I know that the AC's from 2001 and older had a racheting-cone type differential that will lock the front wheels when in mud or snow (I've seen this work on mine). The new AC's have a diff more comparable to the Yamahas and Hondas, which tend to 3 wheel quite a bit more.

 

Mine was a 99. Ratchet and cone type. I didn't know they changed it. Mine would 3 wheel like a son of beach unless all the tires were on the ground, or the rears had traction.

You will have both fronts spinning as long as you have some forward momentum from your rear tires. If you have one front in the air and your rears are spinning out, watch the 3 wheel motion! Still, you can tell the grizz spins sooner up hills in loose dirt and leaves than the AC did. I wasn't aware that AC changed the differential. If so, it had to have been to improve the steering. Their steering absolutely sucks in comparison to most everything else.

 

Powercat,

I was recently riding (and flipping) in a very muddy area when I got stuck and noticed that only 3 tires were spinning. I, of course, was bottomed out so it really wouldn't have mattered if I had all four tires spinning. The thing is I didn't notice it. My nephew, on a Polaris Magnum 500, saw it first and gave me hell because of it. Then he went through the same mudhole and got truly stuck even with true 4wd. I don't really care that I don't have "true 4wd" because I have a winch and that's all that matters to me. You just have to know that you are going to get stuck sometime no matter what you ride. They don't make an atv that cannot get stuck.

Texas(acrobat)cat

 

If you think you have an ATV that cant get stuck,than you have not been out in REAL mud.

Bill

 

Andy, I agree that the older AC's will 3 wheel alot when one of the fronts is off the ground. Because of the way the racheting-cone system works, both front wheels must be on the ground, and the wheel with power to it must be able to spin freely like in mud or snow as i stated before. One good thing about the AC's 4x4 system is when your not in slick conditions (and have both front wheels on the ground) the power goes quickly from one wheel to the other which is almost as good as all wheel drive. That might have seemed like a pretty dumb statment, but i've heard that other quads with limited slip differentials won't swich the power to the wheels back and forth. I don't know what's the matter with Powercats quad.

 

needaQuest, It just seemed weird that the tire that was in the air was spinning, and the one on the ground wasn't. I got some information from a buddy that sometimes you can force it to switch power to another wheel by applying the brakes and then giving it a little throttle. This will force the front diff to lock to the other side 'sometimes'.

 

<< I can't speak for the other systems, but I know that the non-sur track hondas (450, 400, 300), the yamaha's, and the non 650/360 Kawasaki's all have pretty similar limited slip systems. I do know that the regular limited slip 4wd on my 660 is not as good as my Arctic Cat was.

I don't mean the Cat will pull better with one tire off the ground either. It won't pull at all. The difference is that the yamaha system is quicker to slip out on you. Basically, it takes less to make it slip than the AC.

Most of my problems with the limited slip were always in dry climbing conditions where things get uneven. In the mud it does it too, but at least you have the option of rocking the quad hard to get the tires to catch here and there.

The yamaha limited slip is pretty bad, but thats what the second button is for. Plus it turns a lot better than the AC. >>

The kaw 650/360 both have a locking front diff. which would give a person real 4 wheel drive i have been rock climbing and only had a single front tire on the ground and still pulled myself uphill

 

I'd be a fool to think my AC 500i, 4x4 is going to work as well as a machine having the same capabilities and four wheel lock, going thru mud or climbing. But in reality, I never used four wheel lock that often on my other machine and neither does anybody else I ride with. So, it's a nice feature to have and use as needed. The problem my friend, Bill, spoke about, where my front wheel was spinning, was during a run thru a deep hole and pushing ice in front and beneath the quad. I don't care who's quad you were on, you weren't going anywhere with all the ice the AC had pushed. Bill, didn't try that hole on his Polaris, with Locking Diff. My point is, I think Bill knew there was too much ice to move to even think about it.
I wanted a simple, reliable machine that has power to keep the wheels going in loose sand, mud and climbing. I also wanted a comfortable machine. Bill's Polaris, was always much more comfortable than the Suzuki. Wanted a brake system I don't have to work on every time I ride thru water. A cooling system that works and a brake light so I can ride at night, legally.
My 500i, only has 73 miles on it. Obviously, I'm still learning what it can do but I really like this machine. In spit of the non-electronic, no frills, speedometer gage and lack of foot warmers :0)
it's a great time to ride on this machine, anytime. Hope no one was offened.
Chuck

 

Chuck is correct about the hole with ice.I did not attempt this particular hole because myself and 4 other guys that did have diff locks on the front of our ATVs

2 new 660 Grizz's
1 Polaris Sportsman
1 Polaris Xplorer

had allready gone thru a simler hole[bigger though] with similer ice conditions,three of us did make full runs,dispite all the ice under and around us.I beleive that Jeff did not make this hole with his stock tires and new 660 Grizz,Randy made it with his new Grizz and MudZilla's.I made it as well.In fact,I was the first one thru this hole.Perhaps Chucks hole was differant than the ice hole me and the others had gone thru?

Point is,I agree with Chuck.Very seldom will the need for a locked front end be necessary,but is is a nice option to have for the really nasty terrains.

Bill

 

There is one of the biggest reasons why there are different quads made. For alot of the riding I do, and the group that I ride with does, having both front tires pulling makes all the difference in the world!! We are not just a bunch of mud riding fools either! A limited slip front sometimes can hang with us, but not when the going gets tough, and thats where we like to do most of our riding. Anyone can run the easy trails, but it's alot more fun to run the really tuff trails.