I wanted to give you guys a tip tha I learned from highlifter. I was having a push off with a 450s with Mud Bugs and we each had 3 wheel drive(my left front wheel was in the air but both of his was on the ground). Then I remembered a tip from Highlifter:

"If you are almost stuck and one wheel of your front end is spinning wildly while the one with the traction is not spinning at all, bump the front brakes lightly with your hand brake. This will often be enough to activate the positive traction feature of your front axle and transfer power to the wheel with more traction."

So I pulled on the brake lever slowly untill the tire on the ground started to pull. I was happy it worked. It even worked for my freinds 450s. So if you are ever in a position where you only have 3wd try the brakes, it might be the difference between geting out or geting stuck.

P.S In high range use this only in first gear because it bogs it down considerable but in low it's alright to do it in 2nd or maybe even 3rd.

 

Lets see we were in the mud and I had stock tires and he had 27x12" Mudbugs in the back. You tell me who won?

Now when we got to dry ground and had a pull off we couldn't move each other we tried 3 times and on the 3rd time we broke a 10,000-lb strap!!!!

When I get some tires will have his push off again.

 

I tried that little trick you mentioned with the brake on the 97 King Quad a long time ago.Well,it did'nt work at all.It really did'nt matter though.All I did was put it in diff lock and then I get all 4 wheels spinning.

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Hey Boner, you left out the most important part: who won?!

 

All I know is that it worked my Cat and my friends 450s. Has it worked for anybody else?

 

Hey BONER!

I posted this same technique in MUD RIDING TECHNIQUES. If you do it right it will really get you out of a sticky situation. I also found that if you turn the wheels in the direction of the wheel that is not spinning it helps even more. I will be eliminating that problem in less than 2 weeks now. The jolly big guy has a front end locker with my address on it! (Hopefully many other goodies too!)

"LOCK 'EM AND LEAVE 'EM!!!"
SwampMonster

1999 Foreman 450S Vamped and Snorkeled

 

Ah, yes, this trick has been around for some time now.

I first heard about this through owning four wheel drive trucks.

In an open differential the wheels with the least amount of traction is going to spin. This is done so the vehicle can turn properly. When a locker is installed it, depending on the unit, either replaces parts in the differential or tricks the differential where both wheels appear to have equal traction. Most of the units that trick the differential are simply springs that put pressure on both left and right drivelines, so theoretically when the brakes are lightly applied pressure will be put on both left and right drivelines. So the differential will equalize traction to both front wheels, or in a truck it will work with both rear wheels.

I have found that the trick doesn't work as well when one wheel is in the mud and the other is in the air. There is so much contrast in traction in this situation that you may not be able to make it work. Although there are so many variables that it may work anyway, mud thickness, tire weight, tire traction, ect. ect.

Anyway just some input on the subject,

Thanks

Brad

 

I tried this trick today in a little gully of a ditch. I had one front about 5" off the ground and was spinning the rest. I could feel the other front dig in a little when I tapped the brake, but not enough to help. I think in lesser situations, it might help a little though. I just ended up backing back and getting a better angle. Then I powered the Cat on out of the hole.

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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*

 

Think with all the talk I should bring this back.

 

Probably not. Somebody will claim it to lock your front end for 32 seconds or something crazy like that. Its a neat trick though, and I tried it right after you made this post. It does make the fronts grab some, but by the position I was in, it wasn't enough to help. I think on flatter ground, it would have had a better effect though.