How often should I lube the drive chain? Does anybody use a chain wax product, what do you think? What is involved in adjusting the chain tension?

 

most people I know with chains use polaris chain oil in the can and do it after every ride. sometime even during it if we are going through lots of water.

 

The chain is really easy, it is in the owners manual it takes maybe 15 minutes, at least it did on my Xplorer 250 4x4.

 

Maverick

I had a post a couple of days earlier that was titled "Chain Care". Look down a ways and you will find it. I use Maximm chain wax instead of grease. The chain waxes seem to be very popular. The key to these products is they need to be applied after riding while the chain is warm. If you put it on a cold chain and go riding, the wax will just fly off. I have been guilty of not taking proper care of my chains and I will probably pay for that. Depending on the type of riding you do, you should lube the chains every ride, especially if you ride in mud or heavy sand. If you are just riding in the woods and the trails are not all that muddy, I would suggest every few rides.

On adjusting your chain, it depends on whether you have the concentric drive system or the old system. On both systems, you loosen the chain guard and the main bolts on the axle housing (can't remember the actual name). Insert a pin through the sprocket and into the axle housing. Gently roll the vehicle forward until the chain is at the desired tightness. On the concentric system, it will be 1/4 to 1/2 deflection. On the old system, you have to compress the rear end to be level and then adjust to 1/4 to 1/2 deflection. Do not overtighten. Also, never try to jack the vehicle up and use the engine to tighten the chain instead of rolling it forward. Tighten the main axle housing bolts up. You should use a torque wrench and tighten these to around 40-50 ft lbs. Adjust the chain guard and retighten it. Only takes approximately 30 minutes for a one chain system. If you have the old 3 chain wonder like my Magnum, post a reply and I will explain how to do this. It isn't much different than the rear system. Ride Safe.

 

Thanks for the advice. I am new to 4-wheeler ownership. My boys and I ride mountain trails and totally enjoy it. We intend to clean and lube the chain as soon as we can. This forum is great. All the expert advice really helps keep the machines running properly.

 

Maverick

You are right, these forums are great sources of information and an occasional laugh. Just learn to ignore the idiots that come here only to start crap. Once in a while they even get to me I have learned a great deal from the people in here and have become a lot better at maintaining my vehicles. Ride safe.