Newcomers and seasoned Jeepers congregated for the 56th annual Easter Jeep Safari last week, celebrating Moab’s challenging terrain as they took to the trails. Along with Jeep owners, a wide array of companies were also present to facilitate trail runs, show their latest products at vendor shows, and help those in need. One such company was Fabtech, an aftermarket suspension manufacturer and new subsidiary of Warn Industries.
Fabtech’s History
Based in Chino, California, Fabtech was started in 1989 by Dave Winter, gaining traction in the desert racing community before expanding into street-style goods and off-roading products for various 4x4s, including Jeeps, Toyotas, and Ford. Initial suspension offerings catered to two-wheel-drive off-road desert trucks. But as the young company gained momentum, Brent Riley met Winter in the late 1990s and started consulting for him. He then fully joined Fabtech in 2001.
“With Dave, he understood two-wheel drive. I understood four-wheel drive,” said Riley, Fabtech’s president. “So, I said, ‘Hey, let’s get together.’” The duo started building aftermarket suspension systems for 4x4s, and the company “took off and really started seeing a lot of growth in the 2000s.” Fast forward to today, Riley stated that four-wheel-drive products are the bulk of the market when it comes to their suspension and shocks.
Although some components may come from overseas, Fabtech prides itself on producing products in America. “If you came to us,” Riley exclaimed, “you would see raw material right at the door, and we process it all the way through.”
One of Fabtech’s premium product lines produced in-house is their Dirt Logic shocks, first launched in 2002. The company designed them, tuned them, and is still selling them today. Other Fabtech products include cargo racks for the Jeep JK, JL, JT, and Toyota Tacoma, differential covers for the JL, JT, and Ford Bronco, and fenders and fender liners for JL and JT Jeeps.
Fabtech is currently working on a 5-inch drop-down Ford Bronco kit that will allow up to 40-inch tires as well as a 2022 Tundra suspension system.
Moab’s Metal Masher
As Jeeps wound around low-lying evergreen shrubs and dirt-laden tracks that the Metal Masher trail offered, occasional stairstep obstacles presented themselves. Fabtech’s suspension was witnessed first-hand, giving Jeep JLs and Gladiators solid opportunities to crawl up and methodically descend challenges with ease. This in-and-out trail takes approximately four to six hours to complete and showcases something for everyone.
Metal Masher boasts a wide variety of challenging terrain and views, including a mesa-topped experience called Arth’s Rim that overlooks Highway 191, the main drag heading into Moab’s downtown. The nearby Widow Maker obstacle offers an extreme rock-crawling challenge for those brave enough to attempt it. Note: A permanent winch recovery point has been mounted halfway up to assist in recovery efforts.
During the Fabtech run, we watched several drivers winch to safety on Widow Maker while another broke his driveshaft, pinion, and cracked his transmission housing after a few attempts. However, one of the other trail goers successfully climbed Widow Maker without even winching. For those who wish to bypass Widow Maker, an alternate path is offered.
Much of Metal Masher is boilerplate but challenging driving, but areas surrounding Mirror Gulch offer difficult, tight, and off-camber shelf-filled situations. A perfect lunch spot on the way in includes the infamous Rock Chucker obstacle, which is known to snap axles and destroy driveshafts. Lifted 4x4s with a minimum of 35-inch tires and a locked front-and-rear setup are recommended for this trail.
For more information, visit fabtechmotorsports.com.
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