Marginal Wheel Replacement
Tools Needed:
- 3/16, 11/32, 25/64 Drill bits
- Drill
- Hammer
- Center Punch
- Marker
- Straight Screw Driver
- 2 14 and 12 mm wrenches
- Two extra bolts nuts and washers (3/8 x 1 or 10mm x ~26mm)
- Type of Grinding tool
Step 1: The first thing you must do once the suspension is out or is very accessible is removing the front idler wheel bolt so we can take the wheel off. This can be done with a 14 mm wrench on both ends.
Step 2: You must now remove the wheel mount bracket that is now accessible because the wheel is removed. I have found that the easiest way to do this is jam a straight screw driver in between the bolt and the bracket to prevent the hex head from spinning while you loosed it from the back with a 12 mm wrench.
Step 3: Now that the bracket is removed, you must fill the hole, which the wheel bolt used to go through to hold the W-Arm lower mounting bracket in place. This is where you take your extra bolt that was a required tool and tighten it up in there.
Step 4: Now, you need to remove the rear bolt of the W-arm Bumper plate because this is going to be the new location of your idler wheel. I believe the stock bolt is a 12 mm.
Step 5: Once the bolt is removed, you now need your drill and your 25/64 drill bit or one close to those dimensions. You are going to drill through where that stock bolt you just took out went to allow for the larger size of the wheel bolt.
Step 6: Now that the hole is large enough for the wheel bolt, you must take your wheel mounting bracket that you had previously taken off and you must grind it down with what ever you have accessible to you (Belt Sander was my choice). You must sand the back edge of this piece to a rounded edge so that it has a better fit with the bumper plate that it will now be installed under. Your end result should look something similar to this.
Step 7: Now that the wheel-mounting bracket fits nice and snug under the W-Arm bumper plate, you can put the wheel bolt throw the wheel mounting bracket and now mark where you need to drill out the slide rail. Make sure everything is lined up and you are marking in the right place.
Step 8: Once you are able to mark the rail so you know where you drill, go get your hammer and punch and give a good hit so your drill doesnt slide on you when drilling a new hole in the rail.
Step 9: Once you have the rail punched, now get your drill and first drill the rail with your ~3/16 drill bit or any small drill bit. Once you go through with the drill bit, switch it out and throw in your ~11/32 drill bit and drill all the way through the rail so you stock bolt will fit through.
Step 10: Now you are all ready to install all your stock parts into the new location. First you put in the lower stock bolt into the wheel mounting bracket through the hole we just drilled out. Before you tighten that bolt up, make sure to stick the wheel bolt through the top so that the piece does not spin on you. Like stated above, I find it easiest to jam the flat head in there to prevent the hex head from spinning while tightening from the backside.
Step 11: Take the wheel mounting bolt back out of the wheel mounting bracket and put the wheel and washers back on the bolt and tighten it onto the mounting bracket (washers on front and back).
Step 12: You are now done with the install and you must repeat on the other side. This is a fairly quick and easy install and is a great way to eliminate hyfax wear at the curve of the slide rails. This tip will also create less rolling resistance. Best of all, it is FREE! Unlike buying the marginal wheels that some aftermarket companies sell (Such as ourselves) this tip will also not add the extra weight of the wheels on both sides (1.3 pounds). Here are some before and after pictures and some pictures of the modification completed. Thanks and Happy Sledding.
Before
After
