killer420

it will probably cost a little more than it did for mine, i was able to source some a couple used parts for much less than new. For instance, a new front diff for mine was $675, i got a used one for $80. it may be more difficult to source used parts for such a new machine.

from some quick poking around on rockymountainatv.com using their Honda OEM catalog, it appears you will need to change your front knuckles, get front axles and differential, change front cover on engine, change final shaft in engine, change front tie-rods, add 4wd shifter and cable

if i have time tonight after work i will try to get you a list of part numbers you would need

if anyone cares (which i doubt since its been 9 months since i posted this), i only spent $750 on the conversion overall. everything worked flawlessly first try. i used this honda to plow 30inches of snow from a steep 800ft driveway. never missed a beat.

it was WAY cheaper than selling my 2wd rancher at a big loss and buying a 4wd version. if you can turn a wrench this is not too difficult for you to do at home

I know this has been talked about, so i did some research.

After my research, i started buying parts.

Here are the parts you need:

51380-HP7-A00, left front upper control arm

51370-HP7-A00, right front upper control arm

51350-HP5-600, right front lower control arm

51360-HP5-600, left front lower control arm

44615-HP5-600, front drive hubs (need 2)

53521-HP5-600, tie rods (need 2, this is just the adjuster rod, not the tie-rod ends)

51200-HP5-600, right steering knuckle

51250-HP5-600, left steering knuckle

53235-HP5-600, steering arm (connects the tie rod ends to the steering shaft)

23611-HP5-600, "final shaft", goes inside the engine, provides power to front and rear driveshafts)

40400-HP5-600, front driveshaft

44250-HP7-A31, right front axle

44350-HP7-A31, left front axle

11300-HP5-000, front crankcase cover

50350-HP5-600, front differential support bracket

41400-HP5-A50, front differential unit

You also need the 4wd shift lever and the cable that connects it to the differential. there is not a part number for the whole assembly, just look on ebay. thats where i got mine.

Now on to the good part, the turning of wrenches:

Here is the engine before removal:

after removal:

front differential in position:

^^^notice the "TRX420TM" decal, indicating 2wd

Here is a pic of the "final shaft", comparing the 2wd (in my hand) to the 4wd (in the engine).

^This is the most difficult part of this conversion, removing and opening the engine to swap out this shaft. However, there is a lovely video on youtube showing how to rebuild this engine and they clearly show the steps to remove/replace the rear cover and final shaft. Dont forget to remove the front cover before installing the new shaft, it will not fit thru the 2wd front cover.

link to video>:

once the new shaft is installed:

you will need to install the front and rear covers using sealant, make sure all shims/washers and o-rings are in place in the correct locations referencing the video above.

here is the right front corner mostly assembled:

and fully assembled with hub, rotor, and brake caliper:

I do have more pictures to upload, when i have more time i will update this further

big gun exhaust.

i have one on my 2010 rancher, it sounds good. nice low pitched tone, sort of loud until you put the silencer in, then it sounds nice.

just having a small bit of hillclimb fun here:

ok, got some pics yesterday once the rain stopped here. i always wear my helmet and goggles when i ride, but for these pics i wasn't wearing it.

before anybody asks, i am a pretty big dude. 378lbs, 5'10. the honda handles my weight very well. i could only bottom out the suspension if i jumped it more than 3 feet high, now it won't bottom out of off a 5ft jump.

so, i installed the highlifter springs. i like the way it handles big holes, dips, and jumps now. i took another measurement of the ride height, and the front is the same height, rear is up 1/4".

i will be posting pics once i get my camera back.

hahaha, that is a great idea. i know a guy that does custom airride setups, and as soon as i told him i bought a quad he wanted to do air struts on it. i think it would be cool to do, but not to this bike, if i get another one i may consider it.

well, last night i was bored, so i did a little experiment. i wanted to see how low it could go without breaking anything, so here is the result:

it has about 1" of clearance under the frame, even less with the skidplate attached. it is driveable like this, but due to the spacers the front tires rub the headlight buckets very slightly.

according to the ups website, my spring compressor arrives today, so i will install the springs tonight, and post some new pics tomorrow.

it does feel like a new bike, i love it!! i wasn't able to install the springs using the spring compressor i had, so i ordered the highlifter part and it should be here tomorrow. i will post more pics once i get everything installed.

i did take some measurements before i removed the springs/shocks, and the current height in the front is 34.5" at the rack, and rear height is 36" at the rack. i will measure again after install, then again after a couple weeks of riding to see if they settle in slightly.

having a bit of camera trouble, a friend of mine is working on fixing it for me.

i did my oil & filter change, new spark plug, and installed the spacers and the exhaust on saturday. i am very surprised by how loud the exhaust is, but i'm getting used to it.

it did wonders for throttle response, my honda now wants to lift the front tires from a roll in 2nd gear. before i could get it to wheelie in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th by putting my foot on the rear rack and pulling up on the bars, but it would never try to wheelie all on its own using just throttle.

the spacers have made the handling quite a bit nicer, it feels much more stable on hard turns. it nearly eliminated the feeling that it wants to flip over.

i'm not sure which parts contributed to this, but there are several turns on the trail at my house where when it was very wet i could get it to hang the tail out in 3rd gear. now it will do it in 4th on those turns, and go sideways in 3rd nearly everywhere else.

i'm am really loving how much of an improvement these few things have made, can't wait to add some more power.

total mod list is as follows:

kenda bearclaw tires (24-8-12 front, 24-10-11 rear)

cycle country bear force 48" plow kit

uni filter

big gun eco es exhaust

tusk spacers (30mm front, 45mm rear)

edit: my friend just emailed me one of the pics i took, here it is:

You will love the HL springs when they come in. It should add about a half inch of ground clearance depending on how warn your old springs are.

i don't think my quad even has 200 miles on it. so it won't be a much of a lift, but the increased spring rate should make the handling a bit better, and it will improve the control with the plow attached.

I just ordered a bunch of goodies for my '10 420 rancher. I ordered a set of highlifter springs, a Big gun eco exhaust, wheel spacers, oil & filter, and a new sparkplug. i had noticed recently she was breathing hard on the top end, so hopefully this little tune up will fix that.

i will post pics of all the parts when they arrive. the exhaust is supposed to arrive tonight, and the spacers & tune up parts arrive tomorrow. unfortunately, my springs wont be here till next week.

another snow pic

this might be the only photo i have of my quad, figured i'd post it .

doin' some work:

Yea man, wadda ya ride?

i have a 2010 rancher 420 2wd. not much done to it, just a uni filter, and some 24" kenda bearclaws.

hey, welcome to QC! maybe we can ride together sometime?

good to know, i guess i should make sure not to let it happen again. i do have an extended warranty, but i doubt they would cover it if thats considered abuse.

i would just start it in nuetral, like your supposed to...

the first quad i rode was a fourtrax-300, belonged to a friend of mine. not sure what year it was, but i started riding back in 95-96, and the quad was not very new then, so maybe a 89-90 model.

i had two hondas that i shifted that way from new and never a problem... although i would not recommend downshifting that way

honestly, honda has made their bikes so bulletproof, that anyone can try and kill them .... and not succeed IMO

i usually blip the throttle on downshifts when approaching a turn, rev matching keeps it from trying to lock the rear tires. when downshifting to accelerate, i always lift off the throttle, downshift, then go wide open.

because the clutch dis-engages anytime you move the shift lever, it really shouldn't hurt it to flatshift. might cause the clutch to wear a little quicker, but i have no problem with having that adjusted a bit more often.

i have a 2010 honda rancher trx420tm (footshift 2wd). i have on a couple of occasions accidentally shifted up without lifting off the throttle (known as a flatshift, or no-lift shift). i assume this is bad for it, but can't find any information thats says either, "yes, its fine" or "no, never do that".

it doesn't make any unusual noises, or do anything that would suggest improper operation (no sudden jerking motions, no hard shifting at other times).

any ideas?

it definately is quicker than shifting normally, just hoping this won't cause anything to break.