What Are the Different Types of ATV Tools?

Many of the tools necessary to work on an automobile or motorcycle can be used as ATV tools, though some specialty tools relevant only to ATVs do exist. Generally, various types of wrenches are used to add or remove parts from an all-terrain vehicle, or ATV, though some parts will require special ATV tools. Bearings, for example, may require bearing presses or removal tools, and while such tools exist for other applications, an ATV manufacturer may design specialty sizes or shapes of bearings that require specialty tools.

Like automobiles and motorcycles, ATV tires can be difficult to remove from the rim. It is therefore necessary to keep special ATV tools useful for separating rubber tires from metal rims. Tire spoons, sometimes known as tire levers, can be worked in between the tire's bead and the rim, and the user can then pry the tire off the rim. Some motorcycle and ATV repair shops will have heavier-duty tools for removing or installing tires quickly and easily; these are usually not exclusively ATV tools, but instead tools useful for ATVs, motorcycles, other off-road vehicles, and in some cases even automobiles.

Most ATVs feature a drive chain that transfers torque from the motor to the axles that turn the wheels. In order to do certain repairs, sometimes the chain must be broken and removed from the vehicle. Breaking the chain properly requires ATV tools known as chain breakers; these devices are used to push the center pin out from one of the chain links, thereby freeing the chain from the vehicle. When the chain needs to be reinstalled, or if a new chain is being installed on the ATV, the chain breaker can be used to push the pin back into the link. Various sizes of chains exist, so some chain tools are adjustable to accommodate them.

Other highly specialized ATV tools — some of which can also be used on other vehicles — include spark plug gapping tools, ball joint removal tools, axle wrenches, jet adjustment tools, and lifts. Jet adjustment tools are sometimes included in carburetor cleaner kits, as ATV carburetors can get dirty and begin to affect engine performance fairly drastically. Various types of hydraulic lifts exist, though some are made specifically to lift motorcycles and ATVs off the ground so a user can more easily access components on the undercarriage, or to remove wheels and other axle components more easily.