Finally figured why my right rear axle has been giving me so much trouble

[jshade]

Turns out that I broke the right rear transmission stud (the front left nut was loose as well). That allowed the transmission to shift and roll under a heavy load causing sudden force changes in the chain and gears on the right side (different angle on the left side so force changes were not so great).

I realized that I really had a problem the last day at Busco Beach (Oct 2011) when I broke the gear off the gear tube. According to a mechanic friend, the amount of stress required to do that could have bend the frame or ripedp the axle bearing out of the flange as well. Guess I was lucky.

I'm looking for someone to remove the broken stud from the transmission and plan on getting it back together by this next week. Any suggestions of something else I should look at while it's all apart would be appreciated.

Johney (Durect) Shade

[dandreasen]

These bolts have broken twice on my Max IV. Both times it was on the right hand (passenger side). The factory has a kit that puts a tab on the transmission bolts that helps prevent them from turning out. They also include new bolts in the kit. Call Recreatives Industries and talk to their parts department to order it.

Good luck!

[jshade]

Had a friend replace the broken stud, but it all back together and determined that was not the problem. It may have been a result of the problem. To basically describe, the left side adjuster performs as expected, but the left doesn't. Basically if I tighten the adjuster until the chain is tight, then the adjuster sprocket is touching the gear sprocket (hence the unusual noice when I adjusted it this way while at Busco).

It is possible that when I adjusted it so the chain was tight it put so much force on the transmission stud that it broke. I'm goind to remove all the right side stuff (to include the Motor, transmission, axle, gear, and both sets of flanges). I'm working right now on the assumption that the force that I applied to the right side while I was trying to adjusting it might have damaged the bearing flange mount point on the frame.

But until I get the parts out so I can see what I broken, its all guess work.

Johney Shade