gearing

[thejunkman]

Anyone ever gear down a max 4 for more power?

[Moike]

I have not geared one down. But the more we read around the more we realize that we usually go for more horsepower......WooHoo!!!!!

[Don]

I've changed the gear ratio on Attexes and Chaparrals, but never a Max (yet). You need to change one of the sprockets on the axles (bigger sprocket for lower gearing) or on the drive (bigger sprocket for higher gearing). On the six-chain systems you need to change only one sprocket on each side, on the four-chain that Attex used, you need to change two. On your Max 4 I think your only option is changing the axle sprockets, and you're limited as to how low you can go by clearance at the bottom of the tub.

Don

[liflod]

You may want to try the different spring on the driven clutch. It's supposed to keep it geared lower,longer. There were some posts about it on this board somewhere. Its either the red or green spring to gear it down. Also make sure your belt is tight. Not factory spec tight, but tighter. This will gear it down some more.

[thejunkman]

gearing

I changed the spring to red it helped but not enough im also looking for 9inch rims too.

[mudbug3]

I installed the red spring on my Max IV , 25 hp , and this really helped my low end for climbing hills . Thumbs up for the red spring kit .

[liflod]

What engine are you running?

I think the axle sprockets are maxed out on the Max IV. Any larger , you'll probably hit the tub.

How about a larger diameter driven clutch? I'm not sure if they are even out there.

[mudbug3]

For the 25 hp motor , I,m running in my Max IV , the red spring works great for me .

[thejunkman]

gearing

im running the 23hp kohler I thought about switching to smaller tires it has 26" now.

[micmac]

Junkman,

I have the 16 hp in my Max IV and it has the 34 tooth rear axle drive sprocket (the big one) chained to the T-20. This is the biggest sprocket you can use, mine just barely clear the tub.

Speaking of gearing maybe the Gurus can chime in with an in depth explanation. I'm thinking that the T 20 to axle must be like a bike. Small at the source (t-20) to large at the driven side ( the axle drive sprocket) results in lower gearing I.E. less effort per revolution. I assume this limits top end speed within the rpm range of the set up. Like if you try to pedal a mountain bike really fast in it's lowest gear.

How does the other common sprockets (the ones that are all the same) fit into the equation?

What kind of formula do you use to determine a proper gear ratio? I curios if I were to change to a higher HP engine would my current sprockets work or would they need to change? I'm also guessing if I get larger tires it would require more effort to achieve the same axle rpm but because the gearing change you may achieve a higher vehicle speed per axle RPM. Let me know if I'm on the right path

Mike

[whipper-ag]

Yeah, Micmac, you're on the right track. A smaller driven sprocket will give you more top end speed. Bigger tires will give you more top end speed, also. The question is, what kind of speeds are you looking for? By gearing it up & adding more HP will still give you the best of both worlds. The HP will make up for the higher gearing & give you the low end back. The common sprockets that are all the same don't fit into the equation. They are 1:1 ratio. They all turn the same RPM as the driven axle. Gear it high enough & you'll need to make it a springer.

Whipper