i just bought a 2003 500 duramatic -
my steering is a little bit hard and requires an effort .
it sometimes seems as it turn aside real hard as it hits a rock.
i was driving a polaris sportsman 500 and it is much easier and forgivnessing.
i was woddering if al off the ac are harder driving than the polaris, and is the steer spose to give fiddbacks from the the rode
as it is in my ac aposing to the polaris.

 

Welcome and try a front end alignment. It's amazing how they steer if the wheels are pointed in the right direction.

 

I agree with the Bear on this as well, I have see many, many quads come from the factory out of alignment. The dealers rarely check them. The Cats are a little heavier so they are known for stiff steering. Try more air in the tires and also the stock tires are garbage, get you a set of good after market tires like Dirt Devils, Mud Bugs or any other well known tire.

 

Yeah, just like Bear and Catskinner said...check tha alignment. I think the factory allows 1/4" toe IN on each side. Better is 1/8"-1/4" TOTAL toe IN. Toe OUT will make it darty. When I checked my '03 500 I found it was in about an inch.

First position the handle bar as you want it...as straight ahead as you can make it. Take two ratchet tie downs and "X" them from the handle bar to the opposite side an attach to the rear rack. Tighten. Loosen the lock nuts on the steering arms.

Use either a long straight edge against front and rear tires, or a string wrapped around all four wheels at the axle and pulled tight. With a straight edge adjust until you get the correct amount (1/2 the total) on each side. With the string, adjust the rear of the front tire until it is just at 1/16-1/8" away from the string. Note the adjustment required to make the gap just go away. Continue additional adjustment the same amount. Play around with it an it and you'll quickly figure out what you are doing and get it right.

If you are sure you've done it right, and it pulls to one side then (assuming your tire pressure is equal for both tires - and the tires are the same brand, size and approx wear, and the rims are true and "A" frame members are not bent) you have a castor/camber problem and there is not an adjustment for that. It may signal you have a slightly bent frame. Unless it's bad, don't worry about it. Add a couple of pounds of air to the side your bike pulls to and that will make it better or go away.

Now...all that said...yes, ACs steer quite a bit harder than Polaris. And getting everything right with the front end will help when going over rocks, but the geometry of the two machines is different. Some like the way the AC steers over rocks, some like the Polaris.