loud noise coming from the skid while driving

S

stealther27

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Jefferson, WI
sellouts as I mentioned last week I still had work 2 do on my sled before I could ride. So this past Sunday me and my buddy dove in an an took the skid the skid out an put in my new revealed viper shocks and my new track, along with fixing where the throttle cable screws into the carb rack. we finished that night around 1am that was a long night! Then on Xmas eve morning took the srx for a ride for the first time in 2 years.I didn't put my old studs into the new track yet but wow did my New limped track hook up, I was amazed at the difference from my stock track to this one it was night and day! But then as I was returning from my ride I started hearing this loud grinding sound that went away for a bit then as I would hit the throttle it got worse. First not knowing what it was I checked the belt that was fine, then checked my track an it was loose, so my buddy thought that from what I had told him that just happened he said my track since it was new was loosening up and ratcheting which makes sense, what do you guys think?
 

Makes perfect sense. Been away from sleds for quite awhile, but do know that some tracks stretch faster and more than others.
I assume your rear axle is tight and hasnt moved?
I've never seen the adjusters move, but I do always use new nylock nuts whenever I remove a skid.
 
did u put new bearings in when u changed out the track? if not pull the speedo drive and check the bearingseen guys change out a track and if the bearing is on its way out moving it will make it fail real fast . but have seen tracks loosen up on the first ride too good luck
 
My guess is jack shaft bearings never put new track on with out changing those yeah there expensive but now u Gota do it all over again what a pain in the ***
 
thankfully I actually put new bearings in last year so I know those are good. when we set the tension before I rode it, it was about two fingers for slack. but then after I heard that sound an tipped it on its side could see that there seemed to be alot more slack, also could see that some of the inner lugs on my track were making contact with my front heat exchanger but I just associated that with my track getting looser. I havent actually experienced my track ratcheting before thats why at first I thought it was just my belt?
 
Track racheting or slipping off the drive cogs will sound pretty bad and give you a nice scare until you realize what is going on. From what you describe, it could be due to a loose track. I have found a track will ratchet when the track hooks up well with the trail. If the "grinding" sound only happens under a load, i.e. giving the sled throttle on a hard packed trail and does not make the sound while crusing, it is probably ratcheting due to a loose track. Aslo as suggested, check the drive chain tension, make sure it is right. If the drive chain is slipping, you will destroy the chain, two gears and bearings in no time. The chain slipping and the track ratcheting will "feel" very similar. Two years ago I though the track was ratcheting only to find the drive chain had stretched beyond its useful limit and was slipping. The chain had 13,000 miles on it so it was due. I changed the chain and both gears.

Jim
 
rx1Jim yes this is exactly what happened at first when I would accelerate and get up to 25mph or so it would be fine if I wasnt on the throttle, but then from a dead stop or anytime I would accelerate I would hear that horrible sound. can you normally tell just when taking the chain off to install the track that the chain is wearing out? My buddy didnt say he noticed anything with my chain, so hopefully tomorrow we will check the sled over we will try the track tension first hopefully its just that or the rear axle. Cause I know if its the chain and gears etc my buddy will not be looking forward to helping me replace all this! :o|
 
not as the problem but just a reminder.

tracks above 3/4 lug will drag on guards

if there is a chance it is your chain jumping in the chain case, check it before you ride again.
my guess is, your track has stretched.
first time you put a new track on, over tighten it and run it a little on the stand, then back it off a little. take it out and run it a little before doing hole shots so it can stretch out, get some good speed runs on it , then start adjusting it from there.
 
not to hijack the thread but i have a noise come from what sounds like the front of my skid, more of like a droning/humming noise when im cruising down the trail or letting off the gas after a run, cant hear it when im on the gas....ideas?
 
bADa$$ SRX said:
not to hijack the thread but i have a noise come from what sounds like the front of my skid, more of like a droning/humming noise when im cruising down the trail or letting off the gas after a run, cant hear it when im on the gas....ideas?
Click to expand...

Driveshaft bearing is a good place to start.
 
Regarding the "health" of the drive chain, here is what I suggest:
1. Without changing anything, rotate the secondary pulley back and forth on the jackshaft. There should be some free motion but not much. The amount of free movement corresponds to the play in the entire driveline but is dominated by the free play in the chain. A lot of play indicates a loose drive chain.
2. Note how much of the adjuster bolt is sticking out of the chain case.
3. Double check the adjustment of the chain. Loosen the locknut on the adjustment bolt and tighten the adjuster bolt by screwing it in as far as you can with you fingers ONLY, do NOT use a wrench to screw in the adjuster bolt. Then back the adjuster bolt out by 1/8 of a turn (the Yamaha manual actually states to turn the adjuster bolt in finger tight and lock it in place. I give it a little play by lossening teh bolt by 1/8 turn). Hold the adjuster bolt with a wrench and tighten the locknut. I find this process works better if the sled is on a stand so the track is free to rotate. Tighten the adjuster bolt in, rotate the track by hand and doubles check the adjuster bolt. The purpose of doing this is to make sure all the free play in the chain is removed.
4. Hopefully the adjuster bolt did not have to be screwed in too much more ( perhaps a full turn or two) to achieve the correct tension. On my worn out chain, I had to run the adjuster bolt until I ran out of threads on the bolt. The chain had stretched (worn) a lot.

The way to measure the chain to see how far along it is in its life is to take the chain out of the sled and measure the length from pin to pin over 15 pins while appling 80 lbs of force to stretch the chain. The normal distance from the center of pin 1 to the center of pin 15 is 133.35 millimeters or 5.25 inches. The wear limit for the chain is a distance of 137.35 millimeters or 5.41 inches. This measurement should be taken on 3 different sections of the chain. You also want to look over the chain to see if there are any broken individaul link plates. If there are any broken plates, the chain must be replaced. I knew something was wrong when I adjusted the chain and used up the adjustment range on the adjuster bolt. When I measured the chain, it was well beyond the service limit of 137.35 mm. This chain does a lot of work transfering all that SRX 700 hp to the ground so it will wear.

Make sure the chaincase fluid is filled to the right level while your adjusting the chain. I use a bunch of different chaincase fluids: Klotz, Yamaha, Amsoil, 75-09W gear oil. The Yamaha SRX manula suggests a GL-3 SAE 75W or 80W gear oil.

Your chain is probably OK unless it has a lot of miles on it. Check/adjust the chain tension, check the chaincase fluid level and adjust the track tension then take it for a test ride. You should be OK.

Jim.
 
bADa$$ SRX said:
not to hijack the thread but i have a noise come from what sounds like the front of my skid, more of like a droning/humming noise when im cruising down the trail or letting off the gas after a run, cant hear it when im on the gas....ideas?
Click to expand...

There will be a droning or humming noise from the normal operation of the track, lots of moving parts in the system. If it is a metallic grinding or scrapping sound, then there is a sure sign of trouble. As Mr. Stein stated, the front bearing under the speedometer drive cover should be checked when in doubt.

Is you speedometer still working? If yes, the bearing has not come apart. When was teh last time that bearing was checked or replaced or serviced? That bearing needs to be taken out and checked every season, sometimes multiple times a season depending on the mileage. That bearing is "permanently" lubed and sealed and takes a lot of abuse with constantly being showers with snow, ice and water. The seals will allow water to get in and wash the grease out. I take that bearing out of any sled I am using after every major trip. I take out the one seal on the inside, wash out the old grease and accumulated water then repack it with a synthetic grease. I have had a few other sleds over the years that had a grease fitting on the retainer plate for this bearing. I like that design!!! A shot of grease after every trip pushed all the accumulated water out.

Years ago, before I started to inspect and service that bearing on a regular basis, my son and I were on a long saddlebag trip. On the return leg of the trip, 200 miles from the truck and trailer, he told me the speedometer stopped working. I new exactly what happened. The drive axle bearing under the speedo cover failed which then broken the short speedometer cable drive link. It was a real pain getting that sled back home so ever since then I service that bearing! I use teh same process on the jackshaft bearing behind the secondary pulley only once at the beginning of the season.

Jim
 
Jim thanx for the detailed info you definitely explain it in a easy to understand way. Looks like I'm gonna be checking my chain, and chainsaw fluid before I go riding again that's for sure. Betheviper I have read a lot of old posts an don't recall seeing anything about you can't use the front x changer guards with these tracks, just thought it was only the 1.25" tracks you can't use them with? I currently don't have studs in my track but it is predrilled for 144 down the middle which is what I'm going to be using .
 
some 1" tracks will rub on the guards. I've found this to be the case with every 1" camoplast I've used. I prefer trimming the track over the track clips. Others just let it wear in. But you also see a bunch of posts about loose guards....hmmmm
 
The life of the chain will vary depending upon use and how well it was maintained. A sled that was ridden hard all the time and the oil rarely changed will wear out earlier than one used on a sled which did moderate speed crusing with regular chaincase fluid changes. I have only had to replcae one chain on one Yamaha sled and it was at 13,000 miles. The best way to tell how much service life your sled's chain has left is to measure how much it has worn with the method I described.

Jim
 
well with that Im hoping that with less than 8000 miles of normal trail/river riding and being regularly maintained the chain is still within its wear limits. So I shall be using your method to check out the chain. my track is a 1" kimpex ultimate traxtion and I see what u mean about 1 inch tracks rubbing in front, so just gonna check the track tension and tighten that up and hopefully take it for a ride to break the track in more. from your guys experience though if Im gonna be running 144 studs down the middle I dont feel too keen about removing front guards?
 
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