Never Hurts To Be Prepared
Story By: Kyle Callen
Photos by: Brandon Bunch
The sun begins to fade behind the hills as the sky turns from fire orange to pitch black. The chill in the air becomes more pronounced as we blaze through the trails. Flipping the switch, our Baja Designs lights start to glow, turning the night back into day, allowing us to keep the pace up as we head for our secret spot to have a bonfire and decompress from the day. The best part? This is just a normal weekday night run for us. Hitting the silty hill a mere 100 yards from our destination, POP, there goes the belt, I probably should have checked that in the last service. A quick call over the radio and Brandon circles back to lend a hand to get me that last 100 yards. Pulling the SpeedStrap out of its home in the car, we link the cars together and finish the trail as one unit. Lighting a fire and opening a beverage, it’s time to get dirty changing a belt.
Changing a belt and proper belt/clutch servicing is something every UTV owner should know how to do before hitting the dirt. It is not a matter of “IF” It is a matter of “when” a belt breaks. Driving style and service intervals are major factors in belt life, and we are not easy on belts as we like to drive hard and fast. The manufactures equip each UTV with specific tools to do this on the trail, but packing your own tool bag will make the job much easier. If you run out of talent like we do sometimes, having your own well stocked tool bag will allow you to fix most anything that is broken to get back to the trailer. The core of a well put together tool kit is the bag itself. Find something that is well constructed and has multiple pockets to organize things for easy access. We really like this Snap-On bag, it has been to hell and back and isn’t phased. We have also used the Husky brand bags and they work great as well, and are more cost effective.
Keeping the tools together that you will need most often, like the proper ratchet, extension and socket to pull the clutch cover, and a ladies foot to pry open the secondary will make the process a whole lot faster. I find it much easier to use a wobbly socket to pull the clutch cover. A basic hand tool set including metric sockets, various extension, ratchets and end wrenches are handy. With Allen and Torx fasteners scattered throughout the UTVs, I pack “L” allen wrench and torx wrench sets. These save space over more rows of sockets, and still get the job done. A test light to diagnose any basic electrical issues and various pliers to hold those things that shouldn’t be moving. I have often been made fun of for packing bailing wire, zip ties and tape, but when something comes loose or falls off, how else would you hold it on? Riding is fun, but being a Macgyver of the trail when things go wrong is pretty darn useful. It is not about the destination, it’s about the journey to get there.
Obviously if you are carrying a spare tire, having a breaker bar and the proper sockets to change that flat tire are useful. A spare set of lug nuts and studs is also a great insurance policy as they take a lot of abuse on the trail. And in our case with replacing a blown belt, we were under the moonlight doing the work; so having a headlamp or flashlight is quite handy, as well as a good set of mechanics gloves for handling hot or sharp objects.
Whether it is fixing your own rig on the trail, a buddies after he runs out of talent, or a poor soul stranded on the trail with a lack luster tool kit, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for the inevitable. We always hope for the best and prepare for the worst, and like I said earlier, it’s not a matter of if, it is a matter of when. You also don’t have to buy super expensive tools, although they are nice, a set of tools from Amazon or Harbor Freight will absolutely do the trick when you are in a pinch.
