Bought a sled that that A Arm came unglued on. Have people reglued these or figured out some kind of fix?
Fixing A-Arm.............
- Thread starter MikeMetzger
- Start date
If you read up on it the glue softens up at 300 deg or something and you can get the replacement adhesive.
After fixing it, I'd drill in a rivet or 2 or even a small thru bolt on each arm connection to keep them in place if the glue fails.
After fixing it, I'd drill in a rivet or 2 or even a small thru bolt on each arm connection to keep them in place if the glue fails.
How does one get ahold of this special glue? Any idea on how much it is.
PS on another subject, I cant F&*king believe how expensive a replacement lowere A Arm is. Like $250 bucks~! WRF
PS on another subject, I cant F&*king believe how expensive a replacement lowere A Arm is. Like $250 bucks~! WRF
http://www.timbersled.com/polarisPro.htm and get their direct replacement and never have to deal with it or worry about it again. Even if you fix it or get new Sh*t Poo ones you will have to worry about it and think about it everytime you hit a jump or have a hard impact.
And about to glue I think you can get it through polaris dealers, but thats all I know on that topic..
And about to glue I think you can get it through polaris dealers, but thats all I know on that topic..
As for the glue: Mountain Horse created a sticky in the PRO section about it. LORDS 406 is typical but Fusor xxx? is essentially the same stuff (just marketed to different industries) and you can get it from Napa, Auto body stores, etc. take a look.
If you get the paint off where the glue is supposed to be applied it should never come apart again. You could even get someone with a lathe to knurl the end the goes into the aluminum forging. Alignment will be critical but you should be able to get it correct by gluing and installing on the sled and checking for free motion in the five or so minute cure time. Most failures are from bad preparation not joint design. I think the rivet / bolt idea is a waste of time personally but do what you want. Like most things worth doing, if you do them correctly you only have to do it once. If you try and cut corners it will eat your lunch, time and time again.
If you get the paint off where the glue is supposed to be applied it should never come apart again. You could even get someone with a lathe to knurl the end the goes into the aluminum forging. Alignment will be critical but you should be able to get it correct by gluing and installing on the sled and checking for free motion in the five or so minute cure time. Most failures are from bad preparation not joint design. I think the rivet / bolt idea is a waste of time personally but do what you want. Like most things worth doing, if you do them correctly you only have to do it once. If you try and cut corners it will eat your lunch, time and time again.
I don't think that new glue is going to help out much. I glued a set and riveted it last winter and it has already come loose. That makes 2 stock sets (one might have been my fault) and one glued and riveted set that came loose.
I think the rivet idea is a waste of time too unless you are using a high strength steel rivet. I would drill 4 small holes through the tube and end then make sure you have enough glue that will penetrate all the holes. That glue is tough and those holes will give it some serious shear strength. Or just by cro mo after market arms and be done with it forever....
To re-bond... you would have to clean off all old adhesive... abrade the surfaces (I think sandblasing woud be best)... clean all residue with a solvent... let it dry and then use the injection method... not spreading on and pushing together.
Also, alignment must be just right on the tubes... fore/aft and on the pivot axis... or you will just have more problems.
Start at 2:30 into this video for more info.
Also, alignment must be just right on the tubes... fore/aft and on the pivot axis... or you will just have more problems.
Start at 2:30 into this video for more info.
M
Mech Engr
Well-known member
arm
Listen to him, he's got it just right! When I used to do these types joints for both aerospace and semiconductor applications we blasted the surfaces (yes both inside the socket tube and outside the adjoining arm tube) with aluminum oxide. Then it's critical to remove the blast media with soap and water - compressed air won't get it all out - use a bottle brush inside the socket. Dry well and then hit it with the solvent (contact or break cleaner, NO cleaners that are petroleum based). Injection would be ideal but you may not have the gap to get the glue in. If you don't, you can brush it on inside and out of the joint with a CLEAN brush. Remember - you can't have the joint clean enough before gluing. Don't make the mistakes Polaris did with poor and inconsistant preparation.
Good Luck! John
Listen to him, he's got it just right! When I used to do these types joints for both aerospace and semiconductor applications we blasted the surfaces (yes both inside the socket tube and outside the adjoining arm tube) with aluminum oxide. Then it's critical to remove the blast media with soap and water - compressed air won't get it all out - use a bottle brush inside the socket. Dry well and then hit it with the solvent (contact or break cleaner, NO cleaners that are petroleum based). Injection would be ideal but you may not have the gap to get the glue in. If you don't, you can brush it on inside and out of the joint with a CLEAN brush. Remember - you can't have the joint clean enough before gluing. Don't make the mistakes Polaris did with poor and inconsistant preparation.
Good Luck! John
Glued a-arms were certainly not designed for manufacturability. Just the facts - there were no reported failures on the handbuilt demos in 12. There would certainly have been some, the way they were driven. There have been, and will certainly be many more, on the 13's line built. These are not going to get stronger as the miles pile up. For the life of me, I can't see why +1 lbs of weight reduction are worth the risk on one of/the most highest stress-to-safety parts on a sled. If the 14's fail, the end is near.
Then someone will get seriously injured. It's enevitable. Hopefully not some innocent kid, wife, etc. One other thing the internet has reinvented - negligence discovery for attorneys - the OEM product liability lawyers are just figuring this one out. Nothing like a forum for ambulance chasers to find repeat product safety problems.
So, by 15 or 16, they'll be gone. They'll be remembered as another 'gimmicky' innovation in the dust bin of sled history. Rev beavertail. ZR on-the-fly front arm adjuster. Vmax 4. Sometimes the lines blur between gimmick and true innovation. This one will be the former.
Then someone will get seriously injured. It's enevitable. Hopefully not some innocent kid, wife, etc. One other thing the internet has reinvented - negligence discovery for attorneys - the OEM product liability lawyers are just figuring this one out. Nothing like a forum for ambulance chasers to find repeat product safety problems.
So, by 15 or 16, they'll be gone. They'll be remembered as another 'gimmicky' innovation in the dust bin of sled history. Rev beavertail. ZR on-the-fly front arm adjuster. Vmax 4. Sometimes the lines blur between gimmick and true innovation. This one will be the former.
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