Hey, Looking for advice on loading my dead mini on a trailer. Had one recovery company come out and they didn't want to risk damage to their winch dead pulling the mini. Has anyone tried removing all the sprocket bolts to let it freewheel? I'd rather not try to remove a gear from inside the final drive, It's always a bitch pulling that cover plate off with slide hammers and ****. On another note, the machine ran low on oil and then proceeded to knock and lose power. I went back to it the next day, now I can't get it started. Starter is trying real hard but it's seized. If I put a jump pack on it sounds like the starter eventually jumps off the flywheel it's so stuck. Quite the pita.
Recovery company didn't want to risk damage to their winch??? What? A mini ex doesn't weigh much more than a typical car that they winch all the time from a wreck scene. Call another rollback with a winch, I suggest one of those junk car outfits, they winch vehicles that have been planted for 30 years with trees growing through them all the time.
Yeah I thought it was ridiculous as well. It weighs 8300lbs, I just don’t think they wanted to do the work.
Removing the sprocket bolts makes it easy without the mess of opening the planetary hub. I've done it a few times, the last was to drag a machine over a mile after the hydraulic pumps fell out. Just go easy on the turns, nothing to sharp, you'll be fine.
This looks worse but will probably be easier top fix. All the swivel bearing bolts either came loose or broke/ stripped. Picked it up in 2 pieces and set on trailers.
Ended up renting a trailer with a winch. Took the sprocket bolts out. One side freewheeled, the other sprocket never broke free of the final drive. Regardless, a double pull on 12k winch got it loaded no problem.