Can-Am Maverick R Can Fit 40s With Radically Redesigned Aftermarket Suspension

A little over two years ago, Can-Am showed us its new Maverick R—a 240-horsepower beast of a side-by-side with a whopping 17 inches of ground clearance and a trick new suspension. But as impressive as that chassis engineering may be, its, ahem, unconventional design poses a challenge for those who like to push the limits of their machine’s capabilities. Put simply, bigger tires won’t fit well or at all.

Take a look at the above pic and the reasons why should be obvious. The crazy factory design on the left improves driver control at the obvious expense of limited tire size. That’s where CA Technologies USA comes in with its product on the right. The company’s replacement control arm and steering knuckle assembly eliminate that outboard jog entirely, allowing significantly more tire clearance—enough to run 40s.

At the risk of stating the obvious, customers who opt to swap out their hardware will be trading one form of capability for another. Our own Caleb Jacobs called it “a suspension fit to conquer Mars,” and it should go without saying that Can-Am’s engineers designed those praying-mantis-style control arms for a reason.

“With the upper ball joint above the wheel, it gives more flexibility than a conventional suspension design to achieve the desired steering geometry,” Can-Am previously told The Drive. “Minimized spindle length, scrub radius, and kingpin angle provide effortless, predictable, point-and-shoot steering and reduced kickback in rough terrain.”

Faced with this information, Maverick R owners apparently replied, “Yeah, but 40s tho.”

The results speak for themselves. And in defense of the aftermarket provider here, their replacement parts weren’t just thrown together on the workbench one afternoon. Some serious engineering went into these too:

“This arm and knuckle assembly was designed 100% in-house at CA Technologies USA,” the company says. “Once we completed the design process and the initial testing of the concept, we then collaborated directly with Shawn Hess at Hess Motorsports, bringing even more expertise from the knuckle manufacturing space into the project.”

CA Technologies USA says its new setup reduces bump steer by 62% compared to the stock hardware—a huge plus when you’re nearing triple digits on rocks that want to throw you one way or another. All the while, the camber changes by less than 1.5 degrees through the suspension’s full stroke. Maintaining proper geometry is key and surely not easy to do when you’re swapping out parts, but CA Technologies says its 7075 aluminum multi-piece knuckle allows for some adjustment.

So, if the only thing missing from your turbocharged desert runner was a set of 40-inch tires, you’re in for a really fun season on the trails. Stay safe out there!

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