Finding the right shop for you

mattcogdell

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2018
Messages
731
Location
TN
First off do not confuse this for mods that are just throwing parts on. More of labor requiring fab work and real off-road, suspension, driveline knowlegde.

For those of us who can't do significant modifications, what is the best/smartest way for us to find reputable shops for installs? I can name 4-5 shops local off the top of my head but none of which I have any knowledge of.

Chris has mentioned in several threads that Dave is very knowledgable and his shop makes their own suspension parts. No one near me builds their own suspension parts that I know of. Most places near me are simply install shops that sell parts as well.

I'm not sure how to find the "right shop/person" to do this type of work for me.
 
I don't know any better because I have done all the work on mine. But I would think that one clear sign of a good shop would be to ask how they determine the correct bump stop length. If they are removing the coils and cycling the axles, that is a very good sign. If they are simply using whatever extension the kit provided, then they aren't doing anything that the home guy can't screw up themselves.
 
Matt, I see your up in TN, wherebouts? In the Chattanooga area I've always heard good things about Tom's 4x4 shop. In the Nashville area there is a great jeepers group called "Jeeps & Wrenches", and I know they have a few guys that have shops that do work for their group.
 
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JeepZilla380, I'm 20min north of Chattanooga. I can't speak from experience but I've heard a lot of good and a lot of bad from there. I've know two people that have worked there.

There's a shop in Knoxville, Tn (1.5hrs from me) called Rock Your 4x4. I've been following them a lot on social media trying to see exactly what type of work they do as well as their quality of work.
 
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I spent a lot of time trying to find a decent shop in my area to have my MetalCloak lift installed this past April. I chose poorly, and the folks I used really got it wrong. Did some of the correction work myself, but laying in the driveway adjusting control arms was a pain. The silver lining is I found a great shop that helped me adjust my suspension right, and in the process have used them for a bunch of work. Hopefully a few other users in TN will have some suggestions too. Worth looking up the Jeeps and Wrenches guys too, see who they like and use.
 
First off do not confuse this for mods that are just throwing parts on. More of labor requiring fab work and real off-road, suspension, driveline knowlegde.

For those of us who can't do significant modifications, what is the best/smartest way for us to find reputable shops for installs? I can name 4-5 shops local off the top of my head but none of which I have any knowledge of.

Chris has mentioned in several threads that Dave is very knowledgable and his shop makes their own suspension parts. No one near me builds their own suspension parts that I know of. Most places near me are simply install shops that sell parts as well.

I'm not sure how to find the "right shop/person" to do this type of work for me.

In the same boat as you I try to do everything I can to my jeep but there’s just some things I can’t do. I’ve been through my share of Bummy mechanics that over charge or don’t do quality work. My mechanic was a Jeep specialist all he did was Jeep but his work was not quality work and charged way to much.

I recently started looking for a new mechanic online I would search 4x4 shops off road shops etc. and look at their reviews! I found a mechanic with good reviews he was even featured in several magazine including a 4wheelparts. I would talk to them to see if they know how to certain things. Like the above poster mentioned “how to set bump stop” look at the rigs also.
 
I suppose one place to look for opinions is Google or Yelp in terms of reviews. For the most part, I've found that the reviews for places tend to be pretty accurate.

Another good way to find a reputable shop is to ask your local Jeep clubs. For instance, there is a club here in Salem called, "Salem Jeepers". I asked them of any good local shops and they gave me a few of them I'd never even heard of, but all of whom came highly recommended.
 
I found my shop by first looking online for "Jeep shop" in Chicago. Then I ruled out all the chains like 4 Wheel Parts. From there, I used Instagram to see what projects the remaining shops typically work on. When I noticed that the shop I now go to builds LS JK's, Willys Hot Rods, and maybe even converted an FJ cruiser to an electric vehicle, I was pretty sure I found my shop. Most 4x4 shops just specialize in bolt ons, so you might need to travel to find a good shop. I also wouldn't base anything off of google reviews. The shop I go to has a low rating mostly because they don't bother to pick up the phone half the time. But the quality of work they do is very very high.

One shop I would recommend that is somewhere near Chattanooga is the Off-road Connection in Fultondale, Alabama. I've never been there with my Jeep, but I've seen them on Dirt Every Day and it seems like they would have no problem doing anything you need.