Totally broken steering bracket on '15 :( and a question...

[Kascade]

I had the infamous "loose steering" show up a few weeks ago. I tightened the 17mm nut and things seemed good...until today. I noticed the steering had loosened up again so I pulled off the tie rod boot and something looked amiss, so I pulled the airbox and I could tell the actual bracket was cracked! And not just a little bit...as you can see in the picture.

I ended up drilling out the rivets and ordered the SMA-8JPST-BR-KT "upgrade". (anything would be an upgrade from broken...)

One of the difficulties I had getting the steering column out was that the 17mm nut was just spinning the "ball bolt"(?) that comes out of the steering column. That's why I drilled out the rivets first so I could pull the entire mess out and get a wrench around the top of that ball bolt. So my question is this: does the new kit (and presumably the old bracket, if not broken) have some mechanism to retain that ball bolt from spinning when I put the 17mm nut back on? Or is there something else broken here that I should look at ordering? I'm assuming the new bracket has square sides where that bolt sits which prevents it from spinning but it was hard to tell on mine since it was so messed up.

Thanks!

 

[maim]

usually on a swivel like that you need to use a wrench to hold it while you tighten it unless there is a flat to engage the spot where i would hold it with a wrench.

 

[Kascade]

usually on a swivel like that you need to use a wrench to hold it while you tighten it unless there is a flat to engage the spot where i would hold it with a wrench.

That's what I thought, but that 17mm nut can be tightened from below without access to the top of the swivel. There must be a flat to engage it on a non-broken bracket. I'll know soon enough. Hoping I don't find otherwise and have to wait to order more parts. Of course this happened right before we are supposed to get a bunch of snow :'(

 

[Kascade]

Found this image of the kit on ebay. It does appear the hole where it goes through on the larger bracket has flat sides, so hopefully I answered my question.

This sucks though. What a truly terrible design.

 

[DTJ]

I used an impact to take mine apart without having to hold the swivel bolt at all. I also used an impact to tighten it and once it was snug with impact was able to finish with torque wrench and didn't end up having to hold swivel bolt at all since it didn't spin once snug with impact.

 

[RAMSOMAIR]

There is a metal tang that is bent up that the flat of the ball joint sits against.

 

[hibshman25]

starting in 17 the bracket was beefed up. Make sure you get the updated parts.

yamaha number: SMA-8jpSt-BR-KT

 

[Kascade]

starting in 17 the bracket was beefed up. Make sure you get the updated parts.

yamaha number: SMA-8jpSt-BR-KT

Yup, got this on order! Thankfully I was well aware of the issue and the upgrade before this happened, so I had a hunch what was going on when the slop returned. When the 17mm nut from the bottom access hole was free spinning I knew something else was up and tore open the hood and airbox. I certainly wasn't expecting to see the bracket legit cracked though!

At least while it's open until the parts arrive I can have a look around and familiarize myself with other stuff. Silver linings? :/

I just wish the 2016+ suspension front end upgrade kit was still produced and I'd just do that at the same time.

 

[InRBigness]

I have done both of my Vipers with this kit. Do yourself a favor and also install the Mainway Solutions bushing kit while its all apart. Tightens everything up a lot more.

 

[Kascade]

I have done both of my Vipers with this kit. Do yourself a favor and also install the Mainway Solutions bushing kit while its all apart. Tightens everything up a lot more.

I have done both of my Vipers with this kit. Do yourself a favor and also install the Mainway Solutions bushing kit while its all apart. Tightens everything up a lot more.

Mainway Solutions | Snowmobile Greasable Suspension Parts

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mainwaysolutions.ca

Is it the "Yamaha Greasable Control Arm Bushing Kit" you are referring to? I'm guessing "Bell Crank Bushing Kit" is worth doing as well?

 

[InRBigness]

I did the Bell Crank kit. It replaces the plastic sleeves with brass ones that tighten up some of the slop I had. I then to make it very solid put in the OFT steering block with Oillite bearings. I have no side to side or front to back play in the steering shaft at all.

Control arm bushings are in the A arms. I have not done them.

 

[Kascade]

I did the Bell Crank kit. It replaces the plastic sleeves with brass ones that tighten up some of the slop I had. I then to make it very solid put in the OFT steering block with Oillite bearings. I have no side to side or front to back play in the steering shaft at all.

Control arm bushings are in the A arms. I have not done them.

Huge thanks for this tip, ordering right now and will knock it out at the same time!

 

[YamaSpark]

I just wish the 2016+ suspension front end upgrade kit was still produced and I'd just do that at the same time.

What is the 2016+ suspension front end upgrade kit?

 

[Kascade]

I did the Bell Crank kit. It replaces the plastic sleeves with brass ones that tighten up some of the slop I had. I then to make it very solid put in the OFT steering block with Oillite bearings. I have no side to side or front to back play in the steering shaft at all.

Control arm bushings are in the A arms. I have not done them.

Huge thanks for this tip, ordering right now and will knock it out at the same time!

What is the 2016+ suspension front end upgrade kit?

The kit that narrows the front end stance of 14-15s to the 16+ spindles a arms, etc.

 

[Kascade]

Val @ Mainway is great...the new bushings for the bellcrank arrived the next day and are in the sled. Certainly feels nice to have some metal bushings in there rather than those stock plastic ones. Perhaps I'll do the A-arm bushing kit from him as well as a summer tinkering project.

Now I just need the "upgrade" kit which should arrive tomorrow, c'mon USPS! I treated myself to an air riveter so hopefully that'll all go together quickly and I can get out for a ride in a couple days!

If anybody is interested ,this is how the old parts came out of the sled. Pretty easy to see how i had things free spinning. That aluminum blowout should be the squared off circle where the ball join bolt sits! It got cracked and completely reamed out. The steel side brace was damn near cracked through! I hate my sled being out of commission but I'm feeling very glad I dug in to this and found out what it looked like before I just lived with some slop and rode it in this state.