The Top 5 Reasons You Need A Shock Tower Brace For Your Can-Am

If you've got a UTV, you'll know that one of our first concerns when we head out on a ride, is the quality of our shocks. If you've had your shocks for a while, they might be wearing out, or you may want to upgrade from stock shocks to a higher quality set of shocks. One thing that is worth doing to maintain the performance of your shocks is installing a shock tower brace. Shock tower braces add rigidity to the frame and help make the ride more comfortable. In this article, we'll look at the top five reasons you need a shock tower brace for your Can-Am x3.

Shock tower braces add rigidity to the frame.

Depending on the type of suspension on your UTV, you might need a shock tower brace to prevent them from wearing down. Here's why: Depending on the type of suspension on your UTV, you might need a shock tower brace to prevent them from wearing down.

Here's why:

1. Shock tower braces reduce your UTV's flexing characteristics. With an open axle design, it's easy to hit bumps with your tires, especially if you ride a lot in dirt or off-road environments.

2. Shock tower braces reduce wheel hop. When you hit bumps or are riding in a twisty terrain area, you can increase your ride height with the flexing of your axle. This allows your tires to bounce around and hit the bumps again, making your ride more rough and uncomfortable.

A better ride

A suspension system can make or break your ride, but it sure makes it much more comfortable. An adequate shock tower brace gives you more rebound and compression damping. Shocks wear out When you see a shock of your own that's wearing out, you want to replace it as soon as possible. If you don't replace your shocks and just maintain them, the shock towers will begin to wear out, too. A shock tower brace will extend the life of your shocks, keep them from wearing out, and improve the ride. Improved performance The shocks on your UTV are designed for your machine and how you drive. So if you decide you'd like to upgrade to a higher-quality set of shocks, your shocks may need to be upgraded as well.

Reduced suspension wear

Suspension in your Can-Am is essential for handling. The shock absorber in a UTV can absorb a lot of weight. When you have a long trip, you want to have the best possible suspension to make the ride a lot more comfortable. With a shock tower brace installed, the shock absorber will be able to handle the load of the vehicle and the load of your gear. The shock absorber in a UTV is usually the seat post, and with a shock tower brace installed, it will be a lot more rigid. If you have an open-air UTV, you're often exposed to the elements, and when you have a heavy load, you don't want the shock absorber to be squishy. You want to make sure that your suspension is as stiff as it can be.

Smoother handling

It's no secret that shocks can be one of the leading causes of wheel slip and instability on a UTV, making a good shock setup a key piece of the overall puzzle. Shock tower braces will increase rigidity and stiffness to the frame, making it less likely to suffer from frame-snapping if your UTV makes contact with anything. It will also provide more suspension travel when traveling through rough terrain. Shock tower braces, when installed, will improve the ride and give about 10% more travel when compared to your stock shocks and will provide you with an excellent ride and handling that's much smoother and easier to control.

Shock tower brace benefits

A shock tower brace improves the front-end feel. A shock tower brace makes it a bit easier to feel how the front end of the UTV is impacting the trail. On a stock suspension, when the front end of the vehicle hits something, the suspension absorbs the impacts and then rolls it off to the side. With a shock tower brace, the suspension absorbs the impact but lets you feel it. When you are riding off-road, you have to pay attention to the terrain and adjust your vehicle accordingly.

Shock tower brace reduces trail steer. Trail steer is caused by the suspension bouncing up and down and having to track around corners. This happens because the front end of the UTV is trailing the trail, making steering difficult and making it harder to feel where the front end of the vehicle is.

Install your own shock tower brace

Shock tower braces are often installed by professional mechanics, but you can install one yourself for a couple hundred bucks. If you are new to shock tower braces, we'd recommend doing some research and talking to other UTV enthusiasts before you install one. The main considerations that need to be made when installing a shock tower brace are the height of the frame and wheel wells, and the position of the engine, fuel tank, etc. Shock tower braces should be installed at least a couple of inches above any obstacle that might get in the way of your shocks. Shock tower braces don't help with damage caused by high-speed impacts, but they help protect from accidental contact.

Getting one from ZRP for the Can-Am X3 is an easy direct bolt-on replacement for the stock brace.

Another Great part to help with the suspension is the High Clearance Radius rods for the Can-am X3

Conclusion

Your shock tower brace will add more rigidity to your frame. This will make your ride more comfortable, and it will help protect your shocks from damage.