edge driveshaft in a gen 2

[flying pig]

Specialty sleds told me a edge driveshaft would fit in my gen 2 so I bought a brand new edge driveshaft and a set of avid 3 pitch 8 tooth drivers for this driveshaft. I argued that the shafts were not the same length but they swore it would work, and that if I didn't go to the 1 1/8 shaft that i'd spin the drivers. That hasn't happened once in over 5 years with wahl bros drivers on this sled and its over 200hp, I've brocken the driveshaft before I've spun the drivers. Point is GOLLY if the damn shafts aren't defferent lengths. The edge shaft is a 1/2" shoerter. How do I make it work, cause of course they wouldn't tell a guy that, that parts top secret! Can anybody on here help me out? This thing can't be half assed, I'd rather lose my $800 than have it break in a heli out zone where it'll cost me $3500 to get my sled out. I know the edge shafts have a tendancy to pop out of the pto end on edge sleds let alone trying to stuff it in a geny. Any help would really cool the fire here! Thanks guys....

 

[longhairfreak]

Another innocent victim bent over at Specialty Sleds.

 

[yoogebear]

i made one fit by shiming the bearing on the inside of the tunnel.it never came apart,but it was just a little 700.good luck.

 

[rmkboxer]

the only thing that I can think of that might work is if you get the clutch shide turned down so you can use the the older floating style bearing with the allen screws in it to hold it on. I have those on my edge sleds.

 

[sled_guy]

First off, something's off... the Gen II and Edge shafts I have in my garage are the same length. I do not know if the Escape shaft is maybe different... maybe that is it.

But regardless, I have done what rmkboxer is talking about. In fact, the Holz drop kit for the Edge does exactly this. You buy the bearing with the set screws and it's sleeve is a little over 1" long. You machine the shaft so it slips on tight and then use it.

I have run this setup for 3 years on my 910 with no issues at all.

sled_guy

 

[rmkboxer]

First off, something's off... the Gen II and Edge shafts I have in my garage are the same length. I do not know if the Escape shaft is maybe different... maybe that is it.

But regardless, I have done what rmkboxer is talking about. In fact, the Holz drop kit for the Edge does exactly this. You buy the bearing with the set screws and it's sleeve is a little over 1" long. You machine the shaft so it slips on tight and then use it.

I have run this setup for 3 years on my 910 with no issues at all.

sled_guy

thats why we did it also for the holz kit

 

[flying pig]

First off, something's off... the Gen II and Edge shafts I have in my garage are the same length. I do not know if the Escape shaft is maybe different... maybe that is it.

But regardless, I have done what rmkboxer is talking about. In fact, the Holz drop kit for the Edge does exactly this. You buy the bearing with the set screws and it's sleeve is a little over 1" long. You machine the shaft so it slips on tight and then use it.

I have run this setup for 3 years on my 910 with no issues at all.

sled_guy

Problem here is any machined shafts I have ever seen have sheared off, clean off. Think I'll check out the regular edge versus the escape shaft, could be different. These guys have been very ignorant to me in the past, I have half a mind to drive down there and deliver a beating with this shaft.

 

[flying pig]

Another innocent victim bent over at Specialty Sleds.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[highmtn]

I've also cut 'em back a half inch wtih no problems on 910 and 995's. use set screw style bearing and you can change it with out pulling driveshaft

 

[flying pig]

First off, something's off... the Gen II and Edge shafts I have in my garage are the same length. I do not know if the Escape shaft is maybe different... maybe that is it.

But regardless, I have done what rmkboxer is talking about. In fact, the Holz drop kit for the Edge does exactly this. You buy the bearing with the set screws and it's sleeve is a little over 1" long. You machine the shaft so it slips on tight and then use it.

I have run this setup for 3 years on my 910 with no issues at all.

sled_guy

if all else fails I'll try this, I'm going to phone Curt at fastrax today and see what his opinion is, he's helped me where others have fell short in the past...

 

[BB454]

shaft

Maybe a dumb question but did you have the collar on the chaincase side of the new shaft? It's about half an inch wide and if you didn't have it on the the shaft it would shift to far toward the chaincase side and apear short. Reason I asked, you mentioned that you bought a new shaft and I doubt they come with the collar and o-ring included from Polaris.

 

[flying pig]

Maybe a dumb question but did you have the collar on the chaincase side of the new shaft? It's about half an inch wide and if you didn't have it on the the shaft it would shift to far toward the chaincase side and apear short. Reason I asked, you mentioned that you bought a new shaft and I doubt they come with the collar and o-ring included from Polaris.

No, didn't know one existed...but it wouldn't really matter anyway, I stood them up on end on the bench and the PTO side is short, I knew I had to move the drivers over 1/4" already.
I called fastrax today and they helped lots. Funny how good ur mood gets when someone wants to help you indstead of trying to make you buy something you don't need. K so here's the verdict, Vertical Escapes have a lightweight chaincase, shorter driveshaft, and a lightweight jackshaft. I ordered a shaft for a Escape because that's the other sled I own, and I'll probably use it for my next project, or if something were to happen to the current chassis mid season, so I buy parts that will interchange now as often as possible. I need a shaft for an 02 edge 800. Problem solved. Specialty should have known that. Plus I know that thing won't spin those drivers because I've ran wahl 3 pitch 8 tooth drivers since 2004 with zero driver failures, they just vibrate. I've brocken shafts but never spun drivers. back to being one happy pig! Thanks Fastrax!

 

[rmkboxer]

curt is the one who cut down one of my driveshafts for me, I am running a ubr 900 with mine and now problems. it is alot easier to change the when you lose the bearing also

 

[flying pig]

curt is the one who cut down one of my driveshafts for me, I am running a ubr 900 with mine and now problems. it is alot easier to change the when you lose the bearing also

only problem with doing something like that is that we ride 100 miles from the truck into heli terrain. If something breaks its a $3500 heli ride out, and I can't afford to take the chance. I'm sure if Curt says its ok then it is, but I'd rather run stock parts if I can...

 

[ultramike]

I ran into the exact same problem this summer, I tried to put an edge driveshaft in a wedge with 3" pitch avid drivers. Personnally, I did not like the idea of having a bearing cantilevered off the end of the drive-shaft with the kind of loads those bearings take. Especially with a 900 ultra engine and the new 162"x2.25" track. I decided not to mess around and just brought a custom drive shaft made from micro-belmont engineering. $175 bucks later, I got a shaft the with the exact same lengths as a wedge driveshaft, but 1-1/8" hex. They also claimed the material they use is stronger than factory. They did a very nice job, but no snow in Michigan to test it out yet...

Hope this helps