2005 Max II Snapped Solid Splined Rear Axle

[Jedon]

You can see what happened in the first pic, snow jammed up between the wheel and the body then froze overnight and when I went to turn it put a massive amount of stress on the axle. Now there is 3ft of new snow on the road and the Max was our snow plow, I guess we are stuck here for a while.
batmobilelostawheel.jpg
6x6rearaxle1.jpg
6x6rearaxle2.jpg
I should just order a new axle eh?
This happen to anybody else?
-Jedon

[Mike]

Man, that sucks. You may be able to remove the tracks and just run on 5 wheels if you are in dire need of plowing yourself a path out.

[Jedon]

Thanks but the snow is way too deep for wheels, last time I tried that I got really stuck. I gotta couple cases of beer and a bottle of tequila, we'll be fine :-D

[brushcutter]

NASTY!!!
You could try a couple of rolls of duct tape, but I don't think it likes snow either

[Eldon]

Thats a rough go Jedon.Tracks are capable of breaking axles alright.Too much air in the tires with tracks is another way.I keep my Max II in a heated garage for just those reasons but realize that isn't always possible.You need a new axle,no question.When you get it repaired you can reduce a repeat chance of this some by cleaning the snow from around the tracks after use before it freezes in there.

[Jedon]

It sounds like I may have my tire pressure too high? I have them all at 4.5 psi.
So far I've ripped all the teeth off a sprocket, broken a 530 o-ring roller chain, broke my throttle cable and now snapped an axle.
I'm learning a lot on how to work on it though!

[Eldon]

My reading on tire pressure with factory tracks had the pressure at around 2.5-3 psi with the option to slightly increase pressure when the tracks stretch slightly.It was indicated no higher than 5 psi.The trick is though an accurate low pressure tire gauge.A lot of the cheaper gauges really aren't accurate until near 8 or more psi. I don't think 4.5 psi would be the direct cause of your trouble.I too am running in about 4 feet of snow and learned a valuable lesson yesterday.I got stuck on a wildly steep grade yesterday and used the winch.I winched in the direction I wanted to go which I had not been across and laid tracks in the snow.When I winched,I winched myself into a high center situation.I will be several days before I can laugh about it.LOL. When stuck in the snow and winching,winch yourself back around to the tracks you have made in the snow!I have the mate to your machine Jedon and I went yesterday in fresh snowfall,I didn't see any snowmobiles following me.There was nothing to tie the winch cable yesterday and it was my first time stuck in the snow,I learned quickly how to use a pole drove in the snow as an anchor.Until I winched I simply couldn't go up the hill to where I wanted when I winched I couldn't go up the hill or back down it either.Good luck getting it running.

[Jedon]

I have a v-plow so as long as I keep it down enough I won'd high center going forward but the other day I was turning around and backed up into some deep snow and got high centered. I went to winch myself out but my batteries were low and it stalled the Max and then it wouldn't start again! Luckily I was only about 1100 ft from home so went back, grabbed the hilift jack, a tow strap, a chain, a snow shovel, a spare battery and jumper cables. That got me out! Lesson learned, do not back up into snow, and always carry a shovel.