Quad Maintenance Tips - Pro Remedies

Stick It
At any given moment you can easily find four to five bottles of Loctite stowed away in my toolbox. The problem is that after the bottles have been opened, they always seem to leak and make a mess or to dry up before the next use. These problems have been solved with the introduction of Loctite sticks. They come in solid form and are easily applied with a ChapStick-type applicator. No more mess, a long shelf life and, best of all, no lost fasteners.

Seizure
Exposure to heat, water, dirt and grime can cause fasteners to seize, making removal a complete and utter nightmare. Impact tools and heat may make easy work of these fasteners but will often cause further unwanted damage. A small application of anti-seize compound on nuts, bolts and components that are often removed such as hubs and lug nuts will prevent that unwanted seizure.

Soap And Water
Replacing drive belts on CVT machines is common practice, but preparation of the new belt is often overlooked. Before the manufacturer ships the belts, they're often coated with a silicone-type lubricant to keep the material pliable while being warehoused. It's important to remove this light lubricant with warm water and dish soap before installation so that it will provide a surface that resists unwanted belt slip.

Added Cushion
When spending long days in the saddle of your ATV, you may find yourself yearning for a way to add some extra cushion or modify the contour of your seat. This is a task that can be tackled in an afternoon and be completed before the following day's ride. Upholstery shops typically stock a variety of foam types that are available in different densities and thicknesses. After removal of the seat cover, this foam can be added over your factory foam to achieve your desired cush factor. The factory cover can then be reinstalled over the foam or you may choose to install a new, more durable gripper cover.

Wheel Worries
During a recent installation of new tires on beadlock wheels, I encountered a problem that had me pulling out my hair before coming up with a simple solution. The beadlock mounting bolts were too short to get a solid bite into the mounting plate and would break away as the remaining fasteners were being installed. Longer bolts seemed logical, but there was not sufficient space behind the plate to accommodate the length of a longer fastener. To get the tires compressed enough to install the short bolts, I first installed four longer ones in an X pattern until they bottomed on the inner side of the wheel. This was enough tension to compress the bead of the tire allowing the short bolts to be utilized. After all the short bolts were snug, I removed the now loose four longer bolts and replaced them with the manufacturer-supplied hardware.

ATV Rider Reader's Remedy Of The Month
Stock VS. Mod
When modding your machine, it is easy to eBay the stock parts and make a few extra bucks to go toward parts. The downside to this comes when you're ready to move on to another model and sell your ATV. The big dollars you paid for aftermarket parts don't bring in the buyers or dough that you may expect. By saving the factory parts and returning the machine to stock before resale, you will not likely have to make a drastic price reduction for the machine to sell. The expensive aftermarket components can then be sold on eBay to make some serious money.

Lock Secret
When transporting ATVs, we at ATV Rider go to extreme measures to keep our machines secure. This cautious behavior comes after having personal units stolen from a locked cargo hauler. We now lock the ramp door on both the inside and out and keep a lock on the hitch at all times. The problem you run into when purchasing quality locks is that they're only available in single or double packs, leaving you with a ring of keys to access your equipment. While trying to purchase 10 locks to secure both trailers, I ran across a little lock company secret that would allow access to these locks with a single key. When manufacturing and packaging locks, most manufacturers key the entire case alike. So by buying the entire case of single locks, I actually purchased 10 locks that were keyed alike. You can normally see a key code on the key while in the package to verify that they are all alike.

Defeat Wet Feet
There are several boots on the market that utilize an inner bootie. These make cleaning simple and help to reduce foul odor. I'm currently wearing Tech 10s from Alpinestars, and cycle supply stores offer replacement booties. Having two pair of inner booties can be beneficial when riding on wet days or multiple back-to-back rides. This ensures that you always have a pair that is clean and dry.

Dust Barrier
Extremely dusty conditions can quickly clog an air filter drastically reducing airflow. If left unchecked, this seemingly minor issue can rapidly escalate into some serious expenses due to engine damage. If you expect to encounter these dusty conditions, an Outerwear's filter cover or PC Racing's Filterskins will prevent a majority of the dust particles from entering the filter. This can be removed or replaced as necessary to maintain adequate airflow and maximum performance.