Hi, I was wondering if anyone would be able to help me with the 4-wheel drive on my 1996 Polaris Sportsman. I've been driving it in the snow allot for the last month or so and recently the 4-wheel drive quite working. At first it started making a grinding and snapping sound for a few days and then the front tires stopped spinning altogether. If I put it in four wheel drive it doesn't engage the front tires at all, it’s as if it were in two wheel drive. It also makes a squeaking sound when driven in two wheel drive and on occasion the Oil light while come on. Also the drive shaft to the tires spins but the tires don't. Does anyone even know where to start? Thanks for any help!

 

Sounds like you need to tear into the front hubs!This is where the heart of the awd system is. If not maintained properly you could have major parts to replace,strut coils, coil sleeves,armature plates,even complete strut assemblies if they are damaged. Plus if it's the Sportsman 400 2 stroke, the oil tank is in the front and make sure you have enough oil in the tank(2 quarts) sometimes as they get older the floats get saturated in the oil tanks and will trigger the light even with plenty of oil. If the atv is a Sportsman 500 and the oil light comes on you need to stop and check the level in the remote tank. You need a manual!! Plenty of places online cheap,plus Ebay has plenty also. You need to take it step by step. This is where a manual will pay for itself if you do your own work! OPT

 

Thanks for the help, I took the front apart yesterday and found the chain fell off the the gear for the front wheels. Is there a reason why the chain would have fallen off the gear? Is there a way to tighten/loosen it? You were right about it being low on oil. Thanks for all the help!

 

The chain was either too loose or worn out. Check that the chain doesn't have any stiff,rusted links, and very little side to side flex.This is signs of a worn out chain. If you think the chain is ok,slip it back over the the front sprocket and see if you can"roll" it back on the center eccentric housing sprocket. Once back on you have to adjust the center chain first! Loosen the two 5/8" pinch bolts and nuts on the middle eccentric housing(the one by your right foot). On the outer sprocket you can either insert a small punch through the sprocket into the housing and roll the machine backwards and it will tighten the center chain. Stop at 3/8" slack in the middle of the chain.OR you can take a dull punch and hit the tabs on the housing toward the rear which tightens the chain. Then tighten the two pinch bolts and nuts. Now you can adjust the front chain.Loosen the one 5/8" bolt at the bottom of the front housing.You can insert a punch into the front sprocket and roll back to adjust or use a dull punch on the drivers side inner recess of the housing and knock it backwards. Tighten this chain between 1/4"-3/8" slack in the middle then tighten the front eccentric bolt.The rear chain adjusts the same way. Loosen the two pinch bolts on the rear housing,insert a punch through the rear sprocket into the housing and roll forward to tighten this chain,(3/8" slack in the middle)then tighten the two pinch bolts. Oil the chains and grease all fittings! A good manual can save my fingers OPT