Im going to be rebuilding the front end of my 00 SP 500. Its getting new wheel and strut bearings, ball joints and some spring spacers. While im in there going to pull the rad and give it a good cleaning.
This is the first time I have torn into a 4x4 front end. Any pointers or tips would be really appreciated!!!!

 

Don't forget to replace the armature plates and hub and strut seals since you'd already be right there. Nothing like replacing everything except the seals and then having them leak.Check your a a-arm bushings for wear or any slack in the a-arms themselves.Same for the tire rod ends.If you don't have a manual at least a pdf will help you,plus there are several videos on You Tube.http://gh-ftp.com/ORV%20Manuals/Pola...96%20-%202001/

 

The first 2 items replaced when I got the 500 were the tie rod ends and front A arm bushings. Just ordered 2 new armature plates. The bearing kits I bought are All ***** brand. They claim to come with all of the appropriate seals. Are any other seals required?
Do you know what the axle nut torque specs and/or procedures are?
For the spring spacers Im going to use the pvc unions, like in the sticky. But Im going to try it slightly different. In the sticky the union gets pipe glued in and then pipe gets trimmed flush to the union. Im going to try leaving 3/8" of pipe sticking out on the top of the spacer. Hopefully the outside diameter of the pipe will be the inside diameter of the spring, locking the bottom of the spring in place on the spacer.

 

If mine I'd change the hub seal and strut seal. Hub seal can just be knocked out when you pull the brake disc off,but it has to pressed on or you will damage the seal.I always over torqued the axle nut to 15 pounds or so to "preload" the bearings then backed off 1/2 turn then to a final 12 pound torque on the axle nut.If you have to loosen the nut a tad to align the cotter pin hole,no problem.

 

When you press the new hub seal in does the disc for the brakes have to be on or off?
With the exception of the hub seals and 1 blown strut the rebuild is going pretty well. Kind of surprised that the hub seal has to be pressed in but the strut seal can just be tapped in.

 

Brake rotor has to be removed.Strut seal is easy just to tap in place with a bearing/race installer or a large enough socket,but the hub seal is a press fit,much tighter. I've had plenty of people come back to the shop for a new hub seal and for me to press it in when they damaged the previous one trying to tap it in with a hammer.

 

I figured out what the issue was. Thought I had removed the hub seal but I had only removed the rubber from the center of the seal. The new seals went in rather easy with a press. I can definitely see how taping them in would damage the seal.