We have had 2 failures of the LH walker on our 9650w.  3-4 years it buckled due to the weight of chaff and dirt that accumulated inside the walker.  After that we would check the walkers periodically until this year.  We also replaced all the walkers last year with aluminum bearings.  Well, yesterday it happened again.  A mass of wheat chaff and dirt had accumulated in the rear of the walker and it probably weighed 40-50 pounds.  It collapsed the bracket that the rear bearing is bolted to.  I do not understand why it happens to this walker and not the others.  It does have the sensor bracket installed which could impact the airlow.  But the RH walker does as well.  We have never had this problem on 9500 or 9600s that we have run in the past.  Needless to say we will not skip the walker check in the future if we keep this combine.  We bought a 9770 this year and it has been absolutely flawless and there are no walkers to worry about.  I always hesitated to move up to a rotor machine since we knew how to operate and repair walker machines.  But now I can say that I have been converted. 

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