Ok- I'm a newbie, so bear with me...
WE got a brand new Sportsman 400, a lot smoother ride than our Xplorer 250's. I have been driving around in our woods this week (small trails- no room to really work the atv) and it has been running ok, until today. It has 21 miles on it. If i take a left turn, and lean to put weight on the right front tire, a loud clanging/rattling noise comes from somewhere in the front half of the bike. Hard to identify exactly, as you need to be moving and turning all the way left. Not sure what it is, and i really wanna use it this weekend when we go to our camp. Any ideas?

 

Have you checked your hub oil? Can you discribe the sound with more detail. Does if affect you driving, like pull to the side, because pulling to the side is hub oil. If you could explain where exactly if is coming from, it would help much. Try to figure it out, and reply. Somebody else may know exactly what it is, so stick around for somebody else to reply. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Well my dad and i have been driving in circles in the driveway for awhile, and the best we could narrow it down to is either front differential box or drive shaft leading to it...(not totally sure thought). It only happens when turning left, with a good bit of weight pushing down on the right front tire. You can't feel it at all, only hear it. It sounds like a gear grinding noise, but not very fast (only a few individual "grinds" per second). Where would i check the hub oil?
And also, is the engine oil supposed to be very thin and runny? Never had a fourstroke before.
I'm gonna bring it to the dealer, only had it since yesterday, but just like you said, waiting to see if someone might know... TIA

 

well, if it was your hub oil it would be coming from the front hub, where the wheel bolts on, so it must not be that. You are definalty having some lube probs. it sounds like. The oil should not be thin or runny, you should chnge the oil right off. Your front CV joints may be the problem. Make sure they are all greased. Change the oil in your front dif. box if the greasing of the CV joints doesnt help. It sound like it may be those joints, or no/little oil in the front diff. Grease/oil everything in the front, and see if it helps. Good luck

P.S. is your dealer B&D Marine, Just wondering [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Got most of our stuff from B&D, but this one was from Rt. 15 powersports.
Arent the hubs like inside the front diff. box or something this year? Because on this one, instead of saying ONDEMAND in the center of the wheel, there is just a rubber polaris cap like on the back.
No visible leaking oil. I think i'll just bring it to Ed, i have no idea what i'm doing, and its only a day old.
I looked at the engine oil again- not as thin as i first thought, but not real thick either. We'll have him look at all that. Its only like 24 hours old [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]
I just hope its nothing serious... got like 4 projects due this week... cant wait until im free from school on friday and we can go to camp... thanks

 

might be a faulty Universal joint on one of the front drive axles.

 

like i said- real newbie:
universal joint is the angle joint on the drive shafts? does this mean just the ones on the wheel ends of the axle, or the ones at the diff end too?

 

BTW just thought i'd share:
Dealer said he took apart the front end, and some bearings are missing from it. Hes gonna put it back together so i can ride this weekend, he said short term won't do any harm, he has to order the bearings. Just thought i'd let u all know what was wrong

 

thanks for the update! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Woh...woh...woh! What do you mean "missing?" Something got left out at the factory? And they're sending you out to ride it? Elaborate please...I'm most interested!