I have a 04.5 sportsman 500 and on the back the right tire is worn uneven. I rotated the back two tires and noticed there is a looseness to the tires. You can push them back and forth some. It seems like its just loose and need a shim to make tight. Whats going on? I nver noticed this before. You seems sloppy. Please help. Thanks,\. Noble

 

Rear wheel bearings are gone and need to be replaced. $55 a piece from Polaris, Ebay has them for $30 a set. Search "polaris sportsman"

 

Could be either wheel bearings or a arm bushings.

 

Mine does the same thing, although I'm not getting the uneven tire wear. I suspect the urethane bushings at the A-arms are wearing, allowing some slop. I used to have a GT mountain bike with urethane bushings at the suspension pivots. I used to have to change those bushings every season because the bike's swingarm would develop too much lateral play. I'm guessing I've got the same thing happening now on my Sportsman. I'm just going to watch mine for a while and see if it gets worse. I think Rocky Mountain ATV sells bushing kits.

 

I can wobble my tire back and forth!! I looked at it closer tonite and it seems to be my wheel bearings on both sides.

 

How many miles do you have on your Sportsman? I have just over 1,000.

Aren't these bearings sealed? Seems a little premature for bearings to be failing unless they're somehow exposed to contamination.