[mayor hal]

Well heading out for my virgin ride today! Weather is to be good, cant go for a deep mud run but thats ok for this run.
I do have a question though? I did put it in to 4 wheel lock and the vehicle was very heavy to try and stear, is this normal? I had to put on my big boy pants to manhandle the wheel. I certainly hope it doesn't act like this in the middle of a mud hole!

[NMKawierider]

Mine has EPS and don't feel it much but there is some there especially on pavement...but you don't want it in 4wd on pavement anyway. On dirt or soft stuff you should be fine. Also, you may want to test it in the mud before going too deep. These stock tires suck on soft, dry stuff like sand and are a little better in mud and snow, and are even better on hard-pack and rock. Soon as I get some wear on these and can justify replacement, they are going byby. The ground clearance may also be an issue in the deep. I don't have any deep stuff out here so it's not an issue.   

Have fun, remember it has to break in before going balls-out.

[bezerk1]

I avoid using diff lock unless I am rock crawling or in some serious mud.  Driving with the diff locked on pavement is a recipe for disaster.  Your wheels need a certain amount of slippage to prevent drive line binding.  That is why its hard to turn on pavement and not on dirt.

[Jason]

Agreed, you shouldn't need diff lock all that often unless you're really in a sticky situation.  Engaging 4WD with no diff lock has been more than enough in the stuff that I ride in, but I understand everyone rides differently.

To answer your question about the steering being heavy:  yes, that's completely normal with diff lock engaged.  When it's engaged your front wheels can't rotate at different speeds and it'll reduce your turning radius as well as create harsher steering.  Think of it as having a solid axle and both wheels will rotate in unison regardless of traction and can leave the drive-line more susceptible to fault.  That's why you see broken axles, CV joints, differentials etc...

I don't want to scare you out of using diff lock, but in the vast majority of situations standard 4WD should do the trick.

[BearChow]

Diff-lock is for tough mud, deep snow, climbing or descending really steep hills, crawling over big rocks; it's your go-to for extreme situations, when 4-low just isn't cutting it.  When the locker is engaged, your machine will continue to move forward as long as one wheel has traction, and it applies engine braking evenly across all wheels when going down those hills that are so steep that the harness is the only thing keeping you in your seat.

And yeah, it's totally normal for it to be really tough to steer when it's on, your wheels are mechanically locked to one another, and rotate at the exact same speed, so turning like that basically requires your machine to skid a bit across the ground.  You won't notice it much in mud or snow, but on hard-pack gravel it's hard to get the thing turned around.

[mayor hal]

Thanks everyone. ..it was just like you said. If I really need four wheel lock I will be in big do do by then anyway!