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Tips to Prevent Rust From Developing on Your ATV

Jun. 18 2021 Ownership Tips By Cycles Of JacksonVIlle

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Trail riding on an all-terrain vehicle is a lot of fun, but just like other vehicles, ATVs need to be routinely cared for. Rust is the unfortunate result of riding in wet or salty conditions. Rust also can deteriorate the integrity of the ATV frame or inhibit the proper use of the brakes or suspension. Both of these will eventually make the vehicle unsafe to drive. You can follow this guide to take steps to prevent rust from developing on your ATV. At Cycles of Jacksonville, serving Orlando and St. Augustine, Florida, we have your ATV connection.

Always Clean Your ATV After a Wet or Salty Ride

One of the easiest and obvious ways to prevent rust is to clean your ATV after a ride, especially if it was in salty or wet conditions. Rust accumulates on metal if it comes in contact with water and oxygen. Salt will speed up the accumulation of rust since salt absorbs water. Cleaning and drying all water and salt will lessen the possibility of rust forming on your ATV’s parts.

Store or Park the Vehicle in a Cold and Dry Space

A garage or carport should be fine as long as it is well ventilated. If you don’t have a garage or carport to store your ATV, then use a well-ventilated cover.

Regularly Grease All Fittings

After any submersion in water or good pressure washer cleaning, grease all the fittings to prevent rust from forming in these areas. Often, there are directional stickers on the vehicle to show where these grease fittings are.

Use a Thin Layer of Oil Protectant

No matter where you store your ATV, you cannot remove all humidity from the air, so you should protect the metals from rusting. Apply this protective coating to the following metal parts:

  • Any exposed portions of the frame.
  • Engine.
  • Shocks and springs.
  • A-arms.
  • Swing arm.
  • Exhaust and muffler (optional, as it produces a bad smell when heated).
  • Radiator.

Only do this when it is cold as most oil protectants are highly flammable. Also do not spray the brake discs as it will make them ineffective when riding.

Check to ensure the protectant is safe to use on rubber as well because it is thought that these products will disintegrate rubber gaskets and seals. The very versatile product WD-40® is great to use for this and should not harm the rubber or plastic on the vehicle.

These are just a few general tips for keeping up with your ATV. If you’re in the Orlando and St. Augustine, Florida, areas, we at Cycles of Jacksonville can help you with all of your ATV care and storage needs.