I know this has been talked about here before so I'll skip the basics of how the AWD works. My question is: Has anybody modified their SP to force it into 4WD?

This comes up as I look at the $100 repair bill for the replacement of a burnt belt on my 700. What happened was I got stuck going over a log when I was in Deer Camp this year and couldn't back out. Since the rear tires where hooked on the log they did not slip and the front wheels wouldn't start pulling. I ended up having to get my hi-lift to jack the rear end up onto the top of the log and then I was able to get going. I know I had a winch; I don't even want to go into how we broke the cable.

Polaris should have made the AWD switch a 3 position switch: 2WD, AWD or 4WD. Since they didn't, I’m thinking of adding a switch. In one position everything would work the way Polaris made it. In the other I would have 2WD or 4WD depending on where the factory switch is positioned.

Has anybody done something like this? If so how? I think the engagement of the front drive is done electrically so it should be just a question of which wire to energize with the new switch. The other thing is mechanically. Would I run into any of the problems (binding, breaking something, hard to steer, etc.) associated with a truck in 4WD on dry pavement?

Thanks for the input,
Scott

On edit: I changed to topic into a question instead of a statement.

 

If you had your awd switch on and the rear wheels were spinning then the front wheels would pull, if your awd switch was on and your rear wheels didnt spin then you would have drove off the log and not been stuck. I guess I dont understand the question. But to answer your how question on how to force it into 4wd, add a switch, rewire your switch, someway of your own way to put 12 volts to the front hubs, you can manually do this and then the front hubs will be ingaged. I have not done this on a 700 but it should work the same way.

 

The AWD switch was in the on position. I was rolled up to the log and the ***** on the tires were engaged on the log. The engine didn't have the oomph to lift the quad over the log. To be fair the carb intake boot was cracked and the engine wasn't putting out full power. With the boot repaired now, in the same situation, it would probably be able to lift itself over the log.

I think the AWD is fine for a trail quad but when you are going through soft, mucky areas the moment you spin a tire you are done. The way this system is from the factory it requires you to spin your tires to get 4WD and by that time you are done.

If it sounds like I am unhappy with my SP700, I am not. I just want it to be more capable of handling the soft, mucky areas.

Scott

 

Ronnnnn,

Have you done this before with success? I always thought and heard that it couldn't be done because the hubs are mechanically engaged.

 

OffRder15
You are right, you cannot convert it to 4wd because of the hillard clutch system. What ronnnnn is describing is a bypass of the overide button which will give you 12v to the hubs in reverse without having to use the overide button. When the AWD switch is in the on position, 12v is applied to the hubs. When you put it in reverse it will kill the 12 volts to the hubs. Does this clear things up?

 

Yes. Thanks.

 

There are all kinds of posts on how to by-pass the over-ride, so I won't go there. I do have something else to think about, though.

If the engine didn't have the power to turn just the rear wheels, I don't see how it would have been able to turn all 4. I kind of think in that situation, the log was wedged in so tight, that 4wd wouldn't have helped, but that is just an opinion.

 

You guys need to get a company like High Lifter to build a replacement manual front locking hub for the Polaris.

 

just fix the carb boot then youll spin them tires all day long...I have a 700 and I dont think king kong could keep the tires from spining in low.....

 

My thanks to everybody that replied. From the responses I gather that even if I was able to supply power the rear tires would over run the front until the rear end started to spin anyway, I'd still have the same situation except that I would go about it a different way. Oh well, it was worth a try.

I have gotten the carb boot replaced, man what a difference in starting, idling, take off, etc. Who knows how long it has been cracked and robbing power. Per the dealer there was no damage to the engine from the lean mixture, thank goodness. I can't wait to take it back to Deer Camp in the spring when we go up for yearly maintenance and see what it will do.

Thanks again for all the replies,
Scott