Behind The Metal: Taking A Look At Where It All Starts

We are all used to seeing a tube chassis on a Trophy Truck, but regardless if it is an off-road machine or a garage built bumper, it all starts in the same place. To take a closer look at where off-road rigs start, we headed to a local Industrial Metal Supply (IMS) to see the metal before all the glory.

In addition to all the material, IMS has machines to cut sheet and tube down to side.

Starting with the proper high-quality material is the first step to a successful project. If you are a fabricator, walking into the warehouse at a metal supply place is where the wheels start turning. There are endless racks of tubing, steel plate, and aluminum to make all your wildest project ideas come true.

“IMS has formed a few partnerships in the off-road community and we support them by helping with their metal needs,” Megan Humpal explained. “We have partners in several classes including UTV, Jeep and Truck categories. You will see IMS at King of the Hammers, a couple of the Lucas Oil Off Road races and the Off Road Expo in Pomona later this year.”

IMS supplies metal to many of the vehicles that are seen out at off-road events.

Without metal, off-road vehicles are nothing. Whether it is from sheet or tubing IMS has helped teams stay on top. “With an enormous motorsport community in the Southwest, IMS is well positioned to help out the teams and hobbyists with six locations that are open six days a week,” Humpal said. “Race teams often need to pick up material ‘right now’ whether they find themselves short on metal or need a repair.”

IMS also carries a full line of fabrication accessories.

“People can walk in and shop our stores or call ahead and Will-Call material, whether they need one stick or two bundles of steel tubing,” Humpal continued. “We also have the ability to cut material to size whether it’s tubing, sheet or plate. There really isn’t any other distributor that stocks aluminum, steel and stainless in sheet, plate, bar and tube, and the only solution to also add welding tabs, grinding wheels and even welders to their purchase. Whether it’s a few pieces, or bundles and skids, IMS is the off-roaders solution for metal due to the simple convenience. We stock all the metal for same day purchase and can deliver large volume orders the next morning.”

Worried about getting dirty? IMS has a full showroom to pick up what you need.

Seeing a warehouse as large as the IMS one we visited made our mind wander with endless thoughts and possibilities for future projects. Taking a trip to your local metal supply house can also help figure out the type of material that could be used in particular areas of a build. Sometimes seeing it first-hand makes the decision that much easier.