In this post, I’ll talk about a few simple tools that every quad owner should own.
Drain Pan
If you own an ATV, a drain pan is absolutely necessary so you can keep up on ATV maintenance. You’ll need it to change the engine oil and filter, transmission fluid, drivetrain lubes. The best way to avoid investing a lot of hours working on an ATV is to, well, work on it, regularly. This might seem like backwards thinking, but hear me out.
Performing regular maintenance like engine oil and other fluid changes helps prevent wear and will enable you to find small problems before they turn into major repairs that take many hours to fix and hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars. Sheesh!
Regularly performed fluid changes will keep you in touch with the underside of your quad where you can’t help but see the damaged CV boots or a leaking transmission, etc. And having a drain pan in plain sight in your garage will be a friendly reminder that it’s time to change the oil.
Tire Gauge
Keeping tires properly inflated not only extends tire life, but improves ride and handling, and makes the quad safer. Make sure you have a quality, low-pressure tire gauge in your toolbox so it’s easy to keep your quad’s tires set at the right air pressure.
Check tire pressure before every ride and set them to the ATV manufacturer’s specification listed on a decal or in the owner’s manual. Do not follow the specification on the tire because that setting is usually a lot higher than an air pressure the ATV is spec’d for.
Too much air pressure makes the tires too firm and causes a harsh ride. But if your next ride will be through especially rocky terrain, a few extra pounds will help the reduce a puncture or pinch flat.
Grease Gun
A grease gun is another important tool to help ATV owners keep up on maintenance. In most cases, you can’t over-grease something, unless a part — such as a bearing — is protected by a seal; squirting in too much grease can blow out the seal.
If you ride a quad through water that’s deeper than the wheel hubs, hit all of the zerks with fresh grease after the ride to push water out of shafts and tubes. Allowing water to stay inside an A-arm tube, for example, can cause corrosion inside that tube, which could lead to frozen parts.
Not all ATVs are equipped with grease zerks, as some ATV manufacturers claim their chassis are sealed. Frankly, I’d rather have a greasable chassis because while the bushings and seals might lubricate/seal well when the ATV is new, those parts eventually wear, leaving a way for moisture to get inside.
