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IF YOU ARE GOING TO RUN THE 2011/12 SHAFT IN THE 2013

mountainhorse

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This post is for those of you that have decided to use the previous model years steel drive-shafts in your 2013 PRO RMK.

Although the best method is to let your dealer handle the service of a broken/defective unit... some of the readers of this forum wanted to take their own pro-active approach in preventing an issue in their short season.

If you have decided to run the steel driveshaft... then a bit of prevention can make your installation more successful.

In a recent bulletin... Polaris Industries warns:
While steel drive shafts from other RMK models may fit, Polaris does not recommend this because there is a risk of the shaft seizing on to the inner bearing race and lower drive sprocket.
They are saying this in good-faith to try to prevent additional problems from arising.

Because Polaris has no ability to control the methods and materials that a consumer may use, they need to recommend an dealer-based solution that will maintain industry standards in terms of installation quality and parts compatibility. Simply put... often, many consumer will not take proper measures in their own installations of the steel shaft to prevent further problems down the road.

"
seizing on to the inner bearing race and lower drive sprocket" means that it would be very difficult to remove the shaft without damaging parts. If the shaft DOES seize to the inner bearing, you may destroy the shaft or the bearing mounting plate in the process of removal.
"Seizing" does not indicate a seizing of the bearing in terms of rotation.


The reason for this is that the steel shafts do not have any kind of a corrosion inhibitor on them. They normally run, on the sprocket end, in a bath of oil from the chaincase past the seal.

The aluminum shafts... which do not run the splined end in oil, are coated with a corrosion inhibitor on the steel-stub end.

As a side note: C3 has been running their SkiDoo XP belt drive conversions that run the stock steel drive-shaft/stub with very good luck... those are also converted from an oil-bath chaincase.

Liberal application of a good corrosion inhibitor like BOESHIELD T-9 in conjunction with a good anti-sieze lubricant on the splines themselves should give you good results and minimize the chances of siezure in the bearing/sprocket...but in the end, the decision is yours as to the methods you want to use.

Here is the method that I will be using on my own installations.

In a warm room, with the shaft at room temp, clean the shaft well with scotch brite... wipe with alcohol, spray on Boeshield... wait a bit... give it 2 more coats... then apply molybdenum anti-sieze to the stub bearing journal and splines... also to the bore of the sprocket and on the shaft-spines... then assemble... you should have no corrosion issues.

throughout the season... tip the sled on it's side and give a little spray, all around the shaft where it enters the bearing of the T-9.

Boeshield-T-9-.jpg
Anti-Seize+Lubricants+-+8+oz+permatex+anti+seizelubricant.jpg




















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Turbo11T

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I have a question? You do realize that steel shafts are used in bearings all over the place in farm machinery, lawn equiptment, etc, etc, RIght? I wouldn't be the least bit worried about a bearing to shaft seizure. Put some moly grease on it. You can't hardly wash that off your hands if you wanted to. Same with Antiseize.
 

rp2000r

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I was lucky and found one of the last 12 shafts and my local dealer installed it for free..I will run it untill we get a fix.
 
X

xc6rider

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If you guys are worried about the potential bearing issue with a '11/'12 shaft, just buy some extras. Check em or replace them every couple trips...

Just stay on top of it. If its a big trip ahead, put new ones on. In all likely-hood, youll be able to abuse the living crap out of those bearings, in a much greater fashion then the '13 shaft may offer!
 
M

modsledr

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I have a question? You do realize that steel shafts are used in bearings all over the place in farm machinery, lawn equiptment, etc, etc, RIght? I wouldn't be the least bit worried about a bearing to shaft seizure. Put some moly grease on it. You can't hardly wash that off your hands if you wanted to. Same with Antiseize.

You are correct that Steel on Steel is used in many applications. What MH is saying is that in pretty much ALL of those applications they use a corrosion inhibitor.


If you guys are worried about the potential bearing issue with a '11/'12 shaft, just buy some extras. Check em or replace them every couple trips...
Just stay on top of it. If its a big trip ahead, put new ones on. In all likely-hood, youll be able to abuse the living crap out of those bearings, in a much greater fashion then the '13 shaft may offer!

This post is NOT about bearing failure...it's a warning to use some form of corrosion inhibitor so the steel driveshaft doesn't corrode/fuse to the inner bearing race.

There's no way to "Check em" without attempting to remove the driveshaft.
 

Hawkster

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For the guys that don't have any anti-sieze on hand , try the copper base anti-sieze .
 

mountainhorse

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I prefer the molybdenum based anti-sieze... handles higher pressure than the copper, and is more tenacious than the copper in wet environments.

Molybdenum is also the anti-seize of choice when dissimilar metals are used (aluminum sprocket, steel shaft, ss bearing)

my 2 cents.
 
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xc6rider

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You are correct that Steel on Steel is used in many applications. What MH is saying is that in pretty much ALL of those applications they use a corrosion inhibitor.




This post is NOT about bearing failure...it's a warning to use some form of corrosion inhibitor so the steel driveshaft doesn't corrode/fuse to the inner bearing race.

There's no way to "Check em" without attempting to remove the driveshaft.

Im very well aware of that... By checking them, i meant to physically taking it apart and doing so. Hence the, keeping spares on hand and changing them.

I apologize if i missled you to think that bearings replace themselves...
 

PistonBroke

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The bearing is not the problem xc6rider. The problem is that if you don't protect the shaft with some corrosion inhibitor and some antiseize, you may end up with a hell of a time getting it apart in the future without hurting something.
 
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xc6rider

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I know that, but if you start to have problems with the mating surfaces, are you going to replace the bearing, or the shaft?? Id definitely be going the bearing route...
 
M
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2013 in 2012?

So I have a friend with a 2013 pro with anti ratchets and a 3" track on his sled that wants to trade me my 2012 shaft stock drivers and track because he is selling his sled. So my question is can 13' shaft go on a 12'?
 
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