How many are there on a Sportsman and can they leave you stranded? The tie rod end deal seems like more of a nuisance than a major problem, not to expensive to fix from what I read.

 

There are 4 of them. Usually the old ball and socket type outer ones that seem to go bad. Unless you break one off, they will not leave you stranded.
FYI: Tie rods connect the steering stem(connects to handlebars) to the strut housings. They make the strut housings turn. There are 2 tie rods with 2 ends on each. The inner ends connect to the steering stem and the outer ones to the strut housings. If yours was made after 8-14-99(I think) it should have the newer "heim" joint style. In case you didn't know.
PS: It's cheaper to buy the pieces separtly than to buy Polaris's kit. $25 vs. $40 according to my dealer.

 

Thanks so it is like on a car sort of. I was out looking at them ealier i never really checked them out. till today looked at the while cleaning but only to see if they were dirty

 

They will usually give you plenty of warning. You will get tired of the slack long before they leave you stranded.

Greg