Hello, My 1996 Yamaha big bear 350 won't go in reverse. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with adjusting linkage. But i don't know where to start. I thought I saw a post on here describing the sequence in detail, but I can't seem to find it. If someone finds it , could you please , i don't know, (forward it). Thanks. (or any suggestions)

 

Don't know about 96 but most old Yams have a cable operated "lock out" that goes from the box under the shift lever to the back brake pivot (near the swinging arm pivot). This cable has an adjuster on it somewhere.

 

May also want to try adjustment on foot brake pedal it has an assit there

 

well, it worked. Like you said, all's I had to do was look under the select lever, and theres an adjusting needle there (its about 2 1/2 inches long, looks like a tube). Ther was a bolt there stopping the little metal j-hook from coming forward. Now I just got to tighten it. But, more than that, Since we probably ruled out the limited slip from making my wheeel lose traction, do you thunk I should put money down on a cv axle or could it might be the bearings. Just for money sakes

 

Check the wheel bearings for play. Like I wrote before, CV joints make a distinctive knock, knock, knock noise when on full lock, if it isn't doing this you don't have a CV problem. All 4wd quads will loose traction on one front wheel first, unless they have a diff locker, this doesn't happen much, as the back end is pushing the bike at almost the same speed as the front wheels, are you sure the rear end is driving?

 

Boy, you got me there. You know what, I'll lift up the front end on blocks, then i'll press throttle. Should know something then (see if back wheels go forward) Then I'll let u know. I did move tire side to side ( in air ), didn't have no wobble.

 

I been looking on e-bay and I see some axles. One says 1996 yamaha 350 big bear "front" cv axle. When it says front, does that mean (if you try to fit an axle on either side, it'll fit in). I searched for "front right", but it just says front. At my dealer, they're about $375. I'd rather go on e-bay and get one for $59 or in that area.

 

Most shafts on quads can be fitted to either side, but if the diff isn't in the middle, the maker will fit a long shaft and a short one. Check the on-line Yamaha parts lists, if it shows the same part number for each side, they are interchangeable. However I can't see a CV shaft causing a wheel to spin.

 

I lifted up both ends on blocks and found out that theres no power going to the back wheels. Both times , after pressing throttle in first gear, only the front tire(s) wre wanting to move. I also found out my bike has lim slip.

 

Right, so your rear end is shot. Usually it is the splines on the axle shaft that go through the crown wheel. Not sure on Big bears, but on some bikes you can see the crown wheel through the oil filler hole. With the rear end jacked up, if you can turn the rear axle without the crown wheel going round, those splines are your problem.

As you have been riding round with this problem for a while, the crown wheel may also have badly worn splines. Both are very expensive, and most Big Bears that get sold for scrap, do so because they are not worth the cost of new rear axle parts.