2003 trail boss with less than 30 hours on it- I hear a constant whirring whenever Im on the gas, is this normal? While on the bike, it sounds like it's coming from under the gas tank. If I didnt know any better I'd say it sounds like a burnt clutch, but maybe it's just a characteristic of the tranny. It also seems to take about a quarter throttle to make the belt engage, almost like letting a high stall speed torque converter "spool up" in a car. I mean the bike may move before that if it's on flat ground, but it sounds like the motor is spinning ALOT faster than it's actually moving until I give it more gas. I've never had a polaris before and i dont know anything about what that are supposed to be like. Thanks

 

No Bang, No Clang, Just Whirl ? Its OK sound like it did with 10 Hrs on it?

 

I don't know how it sounded when it was brand new- I bought it two months old from the dealer. I don't remember it being as noticable the first time I rode it, but then the next day I had to take my 180lb buddy on the back of it through about 7 inches of snow for maybe 10 miles. Thats when I started getting scared that I might fry my clutch, and I started listening more closely for noises. So the noise could have been there before, I may have just not listened for it. I hear it whenever I'm on the gas, not just when I carried him on it. I'd like to have an idea if I should take it to the dealer while its still under warrenty. (of course I wouldnt tell them I was riding double). But no, there's no clanging or anything.

 

Your in a new world with a polaris.The whin is nothing to worry about . Now the higher engagement has it always been like that since you got it?If so it could have a diferant primary spring in it.To check this take the belt cover off and see if the front spring is blue with geen or yellowish marks if so it is stock if its a differant color let us know what color it is.A stiffer spring makes the clutch engage like a high stall converter.While you have the cover off check out the belt for worn spots. This set of pulleys and belt are really the transmision on a polaris the gearcase is more like a tranfer case on a 4x4 truck.

 

I'll pull the cover and check for what spring is in there next weekend when I go see the 'boss again. I'm glad the whine isn't a "death rattle" or anything. I kind of gave myself a real problem this evening though- wacked a tree and bent the rear axle, seems to be at the hub. The wheel wobbles when I drive it now. I'm going to try to find a way to straighten it myself before scrapping it, I've got nothing to lose at this point. I think I'm going to pump up the tire so it's hard and persuade it with a 20lb sledge. But I'm going to make a another topic for that. Thanks for the info- I'll let you know about the spring I have in there.

 

Have you pulled the rear wheel off to see if it is a hub or the axle?The huds are alluminum and will usually mess up before you bend or stip an axle.

 

Yeah, I would suspend the rear end and pull the wheel and check it good first. If it's the axle, just be careful when hammering on it. You only have a tapered bearing and race on each side of the carrier. So make sure to support it well. If it's out on the end, some mild heat would help without losing too much of the hardness. Bubba

 

How much does the wheel wobble? I hit a ditch with my Xplorer and bent one rim slightly. I took off the wheel, and the axle runs true. I decided that since there is no out-of-balance feel when going fast down hard roads I was better off leaving it. I figured why risk breaking something else when my problem didn't affect performance, being purely cosmetic.

Farmr

 

FTWFLH, I suspended the rear with the wheels still on the bike- and the axle didn't "look" bad. An old trick in the auto buisness is to compare it to the other side- so first I am going to pull the wheels off and switch them, and see if the same side has the same wobble. If so, then I'm going to check your theory and switch the hubs left to right, and then I guess I'll know the damage. If the wobble moves to the other side, do you think there's any hope for trying to straighten the hub, or is it a lost cause? If the wobble stays the same, I'd be able to see the axle wobbling when I have the hub off, right? I'm thinking the only way for me to try to fix either the hub or the axle is to put the whole unit together, find out which way it needs to go, and get out the big hammer. Do you think I'm doing this right? I'd just hate to tell my dealer I need to order this that and the other thing a week after i got it.

 

Like he said, the hub is all aluminum. If it is bent, better off getting another one. You know aluminum doesnt like going but one way one time. There was one on e-bay the other night dirt cheap. Any of the later 2 wheel drives should work for you. I'm almost betting the wheel is a big culprit.