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Rock Crawling in a UTV: Everything You Need to Know

By Sara Wines | Behind The Wheel on January 9, 2023
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What is Rock Crawling?

Rock crawling in a UTV is the favorite activity for tons of side-by-side owners. Rock crawling started in the Jeep world, but side-by-side owners have slowly built inroads into the sport. Who knew you could get such a rush from inching over obstacles at low speeds?

The goal of rock crawling is to dominate the terrain—it’s a contest of skill vs. nature. You have to keep command of your rig over some of the most dangerous terrain UTVs can handle. One slip-up could be disastrous for you and your machine.

Rock crawling requires excellent reflexes, calmness under pressure, and problem-solving skills. If that sounds like you, well, you may have just found your new favorite hobby.

We’ve gathered all the info you need to get started rock crawling. And if you’re a seasoned rock crawler, there are some great tips and tricks (and equipment recs) to push you to the next level.

A Polaris RZR takes on a steep, rocky incline. It's kicking up a little bit of dust.
We’re going to run down the whole list of equipment you need to transform your UTV into a rock-crushing monster!
Image by UTV Driver.

Table of Contents

  • What is Rock Crawling?
  • Best UTVs for Rock Crawling
  • Build Your Own Rock Crawler
    • Tires
    • Wheels
    • Suspension
    • Axles
    • Clutch
    • Skid Plate
  • Heavy-Duty Protection
    • Machine Protection
    • Personal Protection
  • Get Out & Hit the Trail
  • Be Prepared

Best UTVs for Rock Crawling

These are considered the top two out-of-the-box rock crawlers:

  • Can-Am Maverick X3 X RC Turbo RR 72
  • Polaris RZR XP 1000 Trails & Rocks Edition

Here’s a head-to-head for you to compare these machines’ main differences. We’ve included the 64” Can-Am as well—it’s similar to it’s big brother, just in a smaller package.

 Can-Am Maverick X3 X RC Turbo RR 72Polaris RZR XP 1000 Trails & Rocks EditionCan-Am Maverick X3 X RC Turbo RR 64
Width72.8”64”64”
Weight1,843 lb1,573 lb1,674 lb
Wheel Base102”90”102”
Ground Clearance16”14.5”14”
SteeringHigh-torque Tri-Mode Dynamic Power SteeringElectronic Power SteeringHigh-torque Dynamic Power Steering
Suspension Travel24”20.5”18”
HP200 HP110 HP200 HP
Tires32” Maxxis Liberty30” Pro Armor Crawler XG30” Maxxis Liberty
Wheels15” cast-aluminum beadlock14” cast-aluminum beadlock14” cast-aluminum
Front Bumper?✔✔✔
Front Tow Hook?✔✔✔
Rear Tow Hook?✔✔✔
Winch4,500 lb4,500 lb4,500 lb
Aluminum Roof✔  
Rock Sliders?✔✔✔
Skid Plate?✔✔✔
Warranty6 months6 months6 months
Price$32,899$27,399$28,899

These rigs are rock crawling ready thanks to their included heavy-duty accessories. They’re all three built to be tough and powerful. You need that when you’re conquering rocky terrain!

But, many riders will argue that the best rock crawling UTVs are built, not bought.

Can-Am and Polaris UTVs shown next to one another as they race along rocky, sandy turf.
Can-Am and Polaris both make rock-ready rigs that could make even the most seasoned rock crawler smile.
Image by Dirt Wheels Mag.

Build Your Own Rock Crawler

The best part of transforming your UTV into a rock-dominating beast is that you KNOW what’s going on. Since you added all the parts and customized it yourself, you know how to tweak it on the fly or fix it when something goes wrong.

Of course, you can still do that even if you order a rock-ready rig right off Can-Am’s or Polaris’s website. Just make sure that you understand the fundamentals of how your machine functions so you can get to work if the situation demands it.

If you want to turn your UTV into a boulder-crushing monster, read on. We’ve broken down all the key components to building a beefy rig that’ll make mountains look like piles of gravel.

A suped-up rock crawling UTV takes on a sandstone cliff with ease. A spotter stands off to one side to help guide the driver.
You can transform almost any UTV into a rock crawler with the right upgrades.
Image by SuperATV.

Tires

The first and foremost—tires. Since they make direct contact with the ground, they’re obviously super important.

You want as much of your tire to touch the ground as possible. More contact means better traction and better grip so you can take on more obstacles with confidence. You’re looking for bigger tires with a large contact patch, not necessarily deep lugs. As for size, large (but not monstrous) tires are the best choice—33” and 35” are the most popular.

Bigger tires can also increase ground clearance, helping your rig sail over large rocks and obstacles. This helps keep you take on bigger obstacles without backing down or getting hung up.

Here’s a (very well known) hack for you: tons of riders roll on lower tire pressure when they’re taking on rocks. Lower tire pressure creates more surface area → more surface area → better grip → improves overall performance.

We make our XT Warrior SlikRok Edition tires to be the best of the best. Our design gives rock crawlers the traction and control they need when they’re out dominating the trail. The tread pattern gives you plenty of grip without collecting dust and debris along the way. If you’re looking to make your rig into a rock crawler, you could do a lot worse than these tires.

A UTV with giant rock crawling tires, a portal gear lift, and aftermarket A-arms installed. This is the definition of "built, not bought."
Our XT Warrior SlikRok Edition tires were built for rock crawling thanks to their incredible traction.
Image by SuperATV.

Wheels

Most rock enthusiasts ditch OEM wheels and go for aftermarket rims. Some riders even downsize their rims so they can use tires with higher sidewalls.

Again, when you lower the air pressure in your tires, you’ll get more surface area. Higher sidewalls provide even more surface area to work with—you can see the advantage.

Most of all, you should get aftermarket wheels with a beadlock option. Beadlock wheels reduce or eliminate the risk of low-pressure tires slipping the rim (coming loose from the wheel and separating back into two parts—you know, a disaster).

If you add too much weight with aftermarket rims and ginormous tires, you might need to think about gear reduction. You absolutely DO NOT want to lose power or torque when you’re rock crawling. You might lose some speed off the top, but like we discussed earlier—you’re not going to be racing if your crawling.

Still confused? Don’t worry, we’ll talk more about gear reduction and clutches a little bit later.

The back half of side-by-side with rock-ready tires and beadlock rims installed.
Upgraded beadlock rims are a must-have for any rock enthusiast.
Image by SuperATV.

Suspension

This may be pointing out the obvious, but rocks are pretty rough terrain. A stiff suspension can be hard on both the rig and the rider. Shocks absorb the all the energy from all that jangling around, so you might consider an upgrade if you’re going to start rock crawling just to smooth out the ride.

You should also consider a lift kit. If you’re going to lift your rig for rock crawling, you should choose a portal gear lift. They give you between 4” and 8” of lift and build the gear reduction right into the hub. If you want bigger tires and don’t want to lose any torque, you can trust our GDP Portals to get you the performance you need. They’re the most loved portals in the business for a reason!

A lifted rig can sail over all kinds of obstacles, but there is such a thing as too high. Your rig is less likely to roll if the center of gravity is closer to the ground. You want enough height to help conquer the trail, but not so much that your rig is at risk of flipping all the time. It’s a literal and metaphorical balancing act.

The underside of a UTV focusing on the GDP Lift.
GDP Portals build gear reduction right into the wheel hub, helping you keep your machine on maximum power. Image by SuperATV.

Axles

Axle failures are already one of the most common failures on any UTV. Once you’ve upgraded your machine with bigger tires and upgraded suspension parts to tackle rocky terrain, you’ll likely need to upgrade your stock axles to something that can put up with more stress.

An upgraded axle can add more than just strength. Many options can give you greater articulation angles, which will help you tackle tricky spots with confidence.

Clutch

If you’re going over 32” on tires, you basically have to find a way to correct for the added weight. CVT belts tend to slip under low RPM with big ol’ tires. You’ll need to modify your OEM clutch (or replace it) to get better performance for low speed, high heat, and high elevation rides (rock crawling).

You can get that from GDP Portals (like we talked about earlier) or by upgrading your clutch. Clutch kits can prevent power loss when running larger tires, improve throttle responsiveness and acceleration, and reduce belt slippage and heat buildup—all things you want to prevent while rock crawling.

Skid Plate

Your UTV’s undercarriage is vulnerable to all kinds of damage if you leave it unprotected. It’s easy for a rock to get under there and junk up all kinds of parts—plus, that scraping sound is just awful. You can get hooked on a rock and get stuck too.

Instead of scraping along, a skid plate helps your rig seamlessly slide over obstacles. The best skid plates are made of UHMW and good ones are made from aluminum. You won’t find many steel options for side-by-sides though—steel is too heavy for a UTV.

When you’re bumping over boulders and navigating rocky paths, you shouldn’t skip out on machine protection—or personal protection, for that matter.

The underside of a UTV with the skid plate highlighted for emphasis.
A skid plate protects the underside of your rig. Don’t skip it if you’re taking on rock terrain.
Image by SuperATV.

Heavy-Duty Protection

Rollovers and accidents are are fact of life when you’re rock crawling. To protect yourself from injury, you need to prepare yourself and your machine for the worst-case scenario.

Machine Protection

Here’s our recommendations for upgrades that will help your machine and help get you out of tough situations:

  • Intrusion bar/aftermarket roll cage
  • Front and rear bumpers
  • Rock sliders/nerf bars
  • Winch
  • Spare tire
A UTV with a broken axle being repaired on the trail. Two men are working and one is watching.
Spare tires and even spare axles are a good choice when you’re riding this hard over rough rocks.
Image by SuperATV.

Personal Protection

Avoiding injuries should be your #1 goal. Here’s some accessories that will help prepare you for a worst-case scenario:

  • WEAR A HELMET! Duh!
  • 5-point seatbelt
  • Doors or nets
  • Fire extinguisher
  • First aid kit
This rock crawling UTV has flipped over on its back, exposing the skid plate and underbelly.
It’s easier than you think to have an accident on rocky turf. Make sure you’re protected in case of a rollover with a helmet, roll cage, and first aid kit. Image by SuperATV.

Get Out & Hit the Trail

Once you’re set up and you’ve bought or built your dream rig, it’s time to hit the trail. There’s tons of great rocky rides all over the country. Of course, we love Moab (who doesn’t!), but here’s a few more great places to put your rock-ready rig to the test:

  • Rubicon Trail, El Dorado County, CA
  • Black Mountain Offroad Adventure Area, Harlan County, KY
  • Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, Suches, GA
  • White River National Forest, Red Cliff, CO
  • Tonto National Forest, Phoenix, AZ
  • Rausch Creek Offroad Park, Pine Grove, PA
  • Black Hills 4 Wheelers, Silver City, SD

There’s no end to the kind of adventures you can find rock crawling. Some of these rides are bone dry, desert conditions, and others are former or current creek beds that will challenge you with water and mud in addition to crazy boulders.

This Polaris RZR is taking on a rocky trail. It's not sandy and desert-like. Instead, it's lush, green, and wet.
You don’t have to go out west to find rocks—there’s plenty of rocky rides to test your skills all over the country. Image from UTV Offroading Mag.

Be Prepared

No matter what you’re hoping to get from rock crawling in your UTV, the key is to be prepared. The right equipment (for fun and safety) will make sure you’re rolling with confidence for many years to come. Remember to wear a helmet, bring a buddy (and/or a spotter), and a spare tire and you’ve got this. Before long you’ll be dominating the most difficult trails around—we’ll see you out there.

Four side-by-sides built for rock crawling shown in front of a majestic sandstone cliff. It's very cinematic.
Once your rig’s equipped with the right accessories and upgrades, you’ll be unstoppable.
Image by SuperATV.
RELATED CONTENT: Can-Am Maverick11 custom builds13 Polaris RZR12 rocks8
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