Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks

Mud and Guts Offroad Forum

Run by Offroader's for Offroader's

06-09 450 Rhino Service Manual

04-07 Rhino 660 Service Manual

08-10 Rhino 700 Service Manual

2009-2010 RZR 800 Service Manual

2011-2012 RZR 800 Service manual

2011 RZR 900 XP Service manual

1.    When working on your SxS, ATV, or anything driven offroad always use a thread locker on all nuts and bolts whether it be an added accessory or a maintenance item. But be careful only use small amounts of the recommended locker. As a general rule I use blue thread locker on smaller bolts and red thread locker on larger bolts(like axle nuts).

2.   After a good clean up of your SxS or ATV use a good Plastic Protectant (such as armor all) to spay it down all over then let it set for an hour or so without wiping it off. It will keep you bike looking like new and easier to clean next time.

 

3.   When mud riding run a little more air pressure in your tires it will yield much needed ground clearance. Plus lower air pressures will allow mud and debris to get between the bead of the tire and rim eventually causing a flat.

4.   Always Carry tire plugs and some kind of pump to inflate the tires in case of a flat. It is also a good ideal to carry a  ratchet tie-down or rope in case of the bead breaking from the rim. The ratchet tie down or rope can be wound  around the tire to force the bead back on.

5.   When towing another vehicle out of the mud or out of the trails always attach your tow strap at a low point on both  vehicles approximately the same height as the axle. That gives you the most pulling strength.

6.   If you have a winch on you SxS or ATV be sure and spray cable lube on it every time you clean your Ride to keep the cable looking and performing like new. Reeling it all the way out, cleaning it, and lubing it every time you use  it when submerged in mud is also a good Preventive maintenance.

7.   When changes exhaust always and I mean always re-jet your carburetor it will give you more power and make your engine last longer. Jetting tips.

8.   Always check the gap on a new spark plug. They may say pre-gapped but in transit that gap could change.

9.   Preventative maintenance doesn't just mean changing the oil. Every time you clean your bike check your coolant, ball joints, Tie rods, wheel bearing, lug nuts, and clean your air filter.

10.  Before buying anything for your SxS or ATV always do a little research to find the parts that best suit your needs. This is so your "wish I hadn't done that" list is smaller than your "Glad I did" list.

11.  If you have a rhino and the bed is getting scratched a truck bed coating like Herculiner will fix that problem as well as get rid of a lot of the vibrating noise caused by the bed.

12.  When installing graphics clean the plastic then apply a mixture of soap and water to the plastic where the graphics will be applied this keeps the graphics from sticking so you can move it around and put it where you want it. When you have the graphics where you want them you can either let them set and air dry or you can speed up the process with a little heat from a hair dryer. Remember to always apply graphics in a warm environment.

13.  Have you ever stressed the plastic on your bike? Bending your plastic beyond a specific point causes stress marks which are eye sores on any bike, but can be fixed to an extent with a heat gun. But be careful not to get the plastic to hot.

14.  If your oil cooler is in front of your radiator then you know it is almost impossible to clean the radiator without removing the oil cooler. But I have a solution for that, This is a handy little item that is real simple and will allow you to give the radiator a good cleaning in only minutes every-time you wash your bike. For more info click this link Radiator Cleaner.

15.  Are you tired of having to bear hug the hood of you Rhino every time you need it open? If so this mod. is for you  and only takes a few seconds with a Dremel tool. Click this link for more info Rhino easy open Hood Mod.

16.  It is a good ideal to go over a new bike and put Dielectric grease on all of its electrical connections. After that any time you unplug something electrical on your quad make sure it has sufficient Dielectric grease on it to keep it from shorting out later on the trail.

17.  If your bike has non-directional tires it is also a good Ideal to rotate them from side to side when they start to get a rounded edge to keep a sharp leading edge on the tires so they bite just a little bit harder.

18.  If your bike has a fuel petcock always remember to turn it off when not in use. Because if it leaks not only will it  cause your bike to flood it could do major engine damage if not found in time.

19.  Never use fabric filter oil (such as K&N filter oil) on a foam filter it is not designed for it. Always use foam filter oil on a foam filter and fabric filter oil on fabric filters.

20.  When removing the float bowl on your carb. be very careful most float bowl screws are very soft and easy to strip out. I recommend replacing them with socket head cap screws (a common Yamaha float bowl screw is 4mm x 10mm).

21.  In need of a fuel filter for your Rhino? NAPA Gold 3011 is a quick replacement for the stock Yamaha Rhino filter (450 and 660).

22.  If you ride offroad invest in a set of shock covers they are cheap insurance for those expensive shocks. Pro Armor Shock Covers

23.  If you find yourself changing wheel bearings which are recessed into the hub and you need a quick tool to  press them in, grind the outer radius on one of your old bearings till it fits freely in the hub and use it as a bearing driver.

24.  To make it easier to press in a bearing put the bearing in the freezer for a couple hours before installing. The cold temp will cause the steel to shrink making it easier to install.

25.  Do not use Dot 3 brake fluid in a system that calls for Dot 4. Dot 4 fluid has a higher Temperature rating than  Dot 3 by about 80 degrees.

26.  Another good item to keep with you on the trails is TP(toilet paper).

27.  Like the Yamaha Rhino a lot of bikes have caliber slides which will become stuck over time if you ride in mud and water. I recommend removing these atleast once or twice a year and greasing them to prevent them from sticking. If you wait till they stick the job will be a lot harder and your brakes could potential fail when on the trail.

28.  When mounting a new set of tires lubing up the bead of the tire with a little dish-washing liquid will make the tire slide on the rim easier and it will also allow the bead to seat on the rim with a little less pressure. Never use anything other than dish-washing liquid or approved fluids.

29.  To extend the life of your ball joints and tie rods purchase a grease needle from the local auto parts store. The grease needle can be slide between the seal and metal parts to allow greasing if it is not equipped with a grease Zerk. The needle is designed so you can poke a small hole in the seal then grease but I do not recommend poking a hole in any seals when used offroad.

30.  Try not to run your winch when submerged in water. Although they may work and I have done it on many occasions, a winch will create a vacuum drawing water into the gearbox and/or motor causing premature failure. You can tear down the winch and re-grease the gear box if necessary before total failure if caught in time.

31.   Another tip is if your engage/disengage button on your winch is stuck or trying to stick it is a good sign water has done entered the gear box and caused the bearing to become rusty.(Some companies like KFI Products offer replacement parts so you can rebuild their winches instead of buying a new one at this time you must call KFI for replacement parts as they are not shown on their website).

32.  Got noisy brakes? For the first year my rhino had an irritating brake squeak so I set out looking for a fix. What I found was CRC Disc Brake quit, it works great and no more irritating noises come from my brakes till they are worn completely out.

33.  Do your skid plates squeak? Applying a little silicone to the skid plates where they meet the belly pans of the bike will stick them together as well as cushion the two parts and quieten them down. But be careful if you apply to much silicone between the parts they may be very hard to separate later on if need be.

34. If you have a steal bolt break off in aluminum tack weld a steal nut to the broken bolt and let it cool before trying to remove it. After cooling the bolt should back right out with a ratchet or wrench. Overtime aluminum corrodes and bonds to the steel but by welding the nut to the bolt you heat up the steel in turn making it swell then when it cools it goes back to its original size. This process helps break the bond between the two metals making it easier to separate them.

35. Use your winch! Even a water resistant winch that is on a bike but goes unused will collect moisture in the electric motor which will cause corrosion that will eventually cause the winch to fail. A simple way to remedy this is by putting the winch gearbox in the free spool position and then running the winch till the electric motor feels warm to the touch, the operation of the winch will help clean up any corrosion that has started to form and the heat will dry out the moisture increasing the life of the winch! The best time to do this is after clean up. Tip supplied by KFI Products!

Changing the Bearings on a Yamaha Rhino!

Understanding the Snatch Block

Understanding wheel offsets

Changing the Yamaha Rhino rear brakes.

Bleeding Brakes

If you have any good tips or tricks you would like to see listed here feel free to send them to me

Neil@mudandgutsoffroad.org

Keep your rig on the road with regular visits to an auto repair shop!