Mine is in 4WD unless on a paved surface.

 

There's two ways of thinking on this. Neither are wrong, its just preference.
for trail riding:
1. use AWD nearly always so you don't have to hammer as hard through stuff or to eliminate drifting
2. use 2wd as much as possible because if you're not in AWD you don't risk breaking anything up front.

I have always been the #2 group. Only the really technical stuff or really steep stuff will I push the AWD button without trying it first.

As far as turf mode, i haven't had that since i had a Ranger. On easy trail riding, i always had it in turf mode.

 

use AWD nearly always so you don't have to hammer as hard through stuff or to eliminate drifting

But drifting is fun!

 

I ride rough Ozark mountain trails. I have AWD/4WD engaged most of the time on the trails. Wear on the front diff is virtually no different engaged vs not engaged. Damage to front diffs occur from in-air spinning of front tires then dropped onto the ground.

If you study the Hillard front diff it is really only "engaged", as far as pulling the tires, when the rear tires slip. There is a ratio difference front to rear and the rear must slip enough to effectively remove the difference which allows the front to pull. This doesn't work like a "normal" 4WD system.

Basically the front diff has rollers rolling around and around switch on or not and only when the switch is on and the rear slip occurs do these roller bind up and cause a locking action in the diff. Change the front diff oil regularly and don't abuse the machine and you will be fine engaged or not.

My friends like to run in 2WD to "play" more. But I usually have a kiddo with me and I prefer the traction all the time.

Turf mode is for tight turns in your yard to prevent tearing up the lawn. Leave the rear diff locked when on the trails. If you see a situation where you don't need traction, but you need minimum turn radius, use turf mode for that situation and then be done with it, IMO.

Have fun with it.

 

Mostly desert riding locked in 2 wheel drive only time I use turf mode is on asphalt, going from home to trail head or on lawn.

 

We do mainly open desert riding and things get pretty squirly at high speed if not in 4wd. So mine stays there unless we hit some paved roads or I want to do some drifting.
When you have your car in 4wd it's really only in 2wd unless there's a loss of traction and then the front diff kicks in. As far as wear goes, your front diff is spinning regardless of position so 4wd or 2wd isn't going to wear the front diff down any more or less.

 

I have mine in 100% locked in turf mode to save my tires. I was losing chunks of rubber off the rear when turning on pavement.
Seems turf mode digs well unless you are in a turn and goes good even in 4wd.

 

what is turf mode? not on my RZR

 

Off-Road Vehicle Drive System Basics | Polaris RZR

The basics of All-Wheel Drive, engine braking and Active Descent Control

rzr.polaris.com

 

Am I missing something? My understanding was RZRs did not have turf mode. Maybe I am out of the loop. My XPT does not have it. My Ranger 900xp does.

 

Some do I have a XP1K 2014 and it doesn't have it but I think the 900 (Not the XP 900) has it. I think the 570 may have it to. But for the Turbos and the XP1K's don't have it.

 

I only use 4WD when needed. Less wear on clutch packs, less chance of breaking anything pertaining to the front drive system.

Plus, sideways is fun.

 

Clutch packs????

 

The 50 inch trail and General have turf mode. Thats the one thing I miss. My yard misses it too.

 

I use 2WD as much as, I use 2WD on paved suffices and 2WD on easy trails & 4WD for steep stuff or trying to drive hard and want that extra traction.

 

I am in the group that only engages AWD as needed.

 

My 2017 570 SXS has the turf mode option and I use it whenever I am on asphalt. Here in Arizona a it is easy to be completely street legal and our small town is full of UTV/ATV's. I also do a lot of desert riding as well as Forrest Service roads where I am usually in 2WD until it gets, steep, loose or rocky when I will just engage 4WD. I have a nice cargo trailer and often load the RZR when we go camping but being able to do a wide variety of riding right out of our driveway is amazing. Had a blast last January when we got 2.5' of heavy wet snow, man that was fun!

😜

 

hardly take it our of 4wd except to drift a little. Since the front diff doesn't engage until the rear wheels spin just engage and forget

 

There are some mistakes in this article so don't use it to try to win an argument with someone that knows Polaris drive systems and the vehicles they are used in.

Off-Road Vehicle Drive System Basics | Polaris RZR

The basics of All-Wheel Drive, engine braking and Active Descent Control

rzr.polaris.com

 

I don’t believe in keeping my four-wheel-drive Power switch on ,if i don’t intend on using four-wheel-drive I don’t believe in keeping solenoid energized May burn The solenoid out.

 

I usually run in 2 wd

 

Amazing the variety of approaches. Thanks for the input and info. on how the AWD system works

 

In my PRO XP4 I run it in 2wd at all times just like in my truck. 4x4 only comes on when I’m climbing hills or rock crawling

 

Like others have stated, I stay in 2WD until AWD is needed. I'm mostly a casual, desert explorer and don't usually scream down the trails or catch air anymore.

 

There are no clutch packs in any RZR. The front differential is a Hillard differential.
The most basic explanation is it's basically a pair of one way bearings, the front tires are always allowed to spin faster than the front drive shaft is trying to spin them but never slower, the rear is geared slightly higher than the front, so anytime the reat has traction, the machine will be going faster than the front drive shaft is trying to spin the front wheels, but the moment it loses traction the machine slows down or the engine speeds up and the front tires try to go slower than the front drive shaft is spinning them which isn't allowed and so they engage and pull until the rear regains traction.

 

We've established that there are no clutch packs. Regardless, more use, is more wear. If I don't need 4 wheels driving, I don't use it.

 

I'm guessing that running in AWD on easy trails where it's not needed is pretty far down the list of "Ways guys break their RZR"

 

I don't have turf mode. I don't think I would ever use it on the trail if I did. I think 2WD vs AWD is all dependent on where you're riding and who you're riding with.

According to the owners manual on my TRE, "when in AWD, the demand drive unit will automatically engage any time the rear wheels lose traction. When the rear wheels regain traction, the demand drive unit will automatically disengage. There is no limit to the length of time the vehicle may remain in AWD."

I'm new to Polaris. So, I'm no expert on the reliability of the front dif. I kind of enjoy the added challenge of running some of the rocky, technical trails we typically ride in 2WD. My wife, not so much.

But when we're running with a group, I typically keep it in AWD on the technical trails so I'm not the "Herbie." I did try switching back and forth on several rides. The constant back and forth was a PITA. So, I just leave it in AWD until it becomes the exception.

 

Personally I run 2WD and AWD only as needed. To run AWD constantly is terrain / driving style dependent and there no right or wrong way.

There are numerous discussions on how the diff works, I've explained it dozens of times so let's not muddy the thread with it here.

 

Why would you need AWD on easy trails?

 

I prefer the way it tracks and handles in AWD.