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Well this is the right thread this time at least.

Last year I swapped the tires from my SXS to the loader. The tires were too aggerssive for the SXS and I was afraid that I was going to break stuff. The loader had mud tires on it from my old silverado. Anyway the SXS tires are Outback Max and have very aggressive tread. They really changed how the machine works. It has great traction with the new tires. I am running them way above their stated pressure to handle the weight of the loader. Anyway the tires are apparently too aggressive / I was trying too hard to push a burn pile of trees together. I heard and felt a pop and knew I had broken something in the back.

I was still pulling with the front axle, but it was clanking. I managed to limp it back to the shop with just the front axle pulling. I then proceeded to plant the bucket in the ground and spin the tires trying to figure out what was wrong with the front. It was working wierd also. Anyway I heard another pop and broke the front also. At this point I don't have any motion from the axles. This was all about 2 months ago.

I finally got around to pulling it into the shop Friday. I used the tooth bucked to crab walk it into the shop. Them my tractor to finish pushing it in.

On the back the drive side axle was the one broken. The shaft was snapped right at the internal spline.



On the front I had taken the axle and cut out the universal joint. I turned down the ears on both side and welded in a spool piece. On the shaft on the passenger side the weld broke, and the shaft was cracked. I have started making another one on the lathe. I'm going to leave more of a shoulder to that can weld it up better this time. Here are the pics.



Here are all three. The ears on this shaft are bent due to a break that facilitated me making the solid shafts in the first place.



Turning it down.



This is a pretty rough operation for the lathe. I'm trying to take it slow to keep from messing up the lathe. I am going to leave a good shoulder on it so that I can weld it up good this time. That way something else can break next time

I received the new axles in the mail yesterday, pressed in the studs and put the differential back together. Tonight I put the back cover on. Tomorrow i'll refill it with oil and start back on the shaft for the front.