Episode 025 of the Bad Lines Podcast hits full compression with Brandon Roth of Roth Shock Services, a
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guy whoâs literally built a mobile empire out of a beat-up Fun Mover and a whole lot of grit. From the dunes of Dumont to aerospace testing labs to wrenching on Raptors in your drivewayâthis episode is packed with busted uniballs, wild road trips, and the kind of real-talk you donât get in polished shop reels.
đľ From the Dunes to the Driveway
Brandonâs roots run deep in the desert. Raised riding dirt bikes and blasting sand rails in Dumont with his family, his passion for off-road fabrication started earlyâlike, elementary school career day early. After graduating from The Fab School and turning wrenches at Baja Kits and Brenthel, he took a sharp left turn into aerospace, where he tested rocket components for SpaceX. But the call of the desert never left.
đ§ Birth of a Shock Hustle
What started as a botched, beer-fueled rebuild on a buddyâs sandrail shock turned into a slow grind toward something bigger. Brandon posted cheap rebuild services online just to get hands-on experienceâand burned through countless seal kits in the process. But through sheer volume and curiosity, he got dialed. When side gigs began out-earning his aerospace paycheck, he went all in. Like, drain-the-401k, live-out-of-an-RV all in.
đ Mobile Shock Shop: The Disco Bus That Could
Brandonâs full-time shock shop is built into an old Fun Mover RVâbelieved to be a retired factory Kawasaki race team rig. It's decked out with a workbench, compressor, and every part imaginable, rolling from SoCal to Arizona to NorCal (usually in the rain). He services everything from Raptors and Tacomas to pre-runners and sand railsâall on-site, often with a beer in hand and a story or two about customers who somehow survived on shocks held together by âprayer.â
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âď¸ Tuning Philosophy: Itâs All About Vibes
Forget charts and calculatorsâBrandon tunes with a driver-first mindset. He listens, tests, and adjusts based on how people actually use their vehicles. Whether you're bombing whoops at 70 or cruising to the campsite with a dog in the passenger seat, heâs got a feel for it. And while he admits every truck is âclappedâ in its own way, his goal is to build trust, educate owners, and keep rigs safe enough to not pass their own wheels on the freeway.
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đŠ Why It Works: Honesty, Hustle, and the Human Side
This episode shows why Roth Shocks isnât just a businessâitâs a lifestyle built on transparency, mechanical skill, and community. Whether heâs rescuing parts from a sketchy Home Depot parking lot at 1:30 a.m., rebuilding shocks for Disneyland rides, or helping a young father fix a rusted-out Raptor, Brandonâs story is about doing what it takes to get people rollingâand doing it right.
đď¸ Favorite Moments:
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The San Diego-to-Sacramento-to-nowhere road trip from hell
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Why âPrelanderâ > âPre-runnerâ for the rest of us
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That time he found Johnny Campbellâs old Honda race rig⌠in a strangerâs garage
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Running shocks for Score officials and lettuce farmers with airplane hangars
đ Final Thoughts
If you've ever wondered what goes into making your off-road suspension actually workâor what it's like building a business out of a rolling shock shopâthis is a must-listen. Brandon Roth doesnât just rebuild shocks, he rebuilds trust in how mobile service can be done. No fluff, no highlight reelâjust busted parts, good vibes, and dialed suspension.