My 2000 Bigfoot is pulling hard to either side.

[jnjmoonsfishing]

I left this morning for a hunting trip, on a long trail. After 6 miles or so I started to climb a hill covered with snow as I came up to the top of the hill my Argo went hard right in to a bank. I had to back down to make another run at it. The machine did the same thing 2 more times. Once I made I up the hill I noticed that the machine would pull hard over to either side. I stopped and shut the Argo down looked in the engine compartment for anything out of the ordinary, no smoke, smells, or anything. I started going a little further with no more problems. 10 mins later it stared to pulling again. I turned around to head back to the truck beings how I was by myself. On the way back it kept pulling hard to both sides. As I got closer to the truck I started to play with the Argo at different speeds to see if it would pull at a faster speed or just at low speeds. The Argo would only pull hard at slow speeds.

I do not fell anything different with the breaks I do hear a little change in the engine but not anything like gears, or metal on metal.

[racerone3]

cold?

how cold was it out? all i can think of it that it was cold enough out to make the gear oil really thick. this might cause the differential to work poorly. what kind of gear oil are you running.

[jnjmoonsfishing]

the temp was near 30 this am. the gear oil that im using it either 80 weight or 75-90 (dont remember) it is the same that i use in the rear end of my truck.

I have been running the machine all week towing the kids on a sled around the back yard and running behind the house when its been 20 outside.

I will look at the oil and replace.

Thanks

[Bushpig]

Check your Brakes, even a little bit of drag will cause your machine to pull, does not have to be enough to get them hot enough to smell, I would check my linkages on both sides make sure they are not gummed/frozen up...

[mike bar]

I Agree with Bushpig.Sounds like brake issues.I had to back one of mine off this fall because it would start pulling to one side.Only didn't have to go 6 miles to find out.

[jnjmoonsfishing]

it dose pull slightly to the right, but today it was as if you are on a boat and you turned the wheel hard to one side, then the next time the it would be hard to the other. it did not feel like brakes.

[Roadtorque]

it dose pull slightly to the right, but today it was as if you are on a boat and you turned the wheel hard to one side, then the next time the it would be hard to the other. it did not feel like brakes.

I assume that living in AK you have experience driving in the snow right? My first thought was not mechanical problems but the snow pulling you left/right. My question is...how deep was the snow? Do you have the same problem when driving on the road/snow free surface?

[jnjmoonsfishing]

The trail had ruts that was around 6-8 inches deep with the crust of the snow was pretty hard due to the last several days of 10-20 deg temp. prior to the Argo pulling hard I was riding the ruts fairly well, and not leaving the ruts. When it would pull hard it jump out of the ruts.

I've tried to get to do it again and have not had the same problem.

I've blead the breaks, the trany oil looks clean and full. (80w-90w) all the bearings have been replaced with in the last 30 hours.

Thanks for all the input,

[jnjmoonsfishing]

the trail is well used by atvs, and utv. its a fairly well used trail so i was not breaking my own path, when i would go off the trail i had no trouble.

No it was not like sliding on ice or snow. It felt more like a trany limited slip issue not like breaks.

[jnjmoonsfishing]

Checked everything easy out, bled the breaks, took the Argo for a ride today with no problems. It was in the 40s, and the road was very icy. Lots of trucks stuck from the icy roads. Hope it was just a fluke but I will be changing the fuilds to synthetic. This week.