustlers crave for the splined axle and sprocket set up!

[wfo]

cheep j-pans steel i would say

[hydromike]

cheep j-pans steel i would say

On the grade 8 bolt, or the new Hustler axle itself?

I pulled apart my 980 before the Fall Busco ride and found that after a good cleaning, a few axles had small cracks propagating on each side of the axle bolt hole. I know that I should have done a more diligent inspection before I put it back together a couple years back, but after three extended abuse sessions at Busco and up here in New York nothing broke. This summer, I tore her back apart and rewelded the cracked portions, built up/turned down a couple areas where the bearings ride and threw it back together. I upgraded to shoulder bolts from McMaster, which are the same thing I'm running in the 'Fox. They seem to be pretty solid. I think the cracks in the axles propagate after a lot of wear and elongation of the axle bolt holes occurs. The original Hustler axles are fairly hard and it seems that a lot of folks have suffered the pains of extended use over the years with them cracking at the bolt. My fix is still in the experimental phases, but I feel that it'll hold up.