bearing news

[john swenson]

just to share .. my max 2 highboy has the chains and axle bearings exposed to the mud , etc. the axle bearings are 2'' mounted in the 4'' square cast iron housings . after 2 years i am needing to replace my first bearing after tons of mud and water exposure . i think the fact that i can easily wash them and the chains off after each muddy ride , and easy to grease and lube them both is the reason they have lasted so long . and much easier on my back ! johnboy va,

[trevorakm1]

thanks for the update. I remember when you made this mod on the max. you soon had video of running it at Busco. I'll say it I was skeptical as you don't shy from the muddiest of mud puddles. good to know. I try to keep as much debris out of the tub as possible to eliminate the extra wear on chains and as I thought the bearings also.

[john swenson]

as i said before ..for me the ability to unbolt and drop the whole axle ( after taking off chains ) and set it on the workbench and slide the bearings off the axle and replace instead of trying to pull the axle out of the frame is easier for me . even if the bearings are tight on the axle , they are right there to tap or press of quickly . bending down in the tub and trying to heat,beat, or grind a bearing that won't budge got old. with bearings and chains in the tub we all know regular cleaning and lubing is the key. some of those bearing can be awfully hard to get at , j.b.

[trevorakm1]

oh yeah, I had a blown out bearing on my argo when I first got it. wasn't fun to remove. it was the right front inner bearing or what was left of it. I changed all the bearings to start fresh and much of it was a fight just due to neglect from the previous owwner. Hence why I'm a nut about a clean debris free tub. oh and lots of never seize in the rebuild. thanks for the update John.

I also went and added, where I could on the inside of the upper hull, some of that 1/4' chicken wire screen to keep leaves and pine needles out. I added some of that rubber roof material to the floor boards to act as a gasket for the same purpose.

The whole rebuild put a bad taste in my mouth for neglect on these machines.

[john swenson]

trev ... so does the anti seize work good right where the bearings go on the axle ? never used it but was thinking yesterday maybe anti sieze will help for next removal . i guess you don't want it where the locking collar goes , otherwise inner race won't spin in bearing if lock collar is slipping on axle ? j boy

[trevorakm1]

hey John after fighting with the teardown I used it at the bearing / axle area. I don't have a press so did it all cave man style so I put anti seize there. I'm not a mechanic but was advised by one to use it. He saw what the tear down was like. I have since found that the never seize actually solidifies to some extent over time but still aids in the release between parts. I see someone answered your other post sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I'm also not familiar with the locking collars you mention as my argo doesn't have them. love watching videos of your rig though and amazed at the durability of your set up being fully exposed and you don't shy from the mud.

[john swenson]

thanks trev , it has performed and held up really well . the subframe did add weight to the machine , but the ease of keeping the sprockets , chains and bearings in good shape for me is worth it . i'm running a 22 h.p. vanguard motor .. so it has enough power . only took me 5 minutes to drop the axle and next day maybe 15 minutes to remove old bearings and sprockets ... replace bearings ..reassemble . 5 minutes to bolt it back on . put chains back and thats it. i remember being bent over in that tub beat ing , grinding , etc. on bearings etc. don't miss that any more ! johnboy

[trevorakm1]

i'm envious.

[449fitter]

You can use anti size on locking collars.

[john swenson]

good idea .... j.b.