Working on this machine for a friend and it's only got 3 wheel drive, he's had it into 2 shops now and still not fixed. One thing I noticed is the wheel that won't lock leaks the oil out fast and axle is sloppy in the strut. It's getting voltage now as the electrical parts have been replaced by previous shops. Should I be looking at the bearings and seals in the strut?

 

Did you pull the strut and inspect? It's probably cracked and needs to be replaced. I'd also ensure the axel to that strut is spinning when the 4WD is engaged...

 

Sounds like you have a mess. Both hub and strut seals need replacing,plus if wobbling as you say,strut bearings may need replacing.Power to the coil won't help if the coil sleeve or inner pole of the strut is ground down.Sometimes easier to replace the strut assembly that comes with the new coil and coil sleeve along with the strut seal.Then you can deal with the hilliard,armature plate and bearings if needed. This system can be expensive to repair if it's been leaking for a while.

 

I found one problem for sure, and it's now driving all wheels. The ring that goes on before the Hilliard was backwards. Axle still has play but I'll dig into that once the weather gets a little warmer. Hard to imagine the dealer assembled it incorrectly :-)

 

Isn't the first time I've heard of having the armature plate in backwards. If you were able to save it and the hilliard slots aren't damaged then you're fortunate in that part of it.

 

Funny thing is, the dealer replaced the armature plate. I've emailed a local guy that sells used parts about a new strut. Failing that, I will replace all the seals and bearings in both sides. Then I will replace the rear bearings and seals while I'm at it. This is what I get for bragging about all the work I did on my own machine when I first bought it used.

 

Even my neighbors finally got the hint that I DON'T work on atvs any more.If you're a retired mechanic,plumber or electrician,don't let anyone know about it..