These forums seem to be informative so I'm going to give my latest problem a try. This last weekend I was out playing in the mud with my 425 xpedition. I noticed that the rear of the machine seemed unstable when driving down dirt roads. I brushed it off and attributed it to uneven tire pressure.

The following day I drove it down to the local car wash to clean it up. Once finished I noticed a slight clunk in the chassis after mounting up to drive home. I rocked the machine a few times and could hear it again. At first it appeared one rear hub was loose. However, after removing the rear tires and lifting the back end up I found the entire rear axle was slightly loose. It will move about 1/8 of an inch in just about every direction except in and out. This is not normal. I have not tore it apart yet to see where the problem lies. I assume some bairings are wore out. I am a little dissapointed since the machine only has 2700 miles, but they are tough miles. I guess my question would be, has anyone had this happen to them? If so, what turned out to be the problem, and is there a good fix so I don't have a repeat of the same problem? Is there anything I should be aware of or looking for before taking the rear axle apart?

 

I used to have one and i had to replace the swingarm bearings. If i rocked the vehicle from side to side the whole rearend from the swingarm back would move from side to side.

 

I had the same issue. The axle bearings were gone. The outer seal fails and lets water in. Very common with this style of rear end. Here is a thread that talked about a Magnum (has identical rear end) and how it was repaired. Hope this helps.

Axle bearing replacement

Toton