theres the big adavantage polaris has, you dont have to stop, and loose traction

 

Hey Vh dirt I got a bite over at the Artic Cat fourm. AC560 says you have to stop to engage front diff. This being different than the prairie which you know about and I admitt I do not. What others does the action have to stop and then engage.

 

DirtVH

On my Prairie the locker will NOT grab if engaged while the tires are spinning. I have had this happen to me. You can be moving but the limited slip will not engage the 4th wheel if 3 are spinning. I believe it says something smiliar in the manual as well.

So if the limited slip is not enough traction you have to get out of the throttle, pull lever and then back on the throttle. Losing valuable momentum. Personnally I have no trouble steering with the front locked as long as I don't need a full lock turn. When ever the obstacle is questionable I always lock first.

Camo-man

The front wheels on a Polaris will not engage until the rear wheels are going 20% (about 1/5th of a revolution) faster than the fronts. When you are turning the outside wheel spins 17% faster than the rear and that is why it will not engage. You can play with tire diameters to change how quickly the fronts engage. I did this on my Scrambler 500, it engaged almost instant, the down side is when it's in AWD as soon as you turn the fronts lock.

Having owned and ridden both I'm not sure which I liked better Polaris AWD or the options of 2 wd, limited slip and locked. Each performed well. I find I do run the Prairie in limited slip 4x4 more than 2wd because all it does is spin[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]

 

natron1 that has to be not one of the best analogies I have ever read on the net; it is "THE" #1 analogie, I have ever read!!!! "Hold on, I have to do this before we can continue"!!!! That one just cracked me up.
The only reason I replied to this thread was to point out that lockers were not the best choice in ALL conditions. Also, AWD (Visco) systems are not the best in ALL conditions.
Rinooffroad, if you have an air locker in your Jeep you should really like the Visco lock. They are very close systems, at least the ones I have seen. The ones I have seen had a clutch pack in them and when you give them the air, it locks the pack up with a piston. The Visco lock is the same deal, but instead of air they use fluid. The only thing with the Visco lock is you don't have the turn it on. The pump will do the work for you. Much like an adjustable air locker. I don't know this for a fact but I suspect it will go to full lock up. Limited slip has to rely on the pre-load of the clutch pack and can't go to full lock up. I have jamed one wheel in a big ditch or rut and all wheels pull. Have I ever chained a wheel down to see if it goes to full lock up? Nope, don't have to. I know that the pump will pump up the pack and lock it up enough to pull all wheels.
As long as buyers of ATV's understand that each system has there good points and bad points then I have succeeded in what I has tried to accomplish.

 

That is a "little" rock crawler compared to ALOT of the Rock Crawlers that I have seen!!! Please, if your gonna post links to "OTHER" websites that show's what you consider to be "REAL" rock crawlers, I have SEVERAL links that will show you what "I" consider to be "REAL" rock crawlers!!! That thing looks like a little desert dune buggy!

 

Actually Doctorturbo, If every time Dirt, Rhino, and others stop to pull their lever. If they think of a condum than I have been successful.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

 

I have a Kodiak 450 and I have to stop to engage the diff. lock and it will only let you go 3 mph intill its fully engaged! There has been times were I am all ready stuck and can't move and go to engage the diff. lock and it won't go in enless I mess with it , switching from reverse to drive a few times and it finally engages! I think that kinda sucks but i have lived with it and at least it is there and will work. I am now starting to lock it up before I think I will need it but it is a real hard when your on rocks and there is very little slipage for the tires, wondering if that will break an axle? Time will tell!

 

RhinoOffRoad I have only seen two air locker systems. Both used clutch packs to lock up the rearend. By looking at your picture, your system uses teeth to lock up the rearend. Sometimes you need 100% lockup, sometimes you need 0% lockup, sometimes you need a number in between. Your airlocker will achieve the first two, but not the last. The Bomb system can achieve all three. Your system use air pressure and teeth to achieve lockup. Bomb uses hydraulic pressure and a clutch pack to achieve lockup. Both systems can achieve 100% lockup. With an airlocker, you have a choice when you want that to happen. With the Bomb, it happens automatically. Sometimes your airlocker is best, sometimes Visco lock is the best. There are good points and bad points to both.
I have an idea that you think a hydraulic clutch pack cannot achieve 100% lockup? If you think this, your mistaken, if not, I'm mistaken. Both pneumatic and hydraulic clutch packs can handle extreem (see I can use the bold font too!!!) amounts of torque without slipping. Whether a clutch pack or teeth they both can achieve 100% lockup.
You used the example of a Jeep with a locker flipping. Same deal with the Bomb when the clutch pack achieves 100% hydraulic lockup pressure.

 

Actually he is using the Example of the Jeep Rubicon! In my days at Tellico, I have seen many different types of set ups, they have it to where they can lock ONLY "1" tire up front or both front tires only with no power to rear!!! Amazing what people can do!! But I have TRULY NEVER seen a vehicle make it up there with out "TRUE" lockers!!!
Doctor Turbo, have you seen the new "locking" rear axel on the New Chevy's or GMC's (whichever one it is) where when the one tire spins the othere "locks" in? Is the bomb set-up similar to Polaris just in a limited slip form until the pack engages??? I am truly unfamiliar with the Bomb's Visco lock, but the Grizz is so similar to the New Rubicon "except" for the locking rear which the Grizz has standard! Forgive me for questioning that system, I just see it as "limited" as compared to truly locked! I would love to tackle Tellico or some other places I know of with my grizz against the 400 Outlander IRS Bombs, not motor against motor(cuz we wouldnt be going fast at ALL), but to see which could handle the terrain the best!!! I'd like to put it through one day of use as I would my Grizz, then I could give you a better picture of how things would be!!!! But I'll stick to my "lockers" simply because, I know that when its locked, its "locked" there is no slip! I give props to Yamaha, Polaris, and Kawi(who builds the AC and Zuki lockers, with the exception of the Zuki king quad) for putting the locker system on their quads, I'm sure all owners with them have used them!