Give Your Can-Am Defender a Boost

The Can-Am Defender is already a workhorse, whether you’re using it to haul firewood across the property or trail riding on the weekends. But let's be real—sometimes factory ground clearance just doesn't cut it. If you're tired of scraping your skid plate over rocks, ruts, and debris, a little extra lift can completely transform your ride.

ZBROZ recently dropped their all-new 2” Bracket Lift Kit for the Can-Am Defender and Defender MAX. Built from high-quality steel and precision welded, this kit gives you that extra clearance you need without sacrificing the durability you expect from ZBROZ.

The best part? You don't need a professional shop to put it on. If you have some basic tools and an afternoon, you can knock out this install right in your garage. Here is exactly how to do it.

Tools You'll Need

• A solid jack and jack stands

• Standard socket set and wrenches

• A drill and a 13/32" drill bit

• Torque wrench

Phase 1: Installing the Front Brackets

Step 1: First things first, park your Defender on a completely flat surface. Safely jack up the front end of the vehicle until the tires clear the ground, support it with jack stands, and pull the front wheels and tires off.

Step 2: Locate the upper shock mount bolt and remove it. You don't actually have to pull the entire shock out of the machine, but dropping it out completely does give you a lot more elbow room to work.

Step 3: Grab the larger, left-side front bracket from your kit. Slide it into position, making sure that the hole is oriented toward the bottom.

Step 4: Take the smaller left-side bracket and use one of the long bolts provided by ZBROZ to loosely hold everything in place.

Step 5: This is where you need your drill. Grab that 13/32" drill bit and drill a new mounting hole straight through the frame, using the hole at the bottom of the bracket as your template guide.

Step 6: Slide one of the short bolts into that freshly drilled hole to secure it. Go ahead and torque both of these new mounting bolts down to 35 ft-lbs.

Step 7: Swing your upper shock mount up into its new, lifted mounting location. Use the new shock bolt provided in the kit to secure it, and torque it down to your factory specifications.

Step 8: Move over to the right side and repeat steps 2 through 7.

Phase 2: Installing the Rear Brackets

Step 9: With the front end completely wrapped up, bolt your front wheels and tires back on. Move your jack and stands to the back of the machine, lift the rear off the ground, and remove the rear wheels.

Step 10: Just like you did on the front, remove the upper shock mount bolt on the rear shock and let it swing out of the way.

Step 11: Grab your rear right brackets and slide them into place. Secure them using the provided hardware. Put the longer bolt right through the stock shock mount, and use the short bolt for the lower hole in the large bracket. Torque these down to 35 ft-lbs. Note: Unlike the front, the rear brackets utilize a pre-existing hole in the frame, so you don't have to do any drilling back here.

Step 12: Lift the rear shock up into its new mounting position, secure it using the new bolt from the kit, and torque it to factory spec.

Step 13: Repeat the exact same process on the opposite side. Once both sides are done, throw your rear wheels back on, torque your lug nuts, and lower the Defender back onto the ground.

The Verdict

Once your machine is back on all four tires, you’ll immediately notice the taller stance. A 2" lift might not sound like a massive change on paper, but in the dirt, it gives you the exact amount of clearance needed to clear stubborn trail obstacles and even run slightly larger tires if you want to.

Take it for a quick, slow spin around the yard to let the suspension settle, double-check your hardware, and you're ready to hit the trails with confidence!