Gator XUV

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

Not much difference between HI and LOW? Are you sure had it in LOW? When mine is in low it has a top speed of somewhere between 10 and 15 MPH. When I was breaking up the dirt at my new house so that I could put down grass seed, I was lazy and didn't want to hook my disk up to the tractor, so I chained it behind my Polaris. I put it in LOW, 4WD and it pulled it! I would look at the HI and LOW on that one again. As for Honda, there have been rumors of their UTV now for about 3 years. I have no doubt that when it comes out it will be well thought out and bullet proof. I just can't believe that they have let this slip by for so long. They were the ones with the Odyssey and Pilot dune buggys. They know how to built that type of vehicle, what is taking them so long now?

i sure wish honda would come out with a utv i hade a oddessey man that thing was bullet proof. i flipped it hit trees and enev ran over metal 5 gallon buckets at full speed and it didn't even faze it. i would drop my hpx in a heart beat if they came out with one . well that is if it was one that could haul some weight and was not just for playing around in the mudd. i like my hpx for hauling cement blocks and bricks. and logs.

 

[darkday]

i still can't see why they would make you pay for a skid plate that should be manditory straight from the factory and free. what do they think people are going to be riding these things on golf coarses.lol i'm still waiting for my dealer to get one without all the extras. they keep getting that property care package stuff and bed lift and other stuff but i don't want all that stuff.but they won't give me a price on one without all the extras til they get it. i might just take a drive one day to another dealer out of town before i buy my new hpx.

I would just order from another dealer if they won't even price it for you.

Cef the 06 hpx (and I'm sure it's the same on the XUV) has an automatic locking front diff and the rear is open with a lever near the gear shift. I think that is the same lever you are thinking of on your 05 but it still didn't lock the front IIRC.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

i hear on the going to another dealer they keep pussyfootin around on the price they wanna push the decked out models but don't wanna sell you a plain jane.i like to do all my mods myself . i wanna hear from some of you guys about the loads the xuv can haul . and see some pictures with the loads in it if possible. thats my main concern about the xuv is the load hauling to me the solid rear axle would be stronger maybe i could talk the dealer into dropping some weight in the bed and see how it does..i'm even game into drivin to alabama to where skip lives to pick one up for 8700.00 i got a trailer and truck .lol and alot of free time.

 

[Kahuna]

I would think the 06 HPX would have a very similar 4 wheel drive as the new XUV. I had an 05 HPX and it did have the mechanical locker but only one front tire locked in when the pulling got tough. I traded up to the 06 HPX with the on demand 4 wheel drive. The mechanical locker was replaced by a toggle switch that will lock both front wheels in when it senses the rear wheels slipping. It is a very smooth operation and I cannot feel it when it kicks in. You can switch to the 4x4 on the fly but not when you are spinning your wheels, I think that is the key. In theory you can keep the 4 wheel drive activated at all times and it will only kick in when needed, however, I do keep if off until I acticipate a need and only flip the switch so it will be there if I need it. I ordered a new XUV yesterday and I am assuming it has a similar system.

I ordered the deluxe light kit but it was not on the main option page. The dealer found it on another JD site but he had to look a bit to find it. He may even have called the main office in Moline to get a price.

This morning he was notifed there will be a delay in the deluxe light kit. Possibly as much as 3 months. He said this is not unusual for that kinf of delay to be entered on the computer check sheet because most of the time when he checks a few days later the wait is down to weeks or days. I would think the light kit for the XUV would be the same or very similar to the XUV.

 

[cef2lion]

They are dropping off my XUV 850D monday afternoon. We are swapping the deluxe cab off my 05 HPX. All of the XUVs that my dealer has in stock have the property care package. Guess it is there way of saying the dump bed option is standard. I was going to get the dump bed option anyway. The rest of my options I got are on order. Dealer gave me a percent off each of the options that I'm installing. Saves me a few dollars plus I like doing that anyway. I ordered the Curtis heater. The Curtis HPX heater is out to engineering to verify its use on the XUV. When it is branded XUV ready they will be shipping that kit out to my dealer. Have to wonder what is up with that deluxe light kit. I would have thought it would have been the same kit as the HPX. Mine is back ordered as well. Maybe something changed in the XUV wiring harness from the HPX. My hope was they were designing more protection into the tail light itself.

Craig

 

[jcmseven]

My dealer says my XUV should be ready by week's end. He is waiting on the custom aluminum skid plate kit to come from the machine shop. I have not seen it yet, but by report, it has 27" tires and a two inch lift. He and the others have tweaked it and it is reported to be capable of 38+ mph. This should be interesting.

John M

 

[Skipholiday]

it has 27" tires and a two inch lift.

John M

I'm done with the lifts. I lifted my last 2 hpx's and broke axles on them both. I also had 27 inch tires.
The front drivetrain of the xuv is the same as the 06 hpx.

Take some pictures when you get it~!

 

[sticky]

Skipholiday,

Did you notice a big hp loss when you stepped up to the 27s?

I had a friend that had a Honda Rubican just like mine but with 27, and we would have to waite for his engine to cool down every so often when we rode hard.

 

[Skipholiday]

Skipholiday,

Did you notice a big hp loss when you stepped up to the 27s?

Not much at all. The extra clearance was the main reason I put the 27s on.
If I hadn't broke 2 right front axles and ruined one front diff, I would put them on my xuv.(strange it was same side both times)

My brother has 26 bighorns on his diesel hpx (no lift) with zero problems~!

 

[jcmseven]

I have never had a Gator with a lift kit. My last Gator did have aftermarket wheels and tires and they were larger than stock. It did not have lift kit and did really well. I am not enamoured with a lift kit. My friend, the dealer, just has done this on mine to see how things would go. I am not really too hard on my machinery, so I figure I will have good luck. He has taken the time to do it right, and I am sure if I have any problems he will take care of me.

John M

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

there is a defect in the right side of the hpx's and possibly the xuv's too that if you run them in 4x4 in high gear bam the front right shaft is gonna pop out ..i have been doing some testing on mine (hpx)and i have noticed that as long as i use the 4x4 in low range without the lift kit the shaft stays put . but as soon as i put it in high gear and take off and get it to a good speed the shaft is gonna work it's way out. so now i only use my 4x4 in low range and i don't have any problems . it works perfect in low range but then again i really don't need to be going fast in 4x4 anyway .lol


to make sure it wasn't just the lift kit i took the lift kit out and tried it and ran it and the shaft came out in high range too so i now just use 4x4 in low range problem solved.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

My dealer says my XUV should be ready by week's end. He is waiting on the custom aluminum skid plate kit to come from the machine shop. I have not seen it yet, but by report, it has 27" tires and a two inch lift. He and the others have tweaked it and it is reported to be capable of 38+ mph. This should be interesting.

John M

my 04 hpx does 30mph with 27"589's so if you have a xuv that does 30mph stock and put 27"tires it should do arould 38/40mph without any mods to it .

 

[jcmseven]

Tommy,

The machine did 35 mph with tires only. They have tweaked about four more mph from it since then. Maybe a little left.

John M

 

[Kahuna]

I am getting a new XUV at the end of the week. I would like to get more than 30 mph if possible (after the warrenty). I want to keep the tires stock. Is the greater speed accomplished with a fuel injection adjustment, or I believe I heard someone mention, these units can be chipped due to the electronic fuel injection. Has anyone heard anything?

Switching topics, I have an 06 HPX and the front axel and differential concern me, as mentioned just above. I have never heard where the axel will come apart when going in 4x4 high. I have never had a problem but generally keep it in 2 wheel drive. I do run it in 4x4 high only long enough to get out of a particular situation but everything feels tight. I know these things will pull far beyond their rated 1300 pounds. I have pulled 200 bushel of corn in a wagon that weighed well over 12,000 pounds.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

does the xuv have the screw under the gas pedal too. if so back it down a 1/2 inch and you will get the extra mph. when i had the problems with the axle i was running in high range about almost full throttle in the cane field. now if you run in high range at moderate speeds it probably won't do anything .it's just something i found out that it does from doing alot of trial and error.lol me and my son went ride the other day and i desided to throw it in high gear and haul butt next thing you know like i said the right front shaft was popped out but we put it back in and (not an easy thing to do without a jack) but continued to ride in low gear very agressivly and it done great. but if i try to run fast with it in 4x4 that shaft will pop out sure enough.i don't know why ???it could be the lower gears in the front diferential arent made for the higher speeds. what could be happening with the gears are when you drop it in low it puts the rear end and the front end in the same gear ratio but when your running in high range you have two diferent gear ratios competting???? i don't know but if skip had the problem on a 04 or 05 and a 06 then they surely didn't fix it. so beaware on the xuv's stay in low gear when in 4x4 . just thought i would pass this on so knowone would bust up some axles like skip . he's got stock in the company now.lol


as for as pulling your right i'll latch onto anything with my hpx drop it into 4x4 low range and take off that sucker pulls.

 

[Kahuna]

Tommy:

When you say your axel comes out on 4x4 high, what does it exactly do? Does the whole wheel and tire start sliding out? Do you loose parts?

 

[darkday]

I've run 4x4 in high a lot especially the last 2-3 weeks since all the snow melting creates a lot of mud and I just leave it in 4x4 when I do get to a dry area. No problems here. I've found it best to stay off the pavement with it in 4 though because it will bind up or something and then scrub your tires right off. The fix is easy though drive in reverse for 20 feet or so.

 

[Skipholiday]

I broke the axle on my 06 while in reverse. I must admit that the tires were turned sharp and it was pulling my rhino out of the mud when it snapped.

It was the passenger side. It broke inside the lower boot. My 05 stripped the gears off the end of the shaft that goes in the diff.
I'm almost 100% sure that was caused by the lift kit and the 27 inch tires. I believe the tire would extend to far and pull the shaft out of the diff.
When the tire was back on the ground the shaft tried to go into the diff and stripped the gears.Thats my idea of what happened..I could be wrong.
I never noticed any problems in high 4 wheel drive~!

 

[Kahuna]

On the 06 HPX and the new XUV I wouldn't think leaving it in 4 wheel drive would make it eat up tires because it is an "on demand" system that only engages when the rear wheel sense a slip. Looks like I better keep the stock tires on this to avoid axel problems. I'm the type to add more dealer options rather than trying to modify the original design. However, if they ever come out with a chip or programmer for the XUV I might give that a try.

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

Tommy:

When you say your axel comes out on 4x4 high, what does it exactly do? Does the whole wheel and tire start sliding out? Do you loose parts?

no the shaft will work it's way out and i will hear a knocking sound . so i will stop and look and see . sure enough the shaft will be out . it hasn'r hapenned in low range . like skip said it's when turning too not when going straight.it's almost like the shaft is too short or something.i know it has nuthing to do with the lift kit now because i don't have a lift kit anymore and the shaft has come out one time after i took the kit out. so now to avoid it i kep it in low gear when i use 4x4 and i haven't had any problems.


getting to the xuv i went and looked at one today and was wondering why would they put the rear shafts pointing to the back and not striaght out the rear differential?? and why not weld the rear bottom a-arm all the way around? thats a rust trap waiting to happen the way they have it now it's tac welded on the top and on the bottom and the two sides are left un welded thats not right.i really don't like them rear axles being on the angles they are i guess only time will tell.