Frustrated as hell!!!!

[john swenson]

hey buddy, what ever size outside diameter your axle is , you want locking collars that fit that size . my axles on my max 2 are 1 1/4 . the collars are for a 1 1/4 axle. make sure you order the 2 piece collar. it is basically 2 half circles that clamp together with 2 allen screws. they clamp very tight. with one on each side of the sprockets they keep the sprocket right in place after you line it up with the chain. one of the ones i put on my max was in a tight spot. could not get my fingers under the one half of the collar and hold it while i put the other half on and screwed it,so i stuck the one half on with some goop, let it dry and then it was easy to install the other half of the collar. if your not sure of the size of the axle i am sure r.i. could tell you. any more questions let us know. and when you get , let us know too. johnboy va.
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[jpswift1]

RI's parts department was totally disorganized because only Jay knew what was going on.

Totally disorganized? I've been to RI many, many, many times and "totally disorganized" couldn't be a more inaccurate description of the parts department there. In fact, that's a pretty ignorant statement to make, especially since you don't know everything about the internal operations there. They had an excellent customer service, parts got shipped out promptly and on time and Jay wasn't the only one that knew what was going on. Dan and Matt knew exactly what part fit what machine based on the year it was made, they knew where everything was and also each guy on the assembly line knew every part in their section of the factory. Even Galen was able to direct me to a general vicinity as to where to find the part I needed was, and if Jay wasn't there, someone in the building knew where it was. I ALWAYS was able to get what I needed. Things worked at Recreatives in Buffalo........like a well oiled machine (yes, an old machine, but one that was accurate and reliable). True it isn't nearly as sophisticated as Honda or Yamaha or one of the big Japanese manufacturer has in place, but look at how much money and volume they do compared to a small operation like Recreatives. You seem to be continuously pointing out all the flaws about AATVs, Brandon. Maybe you should just stick to your side by sides if you think that that so many things about AATVs are bad because constant criticism of the industry doesn't do anything positive for anyone here. People are aware of the flaws, but nothing is perfect. If you have all the answers as to how to fix they way things are and it's really that simple then please, by all means, go for it.

Now back to the original thread here. Let's try and help this man out. He's a customer, the customer is always right and a business should do everything they can to help him out in a speedy manor. And just so everyone is aware, Galen is a great guy who is taking on many responsibilities at this time. The man bends over backwards to do everything he can to take care of the customer. He takes orders over the phone in Buffalo and forwards them onto Matt in Indiana who ships the parts out. There are no parts in Buffalo that Galen can ship out, the entire inventory of parts is in Indiana and Matt and his employees pack them up and send them out from there. Take a picture of what the issue is and we'll be able to see what's going on. Before you pull it all apart maybe the 6X6World community can come together and use our vast knowledge to get this man back on the trails.

[MaxRules]

What size locking collar should I order?

Should be this one:
1.25 DOUBLE SPLIT SHAFT COLLAR

[tonyk72]

While on the subject of split shaft collars, I came across this site when I had to order mine.
Getting a Hold on Shaft Collars: Choosing the Correct Shaft Collar for the Job | Ruland
I wanted to make sure they didn't slip and I thought that getting a thicker collar would increase clamping force, when in fact it is just the opposite.
"It is a common misconception that a larger outer diameter makes a collar stronger. A larger outer diameter has the advantage of being able to hide the clamp screws within the shaft collar, rather than be left protruding. But unless width is also increased allowing for a larger screw (which would be protruding) to be used, increasing shaft collar outer diameter relative to the bore size has no performance benefit and can reduce holding power. "

[john swenson]

this may seem strange, but after changing outer bearings on my max a couple of times, especially the back left under the engine, i decided to buy the 2 piece shaft coupler 1 1/4 for my axles. i then sawed the axle in half between the outer bearing and wheel hub. now it is a quick job to change bearing. just loosen coupler , slip off axle, change bearing and your done. way easier than pulling the whole axle out. never had a problem with the coupler slipping,etc. and i believe it is stronger than the axle itself. johnboy.va.

[MaxRules]

Totally disorganized? I've been to RI many, many, many times and "totally disorganized" couldn't be a more inaccurate description of the parts department there. In fact, that's a pretty ignorant statement to make, especially since you don't know everything about the internal operations there. They had an excellent customer service, parts got shipped out promptly and on time and Jay wasn't the only one that knew what was going on. Dan and Matt knew exactly what part fit what machine based on the year it was made, they knew where everything was and also each guy on the assembly line knew every part in their section of the factory. Even Galen was able to direct me to a general vicinity as to where to find the part I needed was, and if Jay wasn't there, someone in the building knew where it was. I ALWAYS was able to get what I needed. Things worked at Recreatives in Buffalo........like a well oiled machine (yes, an old machine, but one that was accurate and reliable). True it isn't nearly as sophisticated as Honda or Yamaha or one of the big Japanese manufacturer has in place, but look at how much money and volume they do compared to a small operation like Recreatives. You seem to be continuously pointing out all the flaws about AATVs, Brandon. Maybe you should just stick to your side by sides if you think that that so many things about AATVs are bad because constant criticism of the industry doesn't do anything positive for anyone here. People are aware of the flaws, but nothing is perfect. If you have all the answers as to how to fix they way things are and it's really that simple then please, by all means, go for it.

A well organized parts department has very little to do with the location of parts or someone pointing you in the right direction. Sure it's important to have everything labeled and set out real nice. That amounts to nothing when a customer calls and needs to order. Only Jay knows what part fits and what part(s) go with that part the customer needed. There is zero information available on what TennesseeMudBug needs for his axle replacement. It's great that Dan and another employee or two knew what parts fit... how does that help us now that they are long gone? I know that Jay was good at shipping parts and customer service was great from everyone there. That is not helping us now because we are left with no parts information and Jay is gone. That's a disorganized parts department. An organized business does not rely on people keeping information in their head. It needs to be on paper (computer) so that new employees can access it. People come and go... just like they have in this situation and that information has been lost. I had the pleasure of visiting Recreatives a few times and did business with them for 10 years. I also did more than shop for a couple parts every now and then. How many $10,000... $15,000... or $25,000 checks did you write to Recreatives? I wrote a few and have a good feel for how their business differed from others I do business with.
The important thing is now a genuinely enthusiastic and knowledgeable person has control of the company. For the first time EVER in my 10 plus years of doing business with Recreatives, I ordered parts by PART NUMBER. Thanks to Matt things are coming together and looking like a real business. Maybe now it will grow instead of being stagnant for 40 years.

[Tennesseemudbug]

So here is the results I went ahead and finished getting the aatv back together I dont have shimms or snaprings on the axles nor do I have a bearing bushings on the axles in between the inner bearing and the splines. I did use a set screw to hold the double sprocket assembly in place on the axles. I also thread locked the last night so they should be dry by now. I ran the amphib pretty hard and even took it in the river everything seems to be running well and really no problems. .. With that said I did notice there is alot of chain noise the only way to describe it is a clunky kind of sound other than that everything seems to be alright .... what do you all think about the conundrum? Do you think I am okay or is there something else i need to know ... Please let me know.

[MaxRules]

Your chains are probably out of alignment if you are getting noise and you are not using shims. Check them carefully or it'll just eat up the sprockets. I know it's frustrating to take something apart twice but the rear drive of a Max IV is a critical area for safety and dependability. Call Recreatives in the morning and get the spacers and snap rings that you need. You've already spent the cash on the upgraded snap ring axle, you just have to put it to use.

[Model Citizen]

[Tennesseemudbug]

I measured the chain distance off of the frame and it appears to be even throughout the length of the chain . could there be anything other than chain alignment ?

[john swenson]

bug, also check the chain tensioners. johnboy va.

[Model Citizen]

[Tennesseemudbug]

Ok the nose isn't there when rotating the tires or just moving forward or backwards . It is when I am turning the machine. Left and right but more when turning right and the noise is coming from the left side

[Model Citizen]

[amphibious drew]

Did you remove the t-20? Make sure it is in there good and no bolts got loose, sheared, or wallowed. If the t-20 is moving it could cause chain noise.