I was out for a good ride on my Rancher this weekend....i have 120 kilometers on it now, so i figgered it was time for a good test...got in a little bog hole with the left rear tire buried to the point where the exhaust was just under the water....front right tire about a foot off the ground...front left on good solid ground...not sure about the right rear, but i think it had some traction in the black muck but can't be sure....it was nighttime, and even with the lights on i was in this hole before i knew it was there...almost made it out....i figgered this would be a good time to see how the "new" torque sensing limited slip front differential works.....appears to be the same as on my old 300....the front right tire in the air spun like crazy with no power going to the front left..even tried the braking trick to get the power to switch to the left....didn't work....maybe with better tires (the stock dunlops don't impress me) i wouldn't have gotten stuck in the first place, but the point is i didn't see any difference in how this new differential performed in comparison to the old diff...it does, however, steer better, but i had expected better performance in the slop....one of my reasons for sticking with honda when i bought my new bike was the supposedly improved differential....doesn't seem improved to me....any comments....how have you other rancher owners found the new differential?

 

Although i don't have a rancher, I have seen many of them in action with the same results as yours. My Foreman 400 does the same thing also. personally i feel if the differential doesnt work as stated then it shouldnt be advertised as it does.

 

I agree...honda advertises that the new slip diff results in much lighter steering (and it really does), and it "senses" wheelspin and transfers power to the other wheel....that is a crock....unless mine is different than everyone elses, honda has given a false impression to its consumers here.

 

I agree. There have been many times on my Foreman that with all four wheels turning would have made a difference. I'd like to see an improvement in the front diffs also, along with everyone else I know.

 

I wonder if Honda's own CR-V or Passport 4 wheel drives do the same? if those operate both front tires then they could adapt that technology to there ATV's.

 

First I would get it checked by your dealer,because I have had both a 350 and I now have a Rubicon both bikes it worked very well.If I did get wheel spin when I tapped the front brake it worked perfect.I ride with alot of Honda's and they all seem to do what Honda says.

As for this working on the Foreman,it won't it has a limited slip .The 350 And Rubicon have the Torque Sensing front end.

 

Good morning Great Canadian,

I have had a Rubicon for over a year now. I am not an extreme ATV'er, I do not spend hours trying to winch my ATV up a rock obsticle, however, I will not shy away from any obstacle. I have been in the same situation with one front wheel in the air, but in my case the other wheel pulled. One time I was in snow with one wheel in the air and it was spinning and not the one on the ground. I stopped, then started again and away it went. Check yours again or have it looked at. The torque sensing front end is not a locker.

Bought a new 2002 Rancher 4wd ES and took it out this weekend. That is one fun ATV. I am surprised that the 75 pound difference between the Rancher and Rubicon makes that much difference.

My wife and I ride together and my 17 year old daughter had the new Rancher. We went riding with some friends that ride brand X. We have put some Goodyear Mud Runners on our Rubicon so we were cutting the trail when we got to the snow (live in Salt Lake City, Utah). Brand X had an electrical problem and would not go into 4wd. There he is on his 500 X, no 4wd, again, and my daughter on the Rancher leaves him behind. Don't they get tired of that? I will guarantee that there has been more times that our friends ATV's would not go into 4wd at all than the number of times a Honda has not made it because the front wheels don't "lock.'

I am impressed with our new Rancher. I climbed steep hils made of loose shale, mud, snow and hard packed, road surfaces. I jumped it and pushed it. What a blast.

Enjoy your rides, we do ours.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

What the heck could be wrong with my differential?...it's a new bike...could it be that it wasn't working properly when i bought it?...how is the dealer gonnadetermine if it's working or not...he surely ain't gonna take it to a boghole and ride it?....it seems like you guys are satisfied with the differential on your quads, so there must be something wrong with mine....i don't understand the workings of a differential...i could see it not working at all....but i don't understand how it can "half" work....can someone give me some kind of idea about this?

 

Specta, electrical problems are far less likely to occur than the "torque-sensing" differential not sending the power where it needs to be. Ask any "Brand X" owner how many electrical problems they've had over the years. I can guarantee you that they're answers won't benefit your story at all.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been left behind by a Rancher. Why? Because the magical "torque-sensing" front end spun the tire sitting in 4 inches of water (read: the one with no traction), not the one sitting on solid ground. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]


GreatCanadian, I'm not impressed with Honda's "torque-sensing" differentials, either, but that doesn't mean that they're not fun little machines to bomb around on. I enjoy riding my neighbor's Rancher almost as much as I like riding my "Brand X" machine. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]


(And yes, I do realize that my "Brand X" machine is right there in my signature...)[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Good reply Campy....usually polaris owners can't give a civilized answer to a honda owner and vice versa....thanks....you're right about the torque sensing slip diff...it sucks....at least polaris can legitimately call their quads 4x4.