An ATV, also commonly known as a quad bike, is a four-wheeled, lightweight vehicle primarily used to travel through rough terrain. Riding ATVs is a popular recreational activity due to their ability to traverse through mud, snow, and sand. Today, the ATV's popularity is global, with ATVs commonly used as delivery and transport vehicles among special forces. There are also many motorsports events featuring ATVs taking place every year.
ATVs are generally easy to maintain, but what if you need to prepare your quad bike for a specific type of terrain? Mounting a new set of tires doesn't require your vehicle to be towed to the nearest professional shop. Instead, it is a straightforward task you can perform at home if you have the right equipment.
Unsurprisingly, the most challenging part about mounting a tire is getting the old rubber off and the new ones on — but if you can handle that, the rest should be a breeze. Although it is a good practice to balance your tires, you wouldn't have to worry too much about it unless you plan to exceed 45 mph.
To make it more streamlined, let’s outline the steps you take to mount a new tire:
Before you begin, make sure that you have considered all the potential hazards that could harm you or anyone in the vicinity. Make sure not to use faulty equipment and always prioritize safety.
Lift the quad using a jack and proceed to remove the lugs. Removing the wheel makes it much easier to break the bead of the current tire wrapped around it. Once the wheel has been removed, you can begin deflating the tire by removing the cap and pressing on the tire valve, letting the air escape and making it easier to break the bead.
Once you get all of the air out of the tire, it is time to break the bead seal and loosen it from the rim. A tire-changing tool will be a good investment if you plan to do this regularly. However, even a regular pry bar will often do the trick. Once you have chosen your weapon of choice, proceed as follows:
Once you have removed the old tire, you would want to ensure that the rim is cleaned thoroughly before the new tire is added to ensure a perfect fit and prevent air from leaking. Before putting on the new tire, you could apply a bead sealer. However, only use this if you see any potential damage on the rim or the tire, as adding a sealer would make it even harder to remove a tire next time.
You must first lube the new tire before it goes onto the rim. Otherwise, you are in for a difficult mounting process!
Make sure the tire bead is free of dirt before you lube the bead. If you do not have any lube lying around, soapy water will work equally well.
Before you begin mounting, check the orientation of your tire. The ATV tires generally have forward and backward tire tread that provides extra traction. Once you determine the direction, place the rim on the ground in a way that will prevent it from sliding away with the shallow side facing up. Next, pop the tire onto the rim and work your way around until the tire bead is lined up correctly. You can also use your pry bar to get the top bead below the rim.
You have now reached the final step in mounting your new tires. To successfully set the beads on both sides of the tire, you might have to inflate it with the core of the tire out, using a high-powered air compressor to get more air in quickly and seat the beads.
Another, slightly less conventional, way to achieve this result is by spraying starter fluid into the tire and lighting it on fire. The flame will burn out the air from the tire and stretch the beads into place. It is a great trick to try out if you know what you are doing, but it isn't the ideal choice for everyone. The final step is to proceed to inflate your tire traditionally. As mentioned earlier, ensure to balance your tires if you plan to ride over the speed of 45 mph.
Remember, safety is your first priority when performing any technical tasks. Make sure you wear the necessary safety equipment and stay aware of your surroundings when working with an open flame and flammable liquids. If you do not have adequate equipment or working environment, it is recommended that you take your ATV to be serviced by professionals.
While it is not the easiest nor least labor-intensive thing to change on an ATV, the process of mounting your tires is relatively straightforward. By learning how to change tires, you could save yourself hundreds of dollars by simply doing your own ATV tire changes.