My Wolverine has a squealing noise coming from the front differential. It sounds like a shot bearing or something like that. It is the worst when I go down hills and use the transmission for braking. It goes away when you disconnect the U-Joint(I think that is what it is called, I am not a mechanic). Have any of you Wolverine owners or other 4x4 owners had this problem? If so what are your thoughts on it??? I don't want to go to the dealer and let them tell me that it is going to cost $500.00 to fix until I hear back from some of you that may have experienced this before.

Thanks,
Jody Smith
95 Wolverine

 

Hunter,
jsut pull the diff. and disassemble.. there are 4 bearings inside there.. go ahead and bite the bullet and replace them all.. there are also three seals... get them too...
its normal for yamahas to trash bearings...
After you get them out.. try bearing supply houses for replacements..
I forgot to add, Check the differential fluid first. make sure you ahve fluid in it, and that its NOT full of water/mud... Either way, whether you rebuild/ or just lube it... extend the vent tube so that water/mud doesnt enter so easy...
Also, check your front wheel bearings and CV joints...

 

MudMachine,
I went to the Yamaha shop today to check the prices on the bearings and seal and they were $60 bucks! Also the guy who was trying to find the parts off of the parts CD could only find 3 bearings and 2 seals. Could it be possible that the Wolverine only has this many? Do you think that your average mechanically inclined person should take this apart? I am pretty good at taking things apart and getting them back together but I am not a professional mechanic. If anyone else has fooled around inside of a front differential then please offer your advise to me. Should I go for it, or shell out the bucks to the dealer to get him to fix it?
Thanks for your help!
Jody

 

Hunter,
You can do that work yourself.. Its not that difficult, just make sure you can find yourself a fairly clean environment to take it apart in..
As for the bearings.. I am thinking that there are two bearings (one for each side of the ring gear) and two bearings (two of them supporting the pinion gear)
Then one seal for the input shaft (on the pinion gear) and one seal for each of the half-shafts that go out to each of the front wheels..
Maybe the front doesn't have as many bearings and seals as the rears.. but I would think that it would...
As for the O-Ring that seals the two cases together.. I've gotten lucky and re-used them.. and never had one leak... But thats up to you..
Really, I wouldn't put it in the shop for a bearing and seal replacement.. Its NOT a dificult procedure... you will actually spend more time rounding up tools/parts/ and disassembling that the actual bearing and seal replacement itself.

 

There Is a special tool you will need the take the pinion bearing out. Ive taken it apart and just had the dealer put it back together