Hi everyone, have a magnum 500. Read a few threads here about strut housing seals. I just had my hubs apart and noticed there was no fluid left in hub. i replaced the bearings and tried to remove the seal from back of the hub and wouldn't budge. Was afraid i would do damage and just left it. Whats the trick. Will this work for the strut seal as well. I added new fluid into hub and it just started pissing out fluid from the back of the strut down the ball joint. First time for me changing anything on the front hub area. Aka rookie LOL

 

never had to replace mine, but i think it's just pressed in and should be able to pop it right out and put new one in?

 

You have to be able to slightly flex the cv joint and pull the strut out a little to slip the drive shaft out. Use a common seal puller and the old seal will pop out.Make note of where the old seal set in depth wise and also the direction before you pull it! You can actually use a marker pen around the seal back in the strut to use as a gauge on how deep to knock it in. The key is don't go too far or it will distort the seal and leak! Best if you replace the hub seal too while you're at it even if it doesn't show signs of leaking! It's a bitch to have to go back in since you were right there anyway!! This seal can be knocked out after you pull the rotor,but the new one has to be pressed in or you can damage it. Best to have a cheap bearing/seal installer OR a large socket to keep the strut seal straight. Powerbuilt 948004 Bearing Race And Seal Installer Set

 

Ok thank you very much for the advice. I already tried to get the hub seal out and wouldn't budge. I'm going to look for a seal puller and installer. I'll get back to you after everything is installed.

 

Hub seal has to be knocked out with a punch! Pay attention to the way it's installed so the new one can be pressed in correctly with the seal lip facing the strut!!

 

Ok sounds good. I was going to pry it out with a screwdriver and pliers or something.

 

What is the ideal install depth for the strut seal and hub seal if not marked?

 

Hub seal is pressed flush with the casting. The strut seal(installed from the back side of the strut) should be recessed about an 1/8" or so from being flush. This makes sure the seal lip has has a good seal over the cv joint and less chance of leaks. Like this one pictured.

 

How much lateral play is considered too much play between the front differential output shaft and the splined yoke on the axle? The yoke on the right side is tight but the yoke on the left side has some play. I ordered a new genuine Polaris OEM yoke from Partzilla. It arrived and the new yoke has the same amount of lateral play as the old one. Do I need to find another front differential?

 

Seems I hear this question every year and was asked this for years at the shop. You're going to have some lateral play in the drive shafts over time,plus even new out of the crate you could have some in and out play on the drive shaft yokes. Nothing to worry about unless it gets real sloppy then either the large bearings in the front housing could possibly need replacing,or the internal shaft or ring gear splines could be worn all which depends on what model you have. These old ring and pinion style front gear housings usually are good for the life of the machine if the gear oil is changed every now and then. It's the awd system in the hubs that take the beating on parts.