# Ariens moves too fast



## 2Cold4Me (Jan 27, 2019)

If your Ariens with 16" wheels moves too fast for heavy snow (no creeper speeds) I have a solution. Make a simple extender plate that essentially extends the length of the speed selector arm and thus moves the drive tire across the friction disk in smaller increments. This makes the machine a great deal more manageable for heavy snow and still moves quickly enough to zip back into the garage when you are done. After all, what is the purpose of six speeds most of which are too fast?


To install: Shift the speed control knob to a position between F1 and R1 (neutral) and tie down the drive handle to lock the shifter in neutral. Remove the cotter pin and let the linkage arm hang free. Bolt on the extender plate. Unscrew the arm adjuster until it easily can be inserted into your extender plate and install the cotter pin. Good to go - but slower.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

This is a great idea, Great! Do you find 3" is the perfect length? Was 3" a guess that turned out to be perfect.


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## trellis (Mar 14, 2018)

I thought it was just me that 1st was too fast. 

I was thinking about just adjusting the shift arm, does it not adjust far enough to slow it down?


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## wxman2003 (Dec 18, 2018)

1st gear on my 28 SHO is super slow for me. I generally have to run it in 2nd gear.


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## tonylumps (Jul 31, 2018)

I readjusted the speed also. But I notched the dash board out and now I also have 3 reverse settings.


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## JRHAWK9 (Jan 6, 2013)

All I did was make another notch in the control panel to create a 7th forward gear. The new gear is super slow speed. I have yet to use it though.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Does it also increase speed? Did it cut the speed of the highest speed?


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

There is no perfect solution, I'm sure. But I do actually use my top forward speed, for quick cleanup passes. I wouldn't want to slow that down meaningfully. But I wanted a slower forward speed. 

I simply adjusted my gear-selection rod to slow down Forward 1 to what I wanted. It slowed all my forward speeds by a small amount, but not really noticeable for 2-6. And also sped up the reverse gears, which was nice.


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## 2Cold4Me (Jan 27, 2019)

"This is a great idea, Great! Do you find 3" is the perfect length? Was 3" a guess that turned out to be perfect.


The important measurement is from center to center of the holes - this is the actual extension you are installing. Not knowing ahead of time, I made the plate with a hole 3/4" from the mounting hole and a second at 1 1/4". I found the 1 1/4 inch distance works great.


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## 2Cold4Me (Jan 27, 2019)

"I thought it was just me that 1st was too fast. 

I was thinking about just adjusting the shift arm, does it not adjust far enough to slow it down?"


Adjusting the linkage arm down will slow the machine a bit, but also speeds it up in reverse. I found that both reverses were really to fast already, so slowing down forward makes reverse worse. If you get good traction the machine will eat you in reverse. Thus my mod which slows both forward and reverse.


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## 2Cold4Me (Jan 27, 2019)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Does it also increase speed? Did it cut the speed of the highest speed?



It tames the whole range of speeds.


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## 2Cold4Me (Jan 27, 2019)

wxman2003 said:


> 1st gear on my 28 SHO is super slow for me. I generally have to run it in 2nd gear.



That is the situation I was looking to create. Sounds like that one is properly designed. It absoultely should have a very slow creeper gear for EOD heavy wet stuff. Why have 6 speeds all of which are too fast. That is how the Deluxe 24" was designed. I think they did not change any transmission ratios when they upped the tire size to 16"


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## 2Cold4Me (Jan 27, 2019)

trellis said:


> I thought it was just me that 1st was too fast.
> 
> I was thinking about just adjusting the shift arm, does it not adjust far enough to slow it down?



You can slow it a bit with adjustment but it speeds up the reverses if you do. In R2 the machine can eat you if it has good traction.


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## 2Cold4Me (Jan 27, 2019)

trellis said:


> I thought it was just me that 1st was too fast.
> 
> I was thinking about just adjusting the shift arm, does it not adjust far enough to slow it down?





RedOctobyr said:


> There is no perfect solution, I'm sure. But I do actually use my top forward speed, for quick cleanup passes. I wouldn't want to slow that down meaningfully. But I wanted a slower forward speed.
> 
> I simply adjusted my gear-selection rod to slow down Forward 1 to what I wanted. It slowed all my forward speeds by a small amount, but not really noticeable for 2-6. And also sped up the reverse gears, which was nice.



Well, there is a perfect solution - the one above. Slows both forward and reverse gears so that you have creeper F1 and R1 and slow walk F2 and R2. Leaves a pleasant pace for R3, a moderate pace for R4, and quick pace for R5, and a bit too fast in R6. To my mind, just as it should be. I believe that Ariens did not change ratios when they changed to 16" wheels on this model and that caused the issue.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

2Cold4Me said:


> I found that both reverses were really to fast already, so slowing down forward makes reverse worse. If you get good traction the machine will eat you in reverse. Thus my mod which slows both forward and reverse.





2Cold4Me said:


> Well, there is a perfect solution - the one above. Slows both forward and reverse gears so that you have creeper F1 and R1 and slow walk F2 and R2. Leaves a pleasant pace for R3, a moderate pace for R4, and quick pace for R5, and a bit too fast in R6. To my mind, just as it should be. I believe that Ariens did not change ratios when they changed to 16" wheels on this model and that caused the issue.


No worries, I wasn't trying to attack your solution  When I posted, there hadn't yet been a mention that Reverse was too quick already. I was making assumptions based on my machine experience, which was that even R2 was rather slow. 

If Reverse is already too quick, then I agree, your solution sounds very good. And it can easily be tailored to what the user wants, by simply adding another drilled hole for mounting the shift rod. 

If someone doesn't have a good way to bend "ears" onto the sheetmetal extender, so it can wrap around the original shift lever (so that it won't slip and get out of alignment), I wonder if you could use something like an appropriate-diameter copper tube. Partially-flatten the tube, such as in a vise, so it better matches the shape of the original shift lever, then drill mounting holes in the tubing.


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

Copper might be too soft. I considered making the drive hydraulic,and make it a drift buster, but I might have trouble from inside the house.
Sid


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## Mod Rockers (Dec 19, 2020)

The extender arm work perfect , but I drilled two mounting holes into the orignal arm and extender are rather forming a C channel to keep the extender arm from pivoting , much easier


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