Talking About UTV Carrier Bearings, Vibrations and Upgrades

You UTV Carrier Bearings Does So Much and Hides So Many Balancing Problems In Your Driveline.

Lots of the time when we talk about UTV’s/Side by Sides the first thing that people want to do is get out there and having a good time, but what you need to think about— probably much closer to the purchase of your vehicle then you want to, is what parts the manufacturer is putting into them.

It’s not surprising, when you think about it, that a manufacturer is going to use lower-cost, very flexible parts. This keeps the initial cost of your vehicle down, and it’ll get you out in your new toy right off the bat. You may not notice many issues at first, but the reality is, it won’t take long before you start to notice that at higher speeds your vehicle is vibrating more than it should.

This is happening for a few reasons:

Your manufacturer utv carrier bearing isn’t made up of nearly enough stabilizing solid material. Instead, you get a very large rubber bushing, and inside of that rubber bushing is the metal bearing. They build it like this for a reason. Manufacturers want there to be tolerance and an allowable amount of movement, but that soon can become way, way too much movement for your vehicle.
It isn’t holding your driveline snug enough. Just like the rest of us, your driveline wants to be held— but in all seriousness, in order for the driveline to be in phase it needs to be held at just the right angle to keep it balanced.
Your driveline is being beaten up, and it isn’t strong enough to take it. Just like your carrier bearings, your driveline isn’t built with the most love and care in the world. It isn’t perfectly balanced, it isn’t being held at the correct angle, and the U-Joints aren’t automotive U-joints. So what you get from the manufacturer is only meant to go up to 45 mph or around 2k RPMS constantly. So when time wears down the rubber in your carrier bearing and you are going faster, your driveline can bend and twist.

Let’s Talk About Vibration Or How Important Your Utv Carrier Bearings Are.

So what do you do?

First, you take care of your stock carrier bearing as long as possible. Mud and debris get into the rubber bushing pretty easily. Greasing it every other time you go out will help keep it around longer, but you can’t fight the inevitable. Eventually, there will be too much play and you will notice that your vehicle is making a lot of noise and vibrating more than it should be.

And so then?

You upgrade. It’s important for the longevity of your vehicle, and for your own continued safety. No one wants a driveline vibrating out of control between their legs when they are out trying to have fun!

When it comes time for you to upgrade we recommend Sandcraft RCR Motorsports, and here’s why:

Sandcraft RCR uses a self-aligning technology in their carrier bearings. That allows the bearing to stay snuggly and securely around your UTV driveline. It also corrects that angle that we mentioned above.
- The simple act of controlling the angle allows the driveline to remain in phase, or balanced, all the way from front to back. Staying in phase keeps your driveline more balanced and prevents twisting and bending.

Sandcraft RCR owns their own patent and design. This means that they have created this third-generation carrier bearing with all of the safety and longevity that you will want, in mind. They stand behind their name and they own their product. They have put in the time and energy to test and create an amazing product.

You can get your UTV carrier bearings and driveline in one easy kit. I know, I know, you just started thinking about the carrier bearing and now we are throwing the driveline in! It’s important though, with just the carrier bearings you still have a driveline with U-Joints that are only rated for 2000 driveline RPM.
- That means that once you go faster than 45 mph, you are exceeding the part’s capabilities. So if you were to only upgrade your carrier bearing you will still see some vibration and there is still the risk of bending your driveline.

Let me tell you a little about this driveline, too. The U-Joints in these drivelines are 3 times stronger than your manufacturers, that means that they are rated for 6000 driveline RPM (For you speed junkies, that means going 120 miles an hour before you will see any kind of failure).
- They are balanced accurately and remain in phase to keep vibration way, way down.

It is important to be able to know that your vehicle is going to be safe when you get out there and start having fun. Without the proper parts you have more and more chances of that going awry.

UTV Carrier Bearings

UTV Driveline Combo's

UTV Drive Shafts & Prop Shafts

UTV DRIVETRAIN

UTV Drive Train FAQ

What is a Carrier Bearing?

The carrier bearing for your UTV (Side by Side) is the mid way point of your drive shaft support system. It balances and supports the end of the rear drive shaft while spinning during driving.

What is a Prop Shaft?

The prop shaft also known as the front drive shaft is the smaller section of drive shaft that connects the rear drive shaft to the front differential for four wheel drive.

What is a Drive Shaft?

The drive shaft rear connects from the transfer case to the front prop shaft/Drive shaft front. The carrier bearing supports the end of this shaft where it meets the front drive shaft.

What does the Carrier Bearing Solve?

The carrier bearing supports both drive shafts as they travel from the rear of the side by side (UTV) to the front differential. The carrier bearing also provides stability to the drive shaft while spinning. If not taking care of the drive shafts just bounce around and cause damage to the differential, u joints and transfer case.