I have a 1999 polaris Sportsman 500. The shocks freeze up during the winter when the temperature falls below freezing. Can anyone tell me if they have experience this problem and if they have a solution to correct this problem?

 

What do you mean by freeze up??? If you mean they get a little stiffer and slower........then yes, everyone experiences that. Remember there is oil in there, and when it gets cold, it gets thicker

 

sounds like the viscosity isnt high enough in the shocks, or there is water in th em

 

Fronts or rears? I’m guessing you’re feeling it in the fronts, which are McPherson Strut inserts. Before I sold my ’01 SP last spring I took the lift kit off, which required removing the front strut inserts. The seals on the inserts were shot and water had gotten into their guts. One was so bad I turned it upside down and water poured out. Now that’s bad!

Four the last couple years when we’d winter ride my front suspension felt like it was welded solid for the first few miles of the day, then it would loosen up and be “fine” for the rest of the ride. Fine is a relative term here, because those strut inserts were shot. Shocks and struts go away gradually so you don’t really notice it and I had heavier springs all the way around so it was even less obvious.

Since I already had it apart I installed new strut inserts before I sold it. Wow, what a difference! I’m guessing that’s your problem, especially on a 6-7 year old machine.

 

My shocks freeze solid...they freeze solid in the down position...the front of my bike is almost touching my tires and will stay in that position until I put it my garage and turn up the heat and the shock begins to go back to its normal postion!

 

I agree, sound like water got in them. If it's sitting on top of the shock fluid still, then when it freezes and expands it would push your piston down. Dunno of the sachs struts are rebuildible or not? if their not, i'd recommend fox or Works AT Steelers to replace them incase something like that ever happens again... never heard of it tho...

 

man that doesn sound good at all