Buyer Guides — UTV suspension

If your Can-Am Defender’s rear tires look like they are leaning after a lift, bigger tires, portals, or a heavy bed load, you are usually looking at rear camber. Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the tire when you view the machine from behind. Too much of it wears one shoulder of the tread and makes the rear end feel vague in ruts.

What changes camber on a lifted Defender

Stock suspension geometry assumes stock ride height and stock tire diameter. Raise the machine, change springs, add portals, or hang weight in the bed, and the rear lower arms sit at a new angle. The tire contact patch can load on one shoulder. CATVOS says this directly on the rear camber correction arms page: larger tires, portals, different springs, or hauling a lot of weight often make Defender rear tires lean.

That is a geometry problem. Spacer-style lifts that only move the shock can raise the body without giving you a clean way to tune rear camber. Arm-style kits with adjustable heims are built so you can set camber after the machine is on the ground with the tires you actually run.

What the CATVOS rear camber arms are

The CATVOS heavy-duty rear lower adjustable control arms are a pair of rear lower camber-adjustable arms with a black powder coat finish. Build quality on the product page: 1.25" OD .250 wall DOM tubing and 3/4" chromoly heim joints for precise camber adjustment. They are designed to work with the factory rear upper arms. Fitment: direct fit for all 65" wide HD10 Can-Am Defenders, all model years—including XMR, Lone Star, and Limited.

You can ship the arms or book an install in the Shreveport shop per that listing. Check the product page for current pricing.

How adjustable rear lowers help tire wear and handling

Because the heims are adjustable, you can straighten the rear tires after the lift and tire package are installed. The product copy’s goal is to straighten camber and improve handling and tire wear. In practice that means setting the machine on level ground at ride height, adjusting the rear lowers so the tires stand closer to vertical (or to the camber your tire maker prefers), locking the jam nuts, and rechecking after a short shakedown ride.

These arms are a natural follow-on if you already run a CATVOS Defender kit from the Can-Am Defender collection—especially larger 5", 8", or HD11 builds, or plus-forward arm packages that clear much bigger rubber. They also help owners who kept a milder lift but added heavy tires or portals later.

What these arms are not

• They are not a full lift kit. They correct rear lower camber and work with the factory rear uppers per the listing.
• Fitment on the page is written for 65" wide HD10 Defenders. Different width or generation? Call before ordering.

Related parts worth browsing

If tire lean showed up after a lift, also review your suspension under Lift Kits and hardware under Heim joints and hardware. Worn bushings or ball joints can mimic a camber problem—replace tired joints when you are already under the machine.

Get the camber set once

Bring your year, width, tire size, and whether you run portals. Call (318) 603-5451, or stop by 9447 Mansfield Rd, Shreveport, LA, and we can talk through whether the rear camber correction arms are the missing piece—or whether the whole lift package should be revisited.

Choosing a Can-Am Defender lift kit is less about one “best” height and more about tire size, machine width, and how hard you use the machine. CATVOS builds Defender suspension in Shreveport, Louisiana. Browse the arm-style kits on the Can-Am Defender collection, and confirm fitment on each product page before you order.

3" kits: built into the arms, not shock spacers

The 2020–2024 64" adjustable 3" lift fits 64" wide Defenders with 11.5" factory tie rods and lists clearance up to a 35" tire. The 3" lift is built into the arms (no shock brackets). It includes front camber and caster adjustable upper and lower control arms with plus-3" forward offset, rear lower adjustable camber arms, and heavy-duty steering with chromoly rod ends. Arms use USA .250 wall DOM tubing and 5/8" thick ball joint plates, with a lifetime warranty as stated on that page.

For 65" wide XMR / Limited / Lone Star machines (13" factory tie rods on the listing), see the 3" lift with 3" forward arms and HD steering. That page states clearance up to a 37" tire, or up to 46" with 8" portals, USA .250 wall DOM tubing, camber-adjustable 3/4" chromoly pivot tubes, chromoly steering ends, and a lifetime warranty.

If you want bushings, ball joints, steering, and frame supports in one box, the CATVOS 3" complete package is a full upgrade for 65" Defenders: 3" lift built into the arms, 3" forward offset for up to 37" tires, UHMW bushings, Mega Compression ball joints pre-installed, heavy-duty steering, front and rear frame supports, spring spacers, steering stops, steel bed hinges, sway bar mounts, black powder coat, and a lifetime suspension warranty. TIG welded from USA .250 wall DOM with 5/8" ball joint plates. That page contrasts these real forward arched arms with spacer lifts that only raise the shocks and usually max out around 27–28" tires.

5" kits: portal-ready height

The Defender 5" lift (2016 and up) is a complete portal-ready suspension backed by a lifetime warranty. It includes arched plus-3" forward adjustable camber arms, chromoly rod ends on the adjustable lowers, laser-cut shock relocation brackets, an exhaust flange for relocated rear shocks, clevis-style DOM steering, and spring spacers. The page states it clears a 37" tire without portals. Specify year and model in the order notes.

For 65" XMR / Lonestar / Max XT cab machines, the XMR 5" lift follows the same portal-ready story and 37" tire claim without portals, with a lifetime warranty on fabricated parts. The listing tells 62" or 64" owners to use the other 5" Defender page.

8" and HD11: big tires and heavier tube

The CATVOS 8" Defender lift is labeled Gen 3 for 2026 and ready for big portals and big tires. It lists adjustable camber lowers with 3/4" chromoly rod ends, heavy-duty clevis steering, laser-cut shock relocation, optional ball joint delete hardware, Mega Compression ball joints when delete is not selected, 1.5" OD .280 wall USA DOM tubing, and a CATVOS lifetime warranty. Specify year and model when ordering.

The Defender HD11 complete kit lists 1.75" OD arms with 1/4" wall DOM, front arms shifted 3" forward, rear arms raked 3" backward for a longer wheelbase, 1-1/4" chromoly-ended steering rods, 7/8" heims, Mega Compression ball joints and UHMW bushings pre-installed, and clearance up to 40" tires.

Quick picker

• 64" machine / up to ~35" tire: 64" 3" kit
• 65" XMR / Limited / Lone Star without going portal-tall: 3" forward-arm kit or complete 3" package
• Portal-ready 5" / 37" tires without portals: 5" lift or XMR 5"
• Maximum height / big portals: 8" kit or HD11 complete kit

Also see Lift Kits. Check the product page for current pricing. Call (318) 603-5451 or visit 9447 Mansfield Rd, Shreveport, LA before you buy if you want fitment help.