http://forums.atvconnection.com/yama...ot-locked.html

 

Thanks much for all the helpful information. I was told once that the true locked 4x4 could get you in more trouble and, ever since, I have used it mostly ONLY for snow, mud or creek crossing situations.

Since I was in 4w high, I guess the lock option was not available without a free hand to shift to low range. But the real point is I should have been in low lock through the entire difficult portion of the route.

Thanks again, Chris

 

I ride with a buddy who has to stop at the bottom of every major hill and put it into low case/locked. I just fly past him on my Honda (which has a full-time torque sensing differential that sends power to the wheel with traction and has an ultra-low 1st gear rather than a transfer case), and wait for him patiently at the top of the hill!

 

In theory. I ride with a 07 500 Foreman, Rincon and 08 Rancher have seen the front wheel in mid air spinning and the other buried in mud not turn at all. High lifter does not make $400 diff lock kits for new Hondas because people don't benefit by them or want them.

 

An experienced rider knows that a tap on the front brake will quickly "reset" the Honda diff, which is biased 70% for the wheel with traction and 30% for the wheel without.

 

This is a serious question. I'm not trying to sound like I'm down on anyone's riding style. I've used both the "peg it and scream up the hill" and the "low and slow" method. I find that what approach you use depends on the hill in question. If it is a steep sandy or small rock type of climb I find the peg it works very well. It keeps you from going slow and losing traction and having to back down (not a great thing). But, I find on rutted, rocky and wet climbs the steady low and slow system works best because of always having the wheels firmly planted in most cases. I've tried the blast up the hill with rocky hills and find the wheels tend to prong off the surface and you then have wheels with no traction and loss of momentum. What do you guys suggest for sixsixtygrizz in the situation he described?

 

Of course on rocky highly technical stuff, you are going to have to take it slow and grapple for traction. My point was, that I don't think the average big heavy ute rider knows any other way to ride.....

Example...I live off of Reche Canyon, which you may not remember but you have seen it many times in those dirt bike and quad jumping videos. The climbs out here are super steep, some near verticle! The surface is usually hardpack underneath, with a layer of slippery dirt on top.

I met a group of ute rider "hunter" types out in the hills the other day. They were trying to do this long nasty climb, and were clearly having lots of trouble. Taking it slow and trying to grapple for traction, they were sliding all over the place and a couple of them got completely stuck, and had to back it down. I on the other hand, flew past them on the 400EX like the hill wasn't even there. Just for the record I ride my Rancher out there, and fly up the hill in 2wd all the time as well. Tactics makes a difference!

 

Okay, I think we've got a good idea here. Peg and run up the smoothies, low and slow on the boulders. Sounds pretty good to me. Just make sure you know what's on the other side on the peg and run climbs.

 

I agree with everything said, and would just like to add one thing, PLEASE don't ride alone if at all possible, with no one knowing where you were, if your leg had gotten broken or worse, a nasty, blood gushing cut, you would have been all alone, and may not have made it out by your self. Any one, any age should always try to ride with one or more buddies to be there for help or support in case of any trouble on the trail. Glad to hear your got back alive, sounds like that hurt like heck, I've been over the bars a few times my self, it can be hard getting back up sometimes !!

 

It's hard for me to get out of bed in the morning.