I recently bought a used Bayou 400 and had to replace many things, typical on a four wheeler whose maintanence has been neglected. The right front tie rod end is rubbing the tire. The 4x4 came to me with 24x9x11 Dirt Devils on the front. The book calls for 24x8x11 tires. Would the 1" difference be enough to cause the tie rod to drag? I have checked the frame several times and it shows NO damage. The Left side tie rod doesnt hit and misses the tire by about 1/4 inch. Anything else could cause this?

Thanks,

Steve

 

Don't know about the tie rod but you need to check the tire rolling difference between the front and rear. Check the air psi, mark the tires and the floor and roll them one revoloution. You want the difference to be around 2" or less. Too much difference makes for harder steering and differential loads.
Also, find out what year Kawai improved the shocks, if not before your year, get them, they ride much better.
I had a 95 with OE tires and it was a real tank. Never let me down. It made a man out of me shoulder wise on longish rides. I noticed on flat dirt roads my tracks looked churned up next to my buddies 2X4 300 Kawi of the same year. I believed kawi missed the deal on tire size. I would look to see what bolt pattern of other atv's fit yours and experiment. Sets of 25 X 8 & 25 X 10 X 12's are real common.