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2013 Drive Shaft Poll

2013 Drive Shaft Failed/Not Failed Poll

  • Over 50 Miles, No Problems

    Votes: 143 31.4%

  • Under 50 Miles, No Problems

    Votes: 52 11.4%

  • Over 50 Miles with Fix

    Votes: 10 2.2%

  • Under 50 Miles with Fix

    Votes: 3 0.7%

  • Blew with less than 50 Miles

    Votes: 36 7.9%

  • Blew with more than 50 Miles

    Votes: 15 3.3%

  • Have no ridden yet

    Votes: 198 43.4%
  • Total voters
    456
WHAT do you think about fixing the shaft in that way on the picture?
If the main problem is glue quality, so drive shaft crash is inevitable! It's just a matter of time! No one fixing item like http://www.2strokeheads.com/CLAMP.htm will do nothing good! I propose to fix the shaft cover with a screw through the whole body of the shaft with 2 screw nuts!

In that way the cover won't move! Any useless glue will no longer needed (sorry for my grammar, I'm russian, huh. Kamchatka peninsula).

So what do you think about that idea? We are all here frightened with that problem! We have already several issues here with that damn drive shaft. So we need to resolve this problem as soon as possible.

Fixing the drive shaft cover.jpg
 
Maybe it will be more informative to add 2 more parameters to the poll:
Blew with less than 50 Miles with fix
Blew with more than 50 Miles with fix

...to understand would that fix solve the problem or wouldn't!
 
YADA said:
WHAT do you think about fixing the shaft in that way on the picture?
If the main problem is glue quality, so drive shaft crash is inevitable! It's just a matter of time! No one fixing item like http://www.2strokeheads.com/CLAMP.htm will do nothing good! I propose to fix the shaft cover with a screw through the whole body of the shaft with 2 screw nuts!

In that way the cover won't move! Any useless glue will no longer needed (sorry for my grammar, I'm russian, huh. Kamchatka peninsula).

So what do you think about that idea? We are all here frightened with that problem! We have already several issues here with that damn drive shaft. So we need to resolve this problem as soon as possible.
Click to expand...

In my opinion, the wrong 4 screws/bolts are shown because they are not fully threaded and do not have anything to keep them from backing out, and the thickness of steel cap is not enough to engage a sufficient amount of threads, in order to hold the screw/bolt. Neither the steel cap nor the aluminum axle will have adequate edge distance to be able to get the proper size self tapping TEK screw in there, due to the limitations of the tiny 1/2" depth (that Polaris engineers no doubt developed after extensive testing and research, ya right). This driveshaft appears to be virtually impossible to repair with mechanical fasteners alone.
 
Just talked to my sledding partner and he said there was 5 Pros waiting for shafts at polaris in Chilliwack BC, talked to Spectra a couple weeks ago and they said they had done 3 already to, I hope Polaris gets movin
 
bubba94 said:
Just talked to my sledding partner and he said there was 5 Pros waiting for shafts at polaris in Chilliwack BC, talked to Spectra a couple weeks ago and they said they had done 3 already to, I hope Polaris gets movin
Click to expand...

You and I both. I have not rode mine yet. It has been warm and no snow. Was wanting to get some miles on it here on the flatland before heading west.
 
Not true about Polaris not using the 2013 driveshaft in the proptotypes. All of them had the new style driveshaft. All of those sleds were flogged hard! I rode one that had 1,700 miles on it for a day in early May. It had been abused but there was never a driveshaft problem. It is a manufacturing problem, not a design problem.
 
YADA said:
WHAT do you think about fixing the shaft in that way on the picture?
If the main problem is glue quality, so drive shaft crash is inevitable! It's just a matter of time! No one fixing item like http://www.2strokeheads.com/CLAMP.htm will do nothing good! I propose to fix the shaft cover with a screw through the whole body of the shaft with 2 screw nuts!

In that way the cover won't move! Any useless glue will no longer needed (sorry for my grammar, I'm russian, huh. Kamchatka peninsula).

So what do you think about that idea? We are all here frightened with that problem! We have already several issues here with that damn drive shaft. So we need to resolve this problem as soon as possible.
Click to expand...

Yada, as someone who does structural destructive testing for a living, I don't think there is enough material thickness for threading to be effective. You would be limited to very low torque, not enough to be effective.
The only way a bolt-type fix MIGHT be effective would be to drill a 5/16" hole on every flat of the hex through both pieces, then remove the insert, deburr all pieces, weld 6 high grade nuts to the inside of the insert and then you can re-bond and bolt tight. Another issue would be ensuring the insert is installed so it runs true....which shouldn't be difficult.
At this point, the encapsulating collar seems to be the best bandaid until Polaris has a replacement.
 
I dont think polaris has any collars installed yet, and I haven't seen any reports of failures with aftermarket collars. Please post if i'm wrong.
 
~150 miles now, 4 rides, last two days was in 3-4ft of Prime Northwest Pooohtatos. She's a dirty dirty whore who loves a good powder pounding and has had no complaints about the shaft. She did request I stopped ramming her against trees though, she doesn't want her new party dress ruined.
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1355209264.268067.jpg

Brother & I have new Pros. Today was our first ride(Yakima, Wa), his driveshaft broke at 11 mi. No collar installed.
 
If you have a collar there is no way it will break there, you have too much cross sectional area! With it clamped there is probably up to 1000 lbs. of clamp load depending upon bolt torque, as long as it is not designed to bottom out against itself at a specified dia.. The only way it could possibly break is right behind the collar itself if it does not have a proper radius. As long as the collar transmits some of the load thru the internal webbing all will be good! It is just the outer edge where the web is removed that the trouble will begin! It is all based on cross sectional area, applied loads and tensile strength of material I won't even go into fatigue cycling! Remember you have 95+ ft.lbs. of torque at the primary clutch, then multiply by at least 3 to 1 starting out, then multiply by gear ratio and that is your highest load the shaft should see besides shock load which is at least double that. I bet people that are smooth with the throttle and don't torque snap the throttle to test responsiveness will have way less problems! Can anyone tell me the thickness of the aluminum extrusion, I would guess .083 to .095w? I am sure they will make the steel endcaps deeper for future with proper interference fit! I hope the Polaris collars are deeper than the internal contact area of the fitting? Mike
 
Last edited:
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