(And the lightest, fastest fixes that actually get you home)Side-by-sides and quads eat miles of nasty trail, but when something breaks 20 miles from the truck, you’re not pedaling out. Here are the failures that strand more riders than anything else — in real-world order — plus the exact parts and tools that experienced riders actually carry.1. Flat Tire (Still the #1 strander)Happens from: sidewall tears on rocks, valve stems ripped off, or running too low on pressure.Fastest fixes that work
- Carry a 30-piece tire plug kit (Safety Seal or Stop & Go) + a quality 12V tire inflator (Viair 88P or Slime Pro Power). Most riders fix a plugged tire in <10 minutes and run it the rest of the weekend.
- For huge gashes: Throw a 2nd spare on the rack or carry a can of TireJect sealant as a get-home crutch.
- Pro move: Run 8–10 psi with beadlock wheels or Gorilla Tape + Stan’s inside the tire and flats become rare.
- Carry ONE spare belt (GBoost “World’s Best” or OEM) in a BeltBox or Tusk belt bag mounted under the seat.
- Tools needed: Clutch spreader tool (cheap $25 aftermarket one) + T40/T50 Torx set + 13 mm wrench.
- Changing a belt on the trail takes 12–25 minutes once you’ve done it twice. Watch the YouTube for your exact model before you need it.
- Carry one spare tie rod end (the weak link on most machines) and a 17/18/19 mm wrench set.
- Better: Upgrade to SuperATV Rhino 2.0 or SATV heavy-duty ends beforehand — they almost never break.
- Emergency limp: Zip-tie or ratchet-strap the knuckle together and baby it out in 2WD.
- Most people carry nothing and call for a trailer.
- Smart riders bolt a spare front axle shaft (Rhino or RCV) to the roll cage on long trips. Swap takes 20–40 min with basic sockets.
- Get-home hack: Remove the broken axle completely, lock the front diff (if equipped), and run 2WD the rest of the way.
- Carry a Lithium jump pack (NOCO GB40 or Antigravity XP-10). Fits in the glovebox and starts anything.
- Spare regulator/rectifier (common failure on older Polaris & Yamaha) is only 6 oz and bolts on in 10 minutes.
- Carry 6 spare 12×1.5 lug nuts (or 1/2-20 for Polaris) and a 19 mm deep socket.
- Worst case: Stuff the empty holes with sticks and limp out on 2–3 lugs at 5 mph.
- Carry 25 ft of 1″ heater hose, two hose clamps, and a small bottle of coolant. Cut and splice on the trail.
- Punctured radiator: Pepper + black pepper trick actually works for small holes, or shove a tire plug in it and top off coolant.
- Tire plug kit + 12V inflator
- Spare CVT belt + clutch tool
- Spare tie rod end + lugs
- Lithium jump pack
- Basic metric socket/Torx set + ratchet straps
- Duct tape, zip ties, bailing wire
