In October I purchased a 2001 Big Bear 4x4 with the three year Y.E. S "Yamaha Extended Service" from Carolina Powersports a Yamaha/Polaris dealer in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
On December 1 while pulling a yard sweeper, picking up leaves in my yard, the front differential came apart. I took the unit to the dealer that I purchased it from, and they repaired it. They stated to me that the factory had left out 2 bolts in the ring and pinion assy.
I picked it up on January 3, and purchased another unit on that day, a Beartracker 250. While riding, I noticed that the front differential was "whining" indicating not enough backlash between ring and pinion. You see, I am a mechanic also, who builds tractor - trailer engines, transmissions, and differentials, alot more complicated than an ATV differential that only cosist of a shoebox of parts! I called the dealer, told them of my concerns, and they told me it would "break in".
Everything was fine until I was riding the Big Bear in late August and the front differential came part again, while riding in dried parts of Lake Marion near my home. Dissatisfied with the work performed at the original dealer, I took the unit to Yamaha/Suzuki of Charleston, South Carolina on September 3.
After many calls to them concerning my unit, I told them I was picking my unit up the day before Thanksgiving, whether it was ready or not. I showed up at closing time and it was indeed ready, so I loaded it up, and went inside to pay the for the front brake pad installation and burned out tailight as requested by myself on 9/3/02. The bill was $293.00, they replaced the battery also, they stated it was bad. On 9/3 when I took the the unit to them, I unloaded it and they started it up and drove it into the service area, did not seem "bad" then to me.
Anyway, I paid the bill and brought the unit home to discover that the moron that worked on my unit had not tightened the bolts on the upper and lower arms, which would have resulted in the front-left wheel assembly falling off while riding. That was not the only thing that was loose, so was the 4 bolts that attach the rearend housing to the rear swingarm. There was no problem in that area, why did they have that loose to begin with? Evidently, their mechanics dont know the differece between "front differential" and "rear differential"... Morons!
I went over machine, checked and tightened everything and was ready to ride. The next morning, was Thanksgiving, and it was cold outside, but I was going to ride over to one of my buddies house on my 4-wheeler. I went and visited him for a while, and the rode to my parents about one mile away.
Later that afternoon some of my friends and I went riding, and we rode approx. 20 miles, and the differential came apart again! I called every number affiliatd with Yamaha, complaining, and finally gave up until I fond a five star dealersip in Sumter, South Carolina-Extreme Powersports. I took them my unit, explained to them the past, and present problems. The seemed very nice and easy to get along with, and they told me they would do everything to repair my unit correctly.
I will update this when I find out something
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