Table of contents:
How To Use An ATV Jack
27 October 2022
At one point or another, you’ll need to lift up your ATV and look underneath it. This will require an ATV jack and the knowledge of how to use an ATV jack properly. An ATV jack will help you tinker around and get your ride ready for the next go.
An aluminum ATV jack, an ATV floor jack, or a typical car jack will work to lift your ATV up off the ground to provide enough clearance space to get under there and fix what needs fixing. A lot of times what you use will depend upon what you have available.
Often, the easiest answer for how to use a motorcycle ATV jack is to look in the owner’s manual. We also are all well aware of how confusing those can often be. These are also quickly and easily lost with too many toys in the garage.
The true key to safely using an ATV jack is to pay attention to balance and stability, along with using extra safety measures such as jack stands rather than relying fully on the jack mechanism. Your ATV is precious, and so is your health and safety. To get the job done well we need to look out for both.
Image from
www.canadiantire.ca
Safety Tips for Using ATV Jacks
Secure the ATV
When lifting the ATV up in the air it’s important to remember that you’re about to have several hundred pounds right above you as you work on the underneath. If something goes wrong, it will go really wrong and can be detrimental if not fatal.
First, it’s important to know what you are doing and how secure you need the ATV to be. When you lift the ATV with a jack, it has less stability than it normally does on all four wheels. If you’re just looking underneath, you’ll need to be less worried than if you’re doing serious work that will shift the ATV around a lot.
Use wedge blocks on the wheels and utilize the engine brake along with jack stands while working.
Secure in multiple places
It’s easy to think the jack is enough to lift and hold the ATV in the air. This single point will be the only thing protecting you from catastrophic failure, so it needs backups.
Utilize multiple different connection points to secure the ATV such as jack stands. Spread these evenly around the machine to help provide balance and stability.
A lot of different ATV jacks are on the market but safety needs to come first with each and every one. Regardless of the type of jack you use to lift your ATV, balance and stability will be the key to a successful DIY session on your rig.
How to Lift and ATV with a Jack
To raise up an ATV with a jack is as simple as it is with a car. Use the frame as a contact point for the jack and engage the jack mechanism.
If you’re in need of a one-time use, it’s totally fine to use your car jack. If you’re looking for specialized work on your ATV, it may be best to purchase an ATV motorcycle jack. These are specially designed to give you the safest lift with space to work.
Table lifts are the next step up for professionals looking to consistently raise their ATV and get work done or add upgrades to their rig. If you’re constantly working under the hood, these are worth looking into.
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