Dear Motorhead,
Where have all the 8`s gone? Owning a Polaris Sportsman 800 has been about the most fun I`ve ever had when it comes to the out doors, but there are a couple of draw back to the 800 that make them a little bit of a pain in the you know what.
The front bearings are run too loose (torqued to factory specs of course) and spacers are not even to be used on the front of these ATV`s because of added pressure on the bearings which would cause premature bearing falure(according to Polaris).
Most of the ATV tire companies have stopped production of 8 wide tires and gone to the 9 wide tires (which will rub the the steering knuckles) so which way do you go to replace the stock 26x8x12`s on the 800`s?
Thanks,
Rod
Thanks for your email!
Anytime you increase offset with bigger wheels and/or tires you run the risk of failing bearings and spindles not to mention the extra stress you put on a-arm bushings and tie rods.
The front end of your Polaris (and all ATV’a) are designed to accept a certain offset – and that’s it.
The mathematical stress loads which impacts will produce through all related components as a result of increased off-set are staggering.Â
We see huge increases in wear on all ATV’s – both front and rear suspension and drive components – from the use of larger tires/wheels with increased offset required to accommodate their use. However, if you want to see wear increase in steering components add a set of tracks! Wow! After a seasons use on any sport/ute big bore the ATV feels like its ten years old.
Clearly, the aftermarket is making equipment which exceeds the design limitations of most ATV’s in the market.
I know that’s not much of an answer but it’s what we see here – regularly.
Motorhead Mark
