This is a bad subject for some lol. I wanted the 1000 when it came out guess what..........even MORE power and still the SAME FRIGGEN AXLES lmao. Oh well like I said this is a bad subject for most on here...........

 

Simple.......with the added power, they wanted the easiest link to replace to be the one to break.

 

No "links" should break! We are paying more for the added power as it should include everything that will be impacted by the increase in torque to be beefed up. My Dodge has almost 400hp & I have not been easy on it but it has not broken anything, why, because the drivetrain is more than strong enough to compensate for the power:veryhappy:

 

I have never broken an axle but is it the axle shaft that breaks or one of the cv joints?

 

The shaft generally shears at the cv knuckle

 

Yeah thats sorta like the company that sold the US Army boots in the Civil war and the first unit issued these boots marched less than a mile they disintegrated. The company then stated OH they are not infantry boots they are CAVALRY boots:bsflag: It's more simple tan that I am afraid 30,000 1/2" axles cost X, 10,000 3/4" 10,000 1" and 10,000 15/16" axles cost Y
and Y is WHY is our profit down:headache: use the X. Bean counters ruining the world since the dawn of time........

 

Have u broken any of your axles?

 

Now i know that it seems a few have broken axles fairly easily. but you gotta consideer the technology and processes in materials from 1999 to now. if one was cast aluminum and one was forged or billet, and a smaller diameter, i bet they could both so handle the same load, if not the forged/billet piece holding more.

with that said, I know my brothers 300 Hawkeye uses the same part number as my 850 for Ball Joints...

 

Typical of Polaris. Any pre 2011 Sportsman has stronger axles than post 2011. But you can have fancy paint and wheels. Their priorities are backwards.

 

Your right WilliamBos, my XP looks very nice in the garage, its very reliable when in there too, lol!

 

Here is a pic of my mighty 850xp toothpick axles & a pic of my buddies o'l 1999 Polaris 335 Sportsmans beefy(stock) axles!!!
The 850 has approx two & a half times the hp as the 335 but the 335 has stronger axles, what was Polaris thinking?? Hahahahahahahahaha

Have u broken any of your axles?

Nope, haven't broke any axles & the only reason for that is because I am scared to drive it the way I want to!! I could replace all the axles with Gorilla ones but I shouldn't have to spend an extra $1000 on it just to have the "second" weak link to break! It really takes the fun out of riding this thing when I have to baby it in fear of it "breaking":headache:
Waaaaaay too many axles have broken on these things for Polaris to ignore the problem!!!

 

I'm just glad some people see it the way I do. They (Polaris) needs to step it up "once again" and put supporting parts in for the type power these things are putting out now. Like I said in another post "the same axles from a 400-850!!!! really!!! at least make an effort and beef them up a little bit lol

 

unless if your running big mud tires, like outlaws or silverbacks, i wouldnt worry to much about breaking an axle on the 850. im still running stocks with 2500 miles on them. mostly hard miles

 

I am not running big treaded mud tires either, I have Interco Reptile radials. Most issues are with the big rubber but I have read & heard of many with stock tires break axles as well. Too bad the axles off the 1999 335 wouldn't fit, they are probably a hallow tube axle but still would be way stronger than the stock XP axles.
Maybe next year Polaris will upgrade(beef up) the power train to accommodate the Horsepower:fing02:

 

All the axles I have seen break, 1st hand, were from rocks getting wedged between the caliper and wheel. Dare I say it,......saw a CanAm snap one this past weekend. Mud with large aggregate will kill axles every time. this is the fourth I haveseen break, all the same way!

Keep your arse out of the mud.........no breaky an axle!

 

I have 4 quads and have broken 5 axles so far. We ride fairly hard and so a little mud, which up here is clay or gumbo. It is hard on equipment. I have broken one on an 850 that sheared the axle. All the others have failed at the outside CV joint cup. Three axles broke when stuck in the clay and rocking back and forth and having the front wheels spinning and coming to a relative stop quickly when the rotating tire came in hard contact with the side of the hole. Pay to play.

 

I beat the living shit out of my axles and no breaky! Bigger doesn't necessarily mean stronger, just ask a badger!

If my axles can handle the torture I inflict that tells me if they break I will be understanding. As faa states you want the weakest point to be the most accessible.

I for one would rather break an axle then have 2" inch diameter axles and have to replace the transmission each time! This is all theory of course as I have yet to break one

 

If you want an upgrade for your 850, i believe i read that the 570 RZR front axles fit, you need the axle nut as well, but they are supposed to be bigger. if you can find someone that has done an S Conversion on there 570, you could possibly pick up a set for decent money.

 

Thanks for this info LSrally, I am sure there are some that can benefit from this, however, with Christmas on the way I can't be putting more money into this quad right now but thanks just the same:veryhappy:
With that being said, for the amount of money we all put out on these machines we shouldn't have to spend more to up-grade, might as well have spend more right from the get go & up-graded to a Grizzly instead then, lol.

 

They break axles too. I had a friend just put on some Rhino's to replace his broken (at the cup) axle. This however did not stop his tendency to roll over sideways on its own.

 

I can confirm that front axle from a RZR 800 NON-S (narrow) fit on the 850 XP, I have one right now since 1 months. Axle is stronger and can take a little bit more angle, but its not mean to be like a rhino or other aftermarket.

For the price I found it (100$ shipped used), I'm happy.

And for this particular axle, you can replace the boot (inner and outer) with boot from a 1990 GEO Metro they fit very well.

 

^ exactly, i know they wont be what the aftermarket stuff is. but ive seen sets for $200, which is the price of 1 OEM axle.

 

I know this is a bit different, but have several Radio controlled rock crawlers and rock bouncers. they all have a "Slipper Clutch" you I control the tension on by adjusting a nut. against a spring that pushes on a clutch type device. Wouldn't this type of thing be the Cats Meow for ATV's ??... I know Arctic Cat as a "Spike Load Limiter" maybe its the same sort of thing.

 

I know this is a bit different, but have several Radio controlled rock crawlers and rock bouncers. they all have a "Slipper Clutch" you I control the tension on by adjusting a nut. against a spring that pushes on a clutch type device. Wouldn't this type of thing be the Cats Meow for ATV's ??... I know Arctic Cat as a "Spike Load Limiter" maybe its the same sort of thing.

That could be a very good idea.....but then there would be those that would complain about it as well. I would much rather pull out the rope than break an axle though.

 

This was "WE" could set the amount of torque we send to the wheels and have a "Breaking point" so all of the running gear would not break.

 

There are many times axles break when a rope or winch isn't even needed.......

 

Very true,.....they generally break when the tires are spinning & bouncing, struggling for traction. This is when it is better to get out the rope and save an axle.

 

just gotta be smart about it. they dont just break riding though mud puddles. out of all the machines ive owned, i have broken one axle. that was on a lifted 660 grizzly with silverbacks, and i was beating the hell out of it in the snow.

 

I have to say I have been impressed with the strength of the axles on my 2010 as I have done things to that poor machine that aren't fit for man nor beast. However, if I'm in the deep muck and don't know what lurks beneath I tend to tread lightly until I am sure there is nothing that will do major harm.

Afterwards, I turn around and blast through it at mind numbing speed...LOL

 

but then we complain about the beast being too heavy

 

in 2011 Polaris started putting smaller axles in the front the 09 and the 10 have big beefy axles

 

if I remember right the nine and ten the front axle is the same size as the back axle