1997 max II help

[mudd]

I'm about to replace my bearings on my 97 max II. I was looking at my front axle today and it doesn't look like I have any inner bearings. There is a steel bar that runs between the two front axles in the middle of the frame with a cotter key in the right side of it and the 2 axles seem to just end at the frame. The bar does not spin with the axles.

Is this normal, or is this something that the previous owner may have rigged up? I don't want to order any inner bearings if I don't need them.

thanks

[Mike]

It sounds like you have a much older Max II with inner bushings instead of bearings. What serial number is your Max? Are your axles hollow?

[mudd]

serial number is 13672. Not sure about the axles, but they look solid just looking at the outside of them in the floor board.

[Mike]

You can call the factory and they can tell you the exact year. It sounds like you have bushings instead of bearings. You may also have the smaller outer bearings (62mm instead of 72mm). I think there is a picture in the gallery somewhere showing axles like yours. Techfx posted a couple photos of the bushings themselves:



Then, racerone3 had some good tips for removing the old bushings and replacing them while also adding a grease fitting to extend their life: http://www.6x6world.com/forums/max-a...-bushings.html

[mudd]

well #$%*,

I guess the guy I bought it from got me on that one cuz he said it was a 97.

I just looked at the parts list and it called that middle bar I was talking about a "replacement stub shaft". And you are right, it also shows that I have bushings. I guess RI will know what bearings I'll need once I give them the serial #?

Well, is all lost, or is what I paid the other day ($1750) still a descent price for (what now looks to be) an early 90's all original max II 18hp vanguard that runs/drives great, but needs new bearings?

[jpswift1]

One of my Maxes is a 1993 and it has the stub shaft....I think the design was updated in the mid to late 1990's to inner bearings with pillow blocks. The stub shafts work alright, but if you want to beef up your machine (which is always a good idea) you could just buy the inner bearings and pillow blocks that the newer Max II uses and bolt them in. That way you would have inner bearings and the stub shaft which would be extra durable. The previous owner of my machine did that and everything has held up very well. As Mike said, call the factory and they'll tell you the exact year based on your serial number. Amphibious Six-Wheel Drive All-Terrain Vehicles: MaxATVs - Call 1-800-255-2511

[racerone3]

14035 is the serial # of our 97 max II so i don't think your too far off. ours also has inner bushings. i was a little shocked by that, but i called the factory and they verified it. give them a call with your # and they can tell you exactly what yours is.

if you decide not to go with bearings, replace all the bushings, and clean up any burs on the stub shafts. drill a hole through the axle and new bushing and install a grease fitting. grease them regularly and they should last a long time. (17/32 drill, 1/4-28 tap for the grease fittings)

[jpswift1]

For some reason 1998 sticks out in my mind now for the year that Recreatives added some upgrades and I think inner bearings might be included.

[kmmn]

I just bought a Max II with serial #8997 and called the factory... it's a 1990 model, so 1997 sounds closer for serial #13672.

[Mike]

Looks like I was wrong. I'm batting .500 this week (I gave bad info on a tracks thread the other day). I think I need to put a disclaimer in my signature.

Sorry mudd, I wasn't trying to mislead you. Looks like I confused my 94 with my 97. I'm going to edit my original response so I don't mislead anyone else that finds this thread later.

[mudd]

I called RI today and found out that my maxII 600t is a 97 model and got some clarification on the bearings. From 94 to 99 RI made maxII's with bushings and the stub shaft but also on those years used the larger 72mm bearings. So, needless to say, I was relieved that I didn't get mislead by the seller

So, I ordered a set of bearings, set of bushings, and all new flanges from buffalo bearing today that came up to a total of $166.78, which i didn't think was too bad for all that stuff, and they were very helpful. I'm really hope everything goes smoothly with the bearing replacement as this will be a first for me.

Question: Will pb blaster hurt the plastic body of the max? Just wana make sure cuz I've been pouring it to those sprocket tubes. Also, i'm on the verge of buying richards nylon chain adjusters, but REALLY hate to pay that much.....so, would a bolt with a homemade piece of roller on it attached the original adjuster frame serve the same purpose, or do the adjusters have to be able to move while the max is in motion? Are richards adjusters stationary once you get the chain deflection right and tighten them down? thanks

[racerone3]

price sounds good.

i have yet to find a chemical that will hurt the poly tub, so use all the pb blaster you can!!!

here is my bushing replacement procedure copy and pasted from another thread :
i put the axle in a vice, then took a small wood working chisel and hammered it between the axle and bushing. the bushing is way softer than the axle and will shatter/ crumble in on it's self. going back together, i threw the new bushings in the freezer over night. clean out the end of the axle and warm it up with a propane torch. wipe some grease on a frozen bushing and tap it into the axle. use a piece of scrap wood between the bushing and hammer so you aren't hitting the bushing directly. once the bushing is in, drill a hole through the axle and bushing, and tap to 1/4- 28. clean up the inside of the hole so there are no burrs. clean up/ polish the 3/4 solid stock that the bushing rides on. assemble the flange, bearing, flange on the axle and push it through the body and sprocket tube, then screw a grease fitting into the 1/4-28 hole (i used 90* fittings on most of mine). finish installing the axles, then grease. on the right rear, the motor mount bold got in the way of the grease zerk, so i just moved it a little further out on the axle. the downfall is that i had to pump the entire axle full of grease before any comes out the bushing, but it works.



the adjusters do not "float". the adjusters that richard's sells are built of a piece of "unistrut" you can get it and the nuts for it from McMaster-Carr if you have any fabricating skills and a welder, you can build 20 adjusters for what Richard charges for a pair. on the roller, you want it to have a steel sleeve through the center for the bolt to tighten onto so that the roller will roll. these are the ones i built for my hustler for an example

here are my finished rollers. ended up only needing to go 0.004 bigger on the I.D. of the Roller than the O.D. of the bung to get them to roll nice and smooth. Shawn (my "work for beer" machinist) is working on getting a price per unit for those interested in a set. I had to pay for the stick of Delrin ($67 for 14 inches) and he did the work for me. we are also going to look at other materials for both price, and function reasons although i think the Delrin is going to work out really well.

[mudd]

thanks racerone, thats really helpful info.

If you are familiar with the design of the stock max II adjusters, do you think that if I removed the part that the chain lays on (just leaving the tower that it slides up/down on) and fastened a 3" carriage bolt to the tower, then slid on a steel sleeve with a nylon roller followed by a locking nut, that it would work? The only reason I ask before just tryin it myself is that I assume someone has already tried this as it seems to be too easy, so there must be some reason why it won't work. So why not save myself some trouble if at all possible.