We will use the term "build thread" loosely. Its kind of like the JK/JL stuff a lot of it is bolt on/remove/upgrade. :rofl:

As many know, I have moved to SXS's from the buggies. We loved the really hard stuff, but other than that they just got to be a bit more of a burden than we wanted. Trailering everywhere, a lot slower going to get to the trails, trying to find hard-to-come-by parts when stuff breaks, or the magical combination to make everything work, etc. Do I miss it? Absolutely! Would I get or build another? At some point yes, but I am in no hurry too.

The 2 seat Can Am RC was by far the best all around SXS I owned. However, with the wife and I starting a family, I knew I had to find a new option.We liked the 2 seater so much, we thought we would give the 4 seater a try. It was the longest SXS on the market, but we knew the platform, and loved everything else about it. I figured I would eventually get it up in the air more and we would be fine. Took it to Baja and had a blast! Great car for that. In May of last year, we went to Sand Hollow for the first time. It did not perform anywhere near what the old one did, and it wasn't length issues, it was pure driveability.

My dad let me take his KRX out, and we did Plan B. I had driven it before when I had my 2 seat Can Am, but just didn't love the more upright seating position. This time however, I really enjoyed it. The only complaint I had is it felt like the entire car and seating position was way way higher than my Can Ams (which it is, but it just felt like I was 15' in the air). The Can Am was a lot like my old buggy which was really low in the chassis, and more racked back. The KRX is more Jeep/truck seating. Going around No Right Turn/Squeeze/Pucker your Ass Together/whatever it is called on Plan B I just let it inch by. It was very uncomfortable going around that in the KRX versus the much lower Can Am that I would just cruise around like nothing.

After this experience, there was a rumor that Kawi was finally going to make/release the much anticipated 4 seater. I decided this was the route we wanted to go after having good experience with my dads machine.

When I got home, I called a couple dealerships and put a deposit on one. Two weeks later in the first week of June, they officially released in Sand Hollow. One dealer we were about mid pack on orders, the other we were first in line and actually $2000 cheaper after final pricing was announced so we went with them. Called them and told them which model we wanted, and they said anytime between July and November.

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On my dads birthday, Nov 15, the dealer called and said it was in. I walked over and picked it up and ran it back to work the 1/2 mile away and parked it inside while I went to get the truck and trailer after work.

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Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
After that I loaded it up a day or two later and ran it down to Richfield to let @YROC FAB. and the guys at Hindenburg Customs work their magic on it. They knocked it out of the park with their custom cage, roof, and windshield combo, and Premier Powdercoating did an amazing job with matching the colors! I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! It has a nice look to it, and sets it apart. One thing I LOVED about both Can Ams were the harnesses. They are retractable so you can lean out and have a bit more mobility, but will lock up if anything happens. I ran those on both Can Ams, and that is the same style seatbelt that saved me from coming out of the SXS when I decided to see what it would be like to roll off the top of Chewy. I found a guy that had put PRPs in his 4 seater, and sold me all 4 lightly used stock harnesses for a song. Cory was awesome enough to fab up some harness bars while he had it as well.

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Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
I got it back home right before Christmas, and was itching to get to work on it. With the holidays I wasn't able to start on it until the 27th. I had been stockpiling parts for this thing since I ordered it, and finally got started.

First things first was to blow the interior apart and remove the stock stereo system. I have never been a fan of a stereo in a SXS. You have to really crank it to hear anything, and all that does is annoy anyone you drive past. The stereo removal would mean we would need to replace the center dash panel (the stock stereo head unit is integrated into the dash panel). I found a guy on one of the bookface pages that had one and said he would just give it to me for the price of shipping, easy enough! We opted for another UTV Com comms/stereo system. We ran this system on our Max and really loved it! We liked being able to listen to music through our headsets, then when someone started talking, it would kill the music and you could talk to everyone in the car, but also had full radio functions and could talk to everyone else on the channel. We compared this to Rugged Radios/PCI, etc. and bang for the buck you couldn't go wrong. Plus they were somewhat local in Nampa, Idaho. This would mount right into the opening on the new center dash panel.

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At the same time I installed the Ryco Moto street legal kit. This would be my 3rd Ryco kit I have done. It was just as simple as the other two, and easy to follow and install. Roy does a great job writing the instructions with lots of pictures. You can see the turn signal indicators I installed right above the radio on the previous picture.

New headlights going in with the street legal kit

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Red Loctite on a headlight seems reasonable? :rolleyes:

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Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
While I had everything apart, I decided to splurge and this would be the machine that I would finally replace the steering wheel on. I got with UTV Com after the Baja trip and gave them some feedback on the PTT button they used. They had a velcro strap that would wrap around your steering wheel/handlebars, etc. and was just a bit on the cheap side. After it came off multiple times in Baja, I mentioned to them to possibly come up with a more permanent solution like the other comm companies have. They did! They got a PTT button made up, and a plate to bolt behind the steering wheel. Another perfect reason to upgrade the steering wheel :rofl: I went with the Assault Industries suede wheel.

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I also installed some Viper Machine floors drains, and gated shifter. While I had everything apart, I also installed a Full Access UTV Rollover Valve, and their fuel filter. These are also known not to fully read correct gas levels, but also due to the shape of the tank can trap ~2 gallons of gas. All of this were easy installs.

AJ is approving so far haha

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Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
After getting the interior done and back together, I moved onto the underside of the machine. The rear transmission is really close to the 'skidplate' on these, and is known to actually crack the transmission, even with aftermarket skids installed. I installed a Full Access Transmission Skid, then doubled that up with a full belly skid from SSS Offroad. I also added Full Access Rock Sliders as well. They are BEEF, but since I am planning on crawling the heck out of it, they will be needed.

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Once the skids and sliders were installed, I moved to the front A-Arms. The eventual goal here is to run 37" Maxxis Roxzillas. I am not sure how soon that will be as they decided to be silly and change to a 17" wheel, versus an 18" or 15" that are already on the market. No one is making a 17" beadlock for SXS's currently. I picked up some SuperATV 1.5" Forward Control Arms, paired with their chromo balljoints. I am hoping this will allow room for 37s in the future, but for now will leave all kind of room for activities for the 35s.

I found it interesting that SATV gets a bad rap, but this arm compared to a factory arm is like night and day.

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While I was doing this, I also installed Full Access UTV control arm braces, and front shock braces. There is a known issue with all SXS's really that the mounts are just too weak and under heavy use/abuse/stress the factory mounts can shear off. Jake made some brackets that will help with this. Pretty easy stuff.

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Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
Next up I upgraded the exhaust. I had a muffler on order for well over a year from a local company, but after feeling like I was just being a pest I bowed out, got a refund, and looked at other options. I wanted something that had a bit more of a deeper tone, but not loud or obnoxious. After doing some research I found GGB Exhaust. They are out of Canada, and actually seem like a direct competitor to the other option I was going to be running. They have no packing in the mufflers, just baffles, and is all stainless steel. Not only does it look good, it sounds amazing! This muffler weighs in at 17.2 lbs compared to the stock muffler at 25.3 lbs. the decible readings were really impressive!

Stock: Idle tops out at 75 decibles, 5000 RPM tops out at 90 decibles.
GGB: Idle tops out at 79 decibles, 5000 RPM tops out about 93 decibles.

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Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
After I got the exhaust done I added a couple final things to it. I had purchased a Tusk Barricade Carrier months before the machine showed up, as well as a ProSteel Products packout mount for the bed area of the machine. I have seen a lot of success with the Milwaukee Packout options for storage and coolers, so I knew this was the option we wanted to go with on this machine. After losing a brand new lifetime cooler in sand hollow during Trail Hero one year, this was the much better option. My amazing wife got me a cooler for Christmas, and a toolbox for our anniversary, and my sister (with the help of my amazing wife again) got us another cooler to complete the system.

I purchased a couple cheap battery powered Velcro lights on Amazon for the interior, and the Assault Industries Mirrors I got from Hindenburg Customs and installed everything. I also installed the Full Access grill, and put the front fenders and hood back on.

After that it was time to bolt up the tires. It was the big moment that I had been waiting for to see it on its own weight with the 35” sticky Roxzillas. I think it looks awesome!

This is where it sits now, I need to get the windshield on, do an alignment and add the speaker covers and it should be ready to go for next weekend.

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I got a couple other small things on order like a bumper, but nothing major. I’ll be switching out the winch cable for the rope off my old winch and aluminum fairlead when the bumper gets installed.
 

Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
Looks great. I am looking for 35" tires. Have you had those before? Trying to figure out what ones to get.
I have run these for a while, they are awesome tires! They had 35x10-14, but I think they discontinued those. I went to these shortly before selling my 2 seater, and they have been great! These are the sticky compound (mini treps) and I think they also make a hard compound as well.
 
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Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
First trip is in the books, and it flat out works! I am very pleased with how it turned out, and how well it works. AJ did pretty good the first day, but we could tell he wasn't himself. The next day we noticed he was even more upset than normal in the mornings, and he was playing with his ears. Took him to instacare on the way out and come to find out he has a double ear infection. Knowing this he handled the first day like a champ! About noon came around and he was done, so we called it early and headed back to the BNB and relaxed. My dad rolls his SXS pretty good the day before and thought only the axle had broke. As he started to work on fixing it, he found the lower shock mount broke, the brake line had a hold in it, and the axle. We just hung around town for a bit.

AJ is getting better, but he passed his colds to us, so its been a fun week lol.

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Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
Let's do it! I think we need to make a run up Hanging Tree again this year, and maybe there will be water running down it after the winter we have had?

But I would never say no to SH or Moab either. :cool:
 

Coco

Well-Known Member
Location
Lehi, UT
We've still been enjoying this thing, we did several trips to sand hollow this year, and with that, the stock springs were starting to sag out. The stock springs on all these things seem to sag out pretty quick. I decided to pick up a dual rate setup from Shock Therapy. They get weights of everything the machine will be carrying, what terrain you run, what it is equipped with, then build you a custom spring set to your needs. While I was at it I decided to get their shock cap kit so I can check and adjust my nitrogen levels in the shocks. Both of these were pretty simple to do, minus dealing with the spring compression tools. Always fun feeling like you're putting your life in the hands of two pieces of threaded steel rod. I also picked up some Suspension Armor for the front shocks. The rears have stainless collars to help protect the shocks, but the fronts do not. Its becoming a well known issue that guys are getting debris in their spring collars, and rubbing holes in their shock bodies. This mostly happens in muddy conditions from what I have seen, and even though I avoid mud like the plague, I decided to go ahead and get a pair of his sleeves to protect the front shocks. Mine had little signs of wear when I took them off, but figured I was in there, let's add some protection. After getting everything installed I got the alignment set. Full Access UTV alignment plates made the process very easy.

These are the rear shocks - You can see the factory installed collars above the threads, and the ST shock caps I installed as well.

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I sold off my 35s in November, and just had the machine on jackstands while I waited for everything to arrive. Finally the much anticipated 17" beadlocks arrived from Raceline, so I was able to get those mounted and installed as well.

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The machine had 16" of belly clearance on 32s after the new springs were installed, and now with the 37s it will be nice to have some clearance on this beast. Excited for the next run to test everything out! It hasn't settled from being off the ground, I expect it to come down 1/2-1" from this current pic.

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