how costly? and how do you change em, i let my son ride my bike and he just called me and said that he and all his expert friends have determined that my front wheel bearing is out, so how do you change em any secrets and while i am their should i change both fronts ones out? he said it clicks when it rolls and catches i have never changed em. is it hard and how long of a job hunting season opens next week and i need it.


thanks butch

 

The "clicks when it rolls and catches" part sounds more like a cv joint. Go to partsland.com to see an exploded diagram of the parts of a sportsman 500 front end. There is a bearing set in the wheel hub and a bearing set in the strut housing. If it is the bearings, make sure you inspect the bearing races for damage, too.

With the wheel off the ground, check for bearing wear (not necessarily scoring damage) by moving the wheel up and down and side to side. One way to possibly pinpoint the click: With AWD disengaged, turn the wheel. The only bearings that are turning are the wheel hub bearings. If you hear the click, it should be the wheel hub bearings. To check the strut housing bearings and the cv joint you will have to lift all 4 wheels off the ground with a lift and jack stands. You will have to start the motor, engage the AWD, and shift the 4 wheeler into gear. Bearing damage will normally sound like a grinding noise. A cv joint problem will normally sound like a popping sound that coincides with wheel revolutions. Crank the steering hard left and hard right. If the popping gets worse and or the wheels jerk and twitch with every wheel revolution, it is probably a damaged cv joint.

Post what you find the problem to be and someone can help you with repair instructions.

SurferSam