I thought a locker was NOT available for the Arctic Cat 500i but I went to the Dirtyhowies site and they offer a diff. locker for the 500i. Anybody have any info. on this or was it a locker that can be taken in or out of diff lock that was not available. Just wondering, I thought about a 500i and the locker just would make it better but there has been a lot of talk saying one is not available. Thanx

 

Dirt Howie emailed me this:

Mike: it is not a problem to design and make a locker for the Artic Cat that will unlock itself for the trail. The problem is that the differential assemblies which are presently on the Artic Cats are a welded together assembly, by the time you purchased a locker like that then you were to add the cost of having the differential assembly cut apart and then have the locker installed only to be welded up again.
You add up all those cost and you will find that it will discourage a lot more than just 90% of the people that want a locker.

So the only solution I can think of is to manufacture a locker that is affordable unfortunately it does come with its draw backs.

PS: for the 10% section with a locker installed and no other modifications they have in my opinion have one meanest ATV's out there with the capabilities to go almost anywhere it is pointed. I say this with confidence as I own the Baddest ATV in Canada maybe even North America and they will keep up with me.


Howie www.dirtyhowies.com


It wouldn't be any funny riding with a locker like this out on the trails. Anything faster than 10mph and I'd be eating bark. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Mudders might want to consider it...

 

So if I understand this correctly, you can get the locker with no problem. Getting it installed is anouther thing, and it will permently lock the front end BUT you should still be able to have the 2wd and 4wd selectability with the lever. Is this correct. Thanx for your replies.

 

I just got an e-mail from dirtyhowies and yes it will still go from 2wd to true(full) 4wd with the locker , just will only be able to use 4wd for the mud, not to good for the trail. Thanx

 

I was thinking that in 2wd the bike would still be hard to turn... But since there's no power going to the front it might act like a normal 4x4 Cat.

 

Even though in 2wd there is no power applied, the locked diff would still affect steering, since the diff action (or lack thereof) still applies between the two front tires. With a locked diff they will want to turn the same speed in a turn and since the outside tire has more ground to cover, one of the tires will need to slip a little.

Personally I've never had a problem with the front diff on my cat, but then I don't go rock crawling or do much serious mudding either.