Looked all over online, found some conflicting info. Will 2005 12 inch factory Sportsman 500 wheels with 26 inch stock tires fit on my 99 Sportsman 500? I need tires bad, and one of my rear 10 inch rims is really bent, so I want to go to all 12 inch rims anyway. I've got a lift so I'm not worried about height. I believe my rims are 4/156, were they still 4/156 in 2005?
Thanks!!

 

Yes, they were.

 

All the same bolt 4/156 patterns. ATV Tire and Wheel Application Chart : ATV Tires Free Shipping : ATV Wheels : Mud-Throwers.com

Might be concered about the front rim though. The older locking hub style AWD system (Up to 2003) may have a larger hub hole then the newer locking front diff system (2004.5 and up) with a smaller hub hole even though the bolt pattern is the same.

The Green 2003 ATV has the larger locking Hub. and the red 2007 has the smaller non locking front hub.

 

hmmm. well, if worst came to worst I guess I could swap around the fronts and use the new tires on my old wheels, since they are already 12s. Just old and beat looking. It's really the rear wheels that have to be replaced, bent bad and 10 inch. Be nice to use all four new rims if I could though. Cant pass up the deal, $200 for 4 new wheels and tires, that's like $25 apiece.

 

They may work ,I dont know, I would ask more about the front rims from a dealer or something. or see if the part number for a newer rim rim is the same as the older replacement ones. I Don,t think Polaris even makes rear 10" replacement rims any longer ,just 12" or 14" now.

 

Here is a 2005 with the smaller non locking front hubs yet the front hub holes still look rather large. The bolt paterns will not be a issue.

 

worked out perfectly, the fronts have the huge hub holes, the 8 inch tires look pretty skinny, no interference with the steering or anything up front. New 26s with aggressive tread compared to bald 25 inch 489s look 3 sizes bigger instead of only one. Havent got the rears on yet, the left rear had a broken bolt in the lower control arm where it goes into the bottom rear of the hub. So thats what the scraping noise was when I backed up. The bolt came out an inch and was dragging against the wheel. Trying to drill it out now to extract it, hope the threads dont get ruined.
Wondering how that grade 8 bolt got broken... Both racks are busted so I figured it had been flipped over, but now I'm wondering if it fell off a trailer or out of an airplane.

 

Those are grade 5 bolts from the factory. have seen several broken, Get good grade 8 bolts and replace all of them on both sides.

 

Well thats odd. My broken one is definitely a grade 8, as is the one that didnt break.. Bought grade 8s to replace them with. Of course I couldnt buy the right size at the hardware store, had to get a 1/4 inch longer and grind them down to 2 3/4. Bought a new set of easy-outs too but haven't had a chance to get back to it yet, just worked the annual grass drags event all weekend. Spent the better part of 26 hours on an Arctic Cat 650.

 

I have had two bolts break on my 00 500 Sportsman (same side both times). Just from hard riding and worn bushings. So far the third bolt grade 8 has held up but I dont ride that one as much anymore.