Whaler27
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Alex
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2020
- Threads
- 59
- Messages
- 2,665
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- 5,331
- Location
- Oregon
- Vehicle(s)
- 2019 JL, 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude Ecodiesel, 2005 Mustang GT, 2018 Ford Raptor, 2018 BMW R1200GSA, 2020 Honda Monkeybikes (2), 1972 Honda CT-70, 1980 Honda CT-70,
- Occupation
- Saving the world :-)
- Thread starter
- #1
We hear a lot about crappy 4-wheel drive shops and lousy work being done, particularly by dealerships and national chains. I thought it might be helpful to have a list of great independent 4x4 shops. I’m talking about places where old fashioned mechanics work, not “technicians” who don’t really understand the vehicles they work on. These are the places with mechanics who can diagnose problems and fabricate parts/solutions when the new components don’t fit quite right, or you can’t get the death wobble corrected. These are also the folks who can help you decide on the smartest way to balance daily-driveability and offroad capability to meet your needs.
Colorado:
I’ll start by recommending Lyft Offroad in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It’s an A+ outfit. It’s a small shop owned by Shawn and Christina, husband and wife, who have been around vehicle racing, and off-roading all their lives. They‘re well known and respected in the national off-roading community, they lead trips and trail rides, and they build amazing vehicles for bazillionaires and regular folks alike.
Anybody can bolt crap onto a jeep, but Shawn can take a jeep that somebody else has already screwed up with mismatched and worn parts, diagnose the problems, and customize a rock solid solution. When parts don’t fit he can reshape and strengthen them until they fit perfectly. Built Jeeps come in with vibrations and wobbles and leave driving as steady as a new Toyota Highlander. Also, because many of his clients have unlimited money, there’s nothing he hasn’t done/built. Want to stuff a supercharger or a hemi into your Jeep? One-tons? Custom axels and gusseting? Need to clean up a wiring mess created by the prior owner? They’ve done it all for years — in a small community where failing to stand behind their work would mean the end of business. I can’t recommend them highly enough, and I would trust them with any project. For me, it’s worth stopping by just to visit and see the latest $50,000 project on an $80,000 jeep.
Oregon:
Dunks in Springfield, Oregon is a good shop — a solid B+. It’s grown from a small specialty shop to a larger garage that works on all kinds of 4-wheel drive vehicles, but their Jeep roots are deep and they have helped me with several projects over the last 15 years.
Colorado:
I’ll start by recommending Lyft Offroad in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It’s an A+ outfit. It’s a small shop owned by Shawn and Christina, husband and wife, who have been around vehicle racing, and off-roading all their lives. They‘re well known and respected in the national off-roading community, they lead trips and trail rides, and they build amazing vehicles for bazillionaires and regular folks alike.
Anybody can bolt crap onto a jeep, but Shawn can take a jeep that somebody else has already screwed up with mismatched and worn parts, diagnose the problems, and customize a rock solid solution. When parts don’t fit he can reshape and strengthen them until they fit perfectly. Built Jeeps come in with vibrations and wobbles and leave driving as steady as a new Toyota Highlander. Also, because many of his clients have unlimited money, there’s nothing he hasn’t done/built. Want to stuff a supercharger or a hemi into your Jeep? One-tons? Custom axels and gusseting? Need to clean up a wiring mess created by the prior owner? They’ve done it all for years — in a small community where failing to stand behind their work would mean the end of business. I can’t recommend them highly enough, and I would trust them with any project. For me, it’s worth stopping by just to visit and see the latest $50,000 project on an $80,000 jeep.
Oregon:
Dunks in Springfield, Oregon is a good shop — a solid B+. It’s grown from a small specialty shop to a larger garage that works on all kinds of 4-wheel drive vehicles, but their Jeep roots are deep and they have helped me with several projects over the last 15 years.
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