i am running out of options and not sure what to do anymore. i have an 2009 honda rancher 4x4 foot shift model. i have only put about six tanks of gas through it since i bought it. i have developed a really bad grinding noise from the rear end only when you make right hand turns. it does not grind while driving straight or turning left only when you turn sharp to the right. you can hear it and feel it throughout the bike. it has been into three different dealerships now and not one dealership can figure out what is causing the grind. they said the bearing all look ok, the shims are to spec and everything in the rear end looks normal. Is this a normal sound for this model ?or does anyone know what is causing this grinding noise?

 

You might look at the hubs? It would be strange, but maybe one stripped or something?

 

hubs seem to be ok nothing looks wrong with them

 

The splines on the axle and hubs are OK? Was a long shot but I was trying to think of something strange the dealership might have missed.

It's pretty tough to help without being able to hear the machine.

If it does it when you are turning really slowly, maybe someone could walk next to it with a mechanic's stethoscope and isolate where it is coming from.

 

the dealer tried a fatter shim in the rear end and that seemed to help a little bit, checked all splines and hubs and tried playing with axle nuts which didnt really make difference, guess order some new bearings and try that

 

Strange. Keep us posted.

 

the other mechanic from the fire station one of many of my jobs stopped by tonight to test ride the atv, at first he said it sounded like a bearing going bad but then after riding it around a little more he seems to think that the ring and pinion are just riding tight together which could be causing the noise. from standing behind me when i was riding he said he could hear it when i go both ways now right and left but said it is a lot louder when i turn to the right. so not sure what to do now, guess tomorrow will price it out to see how much it will cost to replace all the bearings becuase i find online i can get a whole new rear end for around $350

 

so i finally got time to tear down the rear end. first thing when i drained the gear oil it looked like someone took a bottle of silver glitter and dumped it in the gear oil, there was so much metal in it. once got everything torn done everything seemed ok, the one bearing on the gear case side seemed like it had a little hang up in it, other then that everything came apart pretty easy. the only problem i am having now is getting the lock nut out that holds the bearing in front of the pinion gear. seems like i need a special tool to get it out because the lock nut is in the shape of a star which i can get no tool in to take it out.

 

Interesting. The metal flake in the oil could likely be assembly lube- at least that's what the stuff I use looks like in oil.

Some machinest's blue to see what the contact pattern of the gears looks like might be interesting.

 

well finally got that lock nut out after three hours now i can not get the needle bearing and ring stopper out, any ideas?