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What Is an ATV Jack?

Lori Kilchermann
Lori Kilchermann

An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) occasionally requires the assistance of an ATV jack to raise the vehicle into the air for maintenance and other work. An ATV jack is a hydraulic jack similar to the type used to raise an automobile, however, the ATV version incorporates a wide lifting platform to gently cradle the chassis of the ATV. One of the requirements of an ATV jack is low ground clearance, and the typical jack designed for use with an ATV has a very low ground clearance.

Commonly marketed as both a motorcycle as well as an ATV jack, the wide lifting cradle of the jack is also well-suited for many other tasks that require a low-profile lifting device. The need for a jack is obvious when attempting to change tires, brake components and chains. By raising the ATV, the work is much easier to access than when allowing the machine to rest on the floor. The jack is employed by simply sliding it under the ATV and twisting the handle counterclockwise to engage the hydraulic pump. The jack is then raised by pumping the handle slowly up and down until the lifting cradle nears the bottom of the ATV.

The typical jack designed for use with an ATV has a very low ground clearance.
The typical jack designed for use with an ATV has a very low ground clearance.

Once the lifting cradle of the ATV jack is positioned properly underneath the machine, the handle is pumped up and down to raise the ATV. Once at the desired height, the work can be completed and the ATV can be removed from the jack by twisting the handle slowly to the left to lower the jack. Care should be taken to monitor the movement of the ATV when raising and lowering it as a slight wobble could potentially result in a dramatic fall off of the jack. This can lead to damage to the machine as well as injury to the operator of the ATV jack.

Typically offered in both a steel and an aluminum version, the ATV jack can often make even the worst type of repair a little easier by allowing greater access to the bottom side of the ATV. The jack can also be used to lift one end or the other of an ATV, as well as to raise the entire machine, if needed. The convenience of the jack makes it useful in the professional shop as well as the novice's garage. For the utmost in safety, small tie-down straps, included with most jack purchases, should be used to secure the ATV to the jack when it is in the raised position.

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    • The typical jack designed for use with an ATV has a very low ground clearance.
      By: stoffies
      The typical jack designed for use with an ATV has a very low ground clearance.