# Friction disc drive problem



## ntatap (Dec 4, 2017)

I am working on a newer Ariens machine. The machine would not roll at all. I went thru the whole drive system and I think I may have found the problem. Is the steel disc that the rubber roller wheel rides on supposed to move back and forth? It looks like that bolt and roller is meant to slide inside the assembly. It took the disc off the housing and it seems to be ok but that inner sleeve does not move. I would take the bearings out to check it , but I am not sure how to remove them.


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

What machine your working on would be helpful. When you pull the lever to engage the drive the rubber friction disc should make contact with the metal friction disk. Are you sure the rubber friction wheel is not worn out? I recently replaced one but I honestly thought that the rubber looked good but someone more knowledgeable than me pointed out it was worn out. Sure enough replacing it fixed the problem. Good luck.


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

either the rubber wheel moves to make contact w/disk or disk moves to make contact w/rubber wheel, depends which model you have and/or age of machine. pics would help.
engage the drive lever and see what moves if anything


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## ntatap (Dec 4, 2017)

No, the rubber looks fine. It is actually pressing on it so tight that it wont move.


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## ntatap (Dec 4, 2017)

The model is 924XXX I will get the exact number and a photo 
tomorrow, the machine is at work


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

ntatap said:


> No, the rubber looks fine. It is actually pressing on it so tight that it wont move.


with engine running prop up rear of machine with tires off the ground, belly off so u can see the drive parts, does drive disk turn? engage drive lever, does rubber friction wheel turn against the drive disk?


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

Sounds Like a Drive Belt Issue if Friction Wheel is Making Contact.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

If yours is an ST824 than the friction wheel should back away from the drive plate with the handle released. It's the friction wheel that pivots onto and off of the drive plate on that model. I used 924100

Can you start it or does it feel like it's "in gear" when you try to start it and won't roll even when you have it in neutral not running ??


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## eyebolt (Dec 15, 2016)

Good luck. Photos would be cool .


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I'm going to give you an idea of what you should be looking for. What I wrote below may not apply to your Ariens but I'm sure you can pick up some ideas what to do and what to look for.

What no one stated, the round disk or plate moves up and down to make contact with the rubber disk. The plate engages the rubber disk. The rubber disk moves left to right, and right to left, when you shift gears. The location of the rubber disk on the plate determines what gear you are in.

Lift up the handles putting the snowblower on the front or face of the auger housing. Remove the bottom plate, there should be for screws, two of them you may need to only loosen, the other two you need to remove. Then turn the wheels, you'll see what's moving; shift the gears, you'll see the rubber disk moving; press the drive lever, you'll see the plate move up and down.

But as Jack Mel's mentioned, check the drive belt from the top to see if it's engaging. Squeeze the lever, turn the wheels, you'll now see everything.


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## 351beno (Oct 12, 2017)

It probably is just the round bearing asm (spindle) that the pie plate bolts to. It need to slide free in the holder that bolts to the frame. You can take the lower drive belt pulley and key off to get to the bearing holder thats frozen. You will see a bolt to hold the yoke that moves it when you get the bolt out you can work on prying it out. Go easy wigging it around and use lots of spray. You could also try spraying both sides of the asm and working it back and forth with screw drives under the pulleys before pulling it all part.


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## Madriver (Jan 19, 2018)

Check the cable where the spring is, if it's under constant tension without you pushing down the drive lever look at the spring on the cable sometimes it gets looped around the spring in a funny way keeping the friction disk engaged all the time. And you will not be able to push the machine around.


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## 351beno (Oct 12, 2017)

Madriver said:


> Check the cable where the spring is, if it's under constant tension without you pushing down the drive lever look at the spring on the cable sometimes it gets looped around the spring in a funny way keeping the friction disk engaged all the time. And you will not be able to push the machine around.


 A great thought which is true for some machines. The 924 series should not have a spring on the cable. Its most likely a rod or cable that goes to the engagement yoke. There is a eye bolt with a nut to adjust for the friction wheel tension. So if that's over adjusted it could be a problem. Most the time with the 924 series its in the drive spindle tho.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

take a crowbar, and a can of PB blast and work the drive plate up and down to free it up while liberally spraying the PB blast to it......be carefull with the crowbar that you don't snap the aluminum plate. Once it is free, spray some lithium grease on the plate shaft and bearing...and you are home free.....I've done a few.....


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## all3939 (Dec 21, 2014)

And when your all done you will need to wipe down everything underneath very well and then oil and grease the proper areas. The disc and friction wheel will not function if there is the slightest oily resedue left on either one of them.


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## nickf1227 (Mar 20, 2018)

Hello All,
I am having the same issue outlined in this thread.
When it is on the ground, the wheels spin, the gears and chain spin, and the friction wheel turns. When I engage the drive lever, nothing happens. She does not chooch. 

Tipped machine over, took both front and bottom/rear covers off and pulled on drive lever to see what happens. Other than a spring stretching, nothing happens.

I took alot of photos. I really have no idea how to proceed. Any help would be greatly appreciated. 
Model number is 92401. model year is 1999.

Bougvht new belts and new friction wheel, but obviously that is not my problem (although they were original from 99 so they needed to be done anyway).



cranman said:


> take a crowbar, and a can of PB blast and work the drive plate up and down to free it up while liberally spraying the PB blast to it......be carefull with the crowbar that you don't snap the aluminum plate. Once it is free, spray some lithium grease on the plate shaft and bearing...and you are home free.....I've done a few.....


I dont think this is my problem because the assembly moves freely with my hand.

Also dont think its the belt because it behaves properly with the machine running.


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## Tompaul (Mar 19, 2020)

Snapper 11306. Product 84715. 2006

Forward traction weak or not operating. Good reverse. Good belt,friction plate etc. it turns out the issue was with the traction axle bushings in the housing. This model has fixed dry steel bushings pressed into sides of the collection box (?) through which the axle passes. The right side bushing had worn sufficiently to allow enough slop that when in forward, the axle lifted the chain case allowing friction wheel to slip. There are very close tolerances here and took me forever to figure this out. The symptoms all pointed to worn drive disc or dirty friction plate. Pretty cheap parts and not too tough to fix. The old bushings pounded out (heat) new pounded in with grease. No way to lube these things so they wear.hope this helps someone.


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