Max II followed me home.

[Nortonscustoms]

Bought a 1994 Max II with a Briggs 14hp twin. Was a 6 hour drive from home but from the pictures seemed to be worth the gamble. Was not disappointed. It's really clean and in great shape. One owner and came with all the original paperwork. I'm pretty excited.







Other than a little TLC and tires it should be good to go. Which leads me to me first question, what is the best option for a stock replacement tire?

[Noel Woods]

I like the 24" Argo tires. They swim well, mud well, and are light weight. They are not the most durable tire though. I have a high quality tire sealant in mine so that thorns or tree roots don't do much to them. Before using the sealant it was a different story.

I would recommend pulling that 14hp. Max 2's do really well with 18hp-23hp. I have an 18 now in my Max2 that was basically a clone of the one you have. It was a world of difference going up 4 hp. The 18hp is identical in size and weight to the 14, and they are readily available.

[john swenson]

nice find ..can't beat a max 2 . looks like it goes nice with your other toys !! have fun jboy va.

[Nortonscustoms]

Thanks John, we got lucky finding this one.

Noel, really like the idea of an 18hp that seems like a great combo. Will most likely do that next winter. I love my Hustler but this Max is a better engineered machine and much easier to work on. Called the "local" Argo dealer, holysmokes they really like their tires!

We took the Max and Hustler out for a ride today. What ridiculously fun machines to go explore the countryside with. The wife is super excited to take the Max swimming.

[john swenson]

norton ...where do you and yours live ? looks like lots of nice area to ride . jboy

[Nortonscustoms]

John, we're is Northwestern IL. The charm of Iowa and Wisconsin with all the draw backs of Illinois.


Ordered new tires. Wanted to try the Argo style now offered by D&A Restorations but wasn't sure if they would clear the body. So ended up getting Carlisle AT101.

Sandblasted and repainted the wheels.




The tread of the Carlisle is nearly identical to the old Rawhides.




Also replaced the chains and drive belt. Once the last 2 tires come in that UPS lost the little Max should all ready for summer.

[john swenson]

those look great and rims too . what size are the tires . i run 25's on my max 2 ...but it's tub is lifted with the subframe i built . i could run 30's probably . jb

[Nortonscustoms]

The old and new tires are both 21x11-8. There's only about 3/4" to 1" clearance between the lower body tube and the top of the middle/front tires. I didn't want to risk tires rubbing so just stayed with the stock size.

[mike d]

Hi Norton. I think my Max 2 had 22s but whatever. I believe u can get a 16 HP carb and take out the exhaust restrictors and u have 16 HP. Cheaper than an 18 for now. Mine had a 16 and went real well. I miss it. O well. Good luck. Mike D.

[Nortonscustoms]

Thanks Mike good to know. That's the great thing about those Vanguard twins, they leave a lot on the table. Little tweaking and tuning and you can really wake them up. Lot of guys around here are into mower tractor pulling. They build the twins into absolute monsters!

[john swenson]

i bypassed the governor on my max 2 , 21 hp briggs twin vanguard . set a stop clamp at 3500 rpm . what a difference . quick power and easy throttle on my hand . i rarely drive very fast .. i'm still easy on the engine . jboy va

[Nortonscustoms]

John, glad to hear you got your throttle sorted out and it's working better for you.

[Nortonscustoms]

The new tires are working out well and have got the little Max's engine dialed in perfect. This is a great machine.

Couple photos of the Max doing Max stuff.

[john swenson]

looks like a great place to ride ! always fun having some water to play in . i have a small swampy area on my land , when it rains it gets nice and muddy . your machine looks good.... keep at it . johnboy va