A Quick Repair Job, Great Service Attitude and Family Times

We have a quad ATV that we enjoy for family times–giving rides and pulling things around the woods on occasion as well. A couple of weeks ago a tree got in the way of one rider and the rear axle was bent just enough to make it wobble. So we decided to replace it. It is a saga of fun, frustration at times, a great group of service personnel and a great father/son time on a Saturday morning.

We found the new axle but could not find the repair manual for it. When you buy something used there are usually no books that come with it and we looked online but most repair manuals were pretty expensive. So on Saturday we took off the wheels and then took some digital photos and headed off to some local ATV dealers. The first two were not much help but the third was just great! The front sales staff talked to us and we told them what we were doing and they took us back to their technician who gave us some great hints. They had the best attitude and we walked away saying, “that is the dealer I go to for my next purchase”. They did not have to help since they knew this was a self help project with no monetary gain, but they did! Wow! So if you are in the Grand Rapids, MI area and need to purchase a motorcycle, personal watercraft or ATV try these guys: Treads and Sleds.

Back to the repair! 🙂 We returned home with the new ideas in mind and the project was done in a little more than an hour! My son and I had fun laughing at our mistakes and trying to keep all the pieces going back on the axle that we took off (we actually stacked them in order but one got misplaced). Eventually the axle fitted right, the parts were in place and tires were on and we took it off the stand (what a back saver to have it off the floor) and cranked it up! The first ride told us it was good to go!

We had fun and didn’t let any “setbacks” cause us to loose focus on our good time! What a great way to spend Saturday morning. What kind of family projects do you engage in? We always try to stay in touch and of course the “projects” with our kids change as we and they get older. But smiling and sharing a project is sometimes the best way to maintain communication and strengthen family ties!byColonel KonMonday, April 13, 2009Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:ATV Repair,Col K,family values