I looked at mine tonight. With the ITP wheels I have 1" of clearance up front between the caliper and the wheel and 3/4" in the rear.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: HIGHOCTANE

I looked at mine tonight. With the ITP wheels I have 1" of clearance up front between the caliper and the wheel and 3/4" in the rear.</end quote></div>

That sounds like alot better deal than stock if its on top of the caliper.

 

HI WOLF 1
I took a look at it and I see what you mean. I wonder if a guy could make up a piece like a scraper blade that would block rocks from entering that area. There is one large bolt that holds the calipers on. I wonder if you made up something that could attach at that point and have a 90degree bend off the back of the caliper with very minimal clearance from the wheel to protect it.
Take care,
Dave

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: WOLF1

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: HIGHOCTANE



I looked at mine tonight. With the ITP wheels I have 1" of clearance up front between the caliper and the wheel and 3/4" in the rear.</end quote></div>



That sounds like alot better deal than stock if its on top of the caliper.</end quote></div>


Yes OD of the caliper to ID of the wheel...the closest place the caliper is to the wheel...
Notice how there is a raised portion making the ID of the stock wheel smaller close to the outboard side of the wheel? I imagine this rides around the caliper on the stock wheel. On the 212's it is outboard of the caliper due to the offset so the larger inside diameter area is where the caliper rides.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: HIGHOCTANE

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: WOLF1



<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: HIGHOCTANE







I looked at mine tonight. With the ITP wheels I have 1" of clearance up front between the caliper and the wheel and 3/4" in the rear.</end quote></div>







That sounds like alot better deal than stock if its on top of the caliper.</end quote></div>





Yes OD of the caliper to ID of the wheel...the closest place the caliper is to the wheel...

Notice how there is a raised portion making the ID of the stock wheel smaller close to the outboard side of the wheel? I imagine this rides around the caliper on the stock wheel. On the 212's it is outboard of the caliper due to the offset so the larger inside diameter area is where the caliper rides.</end quote></div>

Perfect! I just ordered 212's and Terracross tires.

 

Cool,post some pics when you get them on. The only thing is now bigger rocks can get in between the caliper and the wheel,lol
Hopefully that is less likely to happen. I think that what happened to you is a rare chance and has alot to do with where you were riding. I doubt most people have occasion to ride through mud that is full of little rocks..

 

A buddy just got a Teryx with the 14 inch SS wheels and they look great. He's ragged me in the past about the plane jane steel wheels on my bike. But if plane jane bets her rim pranged on a rock, I can fix it with a ball peen hammer, and if it's gets totaled, I'm out like $45 bucks. Ya gotta like that.
Q

 

Here a Polaris Mechanics throughts ATV Mechanic interviews.

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Sportsman 400-800: The mechanics that we interviewed all said that the Polaris axles were not as stout as the Japanese offerings, but are better than they were in the past. However, the front and rear axles have been breaking under heavy loads and usage (the fronts more so than the rear axles).</end quote></div>

It just a thing you have to live with I guess they did not up grade the axles strength on the XPs.

If you replace a axle get a axle made by "Gorilla" there expensive but so are the Polaris stock ones also.

All the hard core mud boggers use Gorilla Axles on the Highlifter site.

 

Is it possible Polaris designed the axle as the weak link? I IMO mean it is better to break an axle than destroy a differental or transmission isn't it? Something has to be a weak link. Front axles are always more susceptble to breakage all things being equal since by nature of the wheels turning left and right puts them at a sharp angle. Alot can be done to keep front axles from breaking just by not loading them heavily with the wheels turned,especially in reverse. I can take pretty much any new 4x4 truck on the road and destroy a front axle in minutes.
Japanese bikes generally do not have the power or weight of a polaris right? Both things are hard on an axle and the drive train in general if pushed to the limits.
With 70hp it is unreasonable IMO to expect the drivetain to be bullet proof under all conditions given the size that components need to be,and the expense involved with building those components out of stronger materials.
Probably a good 90% of the guys on HL that have brken axles have lifts,that is a tremendous icrease in load on the axle,again due to the CV angles. Some have broken axles just driving around the yard...some types of lifts are very hard on axles. SO in that case a stronger axle might still be the weak link.
Bottom line I'd rather break an axle than any other drivetrain component.

 

Gorilla axles break too. I've seen the videos.