Clunk discussion

[Jay B]

It is drivable, you would need to lock the rear diff. I would strongly discourage this though. Every time I’ve ever had an axle pop out I’ve been able to shove it back in after spitting out a few choice words.

Kinda like removing and installing the clutch cover on my old xp1000 northstar. Just the right cuss words in just the right order and it would go.

 

[wagers]

Good morning fellow clunkers.
After 3 weeks at the dealer , I was asked to come drive mine to see what I thought. They felt the clunk was much quieter. The clunk is just as loud and now happens more frequently. Anytime you let off the throttle and then accelerate, slowing down to stop both with and without using brakes, and now when going around corners with and without maintaining constant throttle. It can also be felt in your feet when it happens now. Not complaining about the dealer, they have been great, calling me and keeping me informed and asking me to see what I thought about it was great. When I returned from driving the Ranger and told them what I had found they just said ok we will see what we can do and go back to Polaris. They did say that Polaris was pretty much stumped.
They had tried the loctite. The tech thought it sounded more like backlash and they put a shim kit in as well.

 

[Rupp Collector]

At how many miles on the clock did the clunk start? We have a 2025 that we got in December. No clunk so far. I've done the 25hr front & rear differential change and the 2,000-mile engine oil and filter change along with the front and rear differentials again. I went with Amsoil for everything. I like the color of the Amsoil as it lets you see the true color of the used lube. I was amazed how clean the differentials lube was at 2,000-miles. I have the lube for the tranny when that's ready in about 2,000 miles. Hoping someone has a filter option vs. the $200 filter from Polaris when it's ready. Thanks for the info.

 

[Jay B]

I took mine to another dealer yesterday. 4000 miles on it now. It was clunking going around left hand corners pretty bad. The second dealer put in a complaint to polaris and they authorized both new rear axles under warranty. I took it home and I will run it back when the parts are in. Fingers crossed, but we'll see.

 

[oneal]

Good morning fellow clunkers.
After 3 weeks at the dealer , I was asked to come drive mine to see what I thought. They felt the clunk was much quieter. The clunk is just as loud and now happens more frequently. Anytime you let off the throttle and then accelerate, slowing down to stop both with and without using brakes, and now when going around corners with and without maintaining constant throttle. It can also be felt in your feet when it happens now. Not complaining about the dealer, they have been great, calling me and keeping me informed and asking me to see what I thought about it was great. When I returned from driving the Ranger and told them what I had found they just said ok we will see what we can do and go back to Polaris. They did say that Polaris was pretty much stumped.
They had tried the loctite. The tech thought it sounded more like backlash and they put a shim kit in as well.

Mine definitely was not backlash, my clunk was in rhythm of twice per revolution of the axle.
I was one of three machines locally that Loctite cured them (SO FAR) But in my case I didn't put 100 miles on it after it started and I was meticulous about cleaning and recleaning the splines. I primed them twice, overdid the Loctite, cured it in the sun, and left it cure for 48 hours before driving.

 

[Clubin]

I took mine to another dealer yesterday. 4000 miles on it now. It was clunking going around left hand corners pretty bad. The second dealer put in a complaint to polaris and they authorized both new rear axles under warranty. I took it home and I will run it back when the parts are in. Fingers crossed, but we'll see.

Dealer changed my axles. It helped for 4-500km. Then was back. Dealer said the part number for the axles are changing and the rear axles with a different part number will be at dealers in June.

 

[nh 1500 owner]

Mines real bad now

 

[wagers]

At how many miles on the clock did the clunk start? We have a 2025 that we got in December. No clunk so far. I've done the 25hr front & rear differential change and the 2,000-mile engine oil and filter change along with the front and rear differentials again. I went with Amsoil for everything. I like the color of the Amsoil as it lets you see the true color of the used lube. I was amazed how clean the differentials lube was at 2,000-miles. I have the lube for the tranny when that's ready in about 2,000 miles. Hoping someone has a filter option vs. the $200 filter from Polaris when it's ready. Thanks for the info.

Mine has 600 miles on it now. Clunk started just before at about 560 miles.

 

[Mr.C]

At how many miles on the clock did the clunk start? We have a 2025 that we got in December. No clunk so far. I've done the 25hr front & rear differential change and the 2,000-mile engine oil and filter change along with the front and rear differentials again. I went with Amsoil for everything. I like the color of the Amsoil as it lets you see the true color of the used lube. I was amazed how clean the differentials lube was at 2,000-miles. I have the lube for the tranny when that's ready in about 2,000 miles. Hoping someone has a filter option vs. the $200 filter from Polaris when it's ready. Thanks for the info.

I have about 1K miles on mine. It started clunking around the 400-500 mile range. Its about the same, I don’t think it’s gotten any worse.

 

[Jay B]

Dealer changed my axles. It helped for 4-500km. Then was back. Dealer said the part number for the axles are changing and the rear axles with a different part number will be at dealers in June.

That's good to know.

 

[Johnnie]

Update on clunk,
My 2024 started the clunk around 500 miles. It is a year old the 20th with 3600 miles and 325 hrs. Let off the gas, get on the gas, big clunk. A right turn and the chattering was getting really bad. I was expecting it to break any day. My dealer (who is a great guy) knew my situation because I had called him 4 times letting him know what was going on. I live 310 miles round trip so I didn’t want to haul it up there knowing Polaris isn’t going to start taking it apart under warranty without something broke. So good deal or bad deal I traded it for a 2025. Here is the exact numbers. $9,350.
To help me out my dealer threw in mirrors, sun visors, 2 oil change kits and put tire sealant in tires. They had it ready when I got there and in and out back on the road in 30 minutes. My old unit needs a full service and they are aware of that too. I asked to keep me informed on what they find on the “clunk”. The new 25 model has the new door straps and a remote holder in cubby hole in front of your knees is the only changes I could actually see. The transmission shifts are defiantly smoother and the 10 miles I drove when I got home was so quiet! I hadn’t realized how bad mine sounded. My dealer drove my old one and was like, Man!
That thing sounds bad.

 

[Johnnie]

Here is pic of straps and winch remote holder.

 

[DMAC]

Manny of us now have the "clunking" noise in the rear of our 1500. It is mentioned in many places on this forum with numerous different thoughts of where it originates and exactly what makes this annoying noise.
Coincidentally Polaris released a video on how to remove an axle and specific instructions on locking the outer spline with loctite.
Some have said checking the factory torque specs stopped theirs and others felt new CV's was the cure. Some feel their differential is disintegrating.
For me it's a real hassle to get mine to a dealership so I am hoping for a concrete resolution before I haul it in.
Please post your data with the following ;
Hours, miles, kmh's
Which side, both
Four or six seater
Low speed, high speed, or doesn't matter
Loaded, unloaded, doesn't matter
Is it simply a rotational noise or when you accelerate and let off
Any oil changes in the diff, any metal in the oil
What attempts have been made so far to resolve and did it work?

2025 Ultimate 6 seater,685 miles , 33x12.50x15 Toyos , clunk when let off at slow speed . Siliconed above leaking windshield , door latch repaired ( wire came off ) Had axle removed and Loctite after cleaning and primer prep. Also had RGR-RO2 update installed . Clunk gone - my wife can hear a rat pissing on cotton . She happy now !!!

 

[Mr.C]

Update on clunk,
My 2024 started the clunk around 500 miles. It is a year old the 20th with 3600 miles and 325 hrs. Let off the gas, get on the gas, big clunk. A right turn and the chattering was getting really bad. I was expecting it to break any day. My dealer (who is a great guy) knew my situation because I had called him 4 times letting him know what was going on. I live 310 miles round trip so I didn’t want to haul it up there knowing Polaris isn’t going to start taking it apart under warranty without something broke. So good deal or bad deal I traded it for a 2025. Here is the exact numbers. $9,350.
To help me out my dealer threw in mirrors, sun visors, 2 oil change kits and put tire sealant in tires. They had it ready when I got there and in and out back on the road in 30 minutes. My old unit needs a full service and they are aware of that too. I asked to keep me informed on what they find on the “clunk”. The new 25 model has the new door straps and a remote holder in cubby hole in front of your knees is the only changes I could actually see. The transmission shifts are defiantly smoother and the 10 miles I drove when I got home was so quiet! I hadn’t realized how bad mine sounded. My dealer drove my old one and was like, Man!
That thing sounds bad.

That’s awesome that it didn’t cost you a fortune and your dealer threw in some extras. I’ll be interesting to hear any updates on the your 2025.

 

[Mr.C]

Spoke with my dealer today and he is going to do the loctite fix under warranty. I mentioned that people online were very frustrated and people are selling or trading their XD’s. Also that the word is out on the rear clunk. And that it would be in Polaris’s best interest to do something about it.

 

[oneal]

2025 Ultimate 6 seater,685 miles , 33x12.50x15 Toyos , clunk when let off at slow speed . Siliconed above leaking windshield , door latch repaired ( wire came off ) Had axle removed and Loctite after cleaning and primer prep. Also had RGR-RO2 update installed . Clunk gone - my wife can hear a rat pissing on cotton . She happy now !!!

That's good to hear, there seems to be a small percentage of us that the Loctite bandage cured the noise. I wonder if it is related to how quickly the Loctite is applied after the noise starts, the Loctite is used to fill in an area between two splines that has improper (loose) tolerances, just makes sense the longer the clunk continues the more the splines are worn. This theory is confirmed by reports of the noise getting louder and louder.

 

[wagers]

So, hope this helps. I fired off an email to polaris through their warranty site this morning. I am on a Search and Rescue unit and use my ranger for that as well, like many others on here. The fact that it has been in the shop for over 3 weeks and we have had a callout and trainings where it would have been used is starting to make me a little irritated. Expressed this in my email and also stated I have no complaints with my dealer as they have been very good.

 

[wagers]

So, hope this helps. I fired off an email to polaris through their warranty site this morning. I am on a Search and Rescue unit and use my ranger for that as well, like many others on here. The fact that it has been in the shop for over 3 weeks and we have had a callout and trainings where it would have been used is starting to make me a little irritated. Expressed this in my email and also stated I have no complaints with my dealer as they have been very good.

Received a call from Polaris about my email rather quickly, which I thought was nice. However the call was very frustrating. The representative kept talking over the top of me to the point I requested he stopped doing so. He referenced the dealer stating that the noise was lessened. I stated to him that it was not improved and in fact occurring much more frequently, also advising I told the dealer the same. He stated to me that the fix was applied and that the engineers are currently not looking at further fixes as the loctite solution works. He did throw it back to the dealer to find something that is wrong while saying again the only fix was applied.

 

[Mr.C]

Received a call from Polaris about my email rather quickly, which I thought was nice. However the call was very frustrating. The representative kept talking over the top of me to the point I requested he stopped doing so. He referenced the dealer stating that the noise was lessened. I stated to him that it was not improved and in fact occurring much more frequently, also advising I told the dealer the same. He stated to me that the fix was applied and that the engineers are currently not looking at further fixes as the loctite solution works. He did throw it back to the dealer to find something that is wrong while saying again the only fix was applied.

That’s sad and poor customer service to hear about. I told my dealer if I ever had a failure due to the axle clunk. It’ll somehow cause an accident, and it’ll probably total my machine.

 

[oneal]

Received a call from Polaris about my email rather quickly, which I thought was nice. However the call was very frustrating. The representative kept talking over the top of me to the point I requested he stopped doing so. He referenced the dealer stating that the noise was lessened. I stated to him that it was not improved and in fact occurring much more frequently, also advising I told the dealer the same. He stated to me that the fix was applied and that the engineers are currently not looking at further fixes as the loctite solution works. He did throw it back to the dealer to find something that is wrong while saying again the only fix was applied.

05's had bad engine heat issues. The plastic that surrounded it would literally melt a hole on some machines , some right behind the occupants legs. Polaris never did own the problem.