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Dammit, I want one!

 

I e-mailed Highlifter on this subject yesterday and this was the response.
Hi Jim yes in the future there will probably be a locker for your ATV Thanx Mark
----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Bell
To: mark@highlifter.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 7:47 PM
Subject: Detroit Locker For Arctic Cat


Do you feel that this will be something that will be available in the future. Everyone that I talk to regarding the new 500I cats says that the only thing they are lacking for awesome mud performance is a locking front end. Many are sending units to Canada to be welded up and really be locked. It would seem to me that most would pay a premium to purchase this item if it were available.

Regards,

Jim Bell

 

Just do what i did,

No I do not think anyone will make a locker for it

Simple reason is becuase you will have to completley remove your sub assembly. and replace it wiith another

Im doing this but all i did was order a new sub assemb which comes with all the gears spiders clutches etc, and i am welding the spiders.

Tha way if i want to just trail ride one day i can remove the side plate aoff the main housing and pop in the limited slip diff.

This is the same concept
And to have a locker un locker, i thin you might as well hang that one up, The cost would be outrageuous

 

CatKrazy, have you done this yet? I am still getting stressed over what type of diff that Cat is using. You had mentioned clutch plates as did Dirty Howie and the AC guy in Winnipeg. The AC guy in MN said it is the same as it was in the past. I know now that it is not the old style, [pre 2002] 400/500 as they were using clutch packs. I had one in my hand at the dealer the other day, turns out that AC shipped one that would not slip on a 2001 bike and the owner constantly complained about hard steering and the unit was eventually replaced under warranty. You could see the back side of the clutch, although the unit was seperate from the ring gear it was welded closed. In my newly arrived AC service manual for 2003 it shows 2 pics of the ring gear assy that show fairly clearly that this unit is an open diff. This style of diff must have some traction in order to transmit power to the other wheel. In a limited slip design some power is always transmitted to the wheel with the traction as the springs have to be overcome before slipping will take place. You had pointed this out earlier with the Honda front end and the bolt used to apply pressure to the spring and plate. I am very disappointed that Cat would take a step backwards on this front diff over the 2001 and earlier designs. This design is in my opinion infearior to a limited slip and it pisses me off because I traded a 2002 400 4x4 for a new 500I that is way nicer in every way except traction. My last Cat would drive circles around this new machine as far as front end performance goes. My only resolve is that with the superior supension that the wheels will be on the ground more often and with added ground clearance it will not hang as easily. I feel as though I was sort of lied to, although I did not ask what type of front end was on the bike, one would assume that a manufacturer would not put a lesser performing unit in when the industry is clearly headed for some form of on demand true 4 wheel drive performance. Thats enough crying for know.

Cheers Jim<u>open</u>

 

wow thats alot to soak up

lets see. Yes it is a open diff as in getting to the sub assem. The sub aseem houses all your linited slip component. It uses a clutch still system to mandate the slippage but it is still driven by a traditional spider gear. Did you notice when looking at the diff at the dealer a little rod running thru the center of the gear hole? that will tell you it is a spider gear asembly.

All your main componets are in this assembly. Im still studying the front end and have not made a definate move on it yet. i do know I cannot get in the sub assem with out cutting it open. yes Im a little pissed my self, this is just a cost move for AC. Its so much cheaper to do it this way.
As far as which year model does what. I ride with some older maodel cats and yes there fron tend is different and works alot better in way of pulling and how it works. but i will not go as far as saying the pre 02 will run circles around mine. We have put them to the test.

You may be able to put the old style sun assm into the new housing. I dont know yet. But either way you still do not have a un locker. If its ride you want dont lock it. Im trying to find the best way to lock it and be able to unlock it if i wish. The locking part Im not worried about.
I have seen also were i can wedge the spider gears with a block of hickory. and beable to remove it,but Its still a matter of being able to unlock it. i would still have to remove the outer plate to get to the block, Im trying to figure out a way to do with out that.
i might as well hang that part up and just weld the spiders and put the new sub assm in and stick my limited slip sub assm back in when I want to trail ride

 

Yes also I was lied to. i think AC slipped this one up on the dealers as well. they all told me it was a limited slip diff. IT IS NOT! and yes the older diffs are! i currently have the brake locker on my bike which works very very well! but my braking has dropped which make for dangerous situations if your not carefull.

I will let everyone know what I do and try to provide pictures and such as I do the Mod!!

 

I would be glad to give $500 for one, and not blink! When I bought the new cat I was planning on extra jing on cool mods.

 

Don't hold your breath on getting a Detroit locker anytime soon for the Cats. Highlifter doesn't care about getting a locker or we would already have one. Look at how soon the Rincon got lockers, lift kits, big bore kits, and now a gear reduction. They are so bias toward Honda it isn't even funny. Can anyone think of anything a Honda needs that is not produced?

If the ACs needed the gear reduction like the Rincons, Highlifter would be saying the same thing as the locker issue. " The lack of demand along with research and development cost would make it too expensive and no one would buy it". No you just don't want to do it. But I don't blame them, AC should not have welded the assesmbly in the first place.

 

CatKrazy, the sub assy thatI looked at in the dealers shop the other day has no pin showing from the outside and in fact the only place you can get a look at anything is from one end and you can see a plate and thats all. The pin you mention is shown in my service manual and carries the 2 spider gears, as long as both front wheels are turning at the same speed these spider gears don't move at all. If I am right on this, this is described as an open differential which as mentioned earlier is not as good as limited slip. It is hard to be certain as you can't see much from the pics, if there are clutch plates being used in the assy that I can't see, that would at least afford me the chance to use the Redline diff fluid that does not provide an friction modifiers to allow clutch slippage as easily as standard diff fluid. I don't know if ODB read my post earlier from Highlifter re the future plans of a detroit locker for the Cat, but this would
be my choice as it does not completely lock so as to allow some reduced effort on steering.
Cheers Jim

 

Yes im sure the fluid will help

The clutches are the components that make it a 3 wheel drive or whatever system it is. This diff does have clutches