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ATV Brake
System Inspection, Maintenance, and Rebuild Tips
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ATV
Brake Calipers |
Stopping your ATV is paramount over going fast,
or you will only go fast once, which is why a
properly functioning brake system is important.
Routine inspection and maintenance on your ATV’s
brake system is critical to riding safety, and
your brakes should be inspected before each ride
because over time your brake pads will need to
be replaced. Depending on your riding conditions,
brake pads could last for years, or need to be
replaced monthly, which is why routine inspection
is so important.
Beyond the brake pads, proper brake fluid level
is also extremely important, and should be checked
as well before every ride. Most sport ATVs are
equipped with a front brake master cylinder mounted
on the handlebars along with a rear brake master
cylinder, which is usually mounted on the side
of the rear sub-frame. The front master cylinder
has a sight window for checking your brake fluid
for easy inspection. To properly check the fluid,
the master cylinder must be level, so this may
require re-adjusting the master cylinder to determine
the actual fluid level.
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ATV Front
Brake Master Cylinder with sight window
for checking the brake fluid and the top
can be easily removed with just 2 screws
to add fluid or inspect the brake fluid
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The
Rear ATV Brake Master Cylinder attaches
to the brake pedal and the fluid reservoir
is mounted above it normally behind or the
fenders or tucked along the sub-frame |
The rear master cylinder is normally a clear
small cylinder, which is similar in size to a
small pill bottle. It is typically clear with
fill levels indicated on the side of the cylinder,
but again the reservoir must be level to properly
determine the fluid level.
The fluid level may be fine, but the color is
also important. The brake fluid is typically a
yellowish / clear fluid, but if it turns brown
or has a burnt smell, the brake fluid was boiled
at one point and will not be as effective in the
future. It will be prone to breaking down and
boiling, which prevents the brake fluid from engaging
the brake pads to stop your ATV. If you are an
aggressive rider and have ever temporarily lost
your brakes during a ride due to boiling your
brake fluid, I highly recommend switching to a
high grade synthetic brake fluid because they
have higher boiling points than conventional brake
fluid. It is very important that you drain out
all the old brake fluid before switching to a
new brand or synthetic because the different fluids
can interact with each other and cause even more
issues.
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Steel
Braided ATV Brake Lines |
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