Your Honda Foreman blinks 4WD on the dash, or it stays in 2WD right when you hit the mud. Most of the time the cause is the factory electronic 4WD actuator.
The Honda Foreman manual 4WD conversion replaces that actuator with our Sure 4 side shifter kit. A lever mounted by the gas tank works a sealed mechanical actuator on the front differential, so you shift 2WD, 4WD and diff lock yourself. There's no motor or sensor left to fail.
Shop the Honda Sure 4 Side Shifter ($399.99)
Why riders choose the Sure 4
- Completely plug and play. No cutting, no drilling and no wire splicing, per our product page.
- The 2.0 actuator has stronger springs, adjustable spring positioning, new seals, clamps and a rubber bellows.
- Limited lifetime guarantee. Free US shipping on orders over $100, and Shop Pay lets you split it into 4 payments.
- Install videos below, plus support by phone or text at 732-737-7761.
Does This Kit Fit Your Foreman?
- Fitment: all Honda Foreman 2014 and up, and all Rubicon 2015 and up. The kit replaces OEM actuator 41700-HR4-A21.
- Rubicon or Foreman, either can have it. The D/L (drive/low) shifter is an option on both the Rubicon and the Foreman, so go by what's on your machine, not the model name.
- How to tell which shifter you have: look beside your gas tank. If there's a small extra shifter with L and D positions, like the first photo below, you have the D/L shifter. If that spot is empty, like the second photo, you don't.
- Which version you need: if you don't have the D/L shifter, choose the without D/L shifter version and follow this guide. Have one? Follow our Honda Rubicon manual 4WD conversion guide with low gear instead, whether you ride a Rubicon or a Foreman.
Display lights: with this kit, the dash 4WD and diff lock lights won't work. Want them working? Choose the Honda Sure 4 Ultimate Kit ($459.99), or add the Display Lights Upgrade Kit ($69.99).
What's in the Box
- Manual Sure 4 actuator with O-rings
- Pull cable
- M6 mounting screws
- Frame brackets (thin bracket, large clamp bracket, long bracket, T bracket, flat bracket)
- Shift lever and shift guide
- Shift knob
- Switches housing and lid with O-rings
- 10 pin and 8 pin wire harness connectors
- Mounting hardware (screws, washers, nuts, push fastener)
Tools You'll Need
- Screwdriver set
- 12mm socket and ratchet
- Basic hand tools for removing plastics and push fasteners
- Dielectric grease (recommended for connectors)
Time and Difficulty
- Difficulty: moderate. Most of the work is removing plastics and setting the cable adjustment.
- Before you start: have a way to lift the front wheels off the ground. You'll need it to line up the gears in Steps 14 and 16.
Step-by-Step Honda Foreman Sure 4 Side Shifter Install (Without Low Gear)
These steps match the current 2.0 side shifter kit, including the switches housing and the 10 pin and 8 pin connectors.
- Remove your plastics. Take off the seat, center plastics, left footwell, and front left fender to access the differential and frame.
- Remove the factory actuator. Unplug and remove the electronic actuator from the differential.
- Prep the pull cable. Screw the pull cable into the manual actuator and seat the ball end of the cable into the pulley.
- Set the differential shaft position. Rotate the shaft in the differential clockwise as far as it will go without forcing it, then rotate it counterclockwise slightly so it sits vertical, matching the manual actuator.
- Mount the manual actuator. Place the O-ring on the actuator and mount it to the differential using the new M6 screws provided in the O-ring bag.
- Route the cable. Run the other end of the pull cable over the frame, just in front of the gas tank.
- Install the thin frame bracket. Use one 1/4 20 screw to hold the back side together. Unscrew one of the nuts on the cable, push the cable through the slot in the metal bracket, then use the two nuts on the cable to tighten the bracket to the frame. Do not overtighten. Screw in the 1 inch, 10/32 screw so it pins against the frame to keep the bracket from rotating, again without overtightening.
- Install the large frame clamp. If the U bracket feels loose on the frame, apply the rubber strip to it first. Use the push fastener to line up and hold the bracket in place, then install 3 of the 4 screws. Leave them loose for now.
- Remove the front rack bolt. Using a 12mm socket, remove the bolt holding the front rack on, just above the front shock.
- Install the long bracket. Reuse the bolt you just removed to install the long bracket. Attach it to the T bracket with the button head screw, then attach the T bracket to the flat bracket on the frame.
- Install the shift lever. Screw the shift lever into the flat bracket. Leave the nuts and washers already on the lever bolt in place; just screw the lever in as is.
- Attach the cable to the shift lever. Put a washer on the 10-32, 1 inch screw, slide it through the holes on the cable end bracket, add another washer and a nut with the flange facing the end of the screw, then slide the bolt through the shift lever bracket and add the final nut. Tighten until the screw sits flush with the last nut.
- Mount the shift guide. Using the last two button head screws, mount the shift guide to the top of the T bracket. Don't reinstall the plastics yet. Slide the shifter onto the shaft, push down on top of it, and screw it to the lever.
- Shift into 4wd. Squeeze the lever so the bottom lifts, then push the lever into the 4wd position without forcing it. If it won't move all the way, lift the front wheels off the ground and rotate a wheel while pushing the lever. This lines up the gears inside the differential so they can slide together. Never force the lever.
- Adjust the actuator. With the lever in the 4wd position, unscrew the adjuster on the actuator until the notch marks line up. Only make this adjustment while in the 4wd position.
- Shift into diff lock. Same technique as step 14: if it won't move fully, raise the front wheels and rotate a wheel while pushing the lever. Never force it.
- Finish the cable adjustment. Tighten the lock nut against the adjuster on the cable. If you did not purchase the Display Lights Upgrade Kit, place the O-ring on the lid, screw it on, plug the 10 pin connector into your wire harness, and skip ahead to step 23.
- Shift back to 2wd. Rock the wheel back and forth so the gears inside the differential slide apart and the actuator rotates back to the 2wd position.
- Prep the switches housing. Put the O-ring on the switches housing, rotate the flat blade clockwise until it stops, then rotate it back counterclockwise slightly so it lines up with the slot in the actuator.
- Attach the switches housing. Push the switches housing onto the actuator so the flat blade slides into the actuator's slot.
- Close up the housing. Put the O-ring on the lid and screw the lid and switches housing onto the actuator using the long 1/4 20 screws provided.
- Connect the wiring. Plug the 10 pin connector into the wire harness where the electric actuator used to connect.
- Lower the ATV. Bring the ATV back down onto the ground.
- Locate your 4wd button wiring. Follow the wires from your electric 4wd button down to below your front plastics.
- Swap the 4wd switch connector. Unplug your factory 4wd switch from the main wire harness and plug in the supplied connector. This connector can also power aftermarket accessories like a light bar or rock lights through your 4wd button and diff lock switch.
- Connect the 8 pin connector. Plug it into your wire harness. If you purchased the Display Lights Upgrade Kit, this connector will have a yellow wire connecting two terminals; otherwise all the holes stay plugged.
- Secure the wiring. Tuck and secure all wires, then reinstall the front plastics.
- Remove the shift knob and shifter guide. These come off temporarily to finish reassembly.
- Reinstall your plastics. Put the front left fender, left footwell, center plastics, and seat back in place.
- Reinstall the shift guide. Attach it back into the T handle using the two button head screws.
- Reinstall the shift knob. Install it the same way it came off.
Your installation is complete. Enjoy your Sure 4 manual 4WD kit and never worry about electronic 4WD issues again.
Watch the Install Videos
Our full install of the Honda kit without Hi/Lo:
A rider's install of the Knight ATV manual shifter on a Honda Foreman:
Connector and Adjustment Notes
- Only adjust the actuator with the lever in the 4WD position (Step 15).
- 10 pin connector: plugs in where the electric actuator used to connect.
- 8 pin connector: has a yellow wire bridging two terminals only if you bought the Display Lights Upgrade Kit.
- Dielectric grease on each connector helps keep water out.
- How to ride it: never force the shifter. Shift at 5 MPH or less while turning the handlebars.
Troubleshooting
- The shifter won't go fully into 4WD or diff lock. Never force the lever. Lift the front wheels and rotate a wheel while gently pushing the lever.
- Getting into diff lock is hard. Watch Honda Sure 4: why it's hard to get into diff lock and how to fix it and the spring adjustment video.
- The notch marks drift out of line. Re-adjust with the lever in 4WD only.
- A bracket rotates on the frame. Re-check the 10/32 pin screw from Step 7, and the rubber strip from Step 8.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this kit actually replace? It replaces your factory electronic 4WD actuator with a fully mechanical, cable-operated actuator, so 4WD and diff lock engagement no longer depend on sensors or electronics.
What if the shifter won't move all the way into 4WD or diff lock? Never force the lever. Lift the front wheels off the ground and rotate a wheel while gently pushing the lever. This lines up the internal gears so they can slide together.
Can I still use my factory 4WD button and diff lock switch? Yes. The supplied connector lets your factory switches control aftermarket accessories like light bars or rock lights, in addition to the manual actuator function.
What is the Display Lights Upgrade Kit connector for? If you purchased that upgrade, the 8 pin connector will have a yellow wire connecting two terminals. If you did not purchase it, all the holes on that connector remain plugged.
Do I need to adjust anything after the initial install? Only if the notch marks on the actuator drift out of alignment over time. Make adjustments only while the lever is in the 4WD position.
What if I run into an issue I can't resolve? Call or text Knight ATV support at 732-737-7761, or email sales@knightatv.com.
Ready to Fix Your Foreman's 4WD for Good?
Get the Sure 4 side shifter for your Honda Foreman and choose the without D/L shifter version.
Get the Honda Sure 4 Side Shifter
Want working dash lights too? See the Honda Sure 4 Ultimate Kit, or browse all Honda Sure 4 kits.