I have broken a right front axle, wondering how many others have been bitten by the power. Going to replace with Highlifter fronts, any other options for these big tire machines?
I have broken front axles numerous times, but I have not broken a rear axle. If a lift is installed then they will break much easier. The HL have the same stock axles the regular Sportsmans have, and will not last in MUDDY places, lol. That being said, stock axles on mud bike is a no go. I replaced my stocks with a much stronger aftermarket axle. I noticed after a couple more broken axles, that the ties on boots would rub against axle hub. That would cause the tie to snap, boot tear or loosen, and mud would get in bearing cup, so the outer joint would break easily. The inner joint and shaft would never give any problems, it was only the outer joint. The after market outer joint was bigger than the stock one, so i had to grind down some nubs that stick out almost 1/4" inside of the hub. there are about 4. Once i did that, the outer joint rotates freely inside the hub and the ties stay in place. The morale of the story is that i went through many axles because of a simple tie ripping off the boot when it rubbed against the small nubs inside the hub.
I forgot to mention my bike has 3" lift, and like I said the rear axles have never broken. The fronts I have now have held up great after grinding those nubs down.
I have broken both of my rears. Just torn boots from the mud holes that lead to the axle locking up. I replaced with the HL DHT axles and have only torn one boot since. In my opinion the DHT axles are a lot easier to repack and replace the boot than the OEM axles.
I like the look of the Cobras with their bigger cups. More material might mean more strength, but I'm thinking on putting the Highlifter 2" lift. You have to notch the rear a-arms, and the bigger ends might not be helpfull there. Probably end up with the HL dht axles in the rear, maybe Cobras up front, unsure but still looking for suggestions and experiences with other machines. Never had this much power in my othe atv's. Thanks.
Helps to remove shock at a-arm so you can get the a -arm out of the way and extend the axle straight out. I use the winch rope to hold the a-arm up for easier access. When I'm on the trails, i use a tree and winch to lift bike. Makes my life easier.
Got it, just needed to apply more force. Didn't have any experience with the Polaris axles, found the info I needed here, thanks. She's broken good, cage exploded.
Oh, and if you live near houston, drive by Cobras shop and they repair that axle. They charge about 70$ to replace that part with theirs. The outer joint is the only one I have ever broken on my bike. The boots tearing is what caused all my headaches. After I smoothed out the inside part of the hub, I havnt had to replace an axle.
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