Gearbox swap

[mikemrm]

I don't have mine apart right now, but looking at pictures it seems that the left and right gearboxes are identical. If so,could they be switched( left to right side, ETC.). My aging XT makes more (gearbox)noise going forward then in reverse. I'm thinking swapping them around might give me more time until replacement is necessary. Anyone tried this? Thanks, Me

[KSagal]

Have you looked at the elastomer connectors? They are kind of like a rubber spline on the transmissions.

They are a common cause for noise and wear, much more common to wear out than the transmission themselves.

I believe it would be in your interest to have them with you before you attempt a transmission cross swap, and if you replace them, your noise may go away...

Good luck.

[mikemrm]

I have elastomers in case. Even after changing the elastomers last year the noise continued. I think the gears are wearing down. Thanks tho! Has anyone done this? Thanks again, Me

[dgbint]

Hi

Yes, you can definitely swap gearboxes R to L, if you wish.

However, they are very robust, and unlikely to be a problem, as Karl suggests.

Again, as Karl suggest, the elastomers should be changed if you have the gearboxes off the machine.

Some other info;

1
There were several batches of early gearboxes.
The earliest ones were made by an external gearbox company.
They were great.
That company stopped, and Segway brought gearbox manufacture in-house.
Some of those early in-house ones were a bit noisy, perfectly functional but a bit noisy.

2
A very small batch of in-house gearboxes escaped the factory without a proper fill of lubricant. Most were tracked down and replaced.
In the very unlikely situation that you have these an early gearbox failure is probable ( is your machine an ultra low mileage machine ? ).

3
The gearboxes have a interesting odd-numbered gearing, so that each rev engages differently from the previous rev.
This makes them very tolerant of wear.

Michael
www.dgbint.com

[mikemrm]

No, if anything it's ULTRA HIGH mileage. The sounds have gotten progressively louder over the years (6+). Last time I opened it up(my first thought was dead elastomers) the elastomers were fine. I considered lack of lube too, but thought I'd try a swap first. Thanks, Me

[mikemrm]

BTW, this summer I'll play it safe and bring along a spare tire(or two) on my longer trips!

[Tritium]

Hey Mike, are those things on the racks missiles?
They look pretty cool, and I've been thinking of installing SSMs on mine.

[mikemrm]

No, their; Smart Self Balancing Electric Scooters, A type of mini Segway. Google the title above. Good and legal alternative to a electric unicycle. I say legal as I can't find any laws pertaining to above unicycles but this fits the description of a EPAMD (which Segways fall in to).

[Civicsman]

...Segway brought gearbox manufacture in-house.

I have examined the manufacturing line at Segway probably four or five times, from around 2005 through 2009, and I've been through the majority of the remainder of the building. During that period, Segway was performing final assembly at New Bedford, but I saw no evidence of casting or production milling machines on site, and the building isn't very large.

This doesn't mean for certain that Segway didn't manufacture gearboxes "in-house", but I'm pretty sure it wasn't at the New Bedford facility.

[KSagal]

Originally Posted by Civicsman

I have examined the manufacturing line at Segway probably four or five times, from around 2005 through 2009, and I've been through the majority of the remainder of the building. During that period, Segway was performing final assembly at New Bedford, but I saw no evidence of casting or production milling machines on site, and the building isn't very large.

This doesn't mean for certain that Segway didn't manufacture gearboxes "in-house", but I'm pretty sure it wasn't at the New Bedford facility.

I believe the town where Segway Inc. is located is the town of Bedford, New Hampshire. Then nearest New Bedford I am familiar with is in Massachusetts, and is about 100 south of Bedford, New Hampshire.

They did indeed make the transmissions in house for at least a time, they did it along the northern wall of the assembly area, between the research area and the service department. At least this is where I was told it was being done when I visited the factory on several occasions. I was in that area.

I will also agree that area did not have molten metal or casting equipment there that I saw. I believe they did more of an assembly of parts to make the transmissions in house, than a milling operation to make the actual gears and components.

Similarly, I watched and even helped make a segway or two. These also were assembled from existing components. I saw boxes of motors, as an example, and when the segway base went by needing two motors, they were taken from the box and put into the segway base. Then the base would go onto more assembly stations.

I did not see any motors being created, no windings being wound, etc.

So, in my opinion and in my understanding of the words, they made the transmissions, but they did not make the transmission components. I do not know where the actual gearbox components (Gears, shafts, housings) were created.