As I start the process of doing some serious mods to my '09 JK 4dr Rubi, I'm looking for a top flight shop to do the install work in the greater Boston metropolitan area. Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks!

P.S. I'm willing to take it to southern NH/Maine or RI.

 

There are very few shops that do the work for you. Most of us just do mods in our driveways. What kinds of projects are you looking to have done? I've always let people come to my house and use tools and such. And I'm here if you need help with something. Also if your in an offroad club there are always people to help you out.

I'm in Northern RI.

 

Unfortunately, I have a job that doesn't leave me much spare time. I'm new to Jeep ownership and am just getting started. I've settled on new wheels and tires and I'm looking at front and rear bumpers (which will require a few more changes) and maybe bushwhacker fenders. On the mechanical side, I'm taking it slow while I learn what's what. I need to search out a club to join in here in Boston. Any suggestions?

P.S. Here's a link to another post regarding the bumpers I'm looking at: https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modified-jk-tech-2/aev-front-bumper-expedition-one-rear-63168/

 

The front bumper install is very very easy. Simple hand tools and an hour of your time and you'll be done. Wheels and tires are easy... I use Town Fair Tire for that. They will match internet pricing. Free flat repair. Be careful about buying big tire wheel combo's online. Most tire shops will charge up to $50.00 a piece to balance if they didn't sell them. They even re-balance my tires when I mess um up wheeling. I just show up with a smile/ box o jo and a couple pizza's....

 

Texas is right - bumpers (and flares) are easy. (Although it took me more like 3 hours for my front bumper, but that's just me.)
Wheels/tires can be done anywhere, since you'll probably have to buy them on the 'net anyway. I like the local shops where I know who's doing the work.
If you really don't have the time / tools / space to do the work (I hear 'ya), or when you get to bigger jobs (gears, lift, etc), call Doctor Wheels (dot com) in S. Yarmouth. It's a bit of a drive, but they have a ton of experience w/jeeps, including JKs. They did my lift, gears, axles, driveshaft, etc.

I've also heard good things about Elias in Townsend, MA, but never used them.

Oh yeah, Dr Wheels is also closely affiliated w/the Cape Cod Jeep Club. Great club, lotsa experience, LOTS of trail rides, and since all the wheeling around here is north and/or west of Boston, they drive right past us on the way out. There's a bunch of guys from RI and S shore in the club, too.

Good luck w/your decisions,
Scott

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm gonna put the new tires and wheels on myself. That much I can do. I've read in the forum that the AEV front bumper takes a little more effort, time (about 8 hours) and equipment than the usual bumper so I may pass on the DIY with that. Plus, I'd like to establish a relationship with a good Jeep aftermarket shop where I can pay them to overlook the fact that I'm a pest with this stuff while I'm learning it. I did that when I bought my 42' Searay Sundancer in 2004 at Thomas Marine in Dorchester and it's paid dividends with respect to learning the ropes (pun intended).

I'll keep folks updated with pics as I transform the Rubi over the next few months.

Thanks again, Jim

P.S. I'll try out the club on CC. Sounds perfect.

 

theres a place in Natick center called intricate lines. the guy that runs it is very cool and they have pretty much everything quadratec does, they can do most work and the rest they have local shops bang out for them. i have also found a place down rt 24 on your way to the cape, forgot the name ill see if i can find it again, but after browsing through the site they looked pretty good.

 

There is also a club on this side of the bridge called South Shore Wheelers.

southshorewheelers.org Dues are $40.00.

I'm in this and RIJeepsters. Also another up north in ME.

 

I second Doc wheels. They are nice people and have done just about everything. Cape Cod Jeep club is one of the two that I joined and I'd recommend them also since they have so many trail rides. This month alone they had 6.

The did my Arb locker, 4.88 gears and did a great job since I've had no issues. I agree these mods seem pretty simple overall but I understand. Just realize that it's going to cost you about $80-90 hr for labor. Im sure anyone of else could get er dun for ya if your that pinched for time.

Are you also installing a winch when putting on an 8hr bumper? It might be wise if you do not plan to learn how to get it on and off.

PM me if it's just a matter of a location to get it done.

 

Found this in a website called at www.blacktiejeep.com. It's only part of the story and don't know whether it's true.


Let me tell you a story about the rise and fall of Doctor Wheels in my life: There once was a time where I thought Dr. Wheels was the best shop around and Marc cared about you and your rig. I was sucked into the fantasy land where a clown like Marc could do no wrong. Let me explain how this story goes. Everything here is factual – nothing is made up. I tell you no lies. On February 2, 2007, I dropped my jeep off at Doctor Wheels; I was going on my honeymoon, a cruise that would be over 8 days. I made sure that he had ample time to do the work of installing my lift kit. I'd given him just about a month's notice if not longer. Because I was going to be out of the country, I had my best friend be the point of contact in case anything went wrong. Being the diligent best friend that he is, he called Doctor Wheels almost every day. The Jeep was actually scheduled to be worked on starting February 5, 2007. On February 6th at 9:21 a.m., the first picture was taken – the one you see at the start of the slideshow. No other pictures of work being done on the Jeep until February 9th which happened to be a Friday. You should keep in mind that I'm scheduled to pick up the Jeep on February 12th which is that following Monday. I explained to Marc that I could not be without a vehicle this is my daily driver and because I had to work that next day. I was assured that I could pick up my vehicle on Monday. Which I did, surprisingly, after my best friend tells me that on Friday the install was still not complete. As you follow along on the slideshow, the first two pictures were taken on Tuesday. All the rest of the pictures were taken on Friday and Saturday. A lot of the work was rushed. I paid for things such as a front wheel alignment, which was not done. The sad thing was, at the time, I thought he did great work and was just so happy to be driving my jeep again. On the way home, I called Mark to tell him how happy I was and that I had forgotten my five factory tires. Marc tells me "don’t worry about it, we have plenty of space, we can keep’ em out back for when you want to pick them up, no problems." I asked him "Are you sure? I can come back and get them." Then again he says "Not an issue, we have plenty of space out back." I tell him thanks. Then he asked me about my spare parts. I told him to "Take them. I don't need them. Give them to somebody that can use them." All the time not knowing how shoddy the welds were and the fact that the front-end alignment was never done. I drove my jeep for about a week. Sometime that week, I decided to test out my new suspension by driving it down a dirt road then wanting to see the flex compared to the factory suspension. Going up a very, small incline I broke my rear anti-sway bar. I mean really snapped my sway bar in half. I called Marc to explain to him that things were just not right and to that I broke the anti-sway bar. He tells me to "bring it on in.” I end up leaving work early so I can do just that. I get to Doctor Wheels in the early evening. I believe this was a Thursday night. My wife and I are greeted at the door by Marc, his wife, and some people from the Cape Cod Jeep Club. While the crew was working on the Jeep to figure out the problems I was having, I noticed that they were using an air chisel to tighten and un-tighten the locking nuts that hold the Krawler joints. When I question it, the answer I was given was "That's the way we do it here," and the comment was made that they “did not have a wrench that was big enough.” Wow I thought to myself – what a hack, but, under Marcs’ guidance, everything seemed okay. I was under the impression that the rear anti-sway bar “dog bones” where too long for my lift kit. So the guys at Doctor Wheels shorted them by about 1 ˝ inches. Put everything back together again. Then was told that I need the make use to keep my suspension lubed with some type of silicone lubricant spray. At the end of our stay there that night I was again told that there was no issue with me keeping my tires there. Now that we fixed the sway bar dog bones fixed I need the bring to my local jeep dealer so I can get the warranty repair done on the broken sway bar. I know that I would have a small fight one my hand because of all of the modifications that I have done to the jeep. After some negation with the dealership we came to the compromise that this was a 50% warranty and 50% lift kit install issue. But that they would repair it under the warranty. Now back to the Dr. Wheels Story, I then decided to go to Fall Crawl sponsored by Northeast Association of 4WD Clubs. But I needed to be part of a 4wd club that was in this association. Once again Marc comes into play, and I join Cape Cod Jeep Club. Now for those who don’t know, Cape Cod Jeep Club, clubhouse is at Dr. Wheels. When my wife and I went to a CCJC meeting we happened to see our wheels and again ask if they were ok and not issue leaving them there. I was assured again that this was ok. I also had noticed that there were more than just my wheels there now.



Story still not finished please come back soon.......