[miggysmalls]

So last week we got the first snow since i bought this machine, was hittin it hard goin up a steep off road hill and heard a clunk in what to me seemed like front driverside running gear. Driving home and over the next few days it periodically clunks and will sporadically pull incredibly hard to the right, if you're not ready it could pull you right in the ditch, then after a few moments it goes back to perfect normal. Most post event test driving took place on pavement, but the pull isnt as hard on gravel obviously..... I'm wondering if theres a way to recalibrate the EPS like it needs to be trimmed to 0 again or something. Any help or ideas are great. Thanks.

 

[2019YXZSSSE]

May not be anything to do with EPS.
Sounds like spider gears may have gone south. If they are hanging up and it is going from locked up to open basically if the gears are broke.
Raise the front end off the ground and see if one wheel spins the other in opposite direction smoothly. If it is clunky or they start going the same direction then you will know if issue is inside the differential.

 

[phm14]

What year car is it? How many hours/miles? NA or FI?

 

[Relhok]

Sounds like broken front diff or broken axle to me.

 

[fortrdb]

Grab the front axles and shove 'em around. If you feel play, any play, you broke a CV joint.

 

[miggysmalls]

What year car is it? How many hours/miles? NA or FI?

2019 yxz1000r ss, ~50 hours, ~1200 miles, naturally aspirated

Grab the front axles and shove 'em around. If you feel play, any play, you broke a CV joint.

checked the axles theyre fine

 

[phm14]

Did you have the diff locked when you heard the clunk on the climb? Where you airborn at all, or did you smack anything especially hard? Anyone heard of Yamaha warrantying these failures? I'm curious, since I have a 2020 I do solo car backcountry rides with the Wife, and don't want failures of any kind that would interfere with getting back to a trailhead from 50 miles out in the desert. I've seen guys crack a blown (windowed) front diff open, clean it out, do minimal parts replacement, and run them with no diff oil, for multiple hard rides (grease wouldn't hurt), just to delay a $800 diff replacement a bit. "Blown Budget Offroad" on YT has a video about it. Disappointing that Yamaha hasn't solved the issue. The 2nd gen cars come with 29s now, so guys running 30s shouldn't be blamed for blown diffs, unless they are bypassing the locker speed sensitive power cut. These should be covered under warranty, and a recall made available once a stronger diff is available. Social media can be our friend, here. Maybe a post on the Yamaha Motorsport Facebook page would get their attention, if they are denying warranty on these. Hell, the warranty is only a year, anyway...

 

[miggysmalls]

Did you have the diff locked when you heard the clunk on the climb?

The diff was locked, it seemed to happen at the crest of the hill so there might have been a bit of airborneness, but it wasnt high speed, probably just the suspension stretching out, and no collision with anything. It still drives good and steers I didnt get stranded. I need to do some more test driving with 4x4 and diff lock to nail down on the symptoms more, but I live in Forks, WA and its been pissin rain for a week and a half since this happened.

 

[phm14]

The diff was locked, it seemed to happen at the crest of the hill so there might have been a bit of airborneness, but it wasnt high speed, probably just the suspension stretching out, and no collision with anything. It still drives good and steers I didnt get stranded. I need to do some more test driving with 4x4 and diff lock to nail down on the symptoms more, but I live in Forks, WA and its been pissin rain for a week and a half since this happened.

If it's not windowed, you may want to open it up and clean it out, before something decides to punch through the case. At least it still holds oil. Let me guess...no internal parts available, sold as complete unit only? You out of your 12 month warranty?

 

[miggysmalls]

You out of your 12 month warranty

I have an appointment at dealer tomorrow, and I think I only got a 6 month warranty, but I am still within it.

 

[phm14]

Keep us posted. You may be right on the warranty term. I was looking at the Talon, too, before I went with Yamaha, and it was probably Honda with the 12 month warranty. My 1st dirt machine (other than a bike), was a '77 Yamaha YZ I got used when I was 14...I've owned more than a few of their street & dirt bikes, plus a Grizzly & VXR ski.

 

[miggysmalls]

Keep us posted. You may be right on the warranty term. I was looking at the Talon, too, before I went with Yamaha, and it was probably Honda with the 12 month warranty. My 1st dirt machine (other than a bike), was a '77 Yamaha YZ I got used when I was 14...I've owned more than a few of their street & dirt bikes, plus a Grizzly & VXR ski.

The yamamaha is a machine thats for sure. I just got a notice that I can extend my warranty but its like 250$ a month for 6 more months

 

[Zilla]

You blew the spider gears, period. If you continue to drive it you'll window the case, don't know how big a deal that would really be. A complete new around 800, and gears & bearings w/seals is more. I wouldn't let it make me walk, I know that. It could cause a axle to break when it binds up before it opens up the case though.
The reason these are breaking is because the material Yamaha makes the gears out of is junk, it's Sintered metal, that's powdered metal that's heated till it bonds. It's more like pot metal instead of billet and it's weak but cheap. If you treat it like you know it's weak, it'll last. If you go full retard or run around locked up or wheel hopping, it'll break.
If your under warrantee, they should fix it. Relhok, a forum member broke 3 on his 19 before going a different route, and the dealer warrantied all of them. THREAD: 2019 SS SE, third front diff broken this year .
There is a upgrade from "proformance motorsports" in Australia, it's bad-ass, but it's like 7 grand unless you want the complete rear-end, tip to tip then it's like 12K. Don't get screwed by one of these Co.'s that are selling a pretty billet case with OEM gears in them, their no better than the one you broke. So until someone machines some real gears out of billet we'll have to deal with the Easy Bake Oven gears, you young'uns wont get that, you didn't have toys that would put you in a burn unit. Unless you blow the big wad and go down under. I think a substantial upgrade at a affordable price is in the works.?

 

[phm14]

You blew the spider gears, period. If you continue to drive it you'll window the case, don't know how big a deal that would really be. A complete new around 800, and gears & bearings w/seals is more. I wouldn't let it make me walk, I know that. It could cause a axle to break when it binds up before it opens up the case though.
The reason these are breaking is because the material Yamaha makes the gears out of is junk, it's Sintered metal, that's powdered metal that's heated till it bonds. It's more like pot metal instead of billet and it's weak but cheap. If you treat it like you know it's weak, it'll last. If you go full retard or run around locked up or wheel hopping, it'll break.
If your under warrantee, they should fix it. Relhok, a forum member broke 3 on his 19 before going a different route, and the dealer warrantied all of them. THREAD: 2019 SS SE, third front diff broken this year .
There is a upgrade from "proformance motorsports" in Australia, it's bad-ass, but it's like 7 grand unless you want the complete rear-end, tip to tip then it's like 12K. Don't get screwed by one of these Co.'s that are selling a pretty billet case with OEM gears in them, their no better than the one you broke. So until someone machines some real gears out of billet we'll have to deal with the Easy Bake Oven gears, you young'uns wont get that, you didn't have toys that would put you in a burn unit. Unless you blow the big wad and go down under. I think a substantial upgrade at a affordable price is in the works.?

Good to hear Yamaha is honoring warranty on these. Used to love the little cakes out of lil' sis's Easy Bake Oven..thing used a light bulb, IIRC. Fortunately, we survived cars that would incinerate you when the gas tanks blew open in a crash... I plan to be careful with my front diff, especially after warranty. Do us a favor & post up when that new option comes on line.

 

[swyzr191]

Never used dif lock and seldom use 4x4.
Think I'll continue avoiding it.

Obviously the front dif is weak.
Seems mud and sand allow for wheel slip.
Rocks and hooking up under power might be the problem.

.

 

[Zilla]

Never used dif lock and seldom use 4x4.
Think I'll continue avoiding it.

Obviously the front dif is weak.
Seems mud and sand allow for wheel slip.
Rocks and hooking up under power might be the problem.

.

Now I'm not sayin we're running around in two wheel peal units, but with the carrier only having two spider gears and the fact that their small and made from shit, I could break one on command doing a hill climb, or I could clime the same hill 50 times with no issue. A lot of it has to do with what sits on top of your shoulders or lack there of. Don't flame me, I know guys have broken and was trying to use their head, just got in a bad situation. And truth be told, we shouldn't need to worry about it, it's a very sub-par part. The biggest risk is running locked up and spinning at high RPM. They do okay till you put a substantial shock load on it and pop one spider tooth, then it's like a ball bearing in a blender, it's going to end in a catastrophic failure. My rule of thumb is no diff lock till I'm stuck, I know this isn't a great idea and may get you stuck real good but I rather get a pull than spend $800 for a new diff. I'm sure the fix will be available fairly soon, and not cost us a kidney. I know there's guys that have 10K plus miles on their original diff, this just shows they're using some common sense knowing they don't have a Rockwell up there. Till a modified version hits the market, all we can do is be careful.

 

[Rocken Robin]

I am careful with mine as I am to fat bent gray and old to walk out. Lol

 

[fortrdb]

Never used dif lock and seldom use 4x4.
Think I'll continue avoiding it.

Obviously the front dif is weak.
Seems mud and sand allow for wheel slip.
Rocks and hooking up under power might be the problem.

.

While it may be weak, it has held up to plenty of abuse in 4WD on both of my machines in washes, rocky trail/hills and dunes. My guest machine is almost always in 4WD as that is how I prefer to teach people. Makes the machine much more predictable and cuts down on damage, IMO. It is regularly driven at high speeds in 4WD up to the speed limiter which I left intact. Almost 15K miles between the two and no issues with front diffs. I never use diff lock, unless stuck and immediately take it out of diff lock once free. I don't think there's anything to fear on using 4WD, but diff lock is for slow and straight as possible, IMO.

 

[phm14]

Nice to hear some good news about the diff, as well as some good advice on how not to break it, from some vet YXZ drivers who know the machine. I knew the diff was a weak point when I dropped the cash for my 2020. I also know that no machine is perfect (though late model KTM dirt bikes come close ). The CVT didn't appeal to me in a SxS, and the 2nd gen YXZ beat out the Talon, which will have its' 1st gen issues. Thanks for the advice guys...worth reading twice, and just may save some of us from blowing a diff.

 

[dgarris]

I broke mine at less than 100 miles on the machine. Kinda sucks when 700 and 1000 pioneers are doing the exact same thing multiple times, rougher and not breaking. Yami should recall and fix. Blown budget just bought an X3 because of the front diff.