2009-2011 Diamond Drive Bearing Failure

silverram323 · Nov 16, 2009

X2 Even my cover seemed to teeter a little and I just shrugged it off as BDX knows what they are doing.

1080paul · Nov 16, 2009

I think the problem you guys are having is the bearing on the back side of the gear is not seating in the cover very good?

I pulled my DD out of my 2010 and the first try after installing the wide bearing was unsuccessful but then I put the gear on the cover first making sure the bearing was seated good then held the gear in place while I lowered it into the planetary. It went on all the way no problem.

I then pulled the cover off again and with the gear in the case the cover went on this time no problem. My sled is new with no miles so maybe the cover just needed to be put on and off a few times?

sledstormed · Nov 16, 2009

1080paul said:
I think the problem you guys are having is the bearing on the back side of the gear is not seating in the cover very good?

I pulled my DD out of my 2010 and the first try after installing the wide bearing was successful but then I put the gear on the cover first making sure the bearing was seated good then held the gear in place while I lowered it into the planetary. It went on all the way no problem.

I then pulled the cover off again and with the gear in the case the cover went on this time no problem. My sled is new with no miles so maybe the cover just needed to be put on and off a few times?

Paul, I've pulled my 2010 DD out 5 times now (4 times w/0 miles and this last time with 110 miles) and finally just trimmed the neck down on the gear and it fits great because I could lower the double wide bearing on the shaft. Maybe I received a case made at 1630 hours on Friday but I marked the back side of the case with chaulk and it was hitting (bottoming out) on the double wide bearing. The stock spacer was just thiner. I could however still get my cover on I just had to force it on (didn't get that "clap" you hear on the 09's)which if you turn the output shaft with the cover forced on you can hear the gears whine much louder than with the stock bearing. These things are already time bombs I just thought forcing the cover on would make the DD that much more prone to CLICK CLICK BOOM..

The 09's had the wider stock spacer so the double wide bearing should work just fine as long as everythings seated correctly (for up above).......

1080paul · Nov 16, 2009

I do like your idea because I know the gear is not lined up with the planetary anymore and that I don't like. I think I'm going to pull my Diamond lite case out of my big sled and see how that one lines up.

RickM · Nov 19, 2009

Kid Rock · Nov 21, 2009

got it on

i called BDX monday and they said to loosen the nuts that hold the drive on the front clip. If you take them off and press with your hands on the drive itself by the track, it pulls the whole thing out enough so you can get the cover on. (1/4 inch tops)

Bolt your cover on and then wrench the housing nuts back on. Kind of scary but they claimed thats all you need to do and it worked. things should be nice and cozy in there now....

it pulls away from the front clip just enough so you can get it on.

I also had to "snap" the lower gear bearing into the cover and then slide everything into the planetary. It was fighting me otherwise.

also, if you attack the bottom 2 bolts with a torx head and a 1/4 inch wrench, you can get them out.

Dano702 · Nov 21, 2009

Thanks for all of the great pictures everyone , great thread. I will be putting a bearing in a sled that just came out of the crate this week. I think it will be better if i just fix it while its still new.

Bad Ram · Nov 22, 2009

Well I pulled my cover off to change oil and check out the bearing... 480 miles on my 09 M8. Pulled the bearing and it looks like brand new, had already gotten the new wide bearing so swapped it out just to be safe. Maybe I am lucky but made a few calls and was told "Some have been bad, some have not." Also talked to local sled mech and said about half of the ones he has seen have all been in good shape. Have a buddy with 1800 miles on his 09 M8, pulled his to change it also and found his to look like new also... maybe a bad lot of bearings????

tlm700 · Nov 22, 2009

diamond drive at 570 miles

Well I opened my dd up to service and found the infamous bad tiawan bearing, took everybodys advise and put in a SKF 5203-2rs. Replacement went well on my 09-M8. had a little trouble getting the cover back on till I took the lower right dowel pin out the the cover practically fell together. once I had a couple of screws in finger tight I used a small pin punch and drove the dowel pin in from the outside till it bottomed out. heres a picture of my bearing, I caught it just in time. Thanks to all for the great info, TLM700

silverram323 · Nov 22, 2009

WOW this really seems to be a big deal. Should be a warranty issue with this bearing.

snowblind · Nov 22, 2009

mine was good at 400, but we all put the new ones in.
I dont get what is different about the '09 to '10.
the dowels will hang it up a bit

killerrf · Nov 22, 2009

i know on my '05 f7ext i remember seeing the wide bearing on the bottom shaft. i havent had my '08 m8 apart yet... it has 2500 miles on and if i decide to keep it another year or two then i better take it part and check things out before this winter.

RickM · Nov 28, 2009

skidooboy · Nov 28, 2009

got my bearings today, gotta make a trip to buy a two or three jaw puller, and get the job done. i am actually doing both our sleds before i ever turn a revolution on the track, on our new sleds.

thanks for the heads up on this rick, and everyone that has helped. the pics and discriptions are great. ski

ripsass · Nov 29, 2009

Tore into mine today.
I knew it would be toast cause it was sounding a bit crunchy the last couple rides.
It was. At under 500 miles too.

Lots of chunks behind the planetary too. Everyone be sure to pull the snap ring and get back there.

Best part is, I probably just "voided" my warranty coverage for the DD by getting into it myself. Oh well, beats having the stealer put another one of Cat's little gems in there.

Doom on the bastards who put those two bottom Torx bolts there too!

snowcatter · Nov 29, 2009

Wow what a long post this has been . . . Several people have asked the question on here about 07-08 drives being affected by this problem, and the answer is YES. It seems that these DD's lasted longer before failing, but failure is emminent. I am currently doing the drive on my old 07 M8. The problem with these drives is that the gear has no spacer and must be machined down to accept the wider 05-06 bearing ( yes the M7 bearing is the one 1602-348 from Arctic-Cat) I have a few of these drives that I will be fixing . . I have a lathe, so I do the machining myself, but a decent machine shop will be able to do it for you. Our local Cat Dealer has about a dozen of them in the shop right now getting this update done. Dealerships will never admit to a customer that they are aware of a problem until the manufacturer officially releases a recall. The generic response is always "we have never heard of anyone having this problem" which is a flat out lie, but they have to say it. It is the same with every brand, they all do it. Speaking from past experience, just remove the drive from the sled . . it is easy to do, and it is the right way to do it. You can inspect it easily on the bench, clean it if needed, and are more likely to get it re-assembled properly.
I have not personally tore into a 2010 drive yet, but I have a new LE sitting in the shop, so probably pretty soon.
I will post some pictures for you when I get it finished

Killerk · Nov 29, 2009

I just put all new bdx bearings in my 08 1000. They were fine at 2500 miles, changed anyway.
No special tools needed to remove them, a tapered punch and a light tap, they come right off.

colorado logger · Nov 29, 2009

Bearing

After reading entire thread, I'm starting to wonder if the builder of DD, might of used single row bearing and spacer to get the gears to line up.

My sled is 09 M8- with 825 hard miles, first I trained DD oil. The oil looked and checked out fine ( no contamination ). Still I pulled the cover, and the gear. Ever part looked brand new. Darn I don"t think I'll install the double until I talk to BDX.

This hole issue is terrible, originally I wasn't going to worry. I was just going to change my oil and ride it. If the thing was to grenade I'd make cat fix it under warranty. And then I've been installing some mods, so no warranty.

This is a very good thread, I've learned a lot, hope to learn more.
thanks a ton to everyone,
logger

Rprecision · Nov 29, 2009

colorado logger said:
After reading entire thread, I'm starting to wonder if the builder of DD, might of used single row bearing and spacer to get the gears to line up.

My sled is 09 M8- with 825 hard miles, first I trained DD oil. The oil looked and checked out fine ( no contamination ). Still I pulled the cover, and the gear. Ever part looked brand new. Darn I don"t think I'll install the double until I talk to BDX.

This hole issue is terrible, originally I wasn't going to worry. I was just going to change my oil and ride it. If the thing was to grenade I'd make cat fix it under warranty. And then I've been installing some mods, so no warranty.

This is a very good thread, I've learned a lot, hope to learn more.
thanks a ton to everyone,
logger

I am glad I did mine, these bearing dont seem to be that high of quality to begin with. Mine was not smoked but it was getting ready to go

With your turbo, I would think this is a must

ripsass · Nov 30, 2009

anyone know the #'s for the other bearings in there? I need new ones for me new gears and don't want the junk ones the dealers have.

Is there a SK or CRB # for the two really narrow ones and the big fat one?

2009-2011 Diamond Drive Bearing Failure

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