Winter maintanance and anual fluid changes started

Well after the big flood here and loss of most of my driveway.I decided to do all winter maintanance early because i shattered 2 u joints on the Bota.
Picking up fluids tomorrow and u joints should be here tomorrow also.
I got the rear end off and wasnt much left to the top 2 joints.While i had a conversation with Bordercollie (bless her sweet heart) on tips I did manage to get the 2 outer joints and shaft out of the bumper.I got real lucky as I didnt need a press for anything.Removed the nuts and put the nut on backwards and used an air hammer to vibrate things loose and they slid right out.I checked bearings and seals and after 8 years they were like brand new and still nice and tight.So my motto is if it aint broke dont fix it.No need to replace a thing on the outside so i put that all back together.Im not sure why it seems like the top joints are the ones that take the abuse,maybe its on more of an angle.
Tomorrow ill pick up filters oil and udt 2.Thursday ill replace the joints and change all the fluids and should be good to go for the winter.Eventually ill figure out a way to change them top 2 with out having to remove them from the tranny.It would make life a lot easier and less messy.Ill keep ypu updated on the progress and let you know how the new joints work and the quality of them as im using a different joint this time.THANKS Bordercollie for the e mail and tips.

Regards

Mark

Thank you Mark. It sounds like you already have the procedure in the bag! That's a good tip on the impact wrench too.
You are wise to get all this done before the cold sits in, I think this year is gonna be a doozey. I need to change my transmission oil/filters in a few weeks too. Looking forward to seeing how it goes for ya. smooth as silk I am sure. collie

Collie
The rest is a piece of cake from here lol.
Not having to change the out side stuff made life simpler and less expensive.
The only issue i really ever have is the damn bolts that sit inside the case its hard to keep them from falling out when aligning the bumper back to the leaf springs.
It would have been nice if they had them fixed in place instead of just having them slip in with nothing to hold them in place.

Mark you must have the outside yokes bent some were. You have replace these way to much. Next time you have em out really check the Alignment of these shafts. Sorry to here about your drive way.

Art,
Nothing looks bent that I can see.
It has always been the joints at the trans and not the axle.Ive replaced 5 of them in 8 years.A lot is probable the way i use the machine.I imagine if i was normal and just drove it around id be fine but the tugging on things like 100 foot logs and pulling dad out of snow banks takes its toll on them.U joints dont like that sudden stop.Imagine hooking to a brick wall and getting a running start to pull it over and then you come to that sudden stop.
Its a work horse and im not afaraid to use it like a tank most times.
For the work it does and the work it saves me a joint a year is ok with me.
Since the last joint change its mover over 30 log cords of wood plowed many many many tons of snow and has fixed the driveway numerous times.I am trying a different joint this time.It may be the precision joints ive been using arnt up to the task.I ordered some new joints from american cv and they claim they meet or excede oem joints.
Time will tell.Actually doing this once a year i consider maintanance as i can check all joints bearings and seals when i do my anual fluid changes.
Im getting pretty damn good on them.I can drop the rear axle pull joints replace them and put it all back together in less than 2 hours now.

I agree that the heavy tugging and pulling talks a toll on the joints- in my opinion at least. Mine have lasted much longer since I don't pull those heavy skidded mineral troughs around. Now I just put out the 250 lb tubs with the bed lift if needed. Sometimes I just roll them out.. I think I am at 1837 hrs now on the 2011xt, with a little play in them.. The 2005's had been replaced a couple of times and I first noticed them clicking when hooking to those mineral troughs every couple of days back then. I had to pull then a long ways to a new pasture/pond area. Some places were a mile off. collie

Ok Mark....I was just trying to help you out is all. I would get tired of doing that every year myself. If you got time and see your bota dealer ask them what a new shaft that goes into the tranny cost....have them look it up and see if they made a new replacement that used a different u joint then the original....that way you would know if that was the problem.

Let use know what you find if you do this. And report back if you find out.

Thanks

Are the joints you use greaseable or are they sealed joints?

There is nothing wrong with sealed joints. The caps usually have tighter seals than joints you can lube which can only be a good thing.

But a trick I learned years ago was to pull the caps off and make sure that the little reservoirs in the end of each new joint cross are packed full. Usually they weren't.
This little reserve of lube is a must as far as how long the joint lasts.

I haven't had to do joints on my buggy yet.
My experience is with trucks but I'd bet the design is the same.

New joints are greaseable but i generally pack them full before hand.Ive learned to never grease a joint because you generally over fill them and break the seal.Once the seal is broke it dosnt take much to kill it from there.
Now with that being said all joints changed and all fluids and filters changed.Thats the good news.
The bad news is next joint change will more than likely take a new yoke.They must have been gone before i noticed them and the holes cor the cups are getting a little to loose for my liking.I had a bear of a time getting the caps on as they kept cocking on me.
Hopefully i can get at least a year out of them then ill have to replace the upper yokes.If anyone has a dead machine 900 and you want to part with a good upper yoke let me know.Hopefully I wont need it anytime soon but throwing it out there in case anyone has one laying around.
Mark

Mark,
Some one gave you some bad info, joints you can grease need lube more often than sealed joints. You can't hurt the seal on the caps, they will relieve when full.
Ball joints though are another story.


When my rig is due for joints , I may be looking for advice.
We are only about 40 miles apart.

Jeff
Grayling, Mi.

One question that comes to mind...."a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link."
If the joint is the weak link & it's made stronger, what is the next weakest link? Something has to give between the unmovable object (or many heavy ones) & enough power to move it.

Just thinkin out loud, good luck with it!

Jeff Never a problem if i can help you in any way let me know.Also its just my past expierence on the greasing from many years of fooling with them.There is nothing like a factory oem joint.Anything after that never seems to last as long period.

urednecku said:

One question that comes to mind...."a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link."
If the joint is the weak link & it's made stronger, what is the next weakest link? Something has to give between the unmovable object (or many heavy ones) & enough power to move it.

Just thinkin out loud, good luck with it!

Click to expand...

You are definatly right there.
Ive owned many quads and a few side by side and they were all designed the same but different.
I think the biggest downfall of the rtv 900 is the joint placement.It it were designed a bit different where there wasnt such a big angle from the trans to the wheel this would be almost a non issue.They could have set it up like the old suzuki quads or kawasaki quads where the axle is straight from the trans to the tire.But it is what it is.The work it has saved me over the years i dont mind doing some maintaance on it.
It would be nice if parts were a bit cheaper especially when they know its been an on going issue.On the new xt models the angle dosnt look so bad from what ive seen yesterday at the dealer but the slop issue will come into play eventually.

Here is a follow up from mantainance.
Joints all replaces and working well so far.
Did my usuall climbing test in foreward and reverse on a hill about 45 degree angle.
Foreward no problems.
Backwards wheels spun as expected.
The only thing it was ever lacking was dead dig power.Seemed like it didnt have much. especially when stuck in the snow.Give it throttle and wheels wouldnt spin.
I did some reading and found some info on adjusting the servo valve for increased wheel power.
I backed off the lock nut and went in 1.5 turns and seemed to give me a lot more engine to wheel power.
Hopefully the info was right.
Dosnt seem to effect anything else other than the added power to the wheels.