Does anybody have any experience with a live axle?

I was wondering if anybody has made a off-road/mud mower with a live axle. and if so how did it go?

I haven't YET but just to clairfy, a go kart style live axle or replacing the half shafts in a transaxle with a one piece?

@Brianator it would be a go kart style. I have a old yard machine and the mtd is shot so no better way to fix it than to live axle swap it

I'd imagine it has a vertical shaft engine yes? If so it's going to be tricky to go from vertical to horizontal for a live axle, not impossible (nothing is impossible) but it won't be cut and dry I can tell you that! It could be simplified by using a Peerless 700 transmission (it has a vertical input and a horizontal ouptut) IF you could get your hands on one, it's a pretty popular part in the mower racing community so it might not be easy to track one down.

What happened to the trans? If the input gears and case are still intact here's an option for you, this is something I'm planning on doing myself.


Considering I don't have any first hand experience that's probably all I have to offer, hopefully someone else has some info for you!

@Brianator I truly appreciate the advice.  I planned on using a predator 212 I have just because it's just sitting around and it's nearly brand-new. I also already have a live axle that should work (in Theory) lol

Nice, that's for some teeth! Lol

Are you talking a fixed axle? Or a floating/swingarm/leafspring suspension? Technochicken built a golf cart with the stock leaf spring suspension on it and just bolted the pillow blocks to the leaf springs and put the axle thru them, mounted the motor were the batteries normally are. What happened is every time you hit the gas to hard or went over a bump, the chain went slack and it fell off. My personal recommended path for you would be to mount the motor on a platform mounted to the axle with pillow blocks, then add suspension. Sounds like this machine is going to be pretty cool btw!

@PizzaKitty26 most likely a fixed axle