On Saturday, we happily descended upon
World Tour Off Road Equipment, as they had graciously offered to host a tech day for the members of the Capital Land Cruiser Club in their conveniently located Annapolis, MD shop. Paul and Ginger, owners and operators of WTO for over 13 years, designated three bays (two with lifts) that we were able to utilize for the day. Among the participants, we had three 100-series owners that showed up that needed to do various projects (install skid plates, install an awning, change spark plugs, replace transfer case and engine mounts, swap out control arms, etc.).
Although we brought our own tools, the staff at WTO stated that they would lend us any tools that we might need, and that they had all the hardware and commercial fluids that might be required (their hardware room [nuts, bolts, etc.] was impressive, and they are proud Amsoil proponents and distributors). After the brief shop tour that Paul gave, I absolutely believe that they do in fact have just about everything required for Land Cruiser projects (despite having mostly Jeep clientele), and don’t even get me started on the level of custom fabrication projects that I witnessed—these folks do top notch work!
To say that this shop is fully stocked with tools, hardware, parts, and superior automotive/fabrication knowledge is an understatement. You can tell a lot about people when you observe their workspaces—I made note of highly organized parts bins, clean worktables and spaces, tools intuitively hung on peg board walls, trash bins not overflowing, different rooms designated for specific tasks/jobs—I left impressed and thinking, “I would like to work here.”
The website states that they specialize in lug centric tire balancing (a critical consideration for our Toyota trucks), precision gear work, custom brake lines, frame repair, and custom welding and fabrication, in addition to more mundane fluid maintenance, diagnostics, tires, wheel alignments, lift kit installation, lighting, and more. This truly is a one-stop-shop for transforming your 4x4 into an adventure machine!
Despite one major bolt problem that sidetracked the intentions of one of the truck owners, everyone else accomplished what they came to do. The group also collectively vetted the shop as a supremely capable fabrication and offroad modification shop. They don’t appear intimidated by much . . . if you have a tough job dreamed up, they seem to be up to the challenge. I know that a lot of us roll on 35-inch tires (and up) and the struggle to find a place that can effectively balance big tires is real and frustrating. (I am still using the old school method of using dive weight beads in my 37s.) Now we know of a shop that won’t grimace when you show up to get your tires balanced, and they have cutting-edge equipment to get the job done correctly.
To summarize, we enjoyed our time spent at World Tour Off Road Equipment and were impressed with their shop and staff. They even grilled burgers for us at lunchtime! When it’s time for new tires, I will be coming back here to get them balanced. If you are looking for a reputable place to get any of the aforementioned work done, World Tour Off Road Equipment of Annapolis, MD, is highly recommended.
