Shock Therapy Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX Glamis Build

Posted on October 30, 2017
3:24 pm

By Jon Crowley

Over Halloween weekend in 2017, we caught up with Shock Therapy at the Glamis dunes to see its newly built Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX X rs in action. Ernie put the four-seat machine through the sand, and its agility stood out more than its 135-inch wheelbase suggested.

Shock Therapy Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX X rs build at Glamis — Shock Therapy’s four-seat Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX X rs.

A Four-Seat X3 Built for the Dunes

The Maverick X3 MAX brought a 135-inch wheelbase and room for four adults to Can-Am’s high-performance X3 platform. The original 2017 launch model was rated at 154 horsepower; Can-Am increased output to 172 horsepower for the 2018 X3 lineup. This Glamis outing took place in October 2017, when the higher-output version was arriving. The long wheelbase gave Shock Therapy plenty of platform to work with for a dedicated dune build.

Shock Therapy four-seat Maverick X3 MAX in the Glamis sand dunes — The long-wheelbase X3 MAX looked at home in Glamis.

Shock Therapy Suspension and Lonestar Long Travel

Shock Therapy started with its dual-rate spring kit and Ride Improvement System, then added its Bump Steer Delete tie-rod kit and adjustable sway bar links. I had already driven my two-seat X3 with Shock Therapy shock upgrades and was impressed by the improvement, so I was eager to see how its own four-seat build handled the dunes. For more on the difference between springs and internal shock work, see our UTV springs versus valving guide.

Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX X rs with Shock Therapy suspension upgrades — Shock Therapy tuned the suspension for its four-seat X3 MAX build.

The build also used a Lonestar Racing MTS long-travel suspension kit. As described for the build, the kit added three inches of width per side up front and two inches per side at the rear while retaining the stock wheelbase. Its high-clearance arms, trailing arms and supporting components brought the claimed wheel travel to 24 inches at both ends. Those figures describe this 2017 build and should not be taken as specifications for every X3 MAX or current kit.

Lonestar Racing MTS long-travel Can-Am Maverick X3 MAX build — The Lonestar Racing MTS kit widened the X3 MAX while keeping its factory wheelbase.

Four-Seat Glamis Build Details

TMW Off-Road supplied the cage and doors, Triple X Seats furnished the seating, and Wolf Designs completed the look with a wrap. The build also included Baja Designs lighting, Buggy Whips, Rockford Fosgate audio, PCI Radios, XTC Power Products electrical accessories, Affordable Powdercoating and Sand Tires Unlimited paddles. These are the parts documented on the vehicle during our 2017 visit, not a current product availability list.

TMW Off-Road cage and doors on Shock Therapy Maverick X3 MAX — TMW Off-Road cage and doors helped finish the four-seat dune build.

Ernie was happy to show us what the machine could do. Despite the X3 MAX’s length, it felt surprisingly nimble in the dunes. The combination of suspension tuning, added travel and sand-specific equipment made this a memorable early example of a fully built four-seat Maverick X3.