Honda ATV Forum banner
1 - 15 of 15 Posts

· Registered
Joined
·
23 Posts
Discussion Starter · #1 ·
i bought a 1988-1995 honda 300 big red 4x4 im wondering how i can figure out what year it is also there is a clicking from the from diff area and handling on road is poor as it pulls hard the the side some times any help would be great. thanks in advance
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
23,587 Posts
Welcome to the forums. If you can tell me the 10th digit (number or letter) of the VIN, I can tell you the year. The VIN is stamped into the front of the frame, behind the bumper. It is located on the cross piece between the two frame rails.

You may have a bad CV joint on your axles or the diff gears might be trashed.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
23 Posts
Discussion Starter · #3 ·
Welcome to the forums. If you can tell me the 10th digit (number or letter) of the VIN, I can tell you the year. The VIN is stamped into the front of the frame, behind the bumper. It is located on the cross piece between the two frame rails.

You may have a bad CV joint on your axles or the diff gears might be trashed.
Thanks! its tucked up for bed its late in ireland! but il check tommoz for the number! i hope its not the diff as i heard its costly!! do u think it would be ok to take it out for a drive in some mud as 5 of my friends have bought atvs the same day and im scared to drive mine..its to hard to watch them have fun ha ha
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
23,587 Posts
Thanks! its tucked up for bed its late in ireland!
Yeah, I knew this wasn't a US model, because the US models aren't called "Big Red", but they're the same as the Fourtrax 300.

do u think it would be ok to take it out for a drive in some mud as 5 of my friends have bought atvs the same day and im scared to drive mine..its to hard to watch them have fun ha ha
I wouldn't drive it until you figure out the problem as it could cause more damage, but that's up to you.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
23 Posts
Discussion Starter · #5 ·
Thanks! its tucked up for bed its late in ireland!
Yeah, I knew this wasn't a US model, because the US models aren't called "Big Red", but they're the same as the Fourtrax 300.

do u think it would be ok to take it out for a drive in some mud as 5 of my friends have bought atvs the same day and im scared to drive mine..its to hard to watch them have fun ha ha
I wouldn't drive it until you figure out the problem as it could cause more damage, but that's up to you.
Il get a pic up soon...i wont drive it but its snowing overe here....missing so much fun!! how could i check if the diff is fupped? sorry with all the questions!
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
23,587 Posts
Thanks! its tucked up for bed its late in ireland!
Yeah, I knew this wasn't a US model, because the US models aren't called "Big Red", but they're the same as the Fourtrax 300.

do u think it would be ok to take it out for a drive in some mud as 5 of my friends have bought atvs the same day and im scared to drive mine..its to hard to watch them have fun ha ha
I wouldn't drive it until you figure out the problem as it could cause more damage, but that's up to you.
Il get a pic up soon...i wont drive it but its snowing overe here....missing so much fun!! how could i check if the diff is fupped? sorry with all the questions!
Jack the ATV up and turn the wheels and listen for any noise coming from the diff. Also, remove the oil fill cap and see if you can see the condition of the ring gear teeth through the hole. You may need a light to see it. Grab hold of your axles and try to wiggle them up and down and watch for any up and down movement.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
23 Posts
Discussion Starter · #7 ·
Yeah, I knew this wasn't a US model, because the US models aren't called "Big Red", but they're the same as the Fourtrax 300.



I wouldn't drive it until you figure out the problem as it could cause more damage, but that's up to you.
Il get a pic up soon...i wont drive it but its snowing overe here....missing so much fun!! how could i check if the diff is fupped? sorry with all the questions!
Jack the ATV up and turn the wheels and listen for any noise coming from the diff. Also, remove the oil fill cap and see if you can see the condition of the ring gear teeth through the hole. You may need a light to see it. Grab hold of your axles and try to wiggle them up and down and watch for any up and down movement.
Got a pic up if u wanted to see it!
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
23,587 Posts
Got a pic up if u wanted to see it!
Yes, I looked at it. The Big Reds are identical to the US Fourtrax 300 models, except the US models don't say "Big Red" on the gas tank. The US models say "Honda Fourtrax" on the gas tank. Those are great 4-wheelers. Honda sold those for 13 years in the US. No doubt, the best 4-wheeler they ever made.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
23 Posts
Discussion Starter · #9 ·
Got a pic up if u wanted to see it!
Yes, I looked at it. The Big Reds are identical to the US Fourtrax 300 models, except the US models don't say "Big Red" on the gas tank. The US models say "Honda Fourtrax" on the gas tank. Those are great 4-wheelers. Honda sold those for 13 years in the US. No doubt, the best 4-wheeler they ever made.
ive read alot about them people seem to think there unbreakable! thats why i bought it!! this clicking problem gonna be expensive??
 

· Premium Member
Joined
·
23,587 Posts
Got a pic up if u wanted to see it!
Yes, I looked at it. The Big Reds are identical to the US Fourtrax 300 models, except the US models don't say "Big Red" on the gas tank. The US models say "Honda Fourtrax" on the gas tank. Those are great 4-wheelers. Honda sold those for 13 years in the US. No doubt, the best 4-wheeler they ever made.
ive read alot about them people seem to think there unbreakable! thats why i bought it!! this clicking problem gonna be expensive??
The ring and pinion gears are the most expensive part if they're damaged, but sometimes you can find a used diff on Ebay cheaper than you can buy the gears. The gears are around $400, but you may find them cheaper on Ebay. If the gears are shot, then the bearings will also be shot and will need to be replaced. From the Honda dealer, the bearings and seals will cost around $200, but you can find bearing kits on Ebay for less than half of what the Honda dealer wants for the bearings. Installing the gears is the hard part. The ring gear is easy, but you need special tools to install the pinion gear. Also, the needle bearing that the pinion shaft rides in is hard to remove. I believe the easiest, cheapest route would be to find a good used one on Ebay.

Before buying a diff or any parts, make sure the diff is actually the problem. Verify the noise is coming from the diff and then visually inspect the diff to see what the problem is. If it's not the diff, the problem might be a bad axle. If one of the CV joints is damaged and tries to lock up, that will also cause the ATV to pull hard to one side.
 

· Registered
Joined
·
23 Posts
Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Yes, I looked at it. The Big Reds are identical to the US Fourtrax 300 models, except the US models don't say "Big Red" on the gas tank. The US models say "Honda Fourtrax" on the gas tank. Those are great 4-wheelers. Honda sold those for 13 years in the US. No doubt, the best 4-wheeler they ever made.
ive read alot about them people seem to think there unbreakable! thats why i bought it!! this clicking problem gonna be expensive??
The ring and pinion gears are the most expensive part if they're damaged, but sometimes you can find a used diff on Ebay cheaper than you can buy the gears. The gears are around $400, but you may find them cheaper on Ebay. If the gears are shot, then the bearings will also be shot and will need to be replaced. From the Honda dealer, the bearings and seals will cost around $200, but you can find bearing kits on Ebay for less than half of what the Honda dealer wants for the bearings. Installing the gears is the hard part. The ring gear is easy, but you need special tools to install the pinion gear. Also, the needle bearing that the pinion shaft rides in is hard to remove. I believe the easiest, cheapest route would be to find a good used one on Ebay.

Before buying a diff or any parts, make sure the diff is actually the problem. Verify the noise is coming from the diff and then visually inspect the diff to see what the problem is. If it's not the diff, the problem might be a bad axle. If one of the CV joints is damaged and tries to lock up, that will also cause the ATV to pull hard to one side.
i think i might leave it into a guy i know who works on atv see what he says il update this post for you..thanks for the help!!
 
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top