Keyed to Splined shaft upgrade

[SlickO]

I noticed some wear on my 2015 TS LT, so started looking at sprockets and they are the keyed kind at 90 a pop add the chain on top of that and it looks like a big chunk of change. So I'm looking at changing over to a splined shafts, has anyone done this and what can I reuse and what need to be converted? I did search the forums and the information is somewhat dated. Is it worth converting? The quote I got for parts is around $600-700, is there a cheaper way of doing this.

 

[eric82930]

I did the swap back when the spine sprockets were $20 now Polaris has raised the prices on everything so I'm not sure it's going to save as much money in the long run but the spine sprockets are way more reliable and easy to get off without a press or a jackhammer

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

swapping to keyed

goI' ve done two, helped on three others.

Go to the double bearings, its a must do.

buy the splined shafts from POL., shop for the sprockets, I have several 17 tooth that you could buy.

If you just look at the complete parts list, looks like you have to buy a whole new brake setup. We found it was simpler cheaper and lasts, to just cut one of the female splines on the new shaft where the disc goes deeper to 1/4" and run all the old brake setup. this is not a part that ruins and screws the shaft if you run the 1/4' key.

Beware that from kit to kit and looking over the spacers necessary, you might not have the right ones, and even with the right ones your chains may not perfectly align. Go to a good steel supplier, and buy the closest heavy wall steel tube and cut spacers to fit, sitting at my desk I don't recall the size, just take an old spacer to them and buy a stick of pipe, it will have a slightly bigger ID ...works as good as, for $15. Its worth the effort, besides you need new bearing to start the season anyway.

Bearings, ...............the polaris bearing are good quality and priced right, don't figure, but go with quality and compare .

If you need to put in the double bearing, it helps to have the jig out of the old TS conversion kit, makes drilling the hole correctly a snap. If you can't find one pm me, I have had several and mailed them out for use, and I think at lease on came back last spring.

 

[Zad]

I've got all the parts for the double bearing upgrade including shaft for the '14 timbersled LT. I had planned to do mine but I'm not riding this winter. If the double bearing kit parts that work on the '14 TS will work on yours let me know.

 

[SlickO]

Thanks for the replies. Mine is a 2015 so the bearings should be good. As far as the brake I'm still not sure, will need to look at diagrams to get a understanding of it. So if I get the shafts the brake can be made to fit, and will need spacers to center the jack shaft sprocket? Do people replace bearings every season?

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

bearings

I ride 5 or 6 times a month Dec through April, I have never made it through a season on my four different snow bike kits with a set of bearings. If you get far from the truck, then fresh bearing in the fall, and new bearings before spring riding.

 

[SlickO]

I ride 5 or 6 times a month Dec through April, I have never made it through a season on my four different snow bike kits with a set of bearings. If you get far from the truck, then fresh bearing in the fall, and new bearings before spring riding.

What year kit you running? Are you jumping? Mine is on third season and same bearings.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

SLED KIT

THIS SEASON I AM on a 2013 that I have continually modified, bearings shafts, side panel stiffeners, better shocks, heat exchanger, strut shock gone, bumper, rear panel, brake cover, mid upper idle wheels, mod rear wheels, 2018 track.

On this kit I have only once had a bearing grenade and leave me in the woods. Other times when I changed out the bearings, the two lower left bearings are always rough and on the way out. The one time totaled bearing out riding , failure was the double bearing on the upper jack shaft.


Any jump I make is a mistake, I'm 70 years old, bearing failures are just result of long days of covering ground off trail, ktm 500, lots of steep hillsides and rough pounding snow mounds flexing the side panels total bearings.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

by the way

riding LOLO pass tomarrow.

 

[SlickO]

Where do you get the bearings? And what are the part numbers? Looked at Polaris website and they are not expensive, but from an older thread 6205-RS are $20 for 10 on Amazon. For 2015 kit they changed the bearings, or just doubled them.