Defender fitment is not one machine. Across ten model years Can-Am ran three chassis generations, two width groups, two different front differentials and a 6x6 with three axles. This guide tells you which A-arms and which axles fit yours, and why.
HD5, HD7, HD8, HD9, HD10 or HD11. The badge tells you the chassis generation. HD5 and HD8 ran 2016–2021 and were replaced by the HD7 and HD9 in 2022. The HD10 has run since 2016 but changed front ends in 2020. The HD11 is an all-new 2026 chassis and shares nothing with the rest.
Base, DPS, XT and XTP are the standard-width machines. X mr, Limited, Lone Star, XT Cab, Mossy Oak (2020+), PRO LTD Cab and 6x6 Limited are the wide-body, arched-A-arm machines. They take different arms and different axles from the standard trims, every time.
Visco-Lok or Smart-Lok. This only matters for front axles, but it matters completely — they are not interchangeable. The quickest check is in the next section.
On the X mr width. Can-Am publishes the X mr at 64″ while the Limited, MAX Limited, Lone Star Cab and 6x6 Limited are all published at 65″. In the shop it does not change anything: the X mr uses the same arched A-arms and the same wide-body axles as the 65″ trims. Order by group, not by the inch number.
Two-second check. If the front axle is sold as a left and a right, the machine has a Visco-Lok front diff. If one part number covers both sides, it has Smart-Lok. Smart-Lok front axles are symmetrical — one axle, either side.
| Front axle family | Front diff | Sides | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| AX-7-67-FL / FR-0-DT | Visco-Lok | Left / right | HD5 2017–2021 · HD8 2016–2021 and HD9 2022+ non-cab · HD10 2016–2019 base, DPS, XT, Mossy Oak · MAX HD10 2017–2019 base, DPS, XT |
| AX-7-90-FL / FR-0-DT | Visco-Lok | Left / right | HD10 2020+ base, DPS, XT, XTP, PRO · MAX HD10 2020+ base, DPS, XT · 6x6 2020+ |
| AX-7-93-FL / FR-0-DT | Visco-Lok | Left / right | HD8 XT Cab · HD9 Cab · HD10 XT Cab 2020–2021 · Limited 2020–2023 · PRO Lone Star 2021–2022 · MAX XT Cab 2020–2021 · MAX Lone Star and MAX Limited 2020–2023 · 6x6 Limited 2022–2023 |
| AX-7-96-F-0-DT | Smart-Lok | One part, either side | X mr and MAX X mr 2019+ · Limited and MAX Limited 2024+ · MAX Lone Star 2024+ · 6x6 Limited 2024+ |
| AX-7-67-F-0-DT-001 | Smart-Lok | One part | X mr 2018 only — first year of the X mr uses its own front axle |
| AX-7-103-FL / FR-0-DT | Visco-Lok | Left / right | HD7 2022+ |
| AX-7-122-F-0-DT-001 | Smart-Lok | One part, either side | HD11 2026+ Smart-Lok models |
| AX-7-122-FL / FR-0-DT | Quick-4Lok | Left / right | HD11 2026+ Quick-4Lok models |
| Rear axle family | Fits |
|---|---|
| AX07-016R-0 | HD8 2016–2021 · HD9 2022+ non-cab · HD10 2016–2019 base, DPS, XT, XTP, Mossy Oak · HD10 XT Cab 2016–2017 · MAX HD10 2017–2019 |
| AX-7-90-R-0-BT | HD10 2020+ base, DPS, XT, XTP · MAX HD10 2020+ base, DPS, XT · PRO HD10 2020+ · 6x6 mid axle 2020+ · 6x6 rear axle 2023+ |
| AX-7-67-R-0-DT-001 | The wide-body group: HD8 XT Cab · HD9 Cab · HD10 XT Cab 2018–2019 · X mr 2018+ · Limited 2020+ · Mossy Oak 2020+ · PRO Lone Star 2021+ · MAX X mr 2019+ · MAX Lone Star 2018+ · MAX Limited 2020+ · MAX XT Cab 2020–2021 · 6x6 Limited mid axle 2022+ and rear axle 2023+ |
| AX-7-95-R-0-BT | 6x6 rear axle 2020–2022 only |
| AX-7-77-R-0-DT | HD7 2022+ |
| AX-7-122-R-0-DT | HD11 2026+ |
HD5 rear axles. SuperATV builds front axles for the HD5 but does not list a rear. If you need an HD5 rear, call us — we source it separately.
That makes the Limited the easy one to stock. Two front axles and one rear-family axle covers the whole machine.
From 2023 the mid and rear come from the same AX-7-90-R-0-BT family, the same way the Limited's do. On a 2020–2022 machine they are different parts — the year matters here.
Stock ride height, no lift. This is the combination we build most often in Anchorage, and the answer is different front to rear and different by trim.
| Machine | 32″ front | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| 6x6 Limited 2022+ | Clears stock | Nothing. The 65″ arched-arm front end already runs 30s and has the room for 32s. |
| 6x6 DPS / XT 2020+ | Needs arms | High-Clearance 2″ Forward Offset A-Arms — AA-CA-DEF-2-001-02#AD. At 64″ on 27s there is not enough room without them. |
| HD10 base / DPS / XT / XTP | Needs arms | High-Clearance 2″ Forward Offset A-Arms, or Atlas Pro 2″ Forward Offset for the heavier-wall version. |
| Wide-body trims — X mr, Limited, Lone Star, XT Cab | Needs arms | The wide-body forward offset arm, AA-CA-DEFXMR-OHC-02 family. Different part from the standard trims and it lists cheaper. |
Every 6x6 needs a rear offset arm to clear 32s, including the Limited that clears them up front. The arm is the Atlas Pro 1.5″ Rear Offset; only the fitment suffix changes.
| 6x6 model | Rear offset arm kit |
|---|---|
| 6x6 DPS 2020+ | AA-CA-DEF-1.5-R-02 |
| 6x6 XT 2020+ | AA-CA-DEF-1.5-R-02#AA |
| 6x6 PRO DPS 2020+ | AA-CA-DEF-1.5-R-02#AB |
| 6x6 PRO XT 2020+ | AA-CA-DEF-1.5-R-02#AC |
| 6x6 Limited 2022+ | AA-CA-DEF-1.5-R-02 |
About the 31″ rating. SuperATV rates the Atlas Pro 1.5″ Rear Offset to 31″ and its listing excludes the Limited. We run 32s on this arm and they clear. If you are building to that spec, talk to us first so we set the pivot blocks correctly for your tire.
The other route. A 4″ Portal Gear Lift for the 6x6 (PGH-7-95) gets you the clearance without touching arm geometry, and gives you gear reduction back for the bigger tire. Costs more; works better if you are going past 32″.
Plan the axles with the arms. Offset arms run the CV joints at steeper angles and a bigger tire multiplies the load. Factory axles are the usual failure after a tire-and-arm build. If you are changing arms, do the axles at the same time — the labor overlaps and you are already in there.
| Line | From | Build | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADR Brand | $105.95 | Steel, OEM dimensions, OEM-quality boots and grease, OEM-equivalent strength | 1 year, manufacturing defects |
| Rhino Brand | $211.95 | 4140 chromoly, larger components, TPEE boots, advanced grease, stronger than OEM | 1 year, any failure except boots |
| Rhino 2.0 Heavy-Duty | $249.95 | 4340 chromoly, proprietary heat treatment, 4 mm larger shaft, close to twice stock strength, built to run high CV angles | 18 months |
| Rhino 2.0 Big Lift Kit | $286.95 | Same build, lengths for SuperATV 6″ Big Lift Kits | 18 months |
| Rhino 2.0 Long-Travel | $286.95 | Same build, lengths for long-travel suspension kits | 18 months |
For a stock-height machine on stock tires, the ADR or Rhino Brand axle is a fair replacement. Once you are on oversize tires, offset arms, a lift or portals, go Rhino 2.0 — that is the failure point otherwise.
Why this list is shorter than you expect. SuperATV lists the same arm many times over, once per machine, and tags each listing with a suffix after the part number — the #AA, #AB, #AC you see at checkout. That suffix is a sales-tracking tag, not a different part. Strip everything from the # onward and you have the real part number. Below is one entry per actual arm, with the machines it covers. AA-CA-DEF-R-HC-02 is one rear arm that fits the HD5, HD7, HD8 and 2016–2019 HD10 — not four arms.
Ball joints set the price, not the arm. Where an arm shows three prices, it is the same arm three ways: the base price reuses the ball joints already in your machine, Standard Duty comes with new ones pressed in, and Keller Performance is the heavy-duty set. Preinstalled means we press them before it ships — you are not fighting them in the driveway.
Send us the VIN or a photo of the front diff and we will match the parts. A2D Motorsports is Alaska's largest SuperATV dealer and an authorized dealer for System3 Offroad and ITP Tires. We install everything we sell.
1000 W 66th Ct, Anchorage · 907-306-3062 · Shop rate $175/hr
