The Tools You Need to Work on Your Side-By-Side

The shop here at SuperATV is equipped with every tool imaginable, from socket sets, to hydraulic lifts, to a shop air compressor system, to those little magnetic pick-up tools. We’ve got it all because we work on it all.

Your garage is probably not big enough to lift 11 UTVs simultaneously like ours, but you still need the right tools for the job. Our definitive tool list will make sure you have every tool you need to work on any UTV, and we’ll tell you what each tool is used for.

Polaris

Polaris has changed a lot over the years in terms of the bolts they use. The newest machines use bigger hardware and the machines built before 2014 use a mix of standard and metric bolts. Here’s the breakdown of what you need in your tool box to work on 2014 or newer Polaris UTVs.

2014 to mid 2017 Models

• 15 mm socket—A-arms, shocks, sway bars, radius arms, hubs, caliper mounts
• 27 mm socket—axle nuts
• 15 mm socket—ball joint nuts
• 8 mm allen key—transmission and front diff oil plugs
• 6 mm allen key—engine oil plug
• T40—all body plastic
• 10 mm socket—clutch case

Mid 2017 to 2019

• 15 mm socket—front A-arms, shocks, sway bars, hubs, caliper mounts
• 18 mm socket—rear A-arms, radius arms, shocks, sway bars
• 27 mm socket—axle nuts
• 15 mm socket—ball joint nuts
• 8 mm allen key—transmission oil plug, front diff oil plug
• 6 mm allen key—engine oil plug
• T40—all body plastic
• 10 mm socket—clutch case

2020+

• 18 mm socket—A-arms, radius arms, shocks, sway bars
• 27 mm socket—axle nuts
• 15 mm socket—ball joint nuts
• 8 mm allen key—transmission oil plug, front diff oil plug
• 6 mm allen key—engine oil plug
• T40—all body plastic
• 10 mm socket—clutch case

Can-Am

Can-Am is not as consistent when it comes to bolt sizes, although they are starting to commonize in newer models. We’re seeing a lot of 2020 models using the same A-arm bolts, for example, which hasn’t been the case in previous years. Either way, that means you’ll probably make use of every socket and wrench in your toolbox when working on most Can-Am side-by-sides.

If we listed every socket for every bolt on every machine, it’d stretch from here to Can-Am headquarters in Valcourt, Quebec. So, instead of doing that, here’s what we use on a 2020 Maverick X3 Turbo RR. It’s a good indication of what you need and where to use it, but keep the rest of your tools at the ready.

Maverick X3

• 13 mm socket—seats
• 15 mm socket—lower ball joints, front and rear caliper mounts
• 17 mm socket—lug nuts, transmission drain plug, oil drain plug
• 18 mm socket—A-arms, radius arms, shocks, sway bars, transmission fill plug
• 19 mm socket—upper ball joints
• 30 mm socket—axle nuts
• 8 mm allen key—differential fill plug
• 5 mm allen key—differential drain plug
• T30 torx—body plastic, belt cover

Honda

Honda, known for their reliability and efficiency, remains reliably efficient with their use of bolts across their line of UTVs and ATVs. Get out your 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, and 19 mm sockets and you’ll be able to take apart just about anything with the Honda name on it.

Let’s look at a honda Talon for an example.

Talon 1000

• 10 mm socket—front and rear differential drain plugs
• 12 mm socket—front brake caliper
• 14 mm socket—rear brake caliper
• 17 mm socket—radius arms, A-arms, shocks, sway bars, front and rear differential fill plugs, engine drain plug
• 19 mm socket—ball joints
• 30 mm—axle nut
• Philips and flathead screwdrivers—body plastic pop rivets, miscellaneous screws
• 5 and 6 mm allen keys—body plastic screws

Rotary Lifts

We use lifts from Rotary Lift exclusively in our shop. We have 10 PRO 6MR scissor lifts and 1 F10 two-post lift sold under different Rotary Lift brands. They’re headquarters are here in Madison, Indiana, but they’re internationally recognized as the leader in automotive lifts.

Our PRO 6MR scissor lifts are the backbone of our prototype shop where we often remove and reinstall dozens of parts on many different vehicles in a short amount of time. They have the capacity for any UTV on the market, but we turn them sideways to make sure the suspension on narrow vehicles doesn’t get caught on them.

Our F10 two-post lift comes in handy when we want to lift just a little bit higher. This two-post lift raises machines over 6 feet high so we can easily access the undercarriage. We’ve used this on everything from scanning the mounting points beneath a RZR differential to changing the oil on a military Humvee. It’s built for serious work.

Standard Stuff

There are a few no-brainer items that you need to get started. If you don’t have these, you’re not going to get much done.

Impact Wrench

Get a good one. Your impact wrench might as well replace your right hand when you’re working on your machine. Spending $200 to $400 for a good electric one is worth the investment. Check out this list of the best electric impact wrenches.

Air Compressor

You need air in your tires right? And no matter how many times we say don’t clean your garage with an air compressor (it’s real bad for your eyes) we know you’re going to do that too. Everyone needs an air compressor to work on their UTV. There are plenty of compressors to choose from for around $100.

Dead Blow Hammer

As your UTV gets older, you’ll find that some parts just don’t go together quite right anymore. That’s when you whip out the dead blow hammer. Get a good one for less than $40 and get those A-arms lined up, those bushings pressed in, and that ball joint out.

Snap Ring Pliers/Needle Nose Pliers

Snap rings are everywhere, from your ball joints to your transmission. If you want to have any hope of getting your machine taken apart, you need to get a pair. They’re super affordable so there’s no excuse not to have them.

Table Vise

A good table vise is like a swiss army knife of tools. It can hold stuff tight for you to work on like when you’re trying to get bushings out of an A-arm. It can work similar to a press for pushing in bushings or ball joints (if they fit) or any number of other things. We recommend getting a good bolt-down vise which can be found for under $100.

Get Back on the Trail

What’s the point in having every last tool you need for your side-by-side? Apart from saving you the frustration of trying to make the wrong tools work, you’ll save a ton of time. And saving time means more time riding!