Hi,

I have a 2006 Honda Rancher 350ES, I was plowing snow today and got into my neighbors yard pretty good (doing the sidewalk)

Anyway, I was stuck pretty good on icey snow, the front of the machine was covered in snow as was the blade, I was to the point where I was off the machine while it was in reverse and tugging on the rack to get it to back up while giving it gas.

I noticed only one rear wheel was spinning on the ice and snow...

I had thought the rear wheels were full time traction? ...and that the 4wd would allow the front wheels to act as a limited slip?

Not sure if something is not right with the machine, it has about 500 miles on it.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

This is a SRA (solid rear axle) set up, i assume, the only way one tire could not be spinning is if the splines stripped either on the axle or the hub, allowing the hub and tire to rotate seperately from the axle. Pull the wheel off, then take off the hub nut and see what it looks like inside the hub, or if the axle splines are rounded off.

 

One other thing to look at is check to see if the rim is spinning inside the tire. I've had this happen to me on an old TRX 250R I had years ago.

 

Are you saying that the fronts weren't trying to turn either????

Sounds like a stripped hub in back, maybe......

 

Thanks for the replies. I don't know if there is something wrong but would hope not, the machine has been babied. has very low miles and is still like new. The machine is the 2006 TRX350ES, no noises of sorts or anything that would suggest anything stripped.

Last night when I got home I finished plowing the end of my driveway where snowplows pushed all the excess back in as always. Anyway, I got up against the bank and gave it gas and the front tires front were spinning AOK, the rears also spun - seemed to be not as fast as the front were turning, possibly because of weight load and the rear were on my blacktop, although they started to spin as well...so all 4 were spinning at this point. I watched the wheels pretty closely and all was ok.

I was wondering if the rear would somehow perform like a limited slip while in reverse? Originally when I noticed the one wheel not spinning I was not sittting on the machine. I was actually standing next to the machine (it was stuck, was trying to get it backed up) while it was in reverse and noticed the one rear wheel wasn't spinning.

Come to think about it, when the wheel didn't spin there was NO WEIGHT on the machine and wheels were in a smooth groove of ice and machine was in REVERSE.

As I previously mentioned, when I tried to get it to do it again. The circumstances were a bit different. All four wheels spun (as the should) the machine did have me sitting on it for WEIGHT LOAD, and the machine was in FORWARD and had more grip because wheels were on pavement. I wonder if this is why it performed correctly...

Is there a possibility that reverse with no weight load could act as a limited slip as well?

When I get home tonight I will try to get it stuck in the yard again, then climb off and simulate the day before when one wheel didn't spin in reverse w/no weight load, I'll also keep and eye on it when switched to forward and with and without weight load.

If any uncertainty exists I will put the machine in the garge, jack it up and pull the wheels to better view the hub.

Thanks for sharing your knowlege about the rancher, we're pretty satisfied - it's a great ATV and has been very dependable.

 

The rear axle is one SOLID metal bar, so there is no way the rear is acting as a "differential". It is quite possible that you hub is stripped, and it doesn't work in one direction but does still catch in the opposite direction???

It is a real simple thing to just pull the wheel off, pull out the cotter pin, undoo the hub nut, and pull the hub off to see if either the hub or the axle shaft is stripped.