Keeping your brakes in good condition is critical for ATV maintenance. Once your brakes start to wear out, you could be putting yourself into dangerous situations. You need to be able to stop quickly and successfully at all times on an ATV.
Mud and moisture is the main killer of ATV brake pads, as well as excessive use. Brake pads do their job best under dry conditions. I’m not saying avoid mud, that’s the best part of off-roading, but it’s just something to be aware of.
To complete a successful brake pad swap out, the first thing you need to be aware of is if you have disk brakes or drum brakes.
Most newer quads you will see with disk brakes for every tire. Hydraulic disk brakes are the norm now a days, but you still see drum brakes here and there, and more on older four wheelers. The hydraulic disk brakes are so popular because they stop so much more effectively, limiting the amount of ATV accidents and injuries.
You will be able to easily tell if your brakes are disk or drum brakes by looking for the brake system behind the tire or on the axle. Here are some examples:
ATV Disk BrakesYou will notice where the ATV disk brakes got their name, there’s an actual disk that the brake pads press against to slow the machine down.
These are very common for sport or racing quads. The front disk brakes will very similar except they will most likely be behind the front tire, usually on both sides of the front wheels.
This is because the front brakes are used more often and are so much more critical to slowing the machine down quickly.
ATV Drum BrakesThe drum brakes will look like this picture, they are enclosed with the brake shoes being pressed onto the the wall of the drum inside the drum itself.
These are more often found on older quads or on utility ATVs on the rear wheels. Since the front brakes are most important, it’s usually fine for the the back brakes to be the less effective drum style brake system.
After you figure out which brake system you have, drum or disk, you can get the parts and do a brake pad change.
If you do have drum brakes but want disk brakes, they sell pretty good Disk Brake Conversion Kits on Amazon, just make sure to get the right kit for your make and model.
But what type of pads will you want to get? Let’s talk about the different brake pad materials.
There are three common types of brake pad material to choose from. Ceramic, Metallic, and Organic. Ceramic are usually the most expensive but run a lot cleaner. They create less brake dust which in turn causes less wear and tear to your other brake system components.
Metallic brake pads are popular for sport quads because of the high temperatures they can withstand. But they tend to be noisy and rough on the rotors. Semi-Metallic brake pads are optimal for an everyday rider.
Organic brake pads are the cheapest option of the three.
They are easy on the rotors, and contain no metallic material. The down side is they offer the least performance and slowest braking time.
Semi-Metallic brake pads are the most common and best for everyday use. Here is a link to Semi-Metallic ATV Brake Pads on Amazon to help get your search started. Make sure you get the right set for your make and model.
First step is to make sure you have all the tools you need to complete the job. Unless you like running out to the parts store in the middle of a job. Most of these tools are very common and already in most garages.
Once you have all your tools and parts ready, it’s time to replace the brake pads. This is a pretty easy straight forward process.
First remove the ATV tire and wheel assembly from the machine. It’s best practice to loosen the lugs while the ATV is on the ground. Then lift the quad and remove the lugs and wheel.
This is usually done with a socket set, sometimes with an allen wrench. Look on the back of the caliper and you will notice two bolts that hold the brake assembly on.
Remove these bolts and the whole assembly comes off the rotor. The pads may still be on the caliper held there by two pins.
You will need to suppress the pins on the caliper to remove the brake pads. This is where you’ll use the vice grips or clamp. Once suppressed the brake pads will easily fall right out of the caliper housing.
This part can be a bit of a pain, but if you get the vice grips on just right you won’t have any problems.
You will need to compress the caliper piston with a c clamp or something to get the new brake pads in the caliper.
Once you compress the caliper piston you can remove the clamp and insert the new brake pads.
Remember to set the pads back on the caliper pins just the way the old ones were installed. You will need the vice grips again to compress the pins to put the new pads on.
Simply put the brake assembly back onto the machine by bolting the caliper back into place.
There you have it, you just changed your brake pads. Not that difficult of a job, and can be easily done in less than an hour once you know what you’re doing.
Put the wheel and tire back onto the machine and lower the jack. It’s best to loosely put the lugs on while the machine is jacked up, and then firmly tighten the lugs after you’ve lower the quad back to the ground.
Press the brake down to be sure that your brake is working properly. The first or first two pumps on the pedal are soft as the piston started at a new point on the backside the brake pad.
This might be a good time to check your brake fluid and replace or add any if needed. If you want to bleed the brakes and get all new fluid in there check out this article on How To Bleed Your Brake Fluid On An ATV.
The average rider can go a few years before needing new brake pads. It’s not a good idea to judge if you need pads by how long it’s been since last replacement though.
Since everyone rides their machine differently and with differing frequency, there are better ways to check of you need to do a replacement.
The best way to tell if you need to replace your ATV brake pads is by looking at the thickness of the pads. You could always measure them by hand, but a quick look is enough to tell if they’re worn out.
In this picture the pads on the right are worn and the pads on the left are new.
Another way to tell is if you hear a scraping noise while using your brakes when you’re riding. If you press down hard on the brakes and notice a jittery feeling in your handle bars, that’s another sign you should check out your brake pads.
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It goes without saying that if your ATV’s brakes aren’t doing their job, you’re going to have a bad time. The symptoms of brake issues are all too apparent when they rear their ugly head, but it’s not always so clear exactly where the issue in the brake system lies.
Whether your brakes are grinding, dragging, skipping, or feeling mushy, there’s a fix for it. It’s up to you to diagnose the correct issue and make the prescribed repairs.
Before you rip apart your brake system, first check that the area is clean. You should be cleaning your ATV periodically as part of your ongoing vehicle maintenance. Check that the wheels are properly centered, as a misaligned wheel will rub along brake pads, wearing them down prematurely.
If your four-wheeler’s brakes have suddenly locked up completely, it can be a massive pain if you’re miles from the shop. In this case, the brake cable is our most likely culprit. Brake cables are made of braided steel wrapped in a protective rubber casing. Older cables can accumulate rust, which causes the brake cable to stick, leaving you in a tough predicament.
A spray lubricant like WD40 will often be enough to free up your brakes. You’ll need to pull back the rubber casing that’s covering the cable and place the WD40 straw underneath the rubber.
Spray the lubricant down into the rubber casing. Do this for both ends of the cable, then pump the lever several times till the brakes are free.
Image from www.boostatv.com
ATVs with hydraulic braking systems require the use of brake fluid. Just like with a car, you need to change this brake fluid from time to time (check your manual) for it to keep working at full capacity. You can squeeze the fluid out of your brake fluid reservoir to check—it should be relatively clear and certainly not brown or black.
To replace the brake fluid, you add new fluid to the reservoir and open the bleeder valve on all brake calipers. Place a container under each caliper, as the old fluid will begin seeping out. Once the color of the seeping liquid turns clear, you can tighten the bleeder valve and fill up the brake fluid reservoir again.
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When you want to slow down, the brake caliper squeezes the brake pads against the brake rotor. So, it also comes to bear that the brake rotor can wear down over time. You can check this by using a micrometer to measure the rotor’s thickness. Your ATV’s service manual will specify appropriate thickness measurements.
Image from www.boostatv.com
If your brakes feel inconsistent, with a squishy, lumpy, or mushy feeling, there’s a chance that dirt or air bubbles are in the brake line. This can happen after you change brake components.
To bleed the brakes, you’ll need to loosen the drainage nipple on the brake caliper and drain the brake fluid until the air or dirt is dispelled.
Image from www.can-amforum.com
Many symptoms come from worn brake pads, and squealing brakes are one of the most noticeable. Unless your brake pads are new, grinding noises when you depress the brake certainly point to the brake pads.
If you have this issue with new brake pads, are you sure you’ve installed the right brake pads for your ATV? Brake pad installation should be simple. The wrong brake pads are arguably worse than worn brake pads.
Replacing brake pads is quite easy. Most new ATVs have hydraulic disk brakes. Remove the tire and wheel while the ATV is off the ground. Unbolt the caliper with a socket set. Take out the old brake pads by suppressing the pins in vice grips.
Now, compress the caliper piston with a c-clamp. Insert the new brake pads back on the caliper pins like the old pads were installed. Re-bolt the caliper and put the wheel and tire back on the vehicle.
We recommend bleeding your brake lines after replacing the brake pads. This ensures there are no air pockets and your new brake pads will work at 100% efficiency. Now it’s time to check your brakes to ensure your replacement has been a complete success.
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ATV brakes are a basic safety system and should work perfectly. And if you notice the slightest slippage or decrease in the efficiency of the nodes, the system needs to be checked. Therefore, let's figure out how to pump the brakes on an ATV and diagnose all the components.
The first fluid change is recommended as soon as the rider has purchased the ATV. The fact is that many manufacturers fill in the cheapest composition, which does not have a high operational resource.
After buying a used ATV, you also need to service the brake system: change the fluid, check the hoses and pads. Remember that during the operation of equipment, moisture and air enter the composition. This leads to the formation of corrosion and even freezing of the liquid in winter. For example, if the composition contains only 3% water, its operating temperature drops from 230 to 165 degrees.
You need to figure out how to pump the front and rear brakes of an ATV even in case of their “failures”. If the lever has lost its elasticity, then air or moisture has accumulated in the system, which has affected the characteristics of the fluid.
Before you adjust the brakes on your ATV, have the necessary tools ready. To bleed the system you will need:
It is worth noting that in order to pump the ATV, you need a partner who will clamp the brake lever. If there is no assistant, you can fix the position of the brake lever with a belt.
Bleeding the brakes scares many motorists. However, the procedure itself is very simple, so even a novice ATV rider can handle it. The rider only needs:
When topping up the composition, periodically press the brake lever. Thus, the liquid will disperse throughout the system. However, do not allow the tank to be completely empty and gradually top up the brake fluid. The procedure is performed until the liquid stops leaving. This procedure is carried out for all calipers (front and rear). But if the brakes on the ATV do not pump, then you need to find places in the system where air accumulates and eliminate them.
Experienced motorists recommend using only high-quality brakes that are suitable for specific temperatures.
This means that for summer and winter you need to choose different compositions.
Riders also advise:
Also buy a spare brake. If the documentation indicates that 0.5 liters of fluid is needed to bleed the system, buy 1 liter of the composition. The fact is that the recommended volume is indicated based on the experience of specialists. A novice ATV rider can spend more brakes.
19.02.2021 4259
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02 Dec
Any wheeled vehicle - from a bicycle to a multi-ton truck - has a transmission in its device: a system that transmits rotation from the engine to the wheels. The operation of the transmission - and therefore the speed of driving - can be controlled by shifting gears.
Gear shifting is organized differently in each mode of transport. In the article below, we will tell you exactly how to shift gears on ATVs, and what gearboxes are found on such equipment.
Gearboxes for ATVs can be of two types:
Rare and mostly found in older models, but other variations can be found. For example - "automatic" with the ability to manually shift gears.
Manual ATVs are a little more difficult to drive (at least at first, until you get used to it), but you can more accurately select the appropriate mode. And vice versa: CVT "boxes" are much easier to operate, they are easy to master for a beginner who gets behind the wheel of an ATV for the first time. But on the other hand, with active driving along a route with variable difficulty, riding a CVT will be a little less convenient.
For example: you are driving on a flat packed dirt road on H and you see a large stretch of muddy road ahead with deep mud (or a steep hill, or bumps, or stones). You have to come to a complete stop and shift to L, drive through mud, and come back to a dry road, come to a complete stop again and shift back to H.
, like motorcycles, and a manual clutch lever on the handlebar on the left.
The foot lever device can be of two types:
The shift itself is carried out in the same way as on motorcycles:
If you have experience driving any vehicle with a manual transmission, you will quickly get used to an ATV with such a gearbox. When exactly to switch speeds up and down is determined by the tachometer, speed, road complexity, weight of the load taken and the characteristics of the ATV itself (power, weight).
CVT gearboxes are much more common on ATVs. The clutch in them does not need to be squeezed out, and the “mode” of driving forward is selected from two (most often) options: in high (suitable for driving on an easy route) or in low (for difficult sections, steep climbs and towing) gears.
