Historically the problem with the SP500s drive train has been rear U-joints. For the most part this was only a problem for people who ran big mud tires or people who failed to grease the cv joints.

This problem, as some of you know, has been solved with the new much stronger CV joints in the rear. The only other drive train problem has been the front CV Joints when you are in the mud and put it in reverse, the positraction can force the wheels sideways in such a bind as to break the CV Joint. Polaris is known for a tight turning radius. This is the price that has been paid. All Polaris has to do to fix this problem is to limit the angle when turning. I am working on some sort of steering limiter for mine right now.

Anyway, with a few mods, I think the SP will hold up to a 700CC motor, with a rider that has 1/2 of a brain.

Has anyone managed to brake a rear axel on a new SP with CV joints?

Greg

 

So you are saying that I should avoid hard wheel cranking when engaging the overide in reverse? This is kind of an unsettling statement to hear. I love to beleive my SP500 is impervious to everything. So how often should I lube the CV joints. The wife usually rides my sp500 so it has been babied ever since it was uncreated. If that will give you an indication of the use it gets. By the way, she found out the hard way that you should not hit the overide button in reverse and attempt to turn in reverse. It came right over on her in a snap. Posi 4wd rules!!!

 

You don't have to grease CV Joints, they are completely sealed. I grease all my u-joints after every mud/water ride.

The front CV joints are usually only a problem for people that run large tires and lift kits. When you hit the over ride in reverse it can jerk the wheels left or right if you hit the gas hard. When it cuts all the way over you will hear a snap and you have a $70 CVjoint repair. If your woman is riding it in a stock set up you probably have nothing to worry about.

This is not a problem known only to Polaris. This happend to me on my Grizzly. Any bike with a lift and big tires. You don't see it so much on other bikes because of the limited slip. If one wheel gets in a bind, the other can spin releasing the pressure.

Greg

 

Greg,

I broke the right front CV joint on mine with large tires on there. However, it was the only wheel with any traction. It cost me $150 because I purchased a new cv joint. I have only heard of one guy busting a rear cv-joint. He had aggressive mud tires, a rear lift kit, and had hit a tree previously that may have damaged it. And, I don't think the joint itself broke, rather the shaft itself. I'm not sure though.
On a different note, Sunday, I noticed antifreeze dripping out the weep hole under the water pump. I made the fix of venting the overflow bottle up high, but it was apparently too late. I'm going to change the water pump seal, but do you think I need to take the radiator off to flush it out, or do you think I can rinse it out good enough with it still in the bike? Thanks in advance.

 

I grease my bike after or before a long ride not just for the sake of adding grease but it,s the only way to pump out the water and dirt in the fittings because the water and dirt gets pushed out with the old lube.If Im feeling lazy though I at least grease the back u joints and front tie rod ends.

 

Walexa,
I would remove it and make every effort to clean everything as good as possible. Removing the pump requires a special puller. The tool is about $50, and you cannot remove the old seal with out it.

It is very important that the shaft that the seal runs on is not bent. If there is any damage to the shaft, it will shorten the life of the nect seal. Also, 1 out of 3 seals are bad from the factory. I would just let someone else do this repair. If the seal is bad, they eat the cost. Is your bike under warranty?

Good luck.

Greg

 

Greg,
Do yo think Polaris will ever come up with a truely tuff ATV, or are they always going to have another excuse to offer, saying the next model will have solved it.
I am wondering why anyone buys these things when there are other ATV's with a strong history of being tuff and reliable with out excuses.
Is it the cheap price or easy credit or what? it surely can't be from history and a strong reputation.
The other day I read where you were challenging anyone to a race in the mud, I assume you have all new CV joints and feel it will make the distance.
Good Luck

 

What the funk is your prob. Cant you face it that your a defected kid and ont understand anything and no one cares bout you then just say they do to make u feel good.
Well good luck to you also

 

I would take a 1997 SP500 that needs $12 u-joints once a year over any solid axel log wagon riding Honda with rusted out drum brakes that don't work.

If you want to know why some people buy Polaris over honda knowing that there will be more maintenance, you either haven't spent much time on a SP500 or you have little girly fingers and can not work on your own bike. From how you talk to me, I would guess you have little girly fingers.

Regardless of what is said on these forums, there is no drum brake that will continue to operate for long periods of time after being in alot of water and mud, unless someone more knowledgable than you tells you how to do it.

I also have seen many late model Foremans brake rear u-joints. Some with very very expensive consequences. If you ride any bike as hard as some of us do in East Texas, they will all break occasionally. The Hondas are also know to have electrical problems.

I am sure this didn't answer your question. Ride with me sometime and you will understand.

Greg

 

Reliability is a small price to pay for all the options and great ride that Polaris offers. No other quad can compare. So I repair it once every 6 months... without my Polaris' I would probably not ride!