[SouthernGypsy]

I have a question about looseness in the axles where they go into the diffs...

My rear left and front right axles seems to be leaking a small amount of greast around where the axle sticks into the differential and when I got ahold of them and shook it I noticed they are pretty loose, a lot of slop in them. Actually all four have slop but these two are the worst. Dispite the apperant small amount of grease around the area (just blakend and will come off on your finger if you wipe it) my fluid levels still appear to be full.

How much slop is normal?
What could/would be causing this?

How hard is it to fix?

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

Mine stock axles have been pretty loose since day one. I think it has to do with how short the stub axles are that go into the "diffs" and how much tolerance they leave in the splines maybe. My Rhinos in the rear are pretty tight. Put new stock front axles in a while back..they rock pretty good when you grab the shaft and push and pull on it. As for the black "grease"..if its right where the diff seals at the output shaft(rear) Hubs(front) sounds like you might have some very slight oil seepage. The very small amount oil mixes with dust, minute metal particles and seal particles( from where the seal rides on the metal outputshaft or hub) to form a "black grease".
I assume its not CV grease right? All it takes is a very small hole and CV grease can get slung out..but that should be pretty obvious it isnt coming from the seals.
Where is exactly is the "grease" at..wear grease is more commonly associated with aluminum parts.

 

[TURBOXP]

My front stock axles are also loose at the diff . My Rear rhino axles are tight.

 

[bamaloneforut]

Backs have always been tight...fronts are sloppy loose from day one

SENT FROM MY DROID

 

[RMR Man]

Gyp, there was a thread and a pretty good you tube video about this issue a while back. I can't seem to find it now. All of us with 2K plus miles have a fair amount of "slop" at the plunge joint where it enters the front diff. It appears to be normal. I had a RF axle that would click from time to time in reverse, wheel turned hard left, so I replaced that one axle. It was sweet tight at first, but 300 miles later, it has some slop in it. We have 4300 plus miles on our 09. I wouldnt worry about it.

 

[SouthernGypsy]

Well, took mine to the dealer today and a friend of mine who is not only a personal friend but one of their top techs came out and within 10 minutes with me alternating reverse and forward while he looked up under it he noticed the whole rear transfer case was "loose", lifting and lowering over an inch in relation to the engine. He suspects this motion has streached the clips in the axles and egg-shaped the seals.

He also said those bolts are special, or at least the retainer at one end is, you bolt it up into this locking retainer and then the regular nylock nut goes on over that. So it's NOT something an owner should ever have to check, it's not SUPPOSED to ever work loose.

So there ya go, you better check this issue on occasion. Have someone look up under your fender as you go from forward to reverse and give it just a little gas to make sure your engine and transfer case are solid together and not moving excessivly and also that your axles are not "jumping" in the diffs as well. Hard to see by yourself, you need someone to watch while you do it. Check the front with the machine in 4x4.

They are gonna cover everything, check everything, and tighten all the mounts.

 

[WOLF1]

Well, took mine to the dealer today and a friend of mine who is not only a personal friend but one of their top techs came out and within 10 minutes with me alternating reverse and forward while he looked up under it he noticed the whole rear transfer case was "loose", lifting and lowering over an inch in relation to the engine. He suspects this motion has streached the clips in the axles and egg-shaped the seals.

He also said those bolts are special, or at least the retainer at one end is, you bolt it up into this locking retainer and then the regular nylock nut goes on over that. So it's NOT something an owner should ever have to check, it's not SUPPOSED to ever work loose.

So there ya go, you better check this issue on occasion. Have someone look up under your fender as you go from forward to reverse and give it just a little gas to make sure your engine and transfer case are solid together and not moving excessivly and also that your axles are not "jumping" in the diffs as well. Hard to see by yourself, you need someone to watch while you do it. Check the front with the machine in 4x4.

They are gonna cover everything, check everything, and tighten all the mounts.

This movement could be tough on other components as well.......like exhaust.

 

[SouthernGypsy]

Well, took mine to the dealer today and a friend of mine who is not only a personal friend but one of their top techs came out and within 10 minutes with me alternating reverse and forward while he looked up under it he noticed the whole rear transfer case was "loose", lifting and lowering over an inch in relation to the engine. He suspects this motion has streached the clips in the axles and egg-shaped the seals.

He also said those bolts are special, or at least the retainer at one end is, you bolt it up into this locking retainer and then the regular nylock nut goes on over that. So it's NOT something an owner should ever have to check, it's not SUPPOSED to ever work loose.

So there ya go, you better check this issue on occasion. Have someone look up under your fender as you go from forward to reverse and give it just a little gas to make sure your engine and transfer case are solid together and not moving excessivly and also that your axles are not "jumping" in the diffs as well. Hard to see by yourself, you need someone to watch while you do it. Check the front with the machine in 4x4.

They are gonna cover everything, check everything, and tighten all the mounts.

This movement could be tough on other components as well.......like exhaust.

Yep, that's exacly what we were thinking too. He's gonna go through and check everything.

 

[RMR Man]

Holy Crap! That sounds like a disaster in the making. I will have the wife sit in the seat and replicate that move, She is really good at feeling and hearing noises that are "off normal".
I still say we will see a lot of new things crop up on high mileage RZRs in the future. Nothing too crazy, just stuff we haven't seen in the past.

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

Knowing how the engine mounts to the trans that much movement between the 2 seems very odd to me. Maybe the the 3 rubber mounts are to blame? That would be engine and trans moving together..and would also explain your exhaust problems. Although I guess if the engine to trans mounts were loose maybe the 2 engine mounts wouldn't be enough to keep the engine from moving around..but with that much movement between the engine and trans I'd think you would have belt problems as well.

 

[SouthernGypsy]

Knowing how the engine mounts to the trans that much movement between the 2 seems very odd to me. Maybe the the 3 rubber mounts are to blame? That would be engine and trans moving together..and would also explain your exhaust problems. Although I guess if the engine to trans mounts were loose maybe the 2 engine mounts wouldn't be enough to keep the engine from moving around..but with that much movement between the engine and trans I'd think you would have belt problems as well.

When they did the service write up today it had 3,481 miles and still running the stock belt with no problems. It's those long two bolts that pass thru securing the engine to the transfer case. The engine is solid, he had someone else get in and move it while he showed it to me and you can see the transfer case moving a lot while the engine only moves a little, and you can see the flex happening right at the point where the engine and transfer case are bolted up to each other. Never even thought about the belt having issues but did notice my belt housing seems to have a very slight bow in it along the seal edge at one spot which is also right between them. So we wonderd if it's flexed that plastic housing a little, even though it's shown no signs of leaking (I can drive in water just over the housing and not get my belt wet). He said if it has then he will replace it as well.

 

[HIGHOCTANE]

That's strange.. But it wouldn't cause "egg shaped seals". The seals ride on the tranmission output shaft which would be moving with the transmission. Let me know if Polaris buys that one..if so your dealer has a silver tongue lol.
When you get a chance can you post up some pictures of the engine to trans mounts...there has to be some sign of the movement..will give guys an idea of what to keep an eye out for.
Edit..y'all did check to make sure it wasnt a break right? I've seen the '11's break at the engine side of the mount...'12's were changed in that area I think...but maybe 12's aren't immune...check it out if you havent..mount boss maybe broken somewhere

 

[BigN69]

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[SouthernGypsy]

That's strange.. But it wouldn't cause "egg shaped seals". The seals ride on the tranmission output shaft which would be moving with the transmission. Let me know if Polaris buys that one..if so your dealer has a silver tongue lol.
When you get a chance can you post up some pictures of the engine to trans mounts...there has to be some sign of the movement..will give guys an idea of what to keep an eye out for.
Edit..y'all did check to make sure it wasnt a break right? I've seen the '11's break at the engine side of the mount...'12's were changed in that area I think...but maybe 12's aren't immune...check it out if you havent..mount boss maybe broken somewhere

They also noticed some "twisting" motion along with the lift, meaning one side of the transfer case is going downward a little while the other upward (in relation to the motor and frame) and seemed to feel this "torquing" motion could cause the seal to leak a little and possibly develop a slight deformity (kinda egg shape) on the side the shaft is being pulled on. They said everything should be coverd by my extended warranty. We will know more tomorrow after he's had a chance to get it on the rack and all the skid plates off and axles out and whatever else he needs to do to check everything out he said. He's actually hoping to have it back to me all fixed by late Friday afternoon (having a great dealer rocks!) so I have it for the weekend, even if not everything is totally finished or they have to order parts that wont be in before the weekend then they will try to get it ready to ride for the weekend so long as it's safe and wont do anymore damage, and then drop it back off next week after the parts are in to finish up. If they have to, and if it's safe to do so.