We Install A HMF IQ Gusset Kit
Story & Photos: Brandon Bunch
The Can-Am Maverick X3 UTV lineup is one of the highest performing platforms available in the market; however, every platform does have its own unique shortcomings. One of the biggest shortcomings of the Maverick X3 is the lack of double shear mounting for the front control arms. From the factory, the arms mount to the chassis via a single shear system where the bolts simply pass through the backside of the chassis and (the arms) are secured by very thin sheet metal (link arms) and then nylock nuts. Without extra reinforcement, repeated hard driving can cause the metal around the bolts, in the chassis itself, to wear and deform. This could lead to annoying clunking sounds and poor handling dynamics at the least, or complete suspension failure at the worst.
There are many varying solutions for this issue, and the solution that’s right for you will depend on several things, including what type of riding you normally enjoy, any planned modifications that add weight or bulk to the vehicle, and how much money you are willing to spend on aftermarket parts and/or extra chassis bracing. The best long-term fix, which is also your most expensive but strongest solution, is to take your X3 to a fabrication shop with experience in building race UTV’s. There are many of these shops all around the U.S. (you can find more shops each month in our Project UTV USA column) and many of them would have the experience required for welding in new tubes and plate gussets to create a double shear mounting set-up, which effectively ties together all of the stressed elements in the factory chassis structure. This is the route that most teams take when race prepping their UTV’s, but it is very expensive, very time consuming, and will require complete disassembly of the front of your UTV. This is definitely not something you would want to do in your garage with a couple jack stands and some hand tools.
For the majority of recreation enthusiasts, like us, who want to make sure they enjoy a trouble-free weekend in the mountains or in the desert, the next best option, which is also very safe and structurally sound, would be to go with a bolt-in gusset kit, such as the HMF setup that we have here. HMF offers this gusset solution in the form of their IQ Gusset Kit, at a price point of $119.95. The IQ Gusset Kit consists of 5 pieces of ⅛” laser cut mild steel in a black powder coat finish. Installation is completely bolt in, but parts of the kit can be welded to the chassis for extra strength.
One floor jack and two jack stands later and our test X3 was in the air, minus the front wheels and tires. We removed all 8 nuts holding on the control arms, the front bumper, the factory link arms, and then slid the control arms off of the bolts. The last step was to remove the two 6mm bolts from the chassis near the lower-front control arm mounting bolts. After that, we were ready to reverse the process!
We slid the “dog bone” and U-shaped link arms over the upper and lower rear control arm bolts (good for small hands) and the large plate gusset over the front control arm bolts. Now, these are the components in the kit that can be welded on, too, should you have the appropriate tools and expertise. Doing so will actually add metal, and therefore strength to the chassis of the X3 itself. Leaving them only slid over the bolts still adds strength by essentially tying the two, or four, bolts together. This is a great benefit because if you were to take a big hit on one side of the car, these link arms will transfer some of the load to the opposite side control arm bolts, rather than just the side that took the hit. This should, in effect, reduce the tendency of the metal around the bolt holes to wear and deform. Without welding, we installed the two supplied 6mm bolts to secure the front plate to the chassis, and slid the control arms back over the bolts. It was good to have a friend nearby here as it’s a bit of a pain to line up the control arms and slide them back without pushing the bolts out of the frame. Once we completed this, we slid the new, thicker link arms over the upper and lower rear control arms and also installed a HMF IQ Defender HD front bumper. We then torqued down the control arm bolts to factory spec (77lb ft +/-11), reinstalled the wheels and tires, and we were good to go! HMF does recommend checking your toe settings after installing this kit. Obviously you won’t feel much of a difference when driving, but your X3 and your wallet will thank you over the long term.
There are several other options out there from multiple aftermarket manufactures at different price points. This HMF kit hits a great price point and adds confidence in your driving mind knowing you are going to get to your off-road destination and back, safe and secure. The fact that it adds strength and is easy to install in your own garage is a benefit to buying this kit. There are more involved bolt-in kits on the market, and they typically start around $300. These kits would be best if you are occasionally racing and regularly running hard on the weekends. They are more complicated to install, with some requiring removal of the front differential, but they give you true double shear mounting of your a-arms through a bolt-in application. However, if you mainly use your UTV for recreation and you just want the reassurance that the front suspension mounting points on your X3 are not going to deform, loosen up, or potentially fail over time, the HMF IQ Gusset Kit hits the mark for providing increased strength at a price that isn’t going to break the bank. .
More information can be found on the HMF website: https://www.hmfracing.com/equipment/can-am-maverick-x3/gusset-kit-can-am-maverick-x3
