After 10 hours of use, my machine had developed a low speed brake squeal. I removed the brake assembly and discovered that everything was put together dry. Not even lubrication on the caliper pins. After lubricating and reassembly, the squeal has disappeared. I will do the other three wheels today. Also, all grease fittings were under-greased (if at all) based on the amount of grease filled before they purged. This includes the drivelines. Next- I found many screws which were loose and/or stripped. I was able to tighten or fix them with my tap and die set. The lower a-arms on the front do not have grease zerks. I will remove the arms and install some. I guess I’m not surprised or even disappointed. These are just things that should be looked at on any machine. One thing I am pissed about though, is this “weld from hell” on the front . Totally unacceptable. For sure there will be water entry and eventual internal rust.
(see photo) I will fix it. I did an oil and filter change which some of you will say was not necessary. But break-in time is when you are most likely to have contamination from production and initial wear-in. BTW there was some metal in the filter. Cheap insurance to change often. Engine access is very difficult on this machine compared to other models. You have to remove lots of stuff to get to it. But I still like the machine very much, and I’m having a ball with it. Future plans include lights, cab enclosure and heater. Winters are long in Northern Michigan.
PB