Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

An Ariens machine has a two inch section of the friction disk worn down to the metal. The rest of the friction disk looks good with almost full rubber. How can that happen?
The tractor drive parts look ok. The hex shaft support bearings are ok. The friction disk carrier is not look and seems fine. There’s nothing in there to keep the wheels from turning freely so no backup stopping or holding the friction disk in one place.

If the clutch was very tight and first gear super slow, too close to the center of the drive plate, then usually the drive wheels turn so slow the person uses second to move. To make all the rubber wear in one spot you’d have to stand there with the wheels not turning for quite some time to wear away all of the rubber in a two inch section.
Also, the drive plate is now scored badly. It’s probably due to hitting the exposed metal on the friction disk. The owner claims it worked ok but I don’t see how that’s possible. There quite a difference in height between the not rubber section and the part with rubber.
How do you get a two inch bald stop in a friction disk with scoring on the drive plate?

I think if you have that kind of bald spot on a friction disc, you may have a bearing seizing on the friction disc drive shaft somewhere. The bearing may be locking up in the same place once and a while till if frees up.. When it locks it smokes the disc in that location. Now it may be caused (the bad bearing) by the friction disc being adjusted too tight , causing undue load and heat on the bearing..

AS I see it the drive plate is turning freely, the friction disc assy is locking up (due to bearing failure) and smoking the rubber and damaging the drive plate..

Alright..Good luck

Friiy

Friiy,
I think your right. It's got to be something stopping causing the friction disk to stay in one place for a long time. Either the shifter is out of adjustment causing the friction disk say in first gear to be at the center of the drive plate. It could also be the friction disk is stopped in some way while against the drive plate.

The bearings and collar the friction disk rides on seems fine. It could be the wheels get locked up or stuck in some ground snag so get hels in place.

For both of these conditions the guy would have to stand there with the clutch engaged for quite a while when the machine is not moving.

I put in a new friction disk and have to wait to see how it works for the guy. It may work and condition eat away the friction disk in a year or two. He'll have to check next year.

He did not know anything was wrong which seems impossible. The big bumping caused by the friction disk bald spot and the screaching of the metal on metal of the drive plate evidently did not get his attention. There must be something he's not telling me about the machine.
david