Common SxS Issues by Brand

[Poke]

This thread could become a valuable resource with time... we will see. So what are the common issues with different models and how can they be mitigated.

 

[Poke]

Axle shafts seem to be very hard to remove from both RZR and Can Am's. I have seen them take every tool known to man and hours to remove.

What can be done to make them easier to remove? Does Never-Seize help? I don't know what people are doing to make them easier to remove.

 

[snivilous]

The axle shaft issue I haven't heard of, I removed my X3's front shafts last weekend and it barely took a flat head screw driver to pop them out of the front diff. I was surprised since it was by far the easiest CVs I've ever pulled (X3 open front diff, was in 2WD).

For the Can Am X3:

The front suspension is mostly single shear with some flimsy plates to appear as double shear. There's gusset kits that all bolt in to brace all that shit. I just installed some S3 ones. Most people swear by them, I didn't think the load paths for the most part were much of an improvement but better than nothing. Likewise shock tower brace since the upper shock mounts are single shear (one of my bolts was visibly bent when we pulled it off).

The rear toe link on the hub (controls the toe of the rear suspension during travel) is only single shear.

The rear link plate on the chassis is shit and known to wallow out, it's called a "pull plate" and can be replaced for cheap and a good recovery point then. Those bolts can be swapped out too for something that seats better, most of the rear end has way over sized holes so everything can move around and wallow out, good idea to replace them.

The cage is ass. This applies to all SXS best I can tell.

The chassis is known to start cracking since the material is so thin and the chassis flexes and fatigues it. Keep an eye out. There's some weld in tube kits, but most of them don't appear to solve the issue of lengthwise bending stiffness of the chassis which is a side effect of a bolt on top cage and doors so the chassis stiffness path is only through the floor.



RZR:

I don't own a rzr, but I've ridden in my buddies a bit and prerun in it. He has a 2018 XP (or whatever the 1000 turbo is). The wheel studs are too short and can strip out. We had an entire wheel fall off prerunning at KOH.

 

[Poke]

The axle shaft issue I haven't heard of, I removed my X3's front shafts last weekend and it barely took a flat head screw driver to pop them out of the front diff. I was surprised since it was by far the easiest CVs I've ever pulled (X3 open front diff, was in 2WD).

For the Can Am X3:

The front suspension is mostly single shear with some flimsy plates to appear as double shear. There's gusset kits that all bolt in to brace all that shit. I just installed some S3 ones. Most people swear by them, I didn't think the load paths for the most part were much of an improvement but better than nothing. Likewise shock tower brace since the upper shock mounts are single shear (one of my bolts was visibly bent when we pulled it off).

The rear toe link on the hub (controls the toe of the rear suspension during travel) is only single shear.

The rear link plate on the chassis is shit and known to wallow out, it's called a "pull plate" and can be replaced for cheap and a good recovery point then. Those bolts can be swapped out too for something that seats better, most of the rear end has way over sized holes so everything can move around and wallow out, good idea to replace them.

The cage is ass. This applies to all SXS best I can tell.

The chassis is known to start cracking since the material is so thin and the chassis flexes and fatigues it. Keep an eye out. There's some weld in tube kits, but most of them don't appear to solve the issue of lengthwise bending stiffness of the chassis which is a side effect of a bolt on top cage and doors so the chassis stiffness path is only through the floor.



RZR:

I don't own a rzr, but I've ridden in my buddies a bit and prerun in it. He has a 2018 XP (or whatever the 1000 turbo is). The wheel studs are too short and can strip out. We had an entire wheel fall off prerunning at KOH.

Can Am Chassis

I just ordered the CR RaceWorx gusset kit. I can post up what's in it when it shows up. I know the S3 kit come with tubing that adds a V to the bottom of the chassis front to back. Maybe that addresses some of the length wise concern. If the CT kit doesn't have those tubes I might add them, see the pics here..

https://s3powersports.com/s3-power-sports-can-am-maverick-x3-chassis-weld-in-gusset-kit/

Also the front chassis tend to crack where the front clip connects to the main cab of the chassis.


RZR Studs..
That is a problem caused by aftermarket wheels. The factory wheels are narrow and only use a short stud. you can order longer studs.

 

[IGT]

I’m probably jinxing myself but 2015 RZR 900 4 with 2400 miles and no problems.
The worst it gets treated is chasing cows through the mountain sage brush and timber.

I have read on the RZR forum about the noisy front diff and mine has had it since new but I never tried the homebrew fix of changing the washer in there.
I change all fluids faithfully and hope for the best.

We have mountain trailed Jeeps and IFS Toyota’s and nothing soaks up the bumps like a SxS.

I do hate the heat from the radiator on a warm day.

 

[Boons]

2018-2020
Wildcat XX
-Piss poor hardsurfacing in Diffs and transaxle, R&Ps chunk prematurely TBD if it has been fixed in the 2020 units
-Very loose tolerances on PTO, lots of clutch chatter and leads to button failure
-Clutch buttons prematurely wear out
-Engines have oiling issues and grenade in less than 1000 miles. supposedly fixed in 2020 engines
-Poor quality Coil springs, sag out after 500 miles
-Uniballs in control arms wear out fast and are never in stock to replace.
-Steering Rack mount is a weak point
-Main harness chafes badly at Voltage regulator heat shield

I've chunked an engine in mine with less than 500miles, PTO noise is very noticeable, lost 2 inches of ground clearance with the shit coil springs, haven't experienced any of the other problems yet.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

2020 honda talon

- p - r - n - h - l shifting is a joke, I'm on the 3rd sun trans rebuild in 500 miles

I4wd is a joke

Power steering is weak with larger aired down tires

Plastics seem brittle

Enclosure is very nice, but a waste of money since the windshield fits so poorly and there are air holes every where

It's loud as fuck inside, I'm mean really, it's got straight cut gears I the trans like it's 1930

 

[jhama78]

Rzr 800 after 2008 are noted for the rear pinion nut not being tight enough from the factory and the nylock nut starts loosening and drops the pinion into the ring gear. The fix is to remove the nylock nut and replace with an all steel nut from a ranger with locktite.

Regarding axle removal, i have heard the horror stories of removing them (mainly mud guys) but one of the first things I did on my '14 800 trail was to remove all 4 axles, and grease the hell out of the splines and cups before reinstalling.

One more Polaris problem is removing the roll pin in the front driveline to replace seals/ujoints... easiest way is with an aor hammer with the correct roll pin punch.. a standard roll pin punch and hammer can work but it will likely knock the garter spring off of the pinion seal and cause a leak...

Im sure there are other things Ill come up with but these are the things I've dealt with recently.

-j-rod

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

2020 honda talon

- p - r - n - h - l shifting is a joke, I'm on the 3rd sun trans rebuild in 500 miles

I4wd is a joke

Power steering is weak with larger aired down tires

Plastics seem brittle

Enclosure is very nice, but a waste of money since the windshield fits so poorly and there are air holes every where

It's loud as fuck inside, I'm mean really, it's got straight cut gears I the trans like it's 1930

Did you get that motherfucker back yet????

 

[crispins]

2020 honda talon

- p - r - n - h - l shifting is a joke, I'm on the 3rd sun trans rebuild in 500 miles

I4wd is a joke

Power steering is weak with larger aired down tires

Plastics seem brittle

Enclosure is very nice, but a waste of money since the windshield fits so poorly and there are air holes every where

It's loud as fuck inside, I'm mean really, it's got straight cut gears I the trans like it's 1930

The shop I have one of my Talons at for a sub trans replacement has 3 others sitting there waiting for the same thing.

That is just one shop, 4 Talon's there needing transmissions, that kinda says something about them.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Did you get that motherfucker back yet????

Ya, it's been a while, just have no real desire to drive it. I basically have to get a go pro mounted to show that I'm properly shifting it so next time it fails they don't just think it's me.
​​​​​​

The shop I have one of my Talons at for a sub trans replacement has 3 others sitting there waiting for the same thing.

That is just one shop, 4 Talon's there needing transmissions, that kinda says something about them.

Funny because my dealer keeps saying I'm the only one since they've been giving 20 mins lessons on how to shift it :rolleyes: I think once they really get a bunch out there, they're going to have to address it.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

The shop I have one of my Talons at for a sub trans replacement has 3 others sitting there waiting for the same thing.

That is just one shop, 4 Talon's there needing transmissions, that kinda says something about them.

Not putting oil back in them when serviced is a sure fire way to blow them up. Not really a Honda problem, more of a shitty dealer mechanic problem in my eyes.


Btw.... You interested in a couple aluminum shifter gates with low deleted for your rentals? Guy i know made one for me and can make more.

 

[crispins]

Not putting oil back in them when serviced is a sure fire way to blow them up. Not really a Honda problem, more of a shitty dealer mechanic problem in my eyes.


Btw.... You interested in a couple aluminum shifter gates with low deleted for your rentals? Guy i know made one for me and can make more.

I do not think all 4 trans were because of that, pretty sure 3 of them were not. - lol

Yes I would be interested in 2 of those gates.

Would be interested also if they were made of a black plastic as well.

Let me know what the deal is on those gates and lets make it happen.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

I do not think all 4 trans were because of that, pretty sure 3 of them were not. - lol

Yes I would be interested in 2 of those gates.

Would be interested also if they were made of a black plastic as well.

Let me know what the deal is on those gates and lets make it happen.

Only available in aluminum but he can powder coat them black. I'll shoot him an email and PM you the info.

 

[Arps]

Ive had mine a month and a half.
I broke an axle
Saturday I bent an A arm.
Can Am Maverick

 

[FleshEater]

Only thing I keep breaking on my Wolverine is the tie rod ends. It keeps stripping the threads. The power steering is not forgiving at all with larger tires, and 1.5" wheel spacers up front. If you're bound up, it doesn't feed back into the steering wheel at all and just strips the tie rods. Easy fix, but annoying.

A buddy put Weller Racing tie rods on his. I'm waiting to see if those beefy things wipe out the steering gear. If they don't, I might buy them to solve the issue.

 

[JR4X]

My rzr shafts pop right out using the plunging CV as a slide hammer. Also take apart once a month though

lots of Polaris machines seem to have a failed timing chain tensioner that makes the engine eat itself. Front diffs are controlled by the ECM and lose voltage to the armature as rpm increases causing the diff to make noise or even break. 17 and older non turbo models have a chain drive for reverse that is easy to break. Rangers up to a certain point don’t have park in the sub trans, they rely on a park brake to hold it stopped. Most people forget to release the park brake and drive through it wearing it out, unsuspecting people let them roll into things because they aren’t aware that the park brake was wiped out. Polaris’s rzr’s are widely known to be fire hazards, they can burst into flames and burn to the ground in minutes. Many people have been injured because of this, scares the shit out of me.

Arcticats have terrible wheel bearings, very easy to run the wheels off them under harder use.

Kawasaki Teryx are known to run unbearably hot inside the passenger area.

 

[redneckK20s]

I work at a Honda/Polaris dealer so if anyone has any specific questions or needs some specs, shoot me a message. Been dealing with these shitboxes for almost 10 years now so I know a little.

 

[BillyBronco]

I work at a Honda/Polaris dealer so if anyone has any specific questions or needs some specs, shoot me a message. Been dealing with these shitboxes for almost 10 years now so I know a little.

What about a 2016 Honda Pioneer 700-4? Any common or major issues with those. I am familiar with early 2000s Honda ATVs. I don’t need the biggest performance I just want a comfortable and reliable trail machine.

 

[Poke]

What about a 2016 Honda Pioneer 700-4? Any common or major issues with those. I am familiar with early 2000s Honda ATVs. I don’t need the biggest performance I just want a comfortable and reliable trail machine.

If you want comfortable do not get the 700-4. Wife and kids hated ours for comfortably. Got rid of it for that reason. And the ride sucks.

 

[redneckK20s]

What about a 2016 Honda Pioneer 700-4? Any common or major issues with those. I am familiar with early 2000s Honda ATVs. I don’t need the biggest performance I just want a comfortable and reliable trail machine.

They are solid machines as far as reliability, pretty hard to tear up. But they are a little underwhelming performance wise.

 

[BillyBronco]

If you want comfortable do not get the 700-4. Wife and kids hated ours for comfortably. Got rid of it for that reason. And the ride sucks.

I have never driven or ridden in one but I guess I don’t have high expectations. Currently my put around the ranch vehicle is a Kawasaki Mule 4010 crew. That thing is slow and rides rough but it works and I can fix anything on it. We had a backup Mule and I sold that one to get something a little faster/sportier I don’t need high performance as I am used to the Mule.

it would be take on trails maybe 2-4 times a year otherwise see small ranch duties along side the Mule. I suppose I like the small compact 4 seaters as they fit in the back of my truck and with my current situation a trailer is more hassle than it is worth. I was also considering a Rhino 700. I have the parts to convert a Rhino to a 4 seater already. I know the Rhino and Pioneer are both not quick or ride super great but they will fit in my bed.

i considered a Wolverine X4 but don’t want to spend that much on a seldom used toy. Rzr4 is too long for my bed and a Teryx4 is too wide/long. So that is my thinking about a Rhino or Pioneer.

 

[Poke]

I have never driven or ridden in one but I guess I don’t have high expectations. Currently my put around the ranch vehicle is a Kawasaki Mule 4010 crew. That thing is slow and rides rough but it works and I can fix anything on it. We had a backup Mule and I sold that one to get something a little faster/sportier I don’t need high performance as I am used to the Mule.

it would be take on trails maybe 2-4 times a year otherwise see small ranch duties along side the Mule. I suppose I like the small compact 4 seaters as they fit in the back of my truck and with my current situation a trailer is more hassle than it is worth. I was also considering a Rhino 700. I have the parts to convert a Rhino to a 4 seater already. I know the Rhino and Pioneer are both not quick or ride super great but they will fit in my bed.

i considered a Wolverine X4 but don’t want to spend that much on a seldom used toy. Rzr4 is too long for my bed and a Teryx4 is too wide/long. So that is my thinking about a Rhino or Pioneer.

Got it. We used our pioneer as a family trail vehicle more than around as utility. After a few wheeling trips with 60 miles a day the kids and wife didn't even want to get in it.

 

[Truckedup]

Noisly clinking rear ends on. Yamaha Rhinos.. You totally disassemle , it's all perfect but still makes the noise

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Money pits........ Every last one of them is a money pit!

 

[JR4X]

If you buy a general, be leary of the turf mode if beating on rocks or using bigger tires. I've done a couple trans in 570/ranger/general with turf mode that deleted itself out the back of the case. I was only able to weld up one of the cases, the other 2 I did, and another I witnessed were ruined cases. It is a "locker" of sorts that holds one side gear to the case, if you shock load the other side gear (land on that tire under throttle, and the held gear is in the air) the case explodes. The reverse chain is also a weaker design in the N/A units except RS1, which has turbo trans. Just don't get nose down adn put it in reverse and mat it to try and back up. Turbo (xpt), Turbo S and RS1 have the turbo trans, way larger front output, no reverse chain. New rangers (and thus maybe new generals?) have a stronger/different turf mode.
If I were buying and had that budget, I'd buy a Turbo S.

Quoting because I’m putting this in the “known SXS issues” thread. Good to know. I knew turf mode was fail mode, now I understand why.

 

[Blacksheep10]

Spool and turf mode shown. The slots in teh cast left side cover are where you hold the side gear. You can imagine loading the left side gear and hoping that cast case stays together.

 

[Blacksheep10]

Money pits........ Every last one of them is a money pit!

My buggies were money pits, a grand every time I broke, and I can fix things. These are cheap if you can wrench and fab.....and drive. Have to know how to not explode major drivetrain components and how to not hit trees/big rocks at speed.

 

[Blacksheep10]

I don't know where to start, I've written 50ish insurance claim estimates on all brands and have owned 3 different makes and 9 different models, and I've been mean to all of them. I mostly buy wrecked/salvage etc and repair. I also repair a lot for other riders. They are a cheaply made joke at high end prices. That said, after exploring other alternatives, I'm back to SXS only.
I have no experience with Yamahas other than the YXZ's. Laughable frame, They fixed a lot in 19 on the rest of the machine. A buddy has one making insane HP, the blocks/crank will take a lot
Can Am, for the X3 I made a front shock tower brace kit for a while and front a arm mount bracing. All pretty cheezy single shear stuff with 1.5mm oversize holes all around.
Polaris. Easy to work on, easy to fix, you fix some areas a lot. Too much to list
Getting axles out, I've not really had problems too many times, the old superatv axles with square snap rings could be insanely hard to remove, Matco has an axel puller that is clockable and forked on the end, I've made vise grip slide hammers and a couple other methods. Normally 10 minutes of head scratching and cussing gets it out. More about not cross binding it when loaded with outward force. If you have a good pry out and up, tap down on the cup to relieve the cross bind on splines.