How to Replace Disc Brakes on an ATV
Jan 10th 2019
How to Replace Disc Brakes on an ATV
Whether you have a need for speed, a sense of exploration, a love of mud, or a career in agriculture or emergency services, you appreciate the capabilities of your trusted ATV or UTV side-by-side. ATVs combine the lightweight maneuverability of a motorcycle with the ruggedness of a specialized off-road truck. As such, performing a full service brake job on an ATV is a sort of mash-up between motorcycle brakes and car/truck automotive brakes.
If you’re an experienced gearhead, chances are that you’re already well aware of the procedure but if you’re new to powersports or you’d like to learn how to do basic maintenance yourself instead of paying a shop to do it for you, we’ll teach you how to change out your own brakes. It’s an easy job and not only will you improve the safety and performance of your ride, you’ll feel the satisfaction of a job well-done that you did yourself. Let’s begin!
DO I NEED NEW BRAKES?
Once you become acclimated to the way your ATV accelerates, handles, and stops, you learn the individual performance capabilities of your chosen make, model, and configuration. It’s usually pretty easy to determine a serious mechanical failure or a seriously worn or damaged component, but brakes are often overlooked until the wear has become so extreme that they no longer function properly or are completely obliterated from overuse. We’re going to want to avoid getting to that point by periodically inspecting the condition of your brakes and paying attention to certain riding habits (as discussed in our previous entry, ATV Brake Basics).
Learn to hone in on instinct and trust your senses. When you apply the brakes and you feel excess vibration or judder, or if the vehicle itself has difficulty coming to a stop, these are telltale signs that your ATV’s brakes need immediate service.
Now, onto the job itself.
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
- Socket wrench and socket set
- Torque wrench (check your ATV’s specific make and model for proper torque specs)
- Small C-clamp
- Flathead screwdriver
- Allen key set
- ATV stand/hydraulic ATV lift
STEP 1:
Lock down the emergency brake/parking brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling as you start to loosen the wheel lug nuts.
STEP 2:
With your socket wrench, begin to break loose the lug nuts on all of your wheels. Don’t remove them totally; just loosen them up so that they’ll be easier to take off once you get the machine up on a lift or on stands. This is going to require a bit of muscle, so don’t be surprised if the lug nuts don’t want to give immediately (it should be of concern if the lug nuts DID come off easy and without even the slightest effort). If the lug nuts are putting up more of a fight than you were expecting, try using a penetrating oil like PB B’laster to remove some of the metal corrosion that is seizing up the nuts and lug studs.
STEP 3:
After all of the lug nuts have been loosened, raise the ATV with either an ATV stand or a hydraulic lift. You don’t need to raise it several feet in the air, just a few inches so that the tires are off the ground. This will keep the stand/lift stable. Fully remove all those loosened lug nuts and set them aside close to you, but not too close where you’ll risk knocking them over and having them roll around your garage/driveway and get lost. Remove the wheels and you will be able to see the brake rotors and brake calipers.
STEP 4:
(If your ATV has brake caliper guards, these will need to come off in order to service the caliper.)
The brake caliper is held in position by a pair of slide pin bolts. These attach the caliper onto the knuckle. Remove the slide pin bolts and then remove the caliper from the rotor. Be careful not to let it hang from the brake line by its own weight.
STEP 5A - CHANGING THE BRAKE ROTOR:
Remove the spindle pin located in the center of the wheel hub. Pull off the wheel hub. On the backside of the wheel hub, you will see a series of bolts. These secure the rotor to the hub. Use your socket wrench to loosen and remove these bolts. The old brake rotor is now ready to be removed. Remove the old rotor and replace with your brand new one. Secure the new rotor onto the hub by reinstalling the bolts that were removed just earlier. Make sure to check your ATV owner’s manual for proper torque specifications (use your torque wrench). Reinstall the wheel hub.
STEP 5B - CHANGING THE BRAKE PAD:
Unscrew the debris covers with a flathead screwdriver. You should be able to see the bolts that lock the pads inside the caliper. Use an Allen key to loosen the brake pad bolts but don’t completely remove them. Now that the brake pads are loose, gently wiggle them back and forth to get them out of the brake caliper (DO NOT USE HEAVY FORCE. This can damage the caliper pistons.) Use your small C-clamp to compress the pistons back inside the caliper. Lightly increase pressure; don’t do it to quickly or else you risk ruining the caliper. Install your new brake pads.
STEP 6:
Reinstall the bolts and debris covers, place your wheels back onto their respective hubs and tighten the wheel lug nuts to factory spec with your torque wrench. DO NOT USE AN AIR WRENCH to fasten the wheel lug nights. This can cause uneven torque which carries the potential for ruining wheels, wheel hubs, and for causing uneven handling and braking performance.
Congratulations! You’ve changed your ATV’s brakes all by yourself!
THINGS TO REMEMBER
There are certain dos and dont’s when it comes to riding that can be detrimental to the lifespan of your ATV’s brakes. For example, mudding is absolute murder on standard brakes. It’s not uncommon for riders to tear through a brand new set of brakes in a few hours of mudding. That’s why aftermarket parts manufacturers such as Race Driven have developed dedicated, mud-specific brake parts. Another example is the use of standard brakes in a high-speed environment, such as on a race course or motocross event. The OEM brakes are designed to perform in typical, low-stress conditions and are not intended for the heavy use and abuse of motorsports competition.