Found out something pretty interesting about certain Polaris and Subaru CV axles.
They use virtually the same size ball race, at least the spline number and diameter are almost exactly the same.
Close enough to take a Polaris RZR XP1000 axle and slide on [with hammer] a 21 spline Subaru Ball Race.
Fit is good, I had to pound it on with a dead blow hammer.
There is only 1 issue that needs slight modification. On the Subaru axle there is a relief groove cut ahead of the splines.
On the Polaris axle the relief is cut into the Ball race.
This means the Subaru ball race will not slide all the way on far enough for the snap ring to go on.
Solution #1, cut a relief groove into the Polaris axle. this is the easy way.
Solution #2, cut a relief into the Subaru ball race like the Polaris ball race has. This is the hard way to do it as some how the Subaru ball race would need to be chucked up into a lathe or a rotary table on a mill. If I chose this method I would take the old Subaru axle, cut the 21 spline end off and turn the end down so the end just ahead of the splines was a smaller diameter and could be chucked up in a lathe chuck ether in a lathe or in a rotary table with a lathe chuck mounted on it, then placed on a mill table.
Next make s spacer that would allow the ball race to slide 70% of the way onto the splines then 2 clamps can be places on the outer rim of the ball race in such a way as to allow a mill with a boring bar, or a small grinding wheel to be lowered into the inside spline area and cut or grind out the relief the same way the Polaris ball race has it cut. Same thing could be done on a lathe. I would probably use the lathe and figure out a way to clamp the ball race securely then use a small grinding stone to cut the relief.
What will I do? Here is the issue to contend with and to base a decision on. These axles are probably heat treated and pretty hard so cutting that groove into the Polaris axle would get down below the surface heat treated zone and could cause the axle to break if the entire thing is not re-heat treated. or that could just be bunk and not needed. I am not sure.
Due to this possibility and the desire to leave that Polaris axle exactly as is, I will probably go through the trouble to grind the relief on the Subaru ball race as it is done on the Polaris ball race. I do not think this mod would reduce the strength of the Subaru ball race much if at all so this is the safe way to go.
What would you do? Well if you are not a machinist and have to send a part out to get modified the subaru ball race is small and could be shipped cheaply to some one who was setup to do this mod for you.
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What axle do I have and what do you need to buy?The Polaris axle part of this is super easy, there are a few part numbers but they should all be the required 21 spline so it is pretty safe to find the correct part numbers and buy 2 axles.
Polaris axle part numbers that should work below.
1333944 - rear axle - uses a 3235777 center axle - outer cv joint is 3236155
1333439 - rear axle - uses a 3235777 center axle- outer cv joint is not 3236155 - this is the axle I bought. 10 bucks each haha beat that parts scrounger dudes.
Any Polaris RZR XP1000 axle that uses a 3235777 center axle, the part with 21 splines, should work. The 2 axles listed above even though the outer CV part is different should work. The used axles I found where from a 2016 RZR and are the 1333439 number, note this number is for the entire axle assembly. This is what you should search for, ether of these 2 part numbers will/should have the 21 spline center axle, that is what is listed in the axle assembly view where it shows each sub section with a different part number.
There may be other Polaris axles that have this same size 21 spline center axle and might be able to be used. Let say you do not want to increase your track width so much, you might find a shorter axle that has the 21 splines. I was not able to find any with simple part number cross reference type searches. I used a parts website called Partszilla and looked through their listings starting with these axle part numbers then searching for just the center axles and also the inner CV part numbers.
if any one finds a shorter CV axle that does use this same 21 spline with shorter center axle please post the info here, I suppose I could find some parts companies that supply HD Polaris axles and ask them. These would be on older XP700, 800 or 900 types and some of the utility type vehicles, not the more Performance type machines such as the RZR machines.
There could be shorter axles used on some of the larger Polaris quads with IRS rear suspension that use the 21 spline center axle. I have no way to find this out via part number cross reference. Some one would need to have an axle and take it apart. There is not much talk on the Polaris forums about these details, such as axle spline count and Ball race spline count etc.
Alternatively some one could do this setup then simply shorten and weld the axles together to get a shorter axle. I have heard it said that the Subaru inner CV allows for plenty of angle but I have not checked this yet. I suppose I could compare the used Subaru and Polaris axles and see what they look like side by side but so far they seem to be both pretty equal.
Now for the harder part Subaru axle come in several types and the 21 spline axle are just one of them. The R160 diff and axles I have came from a 2004 Subaru outback, but, most any Subaru with the R160 diff should, or could have axles that would work. Research I have done says WRX cars with the R160 diff do come with 21 spline axles that should be the same as what I have.
I did find a company that does rebuild Subaru axles. Not sure if they could or would have and sell just the inner CV with all parts. I should probably ask them. If any one finds a source for new Subaru CV axle parts who would sell an entire 21 spline inner CV with internal parts, ball race, cage, balls snap rings etc please post it here. There are parts companies who sell rebuilt axles and some do use the OEM Subaru axles to rebuild and sell. Only way to know if you try to find a rebuilt Subaru axle is to go to the parts house and ask to see the axle then if it has the green inner CV joint, it could be a 21 spline axle. On the Subaru forums there are people who consider the 21 spline axle the weaker version when they are trying to get axle that handle a lot of power. Due to this these people may be willing to sell the 21 spline inner CV parts for cheap. You should not worry about these 21 spline axles and how strong they are as these people who consider them weak are running 300 hp and they are breaking them. Don't know about you but I am not planning on 300hp in my Odyssey. These 21 spline ball races should easily handle any snowmobile
Engine with up to 200hp.
Cheap and easy source of axlesI suggest you go to a u-pull yard and find some Subaru cars that have the R160 diff and also have original axles, with these OEM axles the inner CV axle joint outside is painted green. Next pull the axle and disassemble the inner CV ball cup, wipe away as much grease as you can and count the axle/ball race splines. If the count is 21 on the splines this is the one you want.
Just so you know, you will need a HECK of a strong breaker bar with extension pipe, preferable 3/4 drive not 1/2 drive. I was just barely able to get the axle nut off on the Subaru outback I got my axles from using a snap-on 1/2 ratchet. I first tried a craftsman breaker bar and it would have broke if I pulled on it any harder. Tried the snap-on 1/2 ratchet with pipe extension and it worked.
In many U-pull yards they sell axles cheap but all you really need is the inner CV part along with the ball race, balls, cage and clips. In some u-pull yards they will sell you just this inner CV part for less. You can easily take the CV axle apart, remove what you need and toss the rest of it under the car and leave. I could have done that but I thought I was going to need to weld the 2 axle sections together so I paid 20.00 each for 2 complete axles. I could have paid 1/2 that if I had known.
Now for photos of all this, see below. I will label each photo above the photo, not below.
As always, question or comments are welcome. What do you think about the possibility of a super easy to build hybrid Polaris/Subaru "Franken-axle" that will make it easy to use the Subaru diff on the Odyssey?Finally there is one thing here that I am now starting to wonder about??? Are these ball races similar enough so you could just leave the Polaris ball race on, shove it into the Subaru inner CV and it would work? I suppose I should measure the ball race ball groove and ball size? Who knows, might work and then it would simply be a matter of a 20 minute job to swap the Subaru inner CV on to the Polaris axle, the Subaru CV boot should work.... hmmm... How cool would that be?
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Photo below: Subaru axle on top - Polaris axle on bottom. Note the relief cut ahead of the Subaru splines. Next note the relief cut into the splines on the ball race on the lower Polaris axle. Due to these being different the Subaru ball race does not slide all the way on to the Polaris axle.
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This photo below shows the Polaris axle with the Subaru ball race in place. Note how it does not go far enough to allow the snap ring to be installed as I described above.
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Photo below: Subaru axle on top - Polaris axle on bottom - Subaru ball race on to Polaris axle and Polaris ball race on Subaru axle, Polaris ball race on Subaru axle is a tiny bit loose but that does not matter, the Subaru ball race on the Polaris axle DOES matter and with a slight modification this will be the axle that powers my Odyssey with the Subaru R160 diff. This is EPIC as now I do not need to weld 2 axles together to run the Subaru R160 diff.
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OK many of you are wondering just how I got this Subaru ball race on the Polaris axle and how much force it took. I shot a quick video to answer this question. Forgot to set the camera side ways but this is short just so you will know how this works. Note this is the 2nd time I put the Subaru ball race on the Polaris axle. I removed it by clamping the Polaris axle in a vice, with padding and used an aluminum block against the Subaru ball race and with some good soft hammer blows it came right off. Removed it 2 times and it came right off both times no problem with he same level of force.
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https://youtube.com/shorts/ijt-Pt4_J8U?feature=share-------------