Do something different than your friends and build an ATV. You’ll have a custom ride and money in your pocket. Spend your saved money on matching helmets for you and your special someone. Impress your friends by building your own custom ride, that does what theirs doesn’t.
You will need:
- ATV frame
- ATV wheels and tires
- Engine
- Transmission
- ATV kit or mechanic’s manual
- Mechanic’s tools
- Seat(s)
- Body cover, if desired
- Friends to help work
- Engine lifter for the heavy stuff
- Blocks to support the frame
- ATV suspension system
Read the manual or kit directions first. This reduces time spent taking things apart because of skipped steps. Make sure you have all the parts you need. Leftover parts aren’t the best key to success- often a breakdown is the part you didn’t use. Pushing your ATV back to the garage is a bummer.
Place the frame right side up on the blocks. If it’s upside down when the wheels, transmission and engine are attached, you’ll look stupid asking friends to help flip it over or dismantle it and start again. Take note of where things should go.
Attach the axles and wheels. Make sure the wheels spin. If they don’t, being towed over the hills and trails is worse than building it upside down. Fill ports with axle grease and check the brakes before attaching the wheels. Make sure the wheel bearings are well greased before attaching the wheels.
Attach the ATV steering system and handlebars. You can check to see if the front wheels turn properly. It’s far easier to fix now than after the engine and transmission are in place.
In your quest to get the job done quickly, don’t forget the suspension. You want shocks to absorb the impact of flying over bumps and grooves, not rattling your fillings loose. Attach the suspension system now.
Insert the engine and attach to the frame. Insert the transmission, attach to the frame, engine and the rear axle. Your friends will be impressed that you’re building an ATV from scratch.
Attach the auxiliary components. This is the radiator, battery, braking pump and fluid holder, and so on. Fill with the proper fluids and test the engine. If it doesn’t turn on, try ignoring the laughter and charge the battery.
If everything works well, turn the engine off and take the ATV off the blocks. Attach the seat(s) and body cover. You can custom build the cover yourself. After all, you’ve proven you can design and build it.
Take the ATV out on short runs at first to break the engine in. Don’t give in to pressure to push it too hard too fast. You took the time to build your custom ride, give it time to break in- then blow everyone away showing what you can do.
Source, Sofi (no last name given), “How to Build Your Own ATV,” Tipdeck.com Website, 2 December 2009
