Broken bolts on belt drives

[Teth-Air]

So I broke a lower bolt holding the TKI pulley on my 2014 Pro. I replaced with a 13 bolt because I thought the 2014 may have been faulty as it was torqued properly and luckily it failed while I was on the flat. Sooo went home and decided to install a TKI drive system on my 600 Pro as well. During the install the top bolt broke off while snugging it up at about 25 ft lbs. and these are supposed to be torqued to 45 ft lbs.

I talked to Tom at TKI about this and he said 4 others ( including stock quick drives set ups)are reporting similar failures and even when removing the bolt some are breaking.

Please check these bolts, stock or aftermarket setups.

It is really scary when the pulley falls off.

I will be ordering a bag of aftermarket bolts tomorrow.

 

[2Quickrides]

Did you reuse the stock bolts originally?

 

[sledneck_03]

Really! Like even after they changed the torque last year and the bolts this year? Like man... Had a engineer spec me a tube size at my work in under a minute that could take the pull of a snow bunji, if i had the specs of the drive train he could probably spec me diameter and length of bolts needed in a couple minutes too. Who are these fawking designers and engineers at polaris? Get your ch!t straight.

 

[kimrick]

Just a heads up I was a tool lender on the hill at the cabin.
Vise grips were our friend in this case.
Make sure to have some spare spacer washers in you arsenal.

Also we used Marks cigar torch to heat the bolt to loosen the locktite which allowe the broken bolt to come out easier.
Just a few extra tips to ease the repair on the hill.
Glad all worked out.

 

[tukernater]

So I broke a lower bolt holding the TKI pulley on my 2014 Pro. I replaced with a 13 bolt because I thought the 2014 may have been faulty as it was torqued properly and luckily it failed while I was on the flat. Sooo went home and decided to install a TKI drive system on my 600 Pro as well. During the install the top bolt broke off while snugging it up at about 25 ft lbs. and these are supposed to be torqued to 45 ft lbs.

I talked to Tom at TKI about this and he said 4 others ( including stock quick drives set ups)are reporting similar failures and even when removing the bolt some are breaking.

Please check these bolts, stock or aftermarket setups.

It is really scary when the pulley falls off.

I will be ordering a bag of aftermarket bolts tomorrow.

Is this your 1200km report?Just joking with ya I asked about belt drives a while back because i was hearing and seeing A few issues like this .Thanks for the heads up.

 

[TDR]

Can you please post the details of the aftermarket bolts and where you are getting them from. I think I'll save myself from an on hill headache.

 

[RevyG]

So you changed a 2014 Pro to a TKI and the bolts broke? He tells you he has seen this on his and stock, so you buy a fancy system that is supposed to be better and he uses the stock Polaris bolts? This seems strange to me. You never said if you used new bolts after you removed the stock system? Does TKI not spec bolts for his system? Polaris includes new bolts to be used any time you remove your pullys. Sounds like more to this. So since it was a bolt on your new TKI that broke why on earth would you change a stock 600 system? Sure hope you changed the bolts. Did the belt break on either sled?

 

[Teth-Air]

So I am not surprised that there are some non-mechanical people out there that accuse the TKI belt drive for the bolts breaking but the smarter ones will realized that the pulleys fit exactly the same way as stock pulleys and have no more load on them than stock. In addition the bolt head came off when working on the stock 2013 600 with the Quick Drive. So go ahead and do your own research if you don't believe it. The purpose of this thread was to warn people before they have problems. And yes my bad for reusing the stock bolts. TKI will be providing bolts with future kits.

 

[RevyG]

Not blaming anyone. Not mechanical? Anyway I was just wondering if you reused the bolts or if he supplied the bolts. I know enough to know stuff breaks. Now I know it was a Polaris bolt I will check mine. Thanks.

 

[Bergler]

My bolts were breaking on the the bottom pulley last year. The cause was the bearings in the jack shaft were toast. Maybe put it on a stand and have a look. Mine was wobbling around. Then we changed the jack shaft. Three rides latter the drive shaft broke right at the pto side bearing. I figure it was weak from everything wobbling around in there. I hope this is not the case for you but just a heads up and something to look for. The bolts just don't shear for no reason.

 

[Teth-Air]

I ordered grade 8 bolts from Fastenal. The are actually a little longer at 25 mm and the hardness is a metric number equivalent to grade 8, 10.8 I think it is. Should see them Monday. 10 is min. order so I may have an extra 6 after doing both sleds.

The drive shaft and jackshaft looks fine but I did have these problems last year on the 2013 800 and the 600 had the jackshaft go last year.

 

[Jeff K]

I put grade 10.8 bolts in last year when people reported breaking bolts. I got them from Cycle Works foothills. I think they were KTM bolts.

 

[sledneck_03]

I ordered grade 8 bolts from Fastenal. The are actually a little longer at 25 mm and the hardness is a metric number equivalent to grade 8, 10.8 I think it is. Should see them Monday. 10 is min. order so I may have an extra 6 after doing both sleds.

The drive shaft and jackshaft looks fine but I did have these problems last year on the 2013 800 and the 600 had the jackshaft go last year.

what is the exact size of factory?

 

[2Quickrides]

Yeah just looked at the ones that came with my spare belt and they're 8.8. But the size and grade are well suited to that torque setting, and they see no side load, just compression, so odd why they'd break there unless a bad batch.

 

[TDR]

I think the jackshaft problem was a recall was it not? Sounds like a spare set of bolts for the belt drive may not be a bad idea.

 

[2Quickrides]

I think the jackshaft problem was a recall was it not? Sounds like a spare set of bolts for the belt drive may not be a bad idea.

They come with the belt if you buy a spare.

 

[Transporter]

what is the exact size of factory?

Yah x2

 

[sledhead9825]

Yeah just looked at the ones that came with my spare belt and they're 8.8. But the size and grade are well suited to that torque setting, and they see no side load, just compression, so odd why they'd break there unless a bad batch.

A 8.8 metric bolt is equivalent to a grade 5 bolt. I would move up to a 10.9 (grade 8) or 12.9. If you are using a bolt in a high stress situation, testing its limits. Dont use it twice. New bolt every time.

 

[Transporter]

Ok so what exactly do i want to ask for at bolt store do i replace top and bottom? Got a 2013.

 

[sledhead9825]

I agree with 2quickrides. For its intended use the bolts that comes with the 14 belt,are more than adequate. If you are breaking these bolts you have another problem. IMO. I installed a TKI belt drive on my 13 Pro. I ordered the factory bolts and torqued them to spec.