Track Vibration

[mswyka]

The 78 Intruder has started something new, we are getting a dull vibration that varies with travel speed and has a frequency that strongly suggests to be some thing hitting the drive lugs.

We have in the past had one sled where we would get a similar vibration on take off that would go away once the sled was moving and found that the lugs were hitting the top of the cross-bar on the front swing arm.  And had another sled where we got an intermittent vibration and found one of the mid-span wheels on the suspension had lost a bearing and would from time to time sit at an angle.  We have not found either of these conditions with this sled.  And the condition appears to be present regardless of travel speed.

It will need to come in at the end of the season for a suspension overhaul.

[Interceptor398]

Check the chain case.  One of my 81 Drifters did this.

[mswyka]

Check the chain case.  One of my 81 Drifters did this.

Will do.  Thanks for the suggestion.

[mswyka]

Have the sled back in the garage to look for obvious signs of vibration.  Chaincase looks pristine.  Skid appears to be true with guide wheels spinning straight and true.  Driveshaft looks straight and aligned.  Track has seen better days.  Is it possible that the track has stretched?

[Interceptor398]

If it were a chainsaw chain we could lay it up on the gauge and measure it.

[gixxer6]

A head scratcher for sure...  From you original description it sounds like something on the track is rubbing.  Do you see any wear marks anywhere on the track (inside or out), skid, or tunnel? 

[mswyka]

If it were a chainsaw chain we could lay it up on the gauge and measure it.

I tried to use my caliper, but the points on the involutes are hard to spot.  Readings came in between 2.4 and 2.65.  2.65 could be a problem if consistent.  I would need to take more readings before drawing a conclusion.

[mswyka]

A head scratcher for sure...  From you original description it sounds like something on the track is rubbing.  Do you see any wear marks anywhere on the track (inside or out), skid, or tunnel?

I did not see any obvious marks on the tunnel.  We have OEM tunnel protectors and these looked good as well.  Often with tunnel protectors I have seen black skid marks close to the bulkhead.  These are clean all the way through. 

There does appear to be a wear mark down the center inside of the track that appears to line up with the top loop on the rear suspension bracket.  My initial thinking is that this wear is normal.  However, the track is studded.  It came to us studded, so the studs were put in many moons ago.  They are wearing, some have pulled out, some are wobbly, some are bent.  It may be possible that the suspension bracket loop is hitting the bottoms of the old studs.  I think that I am going to go shopping in the machine shed for a replacement track.

[mswyka]

Took the track off today.  The only thing unusual with the track removal was that the part which I consider to be the most difficult part to remove from a Kawasaki sled, the PTO side drive shaft bearing, slid right off.  While I am grateful, I have never been this fortunate before.

[Interceptor398]

Perhaps the bearing was ready to fail?

[mswyka]

Perhaps the bearing was ready to fail?

This is a definite possibility.  Hope to dig into it a bit more this week.  As of this moment I am planning on replacing the bearing and the drive shaft.

[mswyka]

In shopping for the new track I find a track that i would like to use except for the fact that it is missing most of its track clips.  I have never added track clips.  Would it make sense to add clips or just use another, slightly less desirable track?

[Interceptor398]

If the rubber is good I would replace the clips.

[gixxer6]

I replaced some clips on a hard to find track (Yamaha Bravo) a few years ago and swore I'd never do it again.  It was a relatively expensive, laborious, and time consuming process.  I found that the clips were missing because they had worn through.  I bought a few clips and the proper tool for installing them.  In the process of installing them, I found that nearly all of them needed to be replaced because they were either cracked, or nearly worn all the way through.  So I ended up buying a bunch more clips and found that removing the old damaged ones wasn't easy. 

Would I do it again?  Yes, because Bravo tracks are nearly impossible to find.  Would I do it on an Invader/Intruder track?  Maybe...It depends on how many and if some need to be removed. 

Be careful, a cracked clip can eat through slides in a big hurry...

[mswyka]

I replaced some clips on a hard to find track (Yamaha Bravo) a few years ago and swore I'd never do it again.  It was a relatively expensive, laborious, and time consuming process.  I found that the clips were missing because they had worn through.  I bought a few clips and the proper tool for installing them.  In the process of installing them, I found that nearly all of them needed to be replaced because they were either cracked, or nearly worn all the way through.  So I ended up buying a bunch more clips and found that removing the old damaged ones wasn't easy. 

Would I do it again?  Yes, because Bravo tracks are nearly impossible to find.  Would I do it on an Invader/Intruder track?  Maybe...It depends on how many and if some need to be removed. 

Be careful, a cracked clip can eat through slides in a big hurry...

Thanks for the input