There's something special about walking through a fabrication shop before the doors open.
Raw material stacked on the racks. Sparks flying in the fabrication bay. Chassis waiting for powder coat. Axles being assembled. Machines turning out parts that will eventually end up on some of the toughest off-road vehicles in the country.
That's what this episode of Wide Open Life is all about.
Adam takes you behind the scenes at Wide Open Design to show what goes into building custom rock crawlers, rock bouncers, Jeep chassis, and off-road components every single day. From machining billet parts to final assembly, this is a look at the work that happens long before customers ever see the finished product.
Every Great Build Starts in the Machine Shop
Before a chassis reaches the fabrication floor, many of the components begin in our machining department.
This week, the Haas lathe is producing 7075 aluminum weld pucks, while the Haas mill is machining raw Crane Axle castings into finished Magnum Knuckle components. Every counterbore, thread, and machined surface is completed in-house to ensure the precision and consistency we expect from every part that leaves the shop.
One rack in particular always gets attention—a full inventory of American-made 7075 aluminum. This material becomes the suspension links used on everything from trail rigs to competition rock bouncers. Keeping inventory on hand allows us to maintain one of the fastest turnaround times in the industry for custom suspension links.
Building Better Chassis
Walking into the fabrication shop, you'll immediately see projects in every stage of construction.
One completed Jeep CJ chassis is wrapped up and ready for pickup. The removable body design allows the body and cage to separate easily from the chassis, making future maintenance and restoration significantly easier.
It's one of those engineering details customers may never notice until years down the road—when they realize how much easier it makes working on the vehicle.
Don Ryan's Ultimate Trail Machine
One of the highlights in the shop is Don Ryan's California-bound Rock Bouncer.
Built around a Wide Open Design chassis, this buggy combines serious trail capability with thoughtful engineering and premium components throughout.
Highlights include:
- LS V8 power
- Crane Axle 14-bolt front and rear axles
- Four-wheel steering
- Radflo coilovers
- Radflo bypass shocks
- 7075 aluminum trailing arms
- Full door package
- Premium trail-oriented suspension geometry
While capable of tackling extreme terrain, this build was designed to be comfortable enough for long days on the trail—proving that performance and practicality don't have to be mutually exclusive.
A Four-Seat Family Trail Rig
Fresh back from powder coating is another exciting project headed to Texas.
This Wide Open Design Revolution 2.0 four-seat chassis is beginning final assembly with:
- Mast Motorsports engine
- TH400 transmission
- Atlas transfer case
- Crane Axle 14-bolt front and rear axles
- Full door option
Four-seat buggies continue to grow in popularity because they allow the entire family to enjoy the trail together without sacrificing suspension performance or capability.
Real Shops Have Real Problems
One thing Adam shares during this shop update is something every builder can relate to.
Even professionally built vehicles occasionally encounter unexpected issues.
One nearly completed buggy is temporarily back on the lift—not because of fabrication, but because of an incorrectly assembled transfer case from the manufacturer.
Rather than rushing a vehicle out the door, the team tears it back apart, diagnoses the problem, and fixes it correctly.
It's a good reminder that building custom vehicles isn't just about fabrication—it's about solving problems, paying attention to details, and refusing to compromise on quality.
A New Jeep JL Project Begins
Sometimes the newest project in the shop is also the most mysterious.
Sitting in the corner is a brand-new Jeep JL, fresh off the dealership lot, waiting to become something entirely different.
While Adam doesn't reveal many details, one thing is certain: this orange JL will eventually become another showcase of what a purpose-built off-road vehicle can be.
Stay tuned.
The Jeep LJ We've Been Waiting For
Perhaps the most exciting build currently in progress is a custom Jeep LJ.
The longer wheelbase of the LJ offers tremendous opportunities for suspension packaging, and this build takes full advantage of it.
Rather than simply installing a tube chassis, the Wide Open Design team engineered the cage to retain many of the factory amenities owners appreciate, including:
- Factory hard doors
- Factory soft top
- Windshield wipers
- Heater
- Air conditioning
- Six-speed automatic transmission
- LS engine
- Atlas transfer case
- Crane Axle 14-bolt axles
The suspension provides approximately 7 inches of up travel and 7 inches of down travel, creating a Jeep equally comfortable on difficult rock trails and longer adventure trips.
This project perfectly represents Wide Open Design's philosophy of combining hardcore off-road capability with real-world drivability.
Built by Builders
One of the biggest takeaways from this shop tour isn't any single project.
It's the process.
Every chassis, axle, suspension component, and fabricated part is built with the understanding that customers depend on these vehicles far from the trailer, often in places where failure isn't an option.
Whether machining Crane Axle components, fabricating suspension links from American-made 7075 aluminum, assembling custom chassis, or solving unexpected drivetrain issues, every project receives the same attention to detail.
Because at Wide Open Design, we're builders first.
And that's exactly how we believe off-road vehicles should be built.
Questions or Comments?
We'd love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions.