I have an 06 SP500 H.O. While in 2WD and rear tires start loosing traction and spinning (such as doing donuts in snow, gravel, sand) the front end engages with a loud clunk. This can't be good on drivetrain. The awd works fine when I do engage it, no noises, puts torque evenly to both front wheels, stays engaged until I take it out. It stays in 2wd mode just fine UNTIL the rears start spinning excessivly. My old 01' 500 never did this. Is this the way the new Polaris AWD systems work?

 

Possible the front plastic roll cage is the problem.could be cracked. This was a common problem on the early ones. 2007 models have the optional billet aluminum replacements,don't know it it can retro fit to the 2006 model. A lot of the guys have gone with the John Deere ones as replacements. Hopefully they will jump in and give the replacement number or any other problem they may have encountered with this and their solution. OPT

 

Do all 2007 have the billet replacement cage? A friend of mine is looking at a 07' Sp500EFI which was built 10/06, but he's leary of the plastic cage like mine has. Its odd it makes no noise what so ever in 2wd or 4wd and evrything works as it should except for the engagement on it's own in 2wd.

 

On the Polaris parts break down it shows on the 2007 efi Sportsman 500 front gear case BUILT AFTER 7/24/06 as showing two roll cages under part #5 although the billet aluminum one is listed in parentheses as (opt) optional! Must be the start of some of the change over designs on the later models. What I get from this if your plastic one breaks you can order the billet aluminum one for 2007 models?? On the 2008 500 HO model shows the same break down. Then in 2009 500 HO it shows the billet roll cage it as the only replacement! Sounds like they finally started to wise up a little in 2009? You could also just have a magnetized armature plate just like the older hub activated models did a lot before the centralized gear case came out. Also DON'T know if this really does this on the centralized machines,BUT if the awd switch was constantly left on the old hub awd system, the plates could magnetize quicker! I had a little "tech bulletin" from Polaris about this!! OPT

 

Excellant info. Thankyou.

 

yep, another broken roller cage.