When the old lady was driving today I noticed a sound coming from my 01 400 4X4. At first I thought it was the tires on pavement but after she got off the road I still noticed it. It sounds like something is rubbing on the nobbs of the tire. I can only hear it when I am off the quad and someone is driving it away from me. I never owned a 4 wheel drive before, is this something that comes from the differential? It kind of sounds like it comes from the rear of the quad but I am not sure. ANy help will be apperciated

Thanks
tbstone

 

I think if you have to listen that hard for the noise it isn't that big of a deal. My 400 has a bit more gear whine than my 500 manual. Check your fluid levels first(all of them) and then make sure you don't have something like a cable rubbing. Check and make sure your springs are not rubbing on the shock bodies. I had that problem. Just twist the spring and make some clearence. Brake smake noise too. I had that small problem when I changed my pads. I don't have any ideas after that.

Dakota R/T

 

I was wondeirng the same thing, I went riding with my 500(shift) and my uncle and he has a 400 4x4 and it sure seemed that both gear and shifting noise was alot louder on his atv. Whay is that, they both have the same amount of miles.
Thanks
01' Cat 500
87' LT-125
99' ZR2 S-10

 

hey tim
sit on the back rack, hang your head over and see if you can pinpoint it better.
did you buy your 400 from john and evelynn blood?

 

Sounds like "tire whine." You know, that noise you hear when a big 4WD truck with mud grips goes down the road past you. I can hear this when I cut my bike off in 5th gear with the clutch engaged so it free wheels to a stop.

Thats what I bet it is.

But it might be gear whine too, hard to say with out jacking it up and runing it with the tires in the air.

 

I sounds like gear whine to me. Is this something that all 4x4 do? I topped off all fluids and still does it. I think that this sound is something that all 4x4's do but I don't know. i am going to call my dealer tonight.

Jim
I got the 4 wheeler at Marcellus's in shreburne. they were about $500 cheaper than Bloods and quite a few of my friends bought from them and have had good results. I also heard good things from the people who bought from Bloods. It just came down to who I could get a better deal with.

Later
tbstone

 

Unlike our passanger cars and trucks which are designed to mask and hide noise there is no sound deading insulation on a 4X4 atv. In an effort to improve strength and cut some cost I bet our gears in the tranny are more of a straight cut style than the smooth curved cut gears you find in our cars/trucks which help with noise and smoothness. The rearend should be fairly quiet since it is put together like a mini truck axle with a locked differential. Curved gears and everything. I used to race R/C cars and you could change the pitch of the gears for more strength and more noise or less strength and less noise. If you used nylon gears it was even more quiet. If you used brass or steel gears(ie an atv) it was even more loud yet dependable behind high torque and horsepower. Just a thought but I think we are safe with the noise we are hearing. Good luck to ya.

Dakota R/T