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P500 Who wants a diff. Lock ?

jay_man81

jay_man81

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Back to @JWB s post 98, Anyone know the tech details on how the stock P500 front 4wd works? Is it like "true 3 wheel drive" so to speak when one wheel looses traction? This why I haven't felt side pulling yet in mud? Guess I'll check out Shop Talk treads too. All this good info has me curious.
So to speak. When the 4wd is engage the front differential gives power to the front passenger side tire. How ever, if this side looses traction that doesn't mean it will kick power over to the driver side then. Most times it doesn't unless you do the "brake tap" trick. That's due to the the P5 having an open diff and not a locking or limited slip diff. These things would be unstoppable with a locking diff!
 
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DG Rider

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Back to @JWB s post 98, Anyone know the tech details on how the stock P500 front 4wd works? Is it like "true 3 wheel drive" so to speak when one wheel looses traction? This why I haven't felt side pulling yet in mud? Guess I'll check out Shop Talk treads too. All this good info has me curious.
The front diff on the 500 is a simple, "open" differential. Open meaning no traction aiding devices ( like a limited slip, for example). The original year had this listed under "Features" on Honda's web site, but subsequent years dropped it...presumably because someone came along and informed them that this really wasn't something to be bragging about.

To say that it puts power to "one wheel" isn't totally accurate (though true in some situations).

Someone posted this old video on FB recently. It does maybe the best job I've ever seen in explaining how a differential works in understandable terms. Skip to 1:50 to get to the meat of it...

 
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JWB

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Back to @JWB s post 98, Anyone know the tech details on how the stock P500 front 4wd works? Is it like "true 3 wheel drive" so to speak when one wheel looses traction? This why I haven't felt side pulling yet in mud? Guess I'll check out Shop Talk treads too. All this good info has me curious.
Not really. You never have "3 wheel drive" The front diff is a so-called 'open differential' and is virtually identical to the differential in most cars. If you go to the Torq-Masters site, I think they have a pretty good explanation of how it works vs. the auto locker. Think there are some good vids on you-tube as well . A perfect example of a locked, or 'spooled' set up, is the rear end in the P500. If you lift the P5's front wheels off the ground and spin one wheel by hand, the other will spin in the opposite direction due to the spider gear set up in the carrier. If you do the same exercise on the rear, both wheels will spin in the same direction, because there is no 'differential' in that rear housing. Just a ring gear, pinion gear, and a solid axle. SO, when in "4wd" all four wheels are driven with equal power, as long as all four wheels have the same traction. BUT, If one front wheel looses traction, all the power available to the front wheels is given up to the wheel with the least traction. If for instance one front wheel is in the air, or on ice, and the other is on solid ground, you have ZERO power going to the high traction wheel, so at that point you only have 2wd, because no power is getting applied to a front wheel with traction. I've tried the brake tapping thing a hundred times- does nothing if one wheel has good grip, and the other is in the air. It might do something in mud or snow, because you may have near equal traction on both fronts. The reason you will usually see the passenger side front spin, is because you're sitting on the left one giving it more traction, and to more directly answer your question @Mudder , the reason you don't get any "pulling" is because once a front wheel loses traction, the front wheels are doing almost nothing to keep the machine moving because all the power is being wasted on a wheel with no traction. Any so-called 4wd vehicle that does not have some form, or means of locking the drive wheels together, is in reality a 2wd vehicle at best in low traction conditions.. For example, most "4wd" pick-ups have 'open differentials' front and rear. If you jacked one front wheel, and one rear wheel off the the ground, put it in "4wd" and then tried to drive the vehicle off the jacks, both the wheels in the air would spin, and the truck would not move. All the power is wasted on the wheels with least traction- Zero wheel drive. I'm sure this is all clear as mud now:rolleyes:
 
rocmar

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You been without....this long
...trust me...you will
be .....just fine.
s*** by now...we have all
...forgot how to use it....
HaHa
 
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trigger

trigger

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Wouldn't have minded having one that day!
Stuck1
 
JWB

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It took them a little over a week to respond to my last email regarding the power steering. Apparently they are very busy, and probably getting alot of emails. I'm doing my best to restrain myself from pestering them:) Self restraint is not one of my more notable traits.......:rolleyes:
 
JWB

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If I don't have a locker I will most likely take a look at the 900XC Polaris single seater or a used XP. The wife never goes and I doubt she would let me keep both.
Those must be insanely fast, but going to the dark side? DUDE!......;) Yup, Honda needs to wake the hell up! I think the "lawsuit" lame-*ss excuse is D-E-D- dead, and again, no excuse. I just looked at the 2018 spec's for the single seater- 13" ground clearance, 78 hp, W.E. shocks with 12" travel. Price starting at $13k. Wonder how many more customers Honda is willing to give up? These are the moments when Honda really P.M.O.!!
 
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DG Rider

DG Rider

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75 HP on a 50 inch machine? Hello hONDA there's a market for that kind of HP
Looks like Can-am is going to release either an ACE competitor or a 50" on the 20th. You know it will have plenty of engine.
 
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JWB

JWB

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Looks like Can-am is going to release either an ACE competitor or a 50" on the 20th. You know it will have plenty of engine.
Yup, and BRP total lack of reliability. But, point taken. Where's Honda? Presently, there is no acceptable alternative for me. In spite of the short comings of my P500, there's nothing I would rather have right now. I'm anxiously looking forward to getting the locker and installing it.
 
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