Snowblower: Auger or Paddles Vibrate Excessively

The bearings allow a shaft to easily rotate inside a stationary part. Over time and with extended use bearings become worn and may impact the operation of a shaft. As bearings wear out, you may notice squealing, binding, and vibrations. You can also check for play in these bearings by trying to move the shaft back and forth with your hand. These are a few of the signs that indicate there may be a problem with the bearings in your snow blower, and they need to be replaced. The repair job varies depending on the exact model you have, but it will be similar to the process outlined here. To access the bearing, you need to start by removing the belt cover and the belt from the auger drive pulley. You should then release the tension on the drive wheel belt and remove the belt. The bolts fastening down the front roller bracket and set the bracket will need to be removed and set aside. Remove the auger drive spring from the idler pulley bracket, and remove the bolts that attach the auger housing to the snow blower. Note, you will need to separate the 2 halves, resting the back part on the handles. Next, secure the impeller with a piece of wood to prevent any kind of movement as you loosen the bolts securing the auger drive pulley. Next, remove the washer with the pulley and the hub. Remove the bolts securing the gear box to the support bracket. Remove the bolts that secure the bearing holders on the auger drive shaft. Then pull the auger assembly out of the unit. Now that you have the auger out you need to remove the bearing holder with the bearings on the ends of the shaft. Then you will install your new bearings. After the new bearings have been installed, you need to put your snow blower back together. You start this process by sliding the auger assembly back into the auger housing, aligning the rear shaft with the rear bearing, and re-installing the bolts and bearing holders. Re-install the pulley hub and the drive pulley, then tighten down the bolt with the washer. While doing that, be sure to secure the impeller with a piece of wood to prevent movement while you are tightening the bolt. Re-attach the 2 halves of snow bower back together; make sure the bolts are secure and have been tightly fastened. At this point you can now re-attach the chute onto the chute adapter, and the auger drive cable spring to the idler pulley bracket. Next, re-attach the front roller bracket to the frame. Feed the belts back onto the engine drive pulleys, re-applying the tension on the drive wheel belt, and re-install the belt cover.

The auger belt transmits power from the engine to the auger. If this belt is worn down and it has developed thinner spots along the sides, it can cause the belt to jump and shake all over the pulleys. This will cause a vibration. If you notice your belt is starting to wear out, we recommend that you replace it. Below, we will walk you through that repair. Please note the process for doing that will vary slightly by model. To access the belt, you’ll need to start by removing the belt cover. Roll the auger belt off the front engine pulley. Next, carefully tip the snow blower upwards, allowing you to gain access to the transmission. Remove the plate covering the transmission. Next, loosen and remove the shoulder screw, which acts as a belt keeper on the auger pulley. Remove the auger brake bracket spring from the frame. Position a clamp on the drive lever to hold it down to the handle bar. Now you should be able to remove the old auger belt. Install the new augur belt around the auger pulley and housing. Now that your new belt is in place you’ll need to put your snow blower back together. Start by reinstalling the shoulder screw. Reinstall the auger spring to the brake bracket. Put the transmission cover back into place. Slowly tip the snow blower back onto the ground. Roll the drive belt over the drive pulley and reapply the tension, then roll the auger belt over the pulley and under the belt tensioner so the tensioner can keep pressure on the belt, and reinstall the belt cover.

The auger blades scrape the snow off the pavement and into the chute. It is not uncommon for one or more of blades to be damaged during operation. As they rotate and scrape the ground they may hit rocks or chunks of ice. If you have a bent or broken blade, the auger may not spin properly, and it will cause your snow blower to vibrate excessively. To remove and replace and auger blade you will need to remove the auger from the housing. This process will vary depending on which model you own, but should be similar to the process we outline here. Start by removing the belt cover and the auger belt from the drive pulley. Disengage the tension on the drive wheel pulley and pull the belt off. The bolts securing the front roller bracket need to be taken off the snow blower and set aside. Remove the auger drive spring from the idler pulley bracket. You’ll then need to remove the bolts that attach the auger housing to the snow blower. Separate the 2 halves, resting the back half of the snow blower part on its handles. Now you’ll want to secure the impeller, which can be easily done with a piece of wood. This helps prevent movement as you loosen the bolts securing the auger drive pulley. After the impeller is secure, remove the washer and pulley with the hub. Loosen and remove the bolts the secure the bearing holders on the auger shaft. You now should be able to pull the auger assembly out and remove the bearing holders with the bearings, washers, and spacers. The shear pins will need to be removed. You can then slide the damaged auger blade off the shaft. Remove the bushings from the old auger blade and install them on the new blade. We often recommend installing new bushings at the same time, which may be a better idea to prevent you from doing this a second time when they wear. Slide the new blade onto the shaft and re-install the shear pins, and then re-install spacers, washers, and bearings with the bearing holders. Now it is time to re-assemble your snow blower. Start this process re-installing the impeller back onto the rear gear box shaft. Next re-insert the auger assembly back into the housing by aligning the rear gear box shaft into the bearing, and reinstall the bearing holders. Re-install the pulley hub and the drive pulley with the washer and bolt. Again, you’ll need to secure the impeller with a piece of wood as you tighten down the bolt. Re-attach the 2 halves of snow bower back together, making sure the bolts are securely fastened. Reattach the chute to the chute adapter. Re-attach the auger drive cable spring to the idler pulley bracket. Secure the front roller bracket to the frame. Feed the belts back onto the engine drive pulleys, remembering to re-apply the tension and reinstall the belt cover. Finally, you’ll want to grease any grease fittings before using.

The bushings slide into the shaft holes on the blade assembly and over the drive shaft. They form a tight seal between the blade and the drive shaft, and help reduce vibration during operation. Over time and with extended use the bushings will wear down. When this happens there will no longer be a tight seal between the blade and drive shaft. If left too long, the play can become excessive, causing severe vibrations. To check for play, simply shake the blades back and forth, if you find that there is play you will need to replace the bushings. To access and replace the bushings in your snow blower you’ll need to remove the auger. This process will vary depending on model, but should be similar to what is laid out below. To start this repair, you will need to remove the belt cover and roll the auger belt off the drive pulley, and disengage the tensioner on the drive wheel belt. Remove the bolts securing the front roller bracket and set aside. Disconnect the auger drive spring from the idler pulley bracket. The bolts securing the auger housing to the snow blower will need to be removed. After you have removed those bolts you should be able to separate the auger house and assembly from the snow blower. You can safely rest the back part on the handles. You’ll then need to secure the impeller with a piece of wood, this will help prevent movement as you loosen the bolts on the auger drive pulley. Make sure you remove the washer and pulley with the hub. Remove the bolts that secure the bearing holders on the auger shaft. You will now be able to pull the auger assembly out and remove the bearing holders with the bearings, washers and spacers. You will also need to remove the shear pins. Slide off the auger blade and remove the bushings from the auger blade and install new bushings. Once the new bushings have been installed, you need to put your snow blower back together. Start by sliding the blade back onto the auger shaft and re-install the shear pins, and then re-install spacers, washers and bearings with the bearing holders. Re-install the impeller back onto the rear gear box shaft. Next, re-insert the auger assembly back into the housing by aligning the rear gear box shaft into the rear bearing and make sure you’ve re-installed the bearing holders. You will then want to reinstall the pulley hub and the drive pulley with the washer and bolt. Again, secure the impeller with a piece of wood to prevent movement as you tighten down the bolts. Reattach the two halves of the snow bower back together, tighten the bolts, and ensure the connection is secure. At this stage, you can now reattach the chute onto the chute adapter, and reattach the auger drive cable spring to the idler pulley bracket. Next, reattach the front roller bracket to the frame. Feed the belts back onto the engine drive pulleys and underneath the belt tensioner and reapply tension on the drive wheel pulley and reinstall the belt cover. We recommend that you grease any grease fittings before using.

A stretched cable may not be applying enough force onto the idler pulley, which could cause the belt to jump, especially under a load. A jumping belt can cause vibration. If you notice excess vibration when you move the cable, you should inspect the cable to see if it is stretched. To inspect the cable, remove the belt cover, move the cable, and check the tension on the belt. If the tension is weak you may need a new cable. If your cable is stretched, follow he instruction below to replace it. Please note they will vary slightly depending on your model. To replace this cable, you’ll need to start by removing the belt cover. Loosen the bolts on the rear roller adjustment bracket, removing the top bolt only, and then remove the bracket. Next, loosen and remove the roller bolt and roller from the cable. Remove the front roller bracket then remove the bolt securing the roller and remove the roller and the cable. Remove the end of the drive cable that has the spring, off the auger idler pulley bracket. You should then be able to remove the Z end from the handle and remove the old cable. Now it is time to install the new cable. Start by hooking the Z end of the new cable into the handle. Then you will want to slide the rear cable roller and roller bolt back into the bracket with the cable realigned onto the roller. Reattach the alignment bracket to the frame and tighten the bolts. Install the spring end of the cable to the auger idler pulley bracket. Slide the front roller back onto the bolt and thread it back into the bracket aligning the cable onto the roller first. To finish this repair, you will need to reattach the front bracket to the frame, put the top bolt back in place, and tighten it. You can adjust tension on this belt by repositioning the rear adjustment bracket. When all the work is done, don’t forget to reinstall the belt cover.