How to Tighten a Polaris ATV Chain
Polaris is an American company whose headquarters are located in Minnesota. Polaris began manufacturing snow mobiles in the 1950s, but expanded into the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) market with the introduction of its first ATV in 1985. An ATV is a four-wheeled motorcycle-based vehicle that can traverse all sorts of terrain, from dirt roads to muddy trails. The rear drive axle of the Polaris ATV is connected to the engine and transmission via a chain-and-sprocket drive. Over time, the chain will stretch with wear and will need to be adjusted to minimize wear and to keep the chain from being thrown off the sprockets.
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Instructions
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1
Raise the rear of your ATV with a floor jack and place a block of wood under the rear tubular frame member. Lower the jack so the ATV rests on the block of wood and the rear wheels are off the ground.
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2
Locate the clamps (one on each side) at the front of the rear suspension swing arm pivot point. (Note: The clamps are towards the front of the ATV, on the opposite end of the swing arm from the rear axle assembly.) Loosen, but do not remove, the clamp nuts with an adjustable wrench in a counterclockwise direction.
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3
Locate the large nut machined on the end of the shaft that resides in the clamps that you loosened in the above step. Place a large adjustable wrench on the machined nut and rotate it towards the front of the ATV to tighten the chain. Press your thumb in the center of the chain between the front and rear sprockets. Continue rotating the wrench until there is one-half inch of chain deflection.
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4
Tighten the swing arm clamp nuts in a clockwise direction with an adjustable wrench.
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5
Raise the ATV with the floor jack and remove the block of wood. Lower the jack until your ATV is on the ground.
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Tips & Warnings
The large machined nut described above is actually on a cam. Rotating the cam towards the front the ATV moves the rear swing arm and axle assembly towards the rear of the machine, tightening the chain. If you wish to loosen your chain, place an adjustable wrench on the nut and rotate the cam towards the rear of the machine, which moves the swing arm and axle assembly towards the front of the ATV, loosening the chain.
References
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