2010/2011 Diamond Drive Bearing?

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cuzzinolaf

Active member
Has anyone here replaced their 6203 OEM Arctic Cat bearing with something else? I pulled apart my diamond drive the other day and noticed the bearing seal on the one side came loose and the bearing started to break up. I have since purchased an SKF 5203 (changed to a 3203 recently) that is a little wider than the stock bearing. This is the same size bearing Black Diamond (Diamond Drive mfg.) sells to replace the bearing. Anyway, I'm reading things online where people with 2010 and 2011 M8s are machining down the track shaft or transfer gear shaft and I wanted to see if anyone has any experience with this at all.
 
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ezra

Well-known member
cuzzinolaf said:
Has anyone here replaced their 6203 OEM Arctic Cat bearing with something else? I pulled apart my diamond drive the other day and noticed the bearing seal on the one side came loose and the bearing started to break up. I have since purchased an SKF 5203 (changed to a 3203 recently) that is a little wider than the stock bearing. This is the same size bearing Black Diamond (Diamond Drive mfg.) sells to replace the bearing. Anyway, I'm reading things online where people with 2010 and 2011 M8s are machining down the track shaft or transfer gear shaft and I wanted to see if anyone has any experience with this at all.
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well it is like this 1 in 5 will need to have the shaft cut.
if u have it out of the sled and u put it together and it more or less falls in to place U are good to go.
if u need to force the last tiny bit U need to cut the track shaft just a tiny bit
 
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cuzzinolaf

Active member
ezra said:
well it is like this 1 in 5 will need to have the shaft cut.
if u have it out of the sled and u put it together and it more or less falls in to place U are good to go.
if u need to force the last tiny bit U need to cut the track shaft just a tiny bit
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OK, I'm confused. If the bearing is in the diamond drive, why do you need to cut the track shaft? I assume the track shaft is the drive shaft and I'll need to pull out the whole assembly? I'm trying to figure this out. If the DD goes back together on the bench I should be good or I won't know until i try to mount it back in the sled?
 
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thebreeze

Member
Like mentioned above, there are two issues at work.

If you install the 5203, and the case halves seat properly with the DD out of the sled, your good to go in terms of the Diamond drive itself.

If you then pull the case halves apart, and try and install the DD cover with the back of the case moutned to the sled, and they will not seat fully, the issue is with the track shaft.... or in actuality, the tunnel is slightly narrow. This is when some guys machine down the track shaft.

My sled fits the second scenario. Yours likely does as well. I did not machine the drive shaft down, and with fingers crossed, mine has been holding up to turbo HP levels.

Long story short... slap the 5203 in there, and let er buck.
 
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snoluver1

Active member
catalac said:
Why didn't they use the good NTN or SKF bearings to begin with?
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Cuz they saved 3 cents on every sled they built = $$$$ LOL! Even when they have to replace 40% of them under warranty, their still money ahead, and that's all that matters to a bean counter.
 
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ezra

Well-known member
40% no prob less than 15% most don't know it is gone till u take it apart. or it grenades and that is usually after a season and 1/2 so warranty is gone.
 
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catalac

Active member
ezra said:
40% no prob less than 15% most don't know it is gone till u take it apart. or it grenades and that is usually after a season and 1/2 so warranty is gone.
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Yeah, it just amazes me that some of those bearings are only lasting a few hundred miles. It's funny that my 05 FCat is still runnning the original one. It's like everything else. Companies have really went on the cheap!
 
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pez

Member
I just replaced mine on my 2010 crossfire. The old bearing was fine, but I had it apart and already bought the bdx one. Hardest part was cleaning off the old gasket.
 
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ezra

Well-known member
catalac said:
Yeah, it just amazes me that some of those bearings are only lasting a few hundred miles. It's funny that my 05 FCat is still runnning the original one. It's like everything else. Companies have really went on the cheap!
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the 05 used a diff bearing but in 07 they changed it cuz of the rev case with no issues so when they did the 09m change they used the same bearing they used in the 07 up but the 09 has more side load on the bearing and that is why they trash out.
guys who use 09 for more or less trail last a long time guys who ditch bang and offtrail get more side load abbuse and they dont last
 
indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
cuzzinolaf said:
Has anyone here replaced their 6203 OEM Arctic Cat bearing with something else? I pulled apart my diamond drive the other day and noticed the bearing seal on the one side came loose and the bearing started to break up. I have since purchased an SKF 5203 (changed to a 3203 recently) that is a little wider than the stock bearing. This is the same size bearing Black Diamond (Diamond Drive mfg.) sells to replace the bearing. Anyway, I'm reading things online where people with 2010 and 2011 M8s are machining down the track shaft or transfer gear shaft and I wanted to see if anyone has any experience with this at all.
Click to expand...
heres your problem
 

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ezra

Well-known member
004.jpg you are correct Indy with enough torque to just jump right off the ground on to a dumpster u cant expect any bearing to hold up.
did I mention how happy I am to have that poo out of my garage
 
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cuzzinolaf

Active member
I just wanted to let everyone know how much fun it is to get the diamond drive back into the sled. WOW, it was hard getting out but getting the diamond drive to go back in was a party (sarcastic).
 
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ezra

Well-known member
did u loosen the track? most of the time they pop right in twist and lift the driver .I have had the most issues with reverse drives fighting me.
 
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cuzzinolaf

Active member
Yea, the track was loose, and I tried using a jack to lift up the front of the skid, dropping it, spinning the track, etc.
 
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