Congratulations—you bought your first UTV! You’ve been riding around all over the dang place and having a blast. You no longer have to sit shotgun with that one friend who convinced you to buy it in the first place. Now you look forward to weekends without plans because that means it’s time to ride.
There’s one problem: Just about everybody you talk to has a lift kit—and now you want one too. But where to start? Your buddy has a small lift kit that he paid a few hundred bucks for. Maybe that’s for you. Betty went big with her lift, and now she brings a stepladder with her to get into the driver’s seat. Is that too big? Jimmy went the cheap route and built his own lift out of bits of other people’s leftover scraps. You know you don’t want that.
You’ve come to the right place, you first-time lifter. We’ll break down all the different lift kits you can get, the pros and cons of each, and what other upgrades you should consider.
Your buddies lifted their ATVs and UTVs for one of these three reasons:
One or all of these apply to you too, and they each make a huge difference.
So what kind of riding can you expect to do when your machine is lifted and loaded?
Those rocky and rutted trails that stopped you before? Easy.
The mud pits that devoured your suspension and bogged you down? No problem!
Massive rock shelves in the desert that stop everybody? Not you, and you’ll look good doing it.
There are just three types of lifts you’ll come across:
Spring spacer lifts and bracket lifts both push your shocks and suspension down farther to achieve a lift. Portal gear lifts like our GDP Portals put the lift right out in the hub, instead of at the shock, and have a built-in gear reduction to give you a whole host of advantages.
Spring spacer lifts are your most basic lift. It’s the smallest, cheapest, and easiest lift kit you can buy for your machine. The kit itself typically includes four aluminum spacers that fit on top of your shock spring. This compresses your shock spring farther than it would naturally and causes your shock to push down on your suspension harder. The result is a small amount of lift—typically one or two inches.
Pros of a Spring Spacer Lift:
Cons of a Spring Spacer Lift:
Check out our spring spacer lifts.
Bracket lifts work by moving the mounting points of your shocks. That pushes your A-arms and/or trailing arms down farther to give you lift. These lifts are built with welded steel plates that fit around your factory shock mounting points in order to move them.
Pros of a Small Bracket Lift:
Cons of a Small Bracket Lift:
Check out our small bracket lifts.
Big bracket lifts are more expensive and require a lot more installation time than smaller lifts, but the payoff is huge! This type of lift requires new trailing arms, radius arms, A-arms, axles, tie rods, and brake lines. All this comes together to deliver ground and tire clearance that will make you drool.
Pros of a Big Bracket Lift:
Cons of a Big Bracket Lift:
Check out our big bracket lifts.
Portal gear lifts are a whole other beast with some serious benefits over traditional lifts. You can get this kit as a 4″, 6″, or 8″ lift. The lift itself comes in the form of a box hub that replaces your OEM hub. Portal gear lifts are great for just about any application and terrain. This lift will take your machine through tougher obstacles more easily than any other lift.
Pros of a Portal Gear Lift
Cons of a Portal Gear Lift
No matter what kind of lift you want, SuperATV’s got them.
Everything you put on your ATV or UTV comes with trade-offs, and lift kits are no different. The bigger you go, the more hardware you have to put onto your machine and the heavier it gets. Plus, moving all that suspension will naturally change the way your suspension works.
Here are the three main lift kit trade-offs:
That means you’ll probably have to make more than a three-point turn to get your machine around, you’ll feel bumps a little more, and you’ll have to give it more gas to get going, which can beat the hell out of your belt.
Obviously, a spring spacer lift won’t make that much of a difference on these issues, but the bigger your lift gets, the more pronounced they become.
Different lifts are ideal for different ride styles. You don’t want to get a massive lift to putt around on easy trails, and you definitely don’t want to go mud bogging with a spring spacer lift.
Here’s where we think each lift kit does best.
If you get a big lift and don’t upgrade your tires, you’re gonna look like you’re riding on donuts.
But you don’t want mismatched tires and wheels to go with your lift and ride style either.
Basically, you want big lugs for mud, all-terrain tires with tighter tread for trails, and softer tires with specialized tread for rocks.
Here’s the complete breakdown:
| Terrain Type | Recommended Tire Style | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Trail Riding | All-Terrain | Balanced grip, smooth ride |
| Deep Mud | Aggressive Mud Tires (e.g. Terminator and Assassinator Tires) | Maximum traction, self-cleaning lugs |
| Rock Crawling | Soft Compound, Wide Tread (Sticky Warrior Tires) | Flexibility, better grip on hard surfaces |
| Sand Dunes | Paddle Tires | Floatation and traction in loose sand |
For the complete rundown of tire and wheel pairings, check out The Best Tires and Wheels to Pair with Your UTV/ATV Lift Kit.
We’ve got pretty killer warranties on all our lift kits, and you won’t find better customer service anywhere else.
Here’s basically how it works:
Basically, if you break the big parts, give us a call at 855-743-3427 and we’ll get you sorted out.
Lift kits let you ride high over killer obstacles and open up all new routes that you never thought were possible.
But let’s not forget the actual reason you want a lift kit:
Seriously, getting the right lift completely changes the look of your machine. It can take you from mild to wild. It can make your vehicle a real head-turner. You get the idea.
So join the buck club, or if you’re feeling really ambitious, the barrel club. Head over to SuperATV and get loaded up with your first lift kit.
42 Comments
I need a 3” lift for a 2014 Walker Evans 800
Hey Mark, thanks for reading! Unfortunately, we do not currently offer a 3″ lift for this model, as the demand is not high enough. We’re sorry about that. Feel free to reach out at a later date!
I would like to install a 2″ bracket lift kit on my 2019 Can-am Max XT. Will wheel spacers be needed to widen the stance for stability with a 2″ lift kit? I have already gone up to a 26″ tire from the stock 25″ that came with the ATV.
Hey Craig, most 2″ bracket lifts don’t require wheel spacers. People do add them for more stability if needed, but it’s more of a personal preference. Thanks for reading!
I need any kind of lift kit fir 2017 Artic Cat Prowler 500??
Hey Paul, unfortunately we do not currently offer any bracket lifts for the Prowler. However, we do have a 4″ portal gear lift that will get you added ground clearance as well as gear reduction. Take a look: https://www.superatv.com/arctic-cat-prowler-4-inch-portal-gear-lift-g3
Has anyone ever installed bracket lift with the spring lift kit? Would it make any sense to go this route
Hey Nolan, thanks for reading! Although yes, you could run both as long as it doesn’t bind your CVs and/or mess up steering geometry, it’s not something we typically recommend. We appreciate the support!
Do I Need limiting scraps on a small 2” bracket lift?
Hey Jason, thanks for reading! With this type of question, the indicator is normally with your shocks. However, with a small lift like that, you shouldn’t need them.
I’m looking for a lift for my 2019 1000r outlander xt. I’m wondering if you could help me out?!
Hey Thomas, although we haven’t got a 2019 Outlander 1000R XT in for fitment testing yet, we did have a customer order this kit and said it worked just fine: https://www.superatv.com/can-am-outlander-2-lift-kit. The only thing was that it didn’t work on the rear because the shock mounts are different. Feel free to give our customer service a call if you have any more questions: 855-743-3420. Thanks for reading!
I need a life for my 2018 outlander Xmr 570 ?
Hey Aaron, thanks for reading! We have a 6″ lift kit that will work with your ride. Check it out here: https://www.superatv.com/can-am-outlander-renegade-6-lift-kit-gen-2-00 We also have 4″ and 6″ portals that are compatible if you’re interested in those.
2011 ranger xp 800 walker evens i have 2 lift and it said wheel spacer need on front with 12″ rims but my front tires clear and rear tire rub on springs and will 14″ rims fix this
It depends on the backspacing of the wheel. If it has a smaller backspacing than the current wheel, then the tire won’t rub. If the wheel has the same or larger backspacing, it will definitely rub and may not fit at all. Thanks for reading, Thomas!
I have a 2019 Can Am Max turbo 4 seater and wanting a 4″ lift. What’s best option?
Thanks
Hey Jon, do you have a Maverick, Maverick X3, or a Commander? Thanks for the support!
Hei. Which type of lift kit is best for uforce 1000?
Hey John, thanks for reading! The lift kit that we currently offer is for the Z-force, but we are working on confirming fitment for the U-force. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of lift options for CFMOTO right now, but I will pass this onto to our product development team. We appreciate the support!
Hi, I’m looking for a 5-8 inch lift for my 2010 rzr 800. I was wondering what would be the best option? Thank you!
Hey Kenon, thanks for reaching out! We currently offer a couple lifts for this machine. We’ve got a 5″ lift and a 6″ lift. Here are links to check them out: https://www.superatv.com/polaris-rzr-5-inch-lift-kit-high-clearance-1-5-offset or https://www.superatv.com/polaris-rzr-800-lift-kit-6-inch-high-clearance. We also have 4 and 6″ portal lifts available if that is something you’re interested in. Feel free to reach out to our customer service team with any order help. You can reach us at 855-743-3427. Thanks for the support!
Do you have a lift you recommend for a 2020 Artic Cat Prowler Pro?
Hey Jamie, thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we do not currently offer a lift for this machine. I’ll be sure to forward this request along to our new product development team. Thanks for the support!
Back in August, someone asked about a UForce 1000 from CFMOTO, is there any follow up since then?
Hey Matt, thanks for reaching back out! It’s taken us a while to get one in for try-on. I just checked back with our shop and it sounds like we should be able to do so in the upcoming weeks. Thanks for the support, and we hope to have an answer for you ASAP!
Do you have a lift that fits a 2015 Can am limited I just picked it up and it doesn’t have much clearance. Thanks.
Hey Joseph, what kind of Can-Am do you have? There are a few Limited models. Thanks!
I am looking for a lift for my 2021 honda 1000×4. I already installed super atv high clearance a arms and 2” wheel spacers in the rear. I have 36” tractor tires on 20” wheels that I am trying to clear. It clears them now without the wheel spacers but does rub when turning on the back of the front fender. I am thinking if I put 1” wheel spacers on front along with the 2” spacers on rear, I won’t need a huge lift. I am looking to just clear 36” tires. Which my honda 1000r did with no problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hey Miles! We do not recommend stacking wheel spacers like that. It can cause other problems like wearing out wheel bearings quicker than you should. As of right now, the only option is to add portals to your current setup in order to clear 36’s. We appreciate you reaching out!
I’m considering the 6 inch lift for my 2018 ranger , I see that it gives me a 7 inch wider stance , my concern is that I use my ranger for hunting mainly and it is already not real side hill friendly with this lift and the wider stance does it help or diminish the stability, I’m always concerned about rolling on a hillside
Hey Don! The 6″ lift is going to make it a little more top heavy than it would be at stock height, but given the lift added, it is considerably more stable than it would be without the added width. You can also help stability by adding wheel spacers, or even a more offset wheel. Thanks for checking in!
I have 2017 ranger crew xp 1000 and thinking of adding a bracket lift. Looking at either 3” or 4”. Will I need to upgrade axels? Will straps be needed and pastels what size tires could I go to without clearance issues.
Thank you for your help.
Hey Ben! We have a 2″ or 3″ bracket lift. Anytime you’re increasing axle CV angles, you’re adding stress to the axles. So upgrading is never a bad idea, but it’s mainly going to depend on your style of riding. Limit straps will not be necessary unless you’re planning on eliminating sway bars. With just the 3″ lift and no other additional lift or offset A-arms, the largest tire you could clear (with absolutely no contact during full shock compression or turn) is a 28.9″ on the 2017 models. https://www.superatv.com/polaris-ranger-fullsize-1000-3-inch-lift-kit Feel free to reach out to our customer service team at 855-743-3427 for any other questions. We appreciate the support!
Is there a hydraulic suspension for Kubota’s RTV1100? I want to use it for work across slopes.
Thanks for tuning in! Unfortunately, that’s not something that we currently work with. I’ve seen some companies do it for some Kubota models, but since it’s something we don’t really dabble in, there’s none that I can recommend for sure.
how about a lift kit for a 2018 textron stampede?
Hey Tom! Unfortunately, this isn’t something that we’ve had a high enough demand for, but I will be sure to pass this along to our development team. We appreciate the feedback!
Are there any lift kits coming for the Teryx4 S models?
Hey Reid! We are currently in the works of getting one in the shop for try-ons. Stay tuned!
Will you have any bracket lifts coming out for the 2021 Can Am Commander
Hi Forrest! We don’t currently have plans to make bracket lifts for the Commander. Thanks for checking in!