Hello remember from reading back some post where some of you fellows was talking about making the AC a true 4 WD. Did anybody figure it out or find where you could lockers for the AC???

 

The 300 already has it, you just have to enguage it. The 4 & 500 you can get one, but you would not enjoy driveing the machine, competion only kindah!

 

Who is the manufacture for the locker kit for an AC 500? Would this kit still allow for the switching between 2wd/4wd on an Auto-tranny?
I talked to Highlifter and they said the front diff. is a sealed type. That is why they haven't designed a unit for it.

 

I have a 2000 400 4x4 and i have never had any tire slip. They have all pulled at the same time. Hope this helps. Maybe you can take yours back or something. Hope this helps. Jason

 

You haven't been out enough then if you never saw a tire slip. I constantly spin 3 while a front sits idle on my 99 500. Thats the way it goes. A rancher will do it too. Just probably not as bad. Any limited slip will do just that if you get it in the right situation. I cursed mine ten times this saturday when I lost traction in leaves and loose dirt on steep hills in the woods (not trails either). Wished I had a Polaris at times, though I am sure the trade off is there where you are sitting in the shop wishing you didn't have a polaris. I have been in a lot of uneven steep situations where I would have just spun all 4 if I were capable of it, but I have also been in more situation where I could have gone on through if that other front tire would just turn. I would get a locker today if somebody made one, no matter what it did to the steering. I ride on pavement quite a bit, but that isn't why I bought my quad. I like to take it where I might not be able to go, and then either be impressed or dissapointed. I am impressed with the capabilities of 4wd, but anyone without a polaris or a king quad is still suffering from time to time with that limited slip. Anyone who has taken their quad off the trails knows by heart. (oh, before I finish, I don't mean for you to take offense by this post, its not meant to be a smart crack or anything)

 

OK, please bear with me here. I understand the whole idea of the AC's with the limited slip, and the Polaris with the true 4 wd. I ran lockers before in Jeeps, and Chevy Shortbox's that I used to 4x all the time, so I know how they work as well. I am kind of curious though, how I can put myself in this kind of situation, to get the one tire not spinning, which would cause me to lose ground.

Now, I haven't been through any really deep, thick mud as of yet-just haven't found any on my outtings yet. I have been through a lot of "soupy" type mud, and a ton of snow. The snow is mostly why I haven't been able to get to the deep mud yet, as the ground is still fairly solid way up in the high country. Anyway, when I got stuck in the deep snow, I was just high centered, with all 4 wheels spinning. Once I rocked it back and forth, and dug down a little, dropped it in 4 Lo, I crawled back up on top, and was on my way.

I have also done a lot of pretty steep hill climbing, and also descending. In fact, one hill last sunday was so steep, that I didn't believe my riding ability was good enough, so I had to step off the 'Cat, and "walk" it down. The only thing was, I had it in 4 Lo, breaks pretty much locked up, as the hill was so steep. Now, to stress the degree of how steep it was, I was not able to stand on this, and in fact slid down myself, while still holding onto the 'Cat. Now, the back end of the 'Cat was in the air, so I had to try to hold the rear rack, and pull it back to the ground, there was a section of about 30 feet or so, I would guess, that the 'Cat was "walking" down on the front tires only, as both the back tires were in the air, balancing on the front end and it was all I could do to keep it from flipping over forward. Luckily it calmed down a bit, and got to a point where I could get back on, to drive it down the rest of the way. Anyhow, going up this hill, loose dirt, lots of grass patches, small logs, rocks, etc. was not a problem, just had to lean way forward over the handlebars.

And, a couple weekends ago, I was following my dad up a fairly steep hill, in about a foot and a half of snow, where we had to go up and over a log in the process. Now, we were in 4 Lo going up. My Dad was in the lead, and when he got to the log, the front end came up, and the right front tire was in the air, still spinning. I watched this pretty closely to see what would happen, and as he gave it more gas, it just crawled up and over, with all 4 spinning. As I approached the log, I stopped just before it, crawled up onto it, with my right front in the air, and as I gave it gas, all 4 were spinning, even though only 3 were on the ground. With the tire in the air, and a limited slip differential, shouldn't the right front tire have stopped spinning?

I'm sorry to bother you guys about this, but since there has been a lot of comments on this as well as a few other forums, I thought I would ask. Again, I think I pretty well understand the idea between the limited slip, and the true four wheel drive, but could somebody please tell me how to "test" this theory. I have had several occassions now where the limited slip should have kicked in, and one wheel should have stopped spinning, yet it hasn't. Any suggestions on what I should do to try it, or should I just forget about it, and be happy that I haven't run into it yet. If BigCat300's 'Cat is working the same way as mine, I can see how he hasn't noticed wheel slippage yet either.

Again, sorry to be so lengthy, just curious.

Thanks,

Mike

 

Cowboy An easy way to test for front slip is to put rear end up on blocks then block under suspension on one side of front. Now with one tire on the ground, a locker will pull the machine off the blocks, limited slip will not, but try stabbing the brakes while spinning see what happens? And to the guy who says his 500 always spins both front, BOY you don't get out much!!!

 

Andy, I've noticed that you have brought up the Ranchers limited slip differential in other posts. To quote you"A rancher will do it too. Just probably not as bad. Any limited slip will do just that if you get it in the right situation." I guess you havn't ridden the ranchers yet, because they do not work anything like the more traditonal setups on most quads. If you get one front tire off the ground, the one on the ground will pull you over a obsticle. If it isn't pulling with the tire on the ground, simpley saw the handle bars back and fourth, and it will transfer power to the wheel on the ground.

 

Hey Andy quit raggin on the Polaris hehehe boy I wish more people could be like me and you on here I really enjoy reading your post...as far as the vote I am with the rest you haven't had that cat in some really bad stuff where you had the pucker power going because as Andy said and my Cat is a 2000 model Auto also going up steep stuff where you lose traction either due to the steepness or ground condition you will see either one tire start spinning or the front end start rotating (spinning) back and forth.

 

Ok its time for my 2 cents worth,
The first weekend that I had my 2000 I was pulling fallen ceder trees and the winch was just not cutting it, I was pulling the rear tires off the ground (the trees wayed over 1000 lbs 400 more than the 'Cat, and I had no place to tie off to) I put the 'Cat in reverse and pulled the back wheels down, A friend looking on saw all 4 tires spinning. But no tire was slipping all had traction.
Later that afternoon in some gooey mud while hung on a sumberged stump my highside front tire was not turnning. Then remembering an much earlier post by BONER I got off the gass droped it into Low-range and then gave it gas while pumping the break and viola both front tires pulled and I was free.
Limited slip has its advantage....Have you ever treid to turn a Jeep of an atv with front lockers,,,,the 'Cats are hard enough to turn as they are.
I would like and locker but since my 2000 Is full time 4x4 I would probaly become to pissed trying to turn it around. Being this way I have played with the brake idea and with some practice it works every time.