New ranger 400--have questions

[SLICK--TN]

ok, just got my new ranger 400 home yesterday.
father in law and brother in law both have kawasaki mules, so i am comparing some of what i know from them.

1st question--overall noise is quite a bit higher....is this normal or just during break in period.

2nd question--the awd switch, where is best position to keep it in? most of my riding will be on flat ground, not in mud or on hills. we read the book, but still a little confusing. is it switch on bottom 2 wheel drive, middle all wheel drive, and top 4 wheel drive?

3rd question--the side safety net, my wife manage to break it after about 2 hours....are these just cheap or you think it's covered on warranty

any help, feedback, or comments, about anything we should know, do, or not do would be greatly appreciated.

[Russ Chastain]

1) They can be noisy, but I've never been in a new one so I don't know how the noise compares. They flex a lot and tight joints protest when they're flexed I think I'll break down and buy a can of spray grease like other guys use on them, they say that really cuts down on the noises to spray that on things that flex and move.

2) I don't know what year yours is, or if it's the same as mine, but on my 2006, the switch is AWD on top (and it says AWD on the switch), the middle is 2wd with differential locked, and bottom is just plain 2wd (the place it lives most of the time). It's explained in my manual.

3) I would call the dealer and ask.

[Johnny]

im sure Polaris would warranty the safety nets

[ranger3139]

I have a brand new 400 myself. Compared to a mule, the ranger is louder, but compared to my dads 2004 model it is much quieter. Ive been having my 400 for a few months now and the noise level is the same.

I normally keep the differiential unlocked( button pushed to the bottom) because i find its easier to steer. Thats just for normal driving conditions.

[Russ Chastain]

Keeping it unlocked also helps prevent tearing up the ground when turning.

[Thumbz]

I have a new 400 and have put its first 20hrs on it without any problems. It is a bit noisier than I expected, sounding mechanically noisy at first, but does seem to be mellowing with age. I have found no real need for anything other than unlocked 2WD (switch at the bottom position) and have tried it on some very muddy tracks... and fully loaded with timber! My advice is to keep it in unlocked 2WD and use LOW range if you think you're going to have problems.

[Russ Chastain]

I agree with low range... my owner's manual, and my buddy's 2001 owner's manual, say that low is the gear of choice for most work, and only use high on hard surfaces with minimal load.