How To

-- Not all of us live at a place where we can just ride to the trails right from our back door. Even if you can, there's always other great riding areas you like go to. So, that means hauling your ATV or UTV somewhere is a standard part of the sport. There are many different ways to do that, from fancy haulers to not-so-fancy. We typically see the full range of dos and don'ts when observing how off-road machinery is transported. Here is an example of some of that creativity and improvising. . When you gotta go… and you…

-- Better protection with CageWrx -- We say it time and time again—protection is the most important factor when it comes to off-roading any machine. Wearing the right helmet, eye protection, switching out the stock UTV seat belts with harness systems—all of these are great ideas to keep you riding longer. If you ask one of our editors which UTV accessory you would purchase after the helmet and harnesses, they would tell you to get a stronger roll cage. STEP-BY-STEP PHOTO INSTRUCTIONS…

-- Winston "Boss" McKannick is the shop foreman here at Dirt Wheels and one of his main jobs is to help out readers who may have a problem with their quad or UTV. He is the Mister-Know-It-All when it comes to mechanical problems and how to fix them. Today's question comes from a reader in South Dakota: Dear Boss, I purchased a leftover 2016 Polaris Ranger High Lifter 900. I love it, except for its ability to “eat” headlight fuses. About three times a month the 10-amp headlight fuse blows. I do not ride in…

-- BOSS McKANNICK TO THE RESCUE -- Dear Boss, We own an old 1999 Honda TRX300. The battery had been weak for years, and we just kick-started it to get it running. Well, my son purchased a new battery and installed it, but the cables were frayed, and when he first started it, the positive cable touched the battery-hold-down plate on the frame, and it got red hot, sparks flew and the cable melted. Luckily, the machine didn’t catch fire. But, now everything is dead. What are my options now to get it back in…

-- EFI is here to stay. Deal with it. The curmudgeons who claimed it was a passing fad have all changed their story and now claim they knew all along that dirt-going vehicles would go digital. In theory, the advantages are huge. EFI can give you more adjustability, it can be more economical, more reliable and mechanically simpler. But now that most high-end quads are injected, we’ve found that theory and reality don’t always mesh. The most troubling part is that we have seen quads that are somewhat tamper-resistant, making…

Not necessarily in order of importance By the staff of Dirt Wheels DON’T DO DOUGHNUTS We aren’t sure what it is about a UTV, but everyone who gets in one wants to start doing doughnuts. That isn’t a good idea in a tall machine with active long-travel suspension. It is a very good way to land your machine on its side. If you absolutely can’t resist, don’t let off, but don’t say we said it was okay. The same is true of deep-rutted turns. You can’t repeal the laws of physics. You can only slam into…

-- MINI PRO-TACK PLASTIC WELDER -- The Dirt Wheels crew came across this handy tool to repair the busted plastic fenders and body panels on quads and UTVs. It's cheaper than buying new plastic, especially if you have several machines with cracks here and there. The standard solution for trying to make cracked plastic less noticeable is putting duct tape on the under side, then maybe using some type of plastic glue on top. The problem is there isn't really a strong enough bond holding the two pieces together. That's…

Almost anyone who loves riding quads enjoys taking them out to the dunes. Sand is one of the safest, most fun and enjoyable surfaces for an ATV. That being said, we want you and your buddies to be able to go out and enjoy the wide world of sand-slinging to your heart’s content. If you have friends who are new to duning, then take the time to show them the ropes, and what it takes to enjoy this unique form of off-road adventuring. Being prepared, and knowing a few rules of the dunes, will go a long way in making your…

-- Keep your machine’s suspension working like new, By the staff of Dirt Wheels -- Keeping the suspension working well on a quad or UTV requires a variety of parts to function as they should. Adjusting the spring preload and fine-tuning the adjusters are the fun part. There are less glamorous duties, like making sure that the suspension arms are operating as they should. Most quad and UTV suspension arms pivot on simple plastic bushings with a sleeve for the bolt to go through. For the most part, these work…

-- 10 critical, but cheap, between-drive prep tips --  By the staff of Dirt Wheels with Ryan Rose -- Utah’s Ryan Rose is a tech at Kombustion Motorsports’ UTV performance shop, but he is also a major UTV fan. He builds his machines keeping a careful eye on the money spent, but he drives them hard. We had the opportunity to drive his Polaris XP 1000 when it had 5000 miles on it, and it still felt brand new. When we commented on that, he said he had a checklist for the machine that he followed after every…

-- Make your quad's front end perform the best -- You may have a quad or UTV that allows you to adjust the camber and caster of the front end. You usually find these types of adjustable pieces on aftermarket A-arms, but rarely on OEM equipment. There are several aftermarket A-arm companies that offer camber- and caster-adjustable A-arms. Houser has Slicast A-arms, Teixeira Tech offers adjustability in their arms, while Walsh Race Craft and Roll Design, too, have adjustability. Camber and caster adjustments drastically…

Here is the tool that Machined Integrations LLC has had to add grease to your UTV's wheel bearings. A very efficient and handy item, but it did require you to pull the axle out first. So now, here is a new tool they came out with for adding grease that slips over your axle. This makes it even easier and simpler. Machine Integrations LLC calls it their Multi-ported, Over-the-Axle Wheel Bearing Grease Tool. The president of the company says -- "Wheel bearings for ATV’S and UTV’S often do not come with enough…