Hustler chain tensioners

[brushcutter]

I shot a few pics of the chain tensioners I built for the 950. I will build the same type for the 980 as well, that is if I don't decide to try another idea I've been kicking around in my head. These things hold, they dont back off , and after initial stretch, tightening chains is something I don't often have to do.

Pics 182 &183 are different angles of the same tensioner. This one didn't hold up due to the longer bolts which allowed it to chatter in reverse and after some months of this ripped one of the welded nuts loose. I built and installed a replacement for it in about an hour, the new one has short bolts like the ones in pic 184.

[KajunKrawler]

I have seen tensioners with springs and without. Which is better? Looks easy to add a spring to this setup.

[brushcutter]

You are right, the guy who (member Boncrshr) actually first put them into use did so with springs, but I never could get them to work to my satisfaction that way. Our machines, having chains that travel in both directions, will pull any slack to the opposite side (top or bottom) of the sprockets depending on direction of travel. There is a tremendous load applied, so to hold against that, you need a spring that is very strong. Here is a link to his thread.

http://www.6x6world.com/forums/hustler-atvs/3003-experimental-chain-tensioners.html

[Noel Woods]

Brushcutter:
Nice tensioners. Kinda sorta like the new ones Richard sells. Looks like your's have more adjustment though. I like the allthread idea the most.

Noel

[brushcutter]

Brushcutter:
Nice tensioners. Kinda sorta like the new ones Richard sells. Looks like your's have more adjustment though. I like the allthread idea the most.

Noel

Thanks everybody.

Haven't seen those Noel, may have to do some snooping. Bet there HIGH!

[cclingma]

I hope to build some copies of your design. Thanks for sharing!

Did you make the roller too?

[KajunKrawler]

Here is one of the tensioners installed. Looks like it might work.

]

[Noel Woods]

Brushcutter: Good work on that tensioner. Here's a challenge for you to think about. Use your creativity to now come up with a belt tensioner. I'm sick of having to adjust the motor mount on my Max2 to get proper belt tension. Take your chain tensioner concept & make it slightly wider than belt width and see what you can come up with.

Noel

[brushcutter]

I hope to build some copies of your design. Thanks for sharing!

Did you make the roller too?

These rollers were purchased from Richard Clarke but modified to fit the 5/8" crossbar. There are several other sources for the nylon rod/tube (MSC and some others) and tougher material can be had also.

Brushcutter: Good work on that tensioner. Here's a challenge for you to think about. Use your creativity to now come up with a belt tensioner. I'm sick of having to adjust the motor mount on my Max2 to get proper belt tension. Take your chain tensioner concept & make it slightly wider than belt width and see what you can come up with.

Noel

Hey Noel, hows things? Playin with your bilge blower yet? Can't wait to see what happens with it. To answer your question, I have thought on this subject a little, after Richard sold me a belt that was too long. Decided to build a raised platform instead, so the motor could be moved back far enough to make up the difference in length, which does make cleaning and maintenance somewhat easier. At the time I was concerned that adding a roller or pulley would also add heat to the belt and possibly cause (very) premature failure of the belt. I did however mull over the idea of a spring loaded tensioner, that would allow the clutches to travel through their range but still take up excessive belt play. This was about the time that Boncrshr(Scott) was having trouble with his belts shredding, and I think I remember that he decided that his belt was too tight, which caused it to heat up and destroy itself. Based on that information, I dropped that line of thought and built the raised platform. But, if you want I could play it around in my head and see what might happen. Somewhere, I remember seeing an idler pulley that had fins built into it, to help dissipate heat, that would be a start. Then figure out how much tension would be required- just enough to take up the slack- yet not so much as to cause overheating. Ok pretty much have a design in mind, not hard to build; the heat issue is the only real problem I see right now, and having the room to put it in and not interfere with anything else. Everything you change on these things changes something else...