Rubiconbob,

Thanks for the info. The bad news is our cable company doesn't carry the outdoor channel. Maybe its time to look into one of the dish networks.

thanks again

 

In my observations I have seen only that when there is a lot of force applied to a differential that they truly lock. What I mean is say if you take any 4x4 quad with for instance a limited slip design hook it on to a stationery object that will pull the front end down with a lot of force while in reverse. This will cause them to lock and only this as far as true pulling effect.
This is just from my own tests and don't ever remember Honda saying that the new diff will lock for one. If the new torque sensing design is supposed to work like the way I understand I would think it has to be the right conditions. For another example if there are 3 wheels on the ground and one in the air. The one in the air may have been the one getting full traction before leaving the ground. The one in the air is spinning so this differential must shift power to the other. If it just shifted over at any high rpm that would not be good for the unit. If the wheel on the ground had alot of force applied to it and the speed of the quad is fast it would have to slowly engage the other wheel to work properly without damaging the diff. To do this the only way I see is to use the traxter setup. I don't own the new diff yet so I may be totally wrong but what I said about the limited slip try it like I said and it worked for me but really is not of that much use. Just trying to explain the only ways I see them lock. They also will lock when on slipery surface because they stay locked until the pull of one wheel is over 10 ftlbs. I would also like someone to try stopping all 4 wheels when 3 are on the ground and try playing with the throttle a bit to see if that works. If not then try holding the brake and letting off the brake, and repeat. Personally I plainly don't think the new diff will ever work everytime because it isn't the visco lock. That I can say 100% works the way it is stated from my observations. All I want for my needs is a limited slip design with the ability to lock it. My dream quad though would have semi independent suspension, hi lo range, visco lock front and rear, 600cc that pulls in high range like my 400ex, 10 inch suspension travel with weight carrying adjustability etc... I could keep going and going. Anyway good post it's nice to see everyone having a good discussion without bashing and remember my observations, thoughts on design are my opinion alone. You may disagree please tell me so I may learn something new if you have different info. Got to say again great post!

Proud Owner: 98 Honda Foreman 450 ES It's a yellow BEAST that has things on it you may never see on another ATV.

99 Honda 400 EX Love it but wish it were 4x4 to.

 

huhuhuh,want low traction ill give it to ya,i went to the "swampy" part of western kentucky,my front end i wouldnt trade for anything,i pulled a 300 4x4 with vamps. that was high centerd and a sportsman 500 stock,out of the goo with my "stock" rancher witch i succesfully made it through the mudd bogg with my rancher but i was the only 1 that shifted my weight rocking side to side and cutting my wheels all the way

 

LOL haveing a polaris is a disadvantage !!!!!!

 

i guess i had the old slip diff when i had my 400 forman i loved it i did huge hill's played boat with it etc...... anyways i was tring to pull this pice of flooring one of our rentle houses that burnt down it didn t do it but here's the story i had all 4 spining hard it was only right befor i axled out i noticed that my right front gave up after me and my dad picked it out i noticed the hole for the right front wasn t as deep but almost why did honda change the system that forman did everything from hard core trail rideing plowing snow to hauling farm tools to pulling around a 16 foot trailor around our yard to pick up tree limb's iv done some deep thick mud and i seen some power shifting wheel to wheel but othere than that time i just told ya all about iv never seen a wheel just stop


i hope this helped
86 4trx250R......yea i crossed over to sport quads whats your point lol

 

Hi,

I don't know if anyone said this or not because I don't feel like reading all 54 posts, but all four wheels aren't always turning at the same time. When the ATV is going straight, all four wheels are spinning, but when you are making a turn, the inside front wheel does not get as much power as the outside front wheel or it gets no power at all. This makes steering the ATV easier and gives it better handling when turning at high speeds.

 

Lots of you guys are commenting that you see all 4 wheels spinning when you are level on ice or snow, or if you are high centered. ANY 4x4 will do this because the traction at all 4 wheels ( or at both ends of the axle) is the same.
When 1 wheel gets airborne, while the wheel on the other end of the same axle has good traction, that's where it counts. Will the wheel on the ground still pull the ATV without just spinning the one in the air? That's what we're looking for here.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought that Honda Marketed their new differential as a torque sensing mechanism that automatically puts the power to the wheel that needs it. Meaning the one one the ground. This is the only point I am arguing. This is not a true statement. Does it send some power to this wheel? Yes, but it basically works like all the other limited slips. The wheel in the air spins, and the one on the ground may or may not spin occasionally. I am not trying to **** you guys off. What I am saying is true, and if I owned a new Honda, I would be pissed at Honda for false advertisement.

Greg

 

For some unknown reason, I don't see that happening.

 

Greg,

I have proven(to myself and my riding buddies) that when on wheel is off the ground spinning freely, along with the two back wheels spinning freely, and the only wheel with traction not spinning at all.....that by sqeezing the front brake rather hard will in fact lock up the front end and put power to the wheel with traction.

I got this tip from this forum and tried it out before....it didn't work. Well I kept trying and figured out that I wasn't squeezing the front brake hard enough. Now it seems to work like a charm.

I have posted on here earlier that I feel like Honda did not give us a product that was "as advertised". But since this trick works, I will squeeze the brake and go on about my business being happy with my Rancher.

My question is this...will this trick work on all conventional four wheel drives? Such as Yamaha and older Hondas? If it will, then what situation will the Suretrac out perform the conventional four wheel drive system?