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Squealing under front end while driving.

19K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  johnnyblaze8003  
#1 ·
I just bought an 05 Rancher 350 FM. When I get running for a bit, it starts making a squealing/whistling noise under the front end. I'm trying to teach myself how to diagnose and maintain this 4-wheeler myself. This is my first post, so thanks for any advice in advance.
 
#2 ·
welcome to the site
if possible I suggest getting the atv up off the ground so you can run it(wheels off ground)
and try and pin point sound better
might be a dry CV joint> Axle, U joint, rubbing brakes, dry diff/ drive shaft seal
\ and a few other things if ONLY on the front end
having it up off the ground will help a lot in finding the noise better than riding it, as sounds travel in motion!

have a close look at all the axle Boots, make sure there are NO holes and or tears in any, if so, thats a starting point and they will need to be replaces, and the CV joints might also need replacing or, just cleaning and re greased!

I would strongly suggest getting yourself a service manual,. either a free down load one, or better yet (IMO) buy a hard paper copy one and use that also as a log book of repairs and pm's then!
great investment if you plan to keep this atv for a while!
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
Just because you "think" the noise is coming from the front doesn't mean it really is and may be in the rear or anywhere. Owning a service is a very good thing. I would begin with a very deep clean (frame, body, and under carriage) and then inspect (get the unit up) and lube all moving parts. Next, I would do some maintenance/service work on the machine, i.e., sounds like possibly brakes, so check and replace if need, front differential oil, and I would also do this on the rear as well.
 
#7 ·
service manuals and OWNERS manuals are 2 totally different things, a service manual shows you how to repair the atv,
where as an owners manual just gives you basic's on what the machine is from Honda!

as for where you can get them, as listed above, on this site there should be a link if you search on how to get a free download
I am NOT a fan of them, pain in the butt to print out and save all the loose pages, waste a lot of printer ink too!(if you can do at work well??)
other places to BUY a real hard like copy(well soft cover ) you can always get one from Honda, any dealer can get you one, you can also search online and fine HONDA service manuals, and can look for used one's on places like Ebay

the advantage of a REAL one to me is, you can use the book as a log book and write down all the things you do, from basic PM's to other repairs and have a place for records to keep track of when and what you did, as if your like me, what seems easy to NOT forget today, is easily forgotten a few days later, or just that EASY to remember thing gets lost over time and things blur together, so having that log book makes life a lot easier to me.
these days it seems like life just has way too many things you need to keep track of
 
#11 ·