By Tom Lyall on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I have a '98 Max II and have gone through about 4 chain adjusters in six months of riding time. There seems to be no problems with the rear adjusters. I have the most trouble out of the ones in the front. Are there any adjusters available that will hold up longer than the ones from R I? The metal seems to be just too weak to last for any length of time. Does any one else experience this trouble or have any ideas how to prevent the breakage? PS All chains are new, are in-line, and are well greased with no worn sprockets or broken welds. All six barrings are in good condition.

By Fred Sowerwine, Montana's Max Dealer (Fred4dot) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Tom, You need to explain your problem a little better. Just what is it that is breaking? I have been selling Max since 1994 and have only had a few people with adjuster problems. Usually the chain troughs are full of gunk making the adjuster full of gunk and then it won't hold its position. If the springs are breaking, you can get new springs and retrofit old adjusters (make sure all the contact points are able to grip or you are wasting your time).

The only other thing I can think of is you might be running your chains too tight and as the tight spot comes over the adjuster, something has to give. It should be the master link, but isn't; with 50 chains and big bearings (with the old style bearings, the lock collar anchor point was the weak link) the adjuster could be the weak link. If your rear chains are looser than your front chains and you adjust your chains without having the wheels off the ground, my guess is chains too tight.

Remember to keep your chain trough clean (and keep seat belts out of the chain area) because if the chains pick something up, something is going to break.

By Timothy Schotanus (Mudbuster) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Dave B has modified a set of max4 chain adjuster sprockets to use on his max2

By david berger (Davidrrrd) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

yah when i kept braking mine ther was no teath left on the ratchet,
they simply sheared each other off!
i built new ones with max 4 idelers with angled plate welded to head of the bolt to guid it up and down and also act as an anker so adjusting could be done with only one wrench,
made somthing like them a few years laiter when back ones started doin it to, but with bearings instead of sprokets,

By frank on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Fred I bought a used 1994 Max II and I think the chains need adjusting - I have 1 1/2 -2 inches play in the chains, problem is I do not have an instruction/ owners manual - where are these chain adjusters located? Thanks, Frank

By Fred Sowerwine, Montana's Max Dealer (Fred4dot) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Frank, You should contact Richard or RI and get an owner's manual/ repair booklets. It will pay for itself time and again and save you a lot of frustration.

The chain adjusters for the final drive chains on a max II are spring loaded sliders with a white nylon pad that contacts the chain. They are about mid point in the chain and bolted to the frame close to the body. The front adjusters go down and the rear adjusters come up to tighten. Be sure to have your machine blocked up so all the wheels on each side can turn because the wheels have to be free to move to know if they need adjustment (top might appear loose, but the bottom is stretched tight as a drum) and you have to rotate the wheels to find the tight spot before you tighten the chains (you have the old style bearings and if you get your chains too tight, you will break the lock collar anchor points on your bearings - RI went to the bigger bearing in mid 1995). You want about 1/2 inch of play at the tight spot and when you rotate the tires by hand after adjusting, if you don't have a little play, use a screwdriver to separate the slider so it will release to loosen the chain. If there is lots of gunk in your chain troughs, clean it out and check your adjusters to be sure that they are metal on metal and not held apart by whatever. To adjust the jackshaft chains, loosen the bolts that hold the upper sprocket(four, 2 on each side of each sprocket - one sprocket on each jackshaft, 8 bolts) to the frame. There is one set of adjuster bolts (2) on the top of the framework that works with the chain that goes to the axle; the other set of adjuster bolts is in the front of the framework and it works with the chain to the tranny. Screw the nuts on to tighten and make sure to do the same number of turns on each bolt on each chain. Change the final drive chains when top and bottom are about 1/2 inch apart. To clean the adjuster on the left rear chain, it is often easier to take of the drive belt (roll it off the pulley on the tranny- should be tight, but come off with just a little effort).