I have a 2003 500 manual with 26 mudlites. 10 inch on the front, 12s on the back. I love the set up BUT, the steering to SOOOOOOOOOOOOO light that I have almost been thrown from the machine a number of times because the tires will turn when I hit a bump on the trail. Has anyone been able to find a way of correcting this, even alittle bit?

It is my only beef with the AC. My older Sportsman 500 (for all its other problems) always tracked straight on the trails, even when going fairly fast.

 

You need to check and adjust you front end alignment. Bigger tires will aggrevate an alignment problem that would be acceptable with stock tires.

 

I'll get my alignment checked.

I think the problem is the very light steering in the machines though. I have driven a number of AC over the past few years and I have found them all to have the same "unsteady" feel at cruising speed, whereas the hondas, Polaris and Kawis that the guys run seems to track better on the trails. Having said that, I did not buy my machine to be a sport machine, and for what it does, there is no equal that I have com across.

Has anyone heard of anyone changing some steering components to reduce the light feel?

 

You can check it yourself with a couple of bungee cords and a tape measure or a string. It's very easy to do.

 

when you went to 26" tires did you use offset rims?

 

It seems i have the same problem. I just put on a set of mudlites 27-12-12(rear) and 10-12(front) on my 06 500 auto. tires are running 5lbs each till the beads set good(mechanics advise). Going to go back to 3 lbs after. But i do notice on a road the bike pulls to the left, even when i had the stock tires on, so i'm assuming it's the alignment.........right?

 

Right!

 

I had an 03 400 and without getting Bashed to much here this is what I found out from mine. First off don't get me wrong I am not bashing AC in anyway. They are an awsome machine but they are not made for fast riding. this is what I learned about mine.

If you look where the upper A arms mount on the frame. The Back Mounts are WEAK (I'll back up what I found in a min) If you bump a tree or something they WILL bend. And you don't have to hit it hard. When they bend it Changes the CASTER Dramatically. and is almost impossible to get back right. I learned all this after a $20,000 ankle and a trip over the bars at about 40mph from a rut. After I got up and walking from my accident we had to straighten out the front end and found they were REAL Easy to bend back into place somewhat. The left side was bent from the accident and the right side had been bent before the accident and was never discovered.


OK if you look on the newer models expecially the 650's there is a brace that has been drilled and put in the frame between the two mounts now. Aparently AC found this or there would be NO brace there.

 

can you get me a pic so i can brace them before they bend?

 

Look at the New 06's they have a brace right over top of the front diff that bolts in. I don't have the bike any more sorry