Axle Removal

[Brentd27]

Is there a howto around that shows how to remove the axles? Do you have to take the outer bearing loose first?

[Mike]

Most AATVs have very similar methods for removing and installing axles. Check out this how-to on the Max II: http://www.6x6world.com/forums/conte...placement.html Your Hustler will be very similar.

[dirtdobber]

Brent the link Mike posted is in fact very similar to the way Hustler's are designed. Here's the way I would do it...

1) take some emery cloth and polish the axle, as clean as you can get it, between the sprocket and the inner bearing.
2) pull the bolt out of the sprocket hub and get the sprocket to slide on the axle, toward the inner bearing. Depending on the rust and corrosion this could be quite the task. penetrating oil is your friend. Hopefully the sprocket will break free and slide along the axle with only a little effort (after I got mine broke loose sliding it back and forth was no problem). If you have to drive the sprocket over, be sure to unlock the inner bearing before you but the sprocket against it.
3) Unlock the eccentric collar on the inner bearing (if it has one) or remove the set screw(s) if that is all it has. Give it a dose of penetrating oil.
4) Unbolt the outer bearing flange and pop the outer half of the flange away from the inner half. This will keep the axle from having to slide all the way through the outer bearing to get it out. Once you get the axle out, then you can unlock the eccentric collar on the outer bearing and clean all the rust and crud off the axle....and then slide the outer off the axle. It easier to work from a bench rather than in the tub of the machine.

[Brentd27]

Brent the link Mike posted is in fact very similar to the way Hustler's are designed. Here's the way I would do it...

1) take some emery cloth and polish the axle, as clean as you can get it, between the sprocket and the inner bearing.
2) pull the bolt out of the sprocket hub and get the sprocket to slide on the axle, toward the inner bearing. Depending on the rust and corrosion this could be quite the task. penetrating oil is your friend. Hopefully the sprocket will break free and slide along the axle with only a little effort (after I got mine broke loose sliding it back and forth was no problem). If you have to drive the sprocket over, be sure to unlock the inner bearing before you but the sprocket against it.
3) Unlock the eccentric collar on the inner bearing (if it has one) or remove the set screw(s) if that is all it has. Give it a dose of penetrating oil.
4) Unbolt the outer bearing flange and pop the outer half of the flange away from the inner half. This will keep the axle from having to slide all the way through the outer bearing to get it out. Once you get the axle out, then you can unlock the eccentric collar on the outer bearing and clean all the rust and crud off the axle....and then slide the outer off the axle. It easier to work from a bench rather than in the tub of the machine.

Well, it (supposedly) hasn't been long since the axles were out of my machine. The person I bought it from replaced the inner bearings, but put them all in "upside down" so that the locking collars are inside the inner frame rails instead of between the sprocket and the bearing, and the tabs of the inner bearing flanges are up away from the frame. One of the center axles, the inner bearing isn't even tight. I can wiggle the axle and bearing up and down. I don't see any collars on the outside of the bearing flanges. Several of the inner locking collars are missing their set screws as well. The guy rebuilds Maxs and said this was his first Hustler to try working on. It shows.

[racerone3]

i've had 4 hustlers and all had the inner bearings installed the way you describe. Flanges outside the inner channel, but bearings turned with the locks inward. I think this was from the factory

[Brentd27]

i've had 4 hustlers and all had the inner bearings installed the way you describe. Flanges outside the inner channel, but bearings turned with the locks inward. I think this was from the factory

But my flanges are also "upside down" there's a gap between the frame and the bolt hole tabs. I can see the locks being inside the channel to some extent, that makes sense, but it looks like putting the bolt tabs toward the outer tub risks bending or breaking the bearings.... Here's a pic:


bearing_example.jpg

[Brentd27]

Just re-watched the video where I could go full screen with it, and my Hustler definitely does not have locking collars on the outer bearings. Are they necessary?

[ARGOJIM]

Does it have 2 set screws? And, did someone counter sink the set screw holes?

BTW that is the wrong bearing that is also installed wrong, so if someone were to use it, it should be outside of the body and sealed. That looks to be a fountain area now.

Looks like you should buy all the proper stuff.

[dirtdobber]

Based on the picture your inner bearings are mounted wrong. They will never stay tight like that. In fact, based on the two machines I have those aren't even the right style of bearings. Here's what I have:
20160609_202454.jpg

I don't know what came from the factory...its just what my two machines have.

Yes, you need locking collars on the bearings otherwise the axles will slide in and out. The only alternative is to have the right arrangement of spacers to work in conjunction with the shoulder on the inner bearing to keep the axle from sliding. In other words, the axle shoulder butted against the inner bearing will keep the axle from sliding in. A spacer of just the right length positioned between the sprocket and the inner race of the outer bearing will keep the axle from sliding out (as long as the bolt doesn't break out of the sprocket). I set mine up this way, but I still locked all the collars and set screws.

If I were you, I would start with the chain alignment. Look at the relation of the T20 sprocket to its corresponding sprocket on the center axle (I hope the previous owner has the sprockets right....not sure if you can get them wrong and make it work). They should line up perfectly. If not, the awkward bearing arrangement on your machine could have the axle pushed too far out. You need the sprockets to line up perfectly and then see how your spacing works. You can change your inner bearing type (your style vs. my style) and position and see how it changes the sprocket alignment. I looked at this on my machine and explained it in a thread (I'll find that thread in a moment).

[dirtdobber]

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/hustler-atvs/35684-axle-bearing-question.html

I hope this works right, but here is the thread I mentioned, for what its worth.

[Brentd27]

I intend on flipping the inner bearings correctly. There are locking inside the frame on the inner bearings. Each of the locking collars has one threaded hole for the set screw, and one hole for the punch, but at least one locking collar is missing the set screw. There are no collars at all outside the body, or between sprockets and inner frame. The chain alignment looked good when I took them off. Nothing canted or twisted, nothing binding. They all moved smoothly. Pretty sure these inners are the "Tractor Supply" bearings.

[dirtdobber]

Check to see if the locking collars on the outside bearings are turned to the inside of the machine. You need to get a setscrew to replace the one missing.

Also, when you flip the inner bearing over you need to flip the bearing in the bearing housing so the lock collar stays on the inside of the frame. This will maintain the same alignment for your chain. If you don't flip the bearing in the housing, the lock collar will then be on the outside of the inner frame and your axle will have to move out the thickness of the lock collar......goofing up your chain alignment.

[Brentd27]

Well, there are locking collars on the outside of the outer bearings. Unfortunately I'm having heck with the rear two axles. Someone welded a flat plate motor mount across the original motor mounts and I can't get anything on the bolt heads to unbolt the bearings. Unlocking the inner collars is out of the question with the frame as it is. Spent 4 & a half hours working on it this weekend and got ONE bolt loose. I'm going to have to cut that rigged motor mount out without melting the body. Grumble grumble grumble...

[Mike]

You can always fill the tub up with water to help with the cutting. I also have laid some thin sheet metal in my tub to help protect from the direct heat when grinding for extended periods of time.

[ARGOJIM]

Or drill an access hole.