# Ariens new friction disk quality?



## Reg (Jan 18, 2016)

Had my previous Ariens (Model 1032) for 24 years and changed the friction disk twice and it was still blowing snow when I sold it. It was a grand machine but showing its age. Bought a new Ariens (Pro 28, model 926038) in 2016 and really like this one too. However, after 4 years my present disk is about worn out. Drive plate seems OK, a bit rough for friction but same roughness over entire plate, so I assume it was made that way. Wish I could remember how smooth the drive plate was on my 1032, but I can't. Read somewhere that Oregon brand friction disks are of better quality than the Ariens. Any thoughts?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I've put on Stens and Oregon ... Both seem fine.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Reg said:


> Had my previous Ariens (Model 1032) for 24 years and changed the friction disk twice and it was still blowing snow when I sold it. It was a grand machine but showing its age. Bought a new Ariens (Pro 28, model 926038) in 2016 and really like this one too. However, after 4 years my present disk is about worn out. Drive plate seems OK, a bit rough for friction but same roughness over entire plate, so I assume it was made that way. Wish I could remember how smooth the drive plate was on my 1032, but I can't. Read somewhere that Oregon brand friction disks are of better quality than the Ariens. Any thoughts?


You have to factor in how much you used it. Maybe you got a lot more snow since 2016?
The storms factor in too, maybe the storms were a lot more wet, slushy or icy. Putting more wear on the wheel.
Maybe a bad wheel from the factory? It happens.
I would buy 2, so you have a spare.


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## cpchriste (Jan 19, 2014)

Reg said:


> However, after 4 years my present disk is about worn out. Drive plate seems OK, a bit rough for friction but same roughness over entire plate, so I assume it was made that way. Wish I could remember how smooth the drive plate was on my 1032,


95% of the intact friction plate/friction disc surfaces I've seen have been smooth, almost a mirror. The only ones I've seen with "grit" surface are Ariens built in the last 10-15 years. Not so coincidentally those machines also seem to have prematurely worn friction wheels. 
I know that an aged or wet friction wheel can temporarily slip on a friction disc when cold, so I have a theory that ariens decided to give up some out-of-warranty longevity in their components in order to eliminate complaints regarding slippage.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I am still running the original friction disc on my 52 year old Ariens and plan on running the original disc in my recently acquired 47 year old Ariens. Both show no signs of slippage during use.

The friction plate on my 2018 Ariens is rougher than the old Ariens plates and I can see wear on the disc after 3 seasons (I keep spare discs on hand for all 3 machines).

The newer Ariens friction disc rubber is a poorer quality than the rubber from 40 or 50 years ago IMHO.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

As the saying goes ... "They don't build things like they used to ..." sure applies in most cases ...

None of my machines, mostly 50+ years old, slip on their smooth drive plate, in any condition.


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## Dusty (Dec 13, 2018)

I had to swap out the original friction disk on my 1971 3 years ago. It was the original. That 1969 I just took apart still had its original. The plates on those machines and most I have looked at and worked on were smooth. Also the center on those old ones was steel bolted to a cast Iron hub. I don't like how the new ones have a plastic center. Another part replaced using plastic. A rough plate probably doesn't help, that would act like sandpaper. If their all being built that way now, maybe theirs a reason, planned obsolescence, more money on replacement parts? Or better traction, both? Not sure, but the old ones worked great a very long time with a smooth plate. This is why I will never get rid of my 1971 unit aside from an end its life failure, which if you keep up with these things wont happen and I might hang onto that recently acquired 1987 unit I picked up. The only reason that 69 became a parts donor was because the original owner did not change the axle bushing after it wore out, he kept running it until the axle ate into the cage which one of the 3 ears of the friction plate bolt two, that ear cracked, a weld on the cage broke, a line got worn into the axle, the bushing and bushing support were shot. It was still repairable, but it would have needed an entire friction plate assembly and my other unit needed parts, so I parted it out. You gotta take 90% of the gearbox apart to get that plate assembly out of their. Everything I see indicates better build quality on the older units. The technology got better, but the overall construction was better on the older units, IMO.


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## Smokie1 (Sep 17, 2019)

Hey Dusty... I have access to 2 2019 SHO’s that just finished their second season. I pulled the belly pan on both recently to preform routine maintenance , and shot video of the friction wheel etc on one, and took photos of the other. Granted this is just the end of two seasons (threw lots of snow this year!), but they look pretty good. I hope they look like this 20 years from now. 





Sent from my iPhone


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Reg (Jan 18, 2016)

cpchriste said:


> 95% of the intact friction plate/friction disc surfaces I've seen have been smooth, almost a mirror. The only ones I've seen with "grit" surface are Ariens built in the last 10-15 years. Not so coincidentally those machines also seem to have prematurely worn friction wheels.
> I know that an aged or wet friction wheel can temporarily slip on a friction disc when cold, so I have a theory that ariens decided to give up some out-of-warranty longevity in their components in order to eliminate complaints regarding slippage.


Appreciate all of the responses - good points all. Never noticed a slipping problem on my old Ariens (purchased in early 80's) but does make sense that newer models may have rougher friction plates which, of course, will cause additional wear. I'll change disk this summer and keep another on hand (as recommended). I may avoid the Ariens disk. Snow in woods just recently disappeared here in UP of Michigan - looking forward to some summer.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

Ziggy65 said:


> I am still running the original friction disc on my 52 year old Ariens and plan on running the original disc in my recently acquired 47 year old Ariens. Both show no signs of slippage during use.
> 
> The friction plate on my 2018 Ariens is rougher than the old Ariens plates and I can see wear on the disc after 3 seasons (I keep spare discs on hand for all 3 machines).
> 
> The newer Ariens friction disc rubber is a poorer quality than the rubber from 40 or 50 years ago IMHO.


I wouldn't be surprised at all...


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

I had my 1971 Ariens in the shop maybe five plus years ago for a leaking gearbox. I knew for a few years prior to that, that my friction disc had maybe... three hair line cracks in it. I had a spare friction disc for maybe 8 years prior to that. So when the machine was in for the gearbox repair, I had them change the friction disc. It was worn down a bit, but the tech said, since it's here and you have a spare... change it. So I did. It should outlast me. 

Now on my 2015 machine, that I did buy used... was in very very good condition when I bought it. When I checked underneath, the friction disc had a little wear and a little bit of a rounded edge but really didn't seem worn on the flat outside edge. 

I would guess that the quality of todays disc might be a bit poorer.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

_ I am a believer that in general, many things produced today are not as robust or to the quality of things manufactured years ago._


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Some of it I think is EPA. "Biodegradeable" seems to just be another way of saying "decomposes while you watch" and seems to be the case with a lot of rubber and plastics these days. We finally get rid of the rotting of natural/older rubbers and plastics, and they design it right back in again . . .


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