I have a 2006 Sportsman 500 EFI and while out on the ice in 2wd the front tires will still engage after the rear starts to spin. So it seems that it is stuck in 4wd. I did some searching on here and google, it seems the common issue is the roller cage in the front diff.

2 questions:
1. Is it pretty much a guarantee that if it is stuck in 4wd the roller cage is the culprit?
2. How hard is this to change? I am fairly handy and can tackle most repair jobs, but I am new to ATV's and didn't know how much was involved. Does the entire diff need to come out?

 

IMO is it possible the ice froze up lube an not let 4wd release? Is your awd switch working correcty?

 

alot of the time its the wrong fluid in the front diff anything that is to thick will not let the front end work properly i can't think off the top of my head what is needed but some of the dealers just don't know or care

 

As far as I can tell the switch is ok. When I put it in 4wd the indicator comes on in the digital display, when I switch back to 2wd it goes off.

I did just change the fluid in the front end, I used what the dealer gave me, hopefully it was the right stuff! I will have to check into that!

 

probably the cage is cracked in front diff, is front kicking in on dirt or snow or just ice? armature plate can be magnetized also, hard to tell without tearing it apart, not to big of job, drive roll pin out of front yoke, take bolts out of diff from underneath, unhook wires and diff will come out of machine, I have posted john deer part #s , do a search, they work fine and are much less $ than polaris parts

 

Thanks kerbbirds! It doesnt sound too bad to tear into, and the John Deere parts is a great tip!!