# Ground drive not working on a ST1032



## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

Belts are in good shape, drive clutch engages well, friction disk in good shape, good traction on disk. All chains and gears spinning. But no drive at all to wheels. Not clicking from diff when free wheeling around. Is my diff. blown?


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

The Drive Plates on those Sometimes Stick. Put the Machine in the Service Position, and remove the bottom pan. Squeeze the Clutch lever, and observe if the Drive plate is making Contact with the Friction wheel. If not, Spray PB blaster or equivelent on the shaft behind the drive plate. With Prybar, pry the drive plate towards the friction wheel, and then pry it back. Rinse and Repeat Until it Moves by using the Clutch Lever.
IF everything spins, but not under a load, the belt may be slipping. Or there is a Sheared or Missing key on the gear on the friction wheel shaft.


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

Jackmels said:


> The Drive Plates on those Sometimes Stick. Put the Machine in the Service Position, and remove the bottom pan. Squeeze the Clutch lever, and observe if the Drive plate is making Contact with the Friction wheel. If not, Spray PB blaster or equivelent on the shaft behind the drive plate. With Prybar, pry the drive plate towards the friction wheel, and then pry it back. Rinse and Repeat Until it Moves by using the Clutch Lever.
> IF everything spins, but not under a load, the belt may be slipping. Or there is a Sheared or Missing key on the gear on the friction wheel shaft.


Everything but the wheels and the axle spins under engine power.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Like Jack said, the drive plate that meets the rubber drive has to move up and down....sometimes they stick, and you don't move....


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

Shortlid said:


> Everything but the wheels and the axle spins under engine power.



There is a small Key on the Hex Shaft that Locks the small sprocket in place. With the machine in service position and the Differential Locked, Spin the friction wheel. Hold the Tire from Moving, and see whats happening with the Chain Drive.


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

Jackmels said:


> Shortlid said:
> 
> 
> > Everything but the wheels and the axle spins under engine power.
> ...


There is no manual differential locker on this snow blower.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Unless someone somehow retrofitted one or the model number sticker is wrong, that machine should not have an auto-turn differential. I have the same model and as far as I know it was made from the early to the mid-late 1990s, and auto-turn was introduced in 2013.

Anyhow here's another idea: put the machine in service position, and rotate the rubber friction wheel by hand while taking a video of the mechanism so we can see what's moving and what's not. That might help us figure out what's going on.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

According to My Info, it HAS a Locking Diff


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## JayzAuto1 (Jul 25, 2016)

I have the same machine, serial numbered 100 lower than OP's machine. It Definitely has Locking Diff.

GLuck. Jay


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

If it has a manual locking diff. It is missing all components on wheel hub to lock it? The big gear #43 in diagram is just spinning on shaft.


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## JayzAuto1 (Jul 25, 2016)

#24 in that diagram appears to be a lock bolt?? What gear is spinning on what shaft??

GLuck, Jay


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

If you mean gear 43 is spinning on the axle, you probably have one or both of two things wrong.

Although it looks like a gear, item #43 is actually a differential. And the axle is in two pieces.

Item #42 is the right (as viewed from the operator's position) axle. The right wheel attaches to the flange near the "42" in the diagram, and the axle goes from there to a little past its midpoint, where it has splines that engage the differential. Likewise, the left axle #38 has the left wheel attached to the flange, and it extends into the case where it has splines that engage the other side of the differential. But the right axle also tapers to a smaller diameter right after where it's splined, and runs inside the (hollow) left axle, and protrudes past the left wheel flange. The differential-locking hub (item 46) is held onto the end of the right axle with a bolt or pin, #40 in the diagram. The hub/pin holds the two halves of the axle together so the splines stay engaged with the differential.

So if item 46 is missing, it's possible the ends of the axles are not engaging the differential, which means the axle won't be driven. It's also possible the splines on the axles and/or differential are stripped, or you could have both problems.

A photo of the center of the left wheel, or the drive system inside the housing, might help shed some light on this.


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## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

If chain #29 is indeed turning gear #35 and gear #43 is not turning ...
Either shaft #28 has elongated a slot in the chasis causing gears #35 & #43 not to mesh up / engage or gears have missing teeth. 

If gear #43 is turning and axles are not turning then the differential gear #43 is broken internally. Shouldn't be too hard to determine this issue. 
Like others suggested please post up a video. 

One video of you turning the tires by hand showing the gears and chains that should be moving, and then squeeze drive lever to move friction plate to engage friction wheel. 

P.S. Post up location as a local member can possibly help you out.

P.P.S.....
Generally when gear #43 breaks it locks up and you have positraction ALL the time.


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## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

Bump....

Waiting for Shortlid to update us on the progress with this issue.


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

Videos of the issue but how do I attach? Thanks for all the help guys. It is snowing here I need to fix this ASAP! Pic is of left side hub, belive the locking pin might be missi g.


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

Ok took axle and diff out. Splines on axles look good. So does that mean differential is shot?


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## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

Assemble the axles through the differential....
Stand assembly upright with the big axle flange on the ground and stand on it, hold the smaller axle with your 
hand, with free hand try to turn differential... it should NOT turn / freewheel. 
If it does turn the differential is BAD. 
Like I said in earlier post... generally they break and stay locked up, thus giving you positraction regardless of locking pin engagement. Post up your findings....


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

Shortlid said:


> Ok took axle and diff out. Splines on axles look good. So does that mean differential is shot?


I tried the test above and the diferintial gear does spin. I can feel some notches like the gears inside the differintial are stripped out. Now what is my best source for the diff.? I am in Derry, New Hampshire if anyone is local and can help. I use the snowblower to clear the handicap ramp for my disabilied son.


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## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

Shortlid said:


> Videos of the issue but how do I attach? Thanks for all the help guys. It is snowing here I need to fix this ASAP! Pic is of left side hub, belive the locking pin might be missi g.


I could be wrong but that photo suggests the knob on your locking diff has snapped off and your locking pin is indeed missing or not engaging without the knob. If my theory is correct, your right side tire should be moving when the traction lever is engaged but your left tire will freewheel because of the damaged or missing lock pin.

I bought a 924 a couple of years ago where a prior owner used a hammer to pound on a seized locking diff knob and snapped it off. My quick fix was to simply install a universal clevis pin such as this. Line it up properly with the notch, insert the clevis pin with a larger washer and hair pin cotter on the inside of the rim to retain it. It's not going to be as user friendly as the factory pull-push knob to engage-disengage the differential but it will keep your diff locked until you can make a permanent repair.


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## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

Here's link to parts guy in North reading MA, he will have your differential gear replacement. Bring yours to match up to make sure you get proper one. Good luck !!!

https://boston.craigslist.org/nos/hsh/d/north-reading-older-snowblower-parts/7029075868.html


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

Thanks folks, local stealership wants $450 for diff! Looking at other options.


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## Ian Ariens 924 (Dec 22, 2015)

Ebay or any small engine shop with used parts. Or if you have room buy a whole chassis for parts.


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## rod330 (Oct 9, 2015)

Shortlid said:


> Thanks folks, local stealership wants $450 for diff! Looking at other options.


So you're convinced it's not a missing or broken diff locking pin at the wheel hub?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

You don't have a family member or friend with mechanical ability that can put that in direct drive for now ?


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

Ok, another 12" dropping on top of 12" we already have. Think jb welding up spier gears inside would get me though this storm?


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

rod330 said:


> So you're convinced it's not a missing or broken diff locking pin at the wheel hub?


The locking pin only controls the wheels' ability to turn independently. It sounds like in this case, the gears inside the differential are stripped and it's not transmitting power to the axles at all.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Shaw351 said:


> Here's link to parts guy in North reading MA, he will have your differential gear replacement. Bring yours to match up to make sure you get proper one. Good luck !!!
> 
> https://boston.craigslist.org/nos/hsh/d/north-reading-older-snowblower-parts/7029075868.html


I've done business with that guy before. His prices are a bit high, but he has every imaginable Ariens part!

Or here's another idea... a mostly-complete 1032 in Salem: https://nh.craigslist.org/grd/d/salem-ariens-st/7012157790.html

$150 gets you the differential, axles, and 100 other parts.


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## Shortlid (Jul 19, 2017)

That st1032 looks significantly older than mine. Parts still swap?


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

I can't say 100% for sure, but I think it's pretty likely. "Back in the day", Ariens was not one of those companies that constantly changed things just for the sake of change.

But what you could do to be 100% sure is take your diff with you, pop the bottom cover off the other machine, and see if they look the same. Based on my experience owning maybe 5 machines of that series, there were only two diffs: "large" and "small". Yours has the larger one.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Here's another alternative: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ariens-Differential-Gear-52405300/352597485982?hash=item521872a99e:g:ZlMAAOSwL-9catTL

The seller is in Londonderry... maybe you could go pick it up?


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## notabiker (Dec 14, 2018)

Check out my teardown of that diff


https://www.snowblowerforum.com/for.../145401-any-you-folks-know-way-lube-diff.html


Got some clean pictures of the guts in that thread.


About the only thing you can do is weld the inner toothed gear to the side of the diff, you'll have to do it on both sides and you'll have a locked axle, do not weld with the axle in the diff as you don't want to accidentally weld the axle to the diff!! 



If the guts are gone then that thing hasn't seen any maintenance or grease in a long time. The grease fitting on the left axle sorta kinda lubes the diff, just in a **** poor inefficient fashion so I added my own grease fitting to mine to directly lube the diff. Seeing how much they want for a dusty dirty unknown diff, I'd gladly spend the $30 or so on the rivets from ebay and the rivet setting tool from Tandy Leather and picking up grease fittings from the online store and taking the time to do it.


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## E350 (Apr 21, 2015)

Shortlid said:


> Thanks folks, local stealership wants $450 for diff! Looking at other options.



Buy my entire ST1302 for $450! Located near So. Lake Tahoe, California.


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