Take Care Of Your ATV's Bolts Nuts And Boots: How To Guide

Failing to maintain your ATV’s bolts, nuts, and boots is a surefire way to ruin your machine and cost yourself a lot of money in repairs in the future.

Taking care of your ATV requires regular maintenance on the bolts, nuts, and boots that hold the machine together. You can take care of these parts by applying grease regularly, tightening them every month, and spot-checking them before each ride. This will ensure they are also in good condition.

Some people might think their ATV is not important and they overlook taking care of the nuts, bolts, and boots. However, these hold your machine together and they are some of the most essential parts that need maintenance. This guide includes everything you need to know to take care of them the right way.

Your ATV can be a major investment so it needs to be taken care of properly. One of the best ways to do this is by taking preventive steps such as routine oil changes and routine maintenance.

‍How To Take Care of your ATV

An ATV is a great machine that helps you explore the outdoors and can also help you explore places that are difficult to reach. However, it is also an expensive machine, and without proper care and maintenance, it could break down and get damaged.

Many users of ATVs are not aware of the safety measures that need to be taken. This can lead to serious injuries or machine damages if care is not taken.

ATVs are complex and they require proper care. It is not easy to take care of your ATV especially if you are a new owner, but we intend to make it a much more straightforward process in this guide.

The critical parts of an ATV that are often overlooked for maintenance are the bolts, nuts, and boots. They are all essential to your vehicle, but they tend to receive the least amount of attention during routine maintenance checkups.

Instead, they should be made a number one priority and you should always have a versatile wrench handy to get the job done.

ATVs are the perfect machines to help you get around. They are not only powerful, but they can also offer a great amount of convenience that you wouldn't be able to find with any other mode of transport.

By keeping proper care of these essential items, you will get the longest possible use from your ATV and save money in the long run.

How To Take Care of Your ATV’s Bolts

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as an ATV owner is not keeping an eye on all of the bolts that hold your machine together. They are extremely sensitive and it is not uncommon for them to come loose or get damaged from improper care.

There are a variety of different bolts that serve a unique purpose on your ATV. We have listed some of the most essential ones that you need to take care of below.

Pivot Bolts

A pivot bolt holds the swingarm to the frame so you should always tighten this first. If this bolt is loose, it can prevent a problem with the frame and it also puts the bearings at risk for damage, wear, and corrosion.

It's important to make sure that your ATV is running smoothly and doesn't have any issues before you go out for your next big ride, whether it be on-road or off-road. The best way to tighten the pivot bolt of an ATV is by using a torque wrench.

While some people prefer using a breaker bar or extension bar to tighten this part, others think that it might be dangerous if done incorrectly. The best method is to use a torque wrench, which will ensure that your bike is safe and you don't damage anything else in your process.

Skid Plate Bolts

Skid plates will come loose and the ATV will lose traction and slide if they aren't tightened regularly. To prevent this, we need to tighten our skid plates every time we use the bike and not wait for a month before we do it.

Skid plates are attached to the frame of the ATV to protect from rocks and stones. But if these skid plates come loose, it can lead to losing traction which can cause your machine to slide.

Sprocket Bolts

The sprocket bolts will eventually come loose because of chain torque on rough terrain and during sharp turns. This is common, but you should be regularly checking this bolt to make sure it is in place.

You do not want to go riding if it isn’t because this would cause the chain to come loose too. It could lead to an unexpected breakdown.

Wheel Hubs

If your wheel hubs come loose, it will cause the bearings on your ATV to wear down and the axle spline will strip from added wear and pressure. It is not too complicated to keep an eye on these with regular maintenance.

The wheel hubs and axle can be tightened quickly using the recommended tools and you can quickly get back to riding too.

How To Take Care of Your ATV’s Nuts

Having your ATV's nuts properly maintained will not only keep them in optimal condition but also allow the machine to run at its best. They require regular monitoring and maintenance to keep your machine operating at its peak.

The nuts that you should take care of include the engine bearing, transmission bearings, and power shaft bearings. They should all be replaced when they get too worn out or damaged.

Lug Nuts

Lug nuts are the fasteners that are attached to the wheel hubs of ATVs. You want them to be properly torqued because loose lug nuts can cause issues with performance and power loss.

Lug nuts need to be properly torqued because loose lug nuts can cause issues with performance and power loss. If done properly, it will create an even and smooth rotation to tighten the bolt and decrease the chance of loosening.

Loose lug nuts can cause handling problems, power loss, or vehicle damage. To avoid these risks, you have to tighten lug nuts properly and systematically avoid over-tightening.

Axle Nuts

When a loose axle will wear out bearings and possibly destroy the axle carrier, it is important to tighten these regularly.

Loose axles are very common in daily driving, but they can cause serious problems when they're not tightened properly.

If an axle is loose enough, it may not only wear out the bearings quickly but also cause damage to the axle carrier or even break free entirely from its housing.

How To Take Care of Your ATV’s Boots

To keep your ATV’s boots in good condition, you should always start with a clean and dry surface. You can then spot-check the general condition of the boots by applying a thin coat of oil for greasing. If it looks dry, you can use a little bit of water to get the boots back in shape.

They should always be cleaned regularly and allowed to drive if necessary after a long ride outdoors. You should keep the boots protected too and stored in a dry area whenever possible to last longer.

CV Boot

An ATV will not perform as well when they have a failed CV boot. They will be less stable and more difficult to steer than usual. This can be quite dangerous if you're riding along a path with sharp turns or if you're riding in off-road areas.

An increase in friction can cause a major problem. This can be solved with grease and proper maintenance.

What Tools Do You Need to Take Care of Your ATV

ATVs are complex machines and owners are required to have a wide range of tools on hand to take proper care of them. There are lots of different sized nuts, bolts, and boots so having plenty of tool choices is essential to maintain them.

Wrenches

Having a torque wrench and an Allen wrench is always better than using your hands to tighten bolts. With these two basic tools, you can easily fix minor issues on your ATV without having to call in professional services.

Sockets

You should consider buying a set of quality sockets before you purchase your ATV. If you don’t have any, ask for help from your dealer or mechanic.

However, this is an essential tool when tightening or fixing any nuts or bolts on your machine so it is important to have them.

Screwdrivers

You should have a set of screwdrivers to take proper care of your ATV. These screwdrivers will help you remove screws, tighten loose bolts, and adjust the handlebar linkages too.

Breaker Bar

A breaker bar is a longer version wrench that can be important to help gain better leverage when tightening bolts in harder-to-reach areas. We recommend having one of these to use if needed.

How Often Should You Check Your ATV’s Bolts, Nuts, and Boots?

As you ride your ATV, you should inspect and tighten the bolts, nuts, and boots every 3 months or after 300 miles. Bolts are what hold the chain to the sprocket. Tighten the bolts on your chain by turning them clockwise only.

Nuts are what hold your chain in place on the sprocket. Tighten them by turning them counterclockwise only. Boots are what connect your ATV to its wheels on either side of it. Make sure they are tight enough so that it doesn't drag along when you ride over bumps or dirt.

Most of the accidents on ATVs happen due to the bolts that are loose or not tightened enough. Proper tightening of bolts will ensure that your ATV is safe for your ride. Tightening bolts should not be an easy task because it requires time and patience.

We also recommend taking a look before every ride for the basics. This is a basic safety precaution to make sure there is nothing wrong, but every 300 miles you should conduct a more thorough inspection of your machine.

Other ATV Maintenance Tips To Consider

You need to properly maintain your ATV for it to serve you longer. The bolts, nuts, and boots on your ATV rely on proper machine maintenance and other routine tasks that will help your machine.

1. Wash Your ATV Regularly

To prevent your ATV from being damaged by loose mud on the wheels, you should wash your ATV regularly. This will help keep dirt and debris from building up on your machine's drivetrain.

This is also a way to protect all of the bolts, nuts, and boots on your ATV because mud and dirt can build up and cause them to wear down faster from corrosion.

2. Grease Your ATV Regularly

Grease should be applied without too much force or pressure on the bolt or nut. You should also make sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations when using grease during routine maintenance.

Grease is an important thing for an ATV and it helps to grease all of the nuts, bolts, boots, and bearings on your machine to keep them in the best shape possible.

3. Consistently Change Oil & Fuel

Regularly changing the oil and fuel of your ATV is an important part of maintaining it. It is very important to know how to use the right amount of oil for your machine too.

Always keeping these in check will ensure your machine is running at its best when you use it. This allows everything else to remain in better shape too.

4. Monitor Tires

Monitoring your tires on your ATV is also a crucial part of the riding experience. Riding on properly inflated tires is much better for your ATV and sustaining its durability.

In terms of wheel balancing, these monitors will also help wheel owners to avoid wheel damage from a sudden imbalance. It is a good idea to have a monitor to help you balance your tire so you can enjoy riding in comfort and alleviate any damage that may come from an imbalance.