Rear Bogies - Warped and Melting?

[sdmc]

Has anyone else seen this? I took two 2013 Pro RMK 800 - 163 sleds to Tri-City in Centerville, Utah last year for service. The machines had 200 miles on them. The two rear bogies were fine when they completed the service. Last year we only ran the sleds 250 miles. When I took them in for service this year, both rear bogies were warped and had melted some ON BOTH MACHINES. Tri-City said it had nothing to do with their service and track adjustments the previous year. As such, they wouldn't stand behind their work. I know for a fact we didn't hit rocks and I used an older machine for spring snow. Anybody else have this problem with their sleds? The service manager claimed the tension was set at Polaris specs. I'll swap out the bogies myself and would hate to trash the new ones.

 

[mountainhorse]

Both sleds have melted wheels?

Can you post some pics?


.

 

[mickyd32]

I don't see this as a track tension issue, could possibly be caused by someone adjusting track tension though

I am thinking you have bad bearings in the rear axle- however to have that many bad bearings in both your sleds at that low mileage is very unlikely

The next possibility is that you have improperly assembled rear axles and things are not spinning freely. If the same person did the assembly or service this is likely

The next possibility is that someone torqued your rear axle bolts to some freakish amount like 700 foot pounds - try cracking the 15mm bolts that run through the read axle, see how tight they are. Should be tight but not 4 foot breaking bar tight

I would like to see some pics of this. I am thinking this is heat warping. Not impact bending. So very unlikely for the exact same issue on 2 sleds to be non mechanically related

Edit : try putting the sleds up on a stand and spinning the track. Check both sides of the rear axles. Are the idlers actually spinning? Or is the track just spinning around the idlers causing a ton of friction?

Also put the sled on the side and see if you can spin the track over by hand. It should be tight to spin but not hard

 

[sdmc]

I just put up the stand and lifted the track. It a lot of pressure to move the track by hand. The wheels are really wobbly when the engine makes the track spin. Could it be a heat issue even when running with the ice scratchers down? I ordered new bogies and will post pictures as we do the replacement. How many foot pounds would you torque the axle bolt? I'll look at the bearings as well. I can't believe that I'm having the same issue on 2 sleds and on both bogies on the 2 sleds. Seems really strange.

 

[LoudHandle]

A picture would definitely help us, help you.

My additional thought is; were they exposed to road salts? The DOT here in Alaska used what they claimed was Magnesium Chloride for a few winters. That stuff would eat nearly anything; including plastics, the paving polymer they use in asphalt / chip seal overlay, as well as the normal effects salts have on metals. Nasty stuff, just a thought.

Convinced me to never transport using an open trailer, nor ride the ditches.

 

[AZ800]

I just put up the stand and lifted the track. It a lot of pressure to move the track by hand. The wheels are really wobbly when the engine makes the track spin. Could it be a heat issue even when running with the ice scratchers down? I ordered new bogies and will post pictures as we do the replacement. How many foot pounds would you torque the axle bolt? I'll look at the bearings as well. I can't believe that I'm having the same issue on 2 sleds and on both bogies on the 2 sleds. Seems really strange.

Never heard or seen this in 30 years of riding.
What's melted, by the bearings?
How tight is the track? Any sag to it? The Pros can't run real loose but I don't recall the sag spec.
Never used a torque wrench on the rear axle bolts. Just hand tight with a 3/8 ratchet and don't loc tite them.
It's not mag chloride IMO. I've hauled many open sled trailers in CO for years and they've been using mag forever.

 

[mickyd32]

I just put up the stand and lifted the track. It a lot of pressure to move the track by hand. The wheels are really wobbly when the engine makes the track spin. Could it be a heat issue even when running with the ice scratchers down? I ordered new bogies and will post pictures as we do the replacement. How many foot pounds would you torque the axle bolt? I'll look at the bearings as well. I can't believe that I'm having the same issue on 2 sleds and on both bogies on the 2 sleds. Seems really strange.

There should be no "wobble" in the wheels what so ever. Check to make sure the snap rings that hold the wheels to the bearings are in place. If they there check to see that the plastic lip on the wheels where the snap ring sits is not damaged. If those both look correct to you you have either bent wheels or bad bearings

The next thing after that to determine is why

 

[Reg2view]

Can you rule environment out? Exposed to the sun below a cover, in a hot garage with sunlight through a window, etc? This is not known to be a poo issue, and to have both sleds experience it, likely an environment (like described) or maintenance/adjustment issue, or a combo of them.

 

[sdmc]

Both sleds were stored in a north facing garage with a shaded (tree) window. I'm looking at a week for parts and will post the pictures. I'm baffled about it.

 

[Jaynelson]

Hard to know if heat caused the wobble, or if the wobble caused the heat.

I imagine if you generated enough heat (say, running in low-snow conditions with no scratchers, etc) to warp/melt the bogies that your hifax would be an unbelievable mess.

 

[pulltype_polaris]

Maybe when hauling machines they were tied down around rear bogie and bent,warped them?

 

[Teth-Air]

I have an extra set of wheels that I put in a 2010 sled and have moved them from sled to sled as the Pro's have none in the center of the skid to reduce hyfax wear. they must have 10,000 kms on them now and they are now getting a bit out of round due to wear and impacts. I have seen some others get damaged due to hitting rocks but if all your wheels look like this in such a short time it is a mystery. I too think they must have been tied down really tight or over heated some how.

 

[mickyd32]

I have an extra set of wheels that I put in a 2010 sled and have moved them from sled to sled as the Pro's have none in the center of the skid to reduce hyfax wear. they must have 10,000 kms on them now and they are now getting a bit out of round due to wear and impacts. I have seen some others get damaged due to hitting rocks but if all your wheels look like this in such a short time it is a mystery. I too think they must have been tied down really tight or over heated some how.

I honestly can't wrap my head around this being caused by tie down. I have tightened mine down to the point where I think I'm ready to pull the rails or tunnel together and have never had the wheels go out

 

[NapaMatt]

Need Pic's!!

 

[dboivin]

i've seen this before and same thing...no one could figure it out.

after a year or so, figured it out. someone had run a salamander heater and pointed it toward the undercarriage to heat garage/barn and to melt snow off the sleds.

i know this may not help you but just kinda ironic as we racked our brain because it happend previous season and were looking at what we had done more recent...

 

[mickyd32]

i've seen this before and same thing...no one could figure it out.

after a year or so, figured it out. someone had run a salamander heater and pointed it toward the undercarriage to heat garage/barn and to melt snow off the sleds.

i know this may not help you but just kinda ironic as we racked our brain because it happend previous season and were looking at what we had done more recent...

I could see this. You'd be surprised the heat they generate. Soften them up under weight and bam bent wheels

 

[Sickbuild]

What was the "service " tcp did on the sled?....why did/do you feel tcp is responsible when you have no idea to the cause?(other than irony) I would not refund/feel responsible either.
Yes, there is some oddities to this whole deal that most all of us have never had happen. Hopefully you figure it out and let others know the results.