# Friction disk out of the adjuster fork?



## jaytpilk (Nov 26, 2018)

I'm working on a 5524, (seems about 10 years old), and after putting a new carb on, she's running great. Auger spins strong. And after a quick check of the drive - she jumps into action and drives strong - I noticed that it ONLY goes in reverse. Quick look at the friction disk adjuster connection where it ...dives into the enclosed section of the underside of the blower, and noticed it looked bent. Hmmm. (See 1st pic).

Got inside and notice the adjuster disk was not lodged into the adjuster fork. (See 2nd pic).

Question is: Can I somehow move stuff around to get the adjuster disk back into place in the fork, or do I have to pull the whole axle out to be able to move things back into place?

Thank you,

Jay


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

You would be better off to unbolt the bearings for the axle to get enough play to move the axle around to get the clearance you need to get it back in place.
You might be able to flex the forks out far enough to get it back in place but if you do that, you will have to make sure the forks are squeezed back in place tight enough, or that will happen again.
That can happen when the fork flexes out by forcing the shift lever to move when it is engaged to the drive plate.
Be careful when you flex/bend the fork because you can weaken it by doing that. Once it weakens, it will flex out easier and that will happen more often.
There are usually washers on the bearing holder pins between the fork and bearing holder assembly that moves your friction wheel to take up some play or space between the two of them and to keep the fork from becoming stuck against flat parts of the bearing holder.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Wow, …. that thing sure looks f....d up … You are probably going to want to put that in the service position and do some detective work and find out why things are all bent up. Then you will know what has to be done to correct it, and to prevent it from happening in the future.

" she jumps into action and drives strong " …. evidently not if it won't move forward … just sayin …


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

That's what I was thinking. That is thicker sheat steel on the frame that's bent. That shouldn't bend that easy.
Something really put a lot of pressure on it to bend the frame piece like that. He will have to straighten that out and get the other end of the fork shaft back into its place otherwise it will jump right off the bearing holder for the friction driven disc wheel.
The shift lever was probably really forced/jammed to make it shift. Dry shifting could possibly do that also.


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## jaytpilk (Nov 26, 2018)

​


oneacer said:


> Wow, …. that thing sure looks f....d up … You are probably going to want to put that in the service position and do some detective work and find out why things are all bent up. Then you will know what has to be done to correct it, and to prevent it from happening in the future.
> 
> " she jumps into action and drives strong " …. evidently not if it won't move forward … just sayin …


Dont disagree. It will move forward or backward extremely well ---- when that adjuster friction wheel is in the proper place. Just can't 'adjust' it at the moment.

Can't tell if that speed control arm is bent or if it's supposed to have that ...pitch to it. Can't find an image of it online. See pic here, pls: 

Jay


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

That machine looks like it was dropped from a pick up truck a couple times, or someone really beat on it good …. just sayin …


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## jaytpilk (Nov 26, 2018)

oneacer said:


> That machine looks like it was dropped from a pick up truck a couple times, or someone really beat on it good …. just sayin …


Well, other than just takin' a useless dump on my clients machine, do you have any useful inputs?


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## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

I just fixed one with this issue, the 2 bent out tabs that hold the shifter shaft move slowly making it sloppy and helps the shaft pop out at its end. when all apart I bent the tabs alittle closer together. So when it’s all back together there’s less movement. And remember that there are washers that go between the fork and sliding mechanism.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 2.137269 (Nov 15, 2019)

i would take it apart straighten those tabs ,IMM my money is on it having been force shifted while under power.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

The Shifter may have gotten Bent From it being in a truck Not secured, and it rolled into the tailgate. Have Patience Re-installing the Wheel....It's Quite a Balancing Act to Get it back on the fork while Keeping the washers in place. GLW Repair


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## jaytpilk (Nov 26, 2018)

e.fisher26 said:


> I just fixed one with this issue, the 2 bent out tabs that hold the shifter shaft move slowly making it sloppy and helps the shaft pop out at its end. when all apart I bent the tabs alittle closer together. So when it’s all back together there’s less movement. And remember that there are washers that go between the fork and sliding mechanism.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks e.fisher. Do you have any images of what it Should look like? I am not finding any. Strange that the "forks" are at such an angle, tapered down... Maybe they're supposed to be like that, but, just closer together.

Sounds like I'll loosen the bearings to buy some flex so I can get the adjuster wheel back inbetween the forks...


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## jaytpilk (Nov 26, 2018)

ST1100A said:


> That's what I was thinking. That is thicker sheat steel on the frame that's bent. That shouldn't bend that easy.
> Something really put a lot of pressure on it to bend the frame piece like that. He will have to straighten that out and get the other end of the fork shaft back into its place otherwise it will jump right off the bearing holder for the friction driven disc wheel.
> The shift lever was probably really forced/jammed to make it shift. Dry shifting could possibly do that also.


Thanks ST1100A. Question: what do you mean by "and get the other end of the fork shaft back into place"? I thought I just needed to get the ...sliding friction disc wheel back into the forks, with the washers, and make sure the forks were ...pinching down enough to keep the adjuster disc from moving.

I'll work on finding a picture of that "speed control arm" that seems bent, at an angle, and get that where it should be and go from there.

Thank you!!!

Jay


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## oneboltshort (Dec 16, 2019)

Hi Jay, I just joined up after lurking here for several months. Your post caught my eye because I have a 932104 Ariens in the garage right now we are working on for a coworker of my wifes. I think your 5524 is the same or very similar design in the drive area. Like others have said you are missing washers between the shift forks and the friction wheel bearing assembly. It's very hard to tell from your photo, but the rod that the forks are welded to has a spot (hole at 12 o'clock photo #1) with a bushing it should sit in, yours looks like it's out of the hole and missing the bushing. I can't post pictures yet but you should be able to see the shift fork rod goes at an up angle from rear to front. Under the engine there is a little bent down tab with a hole just like where the rod goes in from the back. That hole needs to have a bushing and the tip of the shift rod has to be in that. The one we are working on has the same problem as yours, rod fell out and forks came off the wheel, washers fell out. It got jammed and my coworker push and pulled on the shift lever until he bent the rod and lever like yours. We had to take everything (I mean everything) out of the transmission box and replace the worn out drive plate shaft parts. There is not a lot of videos about these 932 series drives but I did find one that shows some of the interior correctly installed. If you type in Ariens 932104 friction plate in YT the guy is describing what happened to the one I'm working on. I think it may be what happened to yours. 

We have worked on lots of other Ariens series that have simpler, better designed drive areas.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

That Friction wheel setup was a Very Flawed Design. Glad they Stopped using it. In the past, I have cut a washer in half, and welded it to the rod just behind the hole where it goes into the chassis to prevent it from dropping out.


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## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

mustie1-


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

jaytpilk said:


> Thanks ST1100A. Question: what do you mean by "and get the other end of the fork shaft back into place"? I thought I just needed to get the ...sliding friction disc wheel back into the forks, with the washers, and make sure the forks were ...pinching down enough to keep the adjuster disc from moving.
> 
> I'll work on finding a picture of that "speed control arm" that seems bent, at an angle, and get that where it should be and go from there.
> 
> ...


Its hard to see it from the picture, but the one end of the fork shaft you see very well, that's the end that connects to the shift linkage rod. It would be where the opposite end of that shaft would mount down near the drive plate disc, down inside the chassis. There should be an area where it mounts and pivots at. It may have a bushing there.
It should have some type of mounting/pivoting location, otherwise the fork shaft will move/twist around and not properly slide the driven disc on its shaft to cause it to change speed or go into reverse.


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## jaytpilk (Nov 26, 2018)

ST1100A said:


> Its hard to see it from the picture, but the one end of the fork shaft you see very well, that's the end that connects to the shift linkage rod. It would be where the opposite end of that shaft would mount down near the drive plate disc, down inside the chassis. There should be an area where it mounts and pivots at. It may have a bushing there.
> It should have some type of mounting/pivoting location, otherwise the fork shaft will move/twist around and not properly slide the driven disc on its shaft to cause it to change speed or go into reverse.


thanks again. Does this video help you confirm/deny any recommendations? 




One thing I am now realizing is that they orange metal "tab" where the ...friction wheel adjuster arm goes 'into' the machine, it should be flared out about 1/4". I thought it was incorrectly bent, and bent it back in - flush with the rest of the machine face. I now need to bend it back to where it was. DUH!.

I may just loosen the 2 outer axle bearings to get some play in that axle so that I can slip the ...friction wheel adjuster ...slip it back into place between the forks, with washers in place.


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## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

I haven’t been able to do it without taking the right side(facing the rear) bearing off, the left side will slide out without removing the bearing 


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## oneboltshort (Dec 16, 2019)

The shift fork rod is out of the far end and the bushing appears to be missing. Look behind your thumb at the 33 second mark of your video. That is the interior pivot point/mount for the rod. you will need to bend the orange painted tab back out to get the angle correct. I tried to say that in my other post.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

jaytpilk said:


> thanks again. Does this video help you confirm/deny any recommendations? https://youtu.be/tAzee-C_nAI
> 
> One thing I am now realizing is that they orange metal "tab" where the ...friction wheel adjuster arm goes 'into' the machine, it should be flared out about 1/4". I thought it was incorrectly bent, and bent it back in - flush with the rest of the machine face. I now need to bend it back to where it was. DUH!.
> 
> I may just loosen the 2 outer axle bearings to get some play in that axle so that I can slip the ...friction wheel adjuster ...slip it back into place between the forks, with washers in place.


At around :35 om the video I can see the end of the fork shaft just to the right of the metal drive disc. Thats the area I was talking about. Make sure it didn't come out of its mounting hole and if there is supposed to be a pivot bushing there, either metal or plastic, because if that is worn out or missing, the shaft wont stay in place properly when you go to shift gears, it will wobble around and let the driven disc move around and could cause the fork to come off of the tabs on the bearing assembly.
Its hard to see and to get to that spot where it goes through the mount hole, almost like you have to remove the drive plate disc and axle to get to it.


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