New England’s Premier Off-Road Shop: Installs, Driveline Work & More!
In New England, particularly Massachusetts, there’s an extremely limited number of reputable shops with real-deal off-road build expertise. Of those, Offroad Elements in Abington, Massachusetts, is widely considered one of the best. Eric Miles and his wife Gillian have been in business since 2011, and have been growing ever since.
Their team of experienced techs is hands down the best 4×4 experts in the Northeast, and if you look at their website, Facebook, or Instagram, it will be immediately apparent why.
Shop Overview
Offroad Elements has been building off-road vehicles for fifteen years. Between their core team members, they collectively have decades of experience, making them one of the most exceptional fab and installation shops on the East Coast.
Plus, they do a lot of the technical work on their vehicles that other shops often farm out to a third party; from drivetrain mods like re-gearing (something they specialize in), to engine work like supercharger installs and complete swaps.
They even have a dedicated and very talented in-house fabricator, Matt, who can lay down a perfect weld with the best of them. When I was in the shop having work done on my Tundra, I got to watch Matt as he wrapped up a custom roll cage he was building for the new Offroad Elements shop vehicle, a $6000, formerly totaled JL Rubicon that they threw a crate 392 in and turned into an absolute beast.
While they do a lot of work on Jeeps, there’s no shortage of Toyotas rolling through the shop. Those range from the expected Tacomas and 4Runners to Tundras, Land Cruisers, and the whole GX line of Lexus SUVs.
They’re perfectionists when installing suspension parts, body armor, lights, winches, safety gear, and other off-road accessories. They’ll get the job done quickly without cutting any corners.
Eric himself took the time to ensure that my front tires had zero rubbing issues after getting my Tundra aligned, when they were done installing my OME ARB Nitrocharger Plus lift kit. Scottie, his shop manager and lead tech, also helped me squeeze a full-size 35-inch spare into the stock spare location under the bed, which required extra fab work and careful positioning.
Eric also introduced me to the nifty Needle Bearing Eliminator kit that they install on nearly every Toyota 4×4 they work on. The kit includes a direct-fit replacement for the needle bearing found in the driver’s side of the front differential. This part causes an uncomfortable rumbling sound, often accompanied by vibrations, while the front differential is activated.
The replacement part is a bushing rather than a bearing. It’s smooth on the inside, bronze inlaid, and PTFE lined. It eliminates vibration and noise and is also designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle, unlike the needle bearing itself, which wears out over time.
Advanced Driveline
Eric and the team are true professionals in the shop at Offroad Elements, but it isn’t the only place where Eric and Gillian have skin in the 4×4 game. In addition to building custom 4x4s at the shop, they own and operate a sibling business called Advanced Driveline, which focuses on building custom axles designed specifically for off-road use and abuse.
Here, you can order or build the perfect axle for your 4×4 project, at whatever gear ratio suits your vehicle, and with any accessory or mod you could think of. In a perfect world, I’d have them put together a nice rear axle for my Tundra with an e-locker, something that Toyota unfortunately never offered from the factory for the 2nd Gen. Unfortunately, though, that’s a pricey item that will have to wait.
Final Thoughts
At Offroad Elements and Advanced Driveline, not only are they supremely good at what they do, but they’re good people. Even during my suspension install appointment, Eric, Gillian, and their team were welcoming and friendly. At the same time, I bumbled around their shop and sales floor with my camera all day, asking redundant questions and getting in the way. They were a pleasure to work with.
If you have a build or project coming up on your 4×4 that you need a shop for in Massachusetts or the New England area, they’re absolutely worth reaching out to.
