Anybody have any idea if the 2020 Angle Drive will fit older models

After the Angle Drive in my 2015 Slingshot started making noises like it was grinding itself into dust, it looks like I may be facing replacing the Angle Drive or installing a Quad kit. It would certainly be cheaper to replace the Angle Drive, but I've noticed that the 2020 unit appears to have much better reinforcement where the driveshaft connects to the Angle Drive than the 1st gen Angle Drives. Can anybody confirm it is a stronger design?

I finally located a pn for the 2020 unit (1333968 ) and it is definitely different from the pn for the 2015-19 Angle Drives (1333909). This would imply that they are not interchangeable, but I wonder if any of the aftermarket developers for the Slingshot have taken a look at how the 2020 Angle Drive might be made to fit the 1st gen Slingshots. I have a ZZP Angle Drive brace, but if the 2020 Angle Drive is a stronger design and can be made to fit, it seems like that would be a good aftermarket need.

I haven't yet found the 2020 parts listed anyplace other than Polaris' website. Here's a pic of the Angle Drive drawing from the site .

The casting around the front that connects to the driveshaft certainly looks reinforced compared to the 1st gen version. The 2020 model has fewer parts, so there must be some engineering changes, but I was hoping the overall size between the 2 units might be the same and allow either direct swapping or some minimal adapters to fit.

Quote from Dave@DDMWorks

We have not actually swapped a 2020 angle drive into an older model yet, but looking at the angle drive on our 2020, I see no reason it would not fit. The reason that Polaris can not use it in the earlier models is the final drive ratio inside the angle drive is different on the new 2020 models compared to the 2015-2019 models. The 1st gen has a 2.312:1 bevel drive and and 1.590:1 final drive. The 2020 has a 2.824:1 bevel drive and a 1.771:1 Final drive. BKL you are correct about the 2020 angle drive having a lot more ribbing and structure though and seems that the angle drive casting is much stronger.

Hope that helps,

Dave

Makes me wonder if I could replace the new gears with the 1st gen versions and end up with a stronger case. Of course, I haven't been able to find out how much the 2020 unit sells for.

Quote from Bigdog

maybe future replacement angle drives for older SS will have a beefed up case...

Would be nice!

Update - Took my Slingshot for a short ride today and the noise started before I got to the corner from my house (about .1-.15 miles, Id guess). I first started noticing the sound after I replaced my Angle Drive lube (Redline Heavy Shockproof to Redline Heavy Shockproof), so I think the noise is from the Angle Drive and not the swing-arm.

Here's a link to a short video with sound -

. I used an old cell phone to record the video and had it sitting in the rear-most cup-holder. During the video, I never went over 25 mph. Is the noise from the Angle Drive or the rear bearings? I haven't worried about the rear bearing noises since I had the swing-arm replaced during the recall.

That's about how I felt when I first realized how loud and BAD that thing sounded. I was about 2 miles from home after a 135 mile ride and didn't know if I'd make it home or not! I checked the angle drive lube level before making the video and it started oozing past the bolt once I started loosening it.

I had cited the first price I found, knowing that I could probably find a cheaper price on one of the 7 other sites I routinely check before buying any Polaris parts. I actually found a price for the 2020 angle drive and it was a little under $2K.

After looking closely at the diagrams for both angle drives, I'm not sure if the two 1st gen drive gears could be swapped into the 2020 angle drive. The 2020 gearing would definitely force the 1st gen motor to run at higher rpm to achieve the same speed, resulting in higher gas consumption and lower top speed. For non-boosted 1st gen engines, the new gearing should offer better performance, but a boosted engine already has more power than the normal Slingshot rear end can handle.

Again, these examples show why as many sites as possible should be checked before ordering a Polaris part as prices can vary significantly.

I guess I'll need to go to one of the local shops and have them tell me what's wrong before I make a decision.