At the dealer I recently compared the steering of the 2001 SP500 HO vs. a 2000 SP500. Wow what a difference! The HO was much easier to steer at low speeds!

Though I know I will get razzed for saying this... to me, this change is more beneficial than the increased power of the HO. After all, my 2000 SP500 HO goes where I want it to go quite well.

I am told that the improvement is the result of a new lower steering post bearing. -- Whatever that entails.

Soooo... I am wondering if I might be able to modify my 2000 SP500's steering to match the 2001 HO's????

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

HPD has had an improved lower steering stem bushing available for a while, but no experience with them.

 

The HPD bushing is aluminum instead of plastic, and therefore much stronger & more durable; but the same basic design as the Polaris part that it replaced. I changed mine a couple of months ago. Now the steering is "tight" again, like new. It was a lot easier to steer with the old worn-out parts!
We need to find out what's different with the new design on the 500 HO.

 

I dropped my Xplorer off on Monday to get the lower steering bushing replaced under warranty. I'm getting the HPD installed instead of the factory one and paying the difference. I had installed one in a friends a few weeks ago and it made a nice improvement in the ease of the steering. It still isn't as good as the 01 set up though. They changed to a sealed bearing, redesigned the frame support, bigger steering shaft and relocated the tie rod placement on the steering shaft. I was told it was a major project to convert mine to the newer style .

 

Remember that steering effort is greatly affected by how the toe-in is set on your machine. Muddin in Mich.

 

The length of the boss on the strut, its about a 1/2 in. or so longer. Makes a world of differance

 

Lengthening the strut boss is giving it more leverage. That's probably where the biggest improvement comes from. How would the toe setting effect the steering effort? I checked mine it's between 1/8 and 1/16" toed out. According to the book it's right where it should be.

 

Was at Husker Harvest Days (Nebraska's big farm/ranch products show) and right by the bus was a booth selling Polaris & Kawasaki atvs. Looked the HO over pretty good. Steel covered brake lines instead of rubber is the first dead giveaway (along with a sturdier-looking master cylinder reservoir. I looked at the front end and immediately noticed the outer tie rod ends were different, heavier-looking. The lower steering bushing was metal. I asked what all they did to it to make it steer easier and they told me it was a combination of a bearing (not just a bushing anymore) on the bottom of the steering shaft, along with improved steering leverage. I asked if a person could convert to the new style & he said yes, but not very cheaply. The steering stem is different (he wasn't sure, but thought the old one might fit, but he said not to count on it), the lower bearing is different, and the struts are even different. He thought the arm on the strut where the tie rod connects was a little longer or relocated or something, because they are a different part than they used to be. The bus came to shuttle us back to our pickup so I had to leave before I could get a ballpark cost for converting one.
Farmr