Shop Tour: Steel Nutz

Southern California is the mecca of off-road, it is not uncommon to find a shop on every corner, but it does on the quality of the shop. We headed out to Steel Nutz in Murrieta, California to see what project they were up to and to see a shop that is right down the street from the office.

Welding and fabrication are the name of the game at Steel Nutz.

You know you have found the shop when you find off-road projects lining the parking lot. Kevin Lessard gave us a quick tour of the shop and everything that Steel Nutz has to offer. “Steel Nutz owner, Mike Uva, has created a shop that is known for its welds,” Lessard said. This was definitely something that could be seen walking around looking at the projects in the shop.

A lifted El Camino being worked on for a customer. The vehicle sits on a K5 frame and is a perfect example of form meets function.

There is a little of everything going on, from prerunners to UTVs. In the shop, they are currently working on a chromoly roll cage for a Polaris RZR 900 EFI, front and rear suspension on a Silverado, and a lifted El Camino. There is nothing that the guys at Steel Nutz will shy away from.

By the time this Silverado will be done it will be cycling around 22 inches of wheel travel all the way around. The owner wanted to clear 39-inch tires at full bump, looks like he will have no problems going through the desert. The truck has more work in store for it as the rear frame needs to be C-notched to clear the rear housing.

The company has everything they need to make just about anything you can think of. They have an area designated to tools to cut, bend, and shape metal to fit any project. “We offer customers to be able to pay as they go,” Lessard explained. “We know everyone’s budget is different, and finances are different. We listen to what the customer wants to accomplish and come up with a plan to get it done.”

Tyler Rios cutting a piece of tubing (left) before taking it over to the shop foreman, Logan Janousek. (right)

Alex Curry mocking up a spare tire, before cutting the bed to allow the tire to sink into the bed.

Everyone wants to have their project done yesterday, but the way the company works allows the project to be done on both sides time. With all the project that they have going on, we are excited to see them finished and follow back up with them as new projects roll into the shop.

You know you are at an off-road shop with the amount of project sitting in the parking lot. This Silverado was in for a new bumper and some sheet metal work.