Does anybody know if my 1996 yamaha big bear 350 has limited slip differential? If it does, would that be my front or rear differential?

 

My guess is yes if it is full time 4x4, in the front diff.

 

The rear axles don't have a diff, (we should call it a bevel box, but everyone calls it a diff). On Big Bears the shaft goes right through from one hub to the other. Fronts have a limited slip, usually a multiplate clutch in the centre of the diff, which slips if there is too much difference in torque between one front wheel and the other. Easy to tell if it has one, and is working. Jack up front so both wheels are off the ground, apply parking brake, turn one front wheel by hand. It should take a lot of force to make it move, and the other front wheel should rotate in the opposite direction.

 

Ok, My right front wheel is not catching. Spins like crazy when in deep mud or snow ( just the right tire ). I replaced the cv axle, but that didn't work. I guess the lim slip needs fixing. Would that be an easy fix? I'll also try the jack thing.

 

Sounds more like rear end not driving. Do the test, if the front wheels spin easily in the same direction, your drive to rear has gone.

 

I did the test. Good resistance, other front wheel goes opposite dir. So, ( I take it ) if it's not the front dif or brand new cv axle, I don't know what else to try. Do hub splines wear out? cause they looked a little iffy.

 

If I am reading this correctly, I think he has a limited slip and not a diff loc front diff. With a limited slip one front tire will spin if uneven pressure is on the front tires. With a diff lock both front tires will turn together but makes it harder to turn (steer). Older machines only had limited slip diffs but newer machines have a switch to change from limited slip to diff lock when the going gets really tough.

 

If the wheel is hard to turn and the other does so in the opposite direction, everything is working. The amount of resistance does vary from one machine to another, but it makes steering stiff if the limited slip is too tight. So that is as good as you are going to get on a 96 Big Bear. Like Kymco wrote, some of the newer machines have a diff lock, which stops one wheel from loosing traction unless the other three have also lost it, but for one front wheel to start spinning like that, the back ones must also be spinning, It is the one that doesn't spin that has lost drive, due to the limited slip diff letting go.