Help! Max IV wont swim!

[kayaker]

I inherited a 97 Max IV last week.

I intend to use it to get my 10 year old and I to our duck blind.

I tested it in a neighbors pond today, just to see if it leaks.

The good news is it stayed dry.
The bad news is all I could do is rotate clockwise.

I reached my hand down and found the right tire not rotating.

It definitely turns left when I'm on terra firma...so obviously I do have power to the right
tires.

<Granted, I snuk into the pond without permission...so I didn't stay long to experiment>

I found the Max IV frighteningly tippy...I hope it is simply my inexperience.
Additionally, my water speed was like molasses in winter. I would certainly be able to wade faster, even walking backwards!

I have Tru Power 26" tires. (They have tread pattern similar to Rawhides) "Chevrons" (<<<<) pointed forward at ground contact. Tires grossly overinflated, about 10 PSI



Thanks for your time.

[mightymaxIV]

Swimming

Your tires are on backwards if the front of your max is to the left the V's should be facing backward or like this >>>. Take the tires on the left and put them on the right, take the tires on the right and put them on the left. This will get your v's Facing backward like they should be and you should have about a 3 mph water speed. If your not getting drive to one side that's another problem all together. You may have a broken chain, transmission out of adjustment etc. So first I will ask are you getting power to all the wheels? If not check your chains, if they are OK than you have another problem, but lets start there! a Max will feel a little tippy in the water until you get use to it, soon you'll be fine!

[Mike]

Mighty Max has the solution to your water speed problem.

As for one side not turning in the water, that could be one of several things. I assume that it does drive all 6 wheels otherwise you never could have made it to the pond in the first place. So when you are in the water, try pushing forward on the sticks. I would bet that the springs on your laterals just aren't fully engaging the transmission.

Lastly, like mighty max said, when you first take a 6x6 in the water it will fill tipsy to you but once you get some seat time in it you will be much more comfortable with the stability in the water. Your Max IV is much more stable than a Max II.

Congratulations on your AATV!

[kayaker]

Thanks Guys!

My tires are mounted so the tops the chevrons point to the rear of the vehicle;
At the bottom (ground contact) the chevrons point to ther front of the vehicle.

If someone was wondering which way I was driving in snow; The arrows in the tracks would point in my direction of travel.

It appears I have them mounted like the pictures I've seen in the gallery.

I assume lowering the tire pressure would let the Max sit lower in the water and add a bit of stability. (I guess that was meant as a question.)

Thanks!

Rob Lynch
Proud Max IV owner in Yakima, WA.

[Roger S]

They all seem tippy until you get used to them. A beer before hand will remedy some of your anxiety about it

[George]

Also consider balance. If one side of the machine sits lower than the other in the water, it'll tend to pull to that side. This actually helps when you wish to turn more quickly in the water. When going forward, you may want to adjust yourself, cargo or passengers to level it out.

[rdr]

My tires are mounted so the tops the chevrons point to the rear of the vehicle;
At the bottom (ground contact) the chevrons point to ther front of the vehicle.

If someone was wondering which way I was driving in snow; The arrows in the tracks would point in my direction of travel.

It appears I have them mounted like the pictures I've seen in the gallery.

I assume lowering the tire pressure would let the Max sit lower in the water and add a bit of stability. (I guess that was meant as a question.)

Thanks!

Rob Lynch
Proud Max IV owner in Yakima, WA.

hi and welcom to the site i have a new max IV with 26 good years and they fly in the water.. your tires are way overinflated 2 .to 3 lbs is pleanty . if you have the newr k rims 1 lbs is cool robbie .

[Rockram]

Check to make sure the gear selector is all the way engaged. Mine doesn't always engage fully so I have to rev the engine just a tad and push the tranny lever a bit more. Then both sides engage. I took my Max for it's first swim last weekend and it was a blast. Just make sure you and your load are equally dispersed and it wont be so tipsey.

[kayaker]

Update! Paddles Like a Duck!!

OK, I got it all squared around, it now moves quite well.

My next conundrum is how to crawl up steep, greasy, muddy banks to get out of the pond or ditch...

I do alot of spinning, then I turn around and power up backwards.

Physics would lead me to believe that most of the power in water is final delivery at
the rear tires...What would happen if I turned the front tires around so I could maximize traction getting out...then kept the mid and rear axles is a position to
maximize water speed???

Either that or can someone recommend a set of lug chains?

This machine is much more fun than I ever imagined!

Pura Vida!

[liflod]

If you turn the front tires around, it won't swim worth a crap. You can try the centers and see if it does anything.

[kayaker]

I would have thought that the front axles only feed water to
the axle behind it. Wouldn't final thrust come from
the rear tires?

Do they swim with chains for traction?

thanks for your help!

[eddieb1965]

Try letting off the throttle to a crawl speed as soon as the tires come in contact with the bottom,I have seem people struggle with water exits by keeping full throttle on and digging in . You wont dig holes and wont throw alot of water where you are trying to come out.If I tryed to back out of water I couldnt, because my tires dont swim well enough in reverse to get me to the bank,sitting in vehicle the v on top of the tires should be pointing rearward.

[Rockram]

I mentioned this in What did you do with your Max today. But I'll mention it again. My tires were F<<< R, Stock they're supposed to be F>>> R. In my infinate stupidity I thought if some is good more is better. So I went F>>< R
Thinking I have 2 front axles pulling me through the water and when I need reverse I have an axle pulling there as well. I went swimming and I was right. I now swim awesomely forward and in reverse.
With all the tires going the same way the Max will swim great in that direction but just sit and spin the other direction. I have solved that problem. Good luck with it. As for crawling out of a pond I'm having carb problems just as I get to a certain angle coming out of the pond it starts dieing out. It's been a bit if a pain but it's coming along.