Project Car: Mercedes G-class Gets a 4″ Lift Kit
We have been selling aftermarket products for the G-class since shortly after the vehicle hit the U.S. back in 2002. Back then, we were mostly selling BRABUS, HAMANN, and Lorinser. It was a different time — we were lowering every G-class with a set of springs from HAMANN or Lorinser. Lift kits didn’t exist (in the U.S. market anyhow). As I remember, twenty-inch wheels were popular at first, and a set of 22’s was the aggressive setup back in 2004. Along with wheels, tires, and lowering, the BRABUS Widestar kit was the ultimate package.
Later on, BRABUS developed their Ride Control Suspension System with the Middle East market in mind. The shocks had electronic damping, but didn’t lower the vehicle. Since then, MANSORY and KW have developed DDC (Dynamic Damping Control) kits, where the former is a coilover kit that combines lowering and electronic damping. For customers that wanted less wheel gap and a more aggressive stance, while lowering the center of gravity, the MANSORY kit fits the bill. But more importantly, it addresses the number one complaint we get from G55 AMG and G63 AMG owners: the car is too stiff and the ride is way too rough. Of course, ride quality can also be rectified with RENNtech or KING Adjustable shocks, at a lower price point.
But times have changed. Thanks to the Mercedes G500 and G550 4×4², everyone wants to lift their G-class!
The good news is, we have lift kits that can give customers the off-road look they want, while improving overall ride comfort. The center of gravity is raised, and you may have more road noise from rough terrain or mud terrain tires, so we can’t necessarily say performance and handling are improved, but we can say this project car rides better than stock. It’s more comfortable and more enjoyable to drive. If tire noise was a sticking point for a customer, we would recommend an all terrain (e.g., Nitto Terra Grappler, Toyo Open Country), or even a more street-like tire (depending on the lift kit being used). I should point out that while the center of gravity is raised, spacers are typically required to fit the wider tires, so track width increases significantly.
Most of the improvement in ride quality can probably be attributed to the DTD-spec KING Shocks. They are 2.5″ in diameter and contain more fluid and stronger components than the stock units. Plus, the have 20 settings for compression. We set ours to the softest setting, but may want to change it after driving it, or depending on conditions (e.g., towing).
Our project vehicle is getting a 4″ lift kit, taller (and wider) tires, along with H&R wheels spacers. The 4″ lift kit includes longer springs, spring spacers, extended stainless steel brake lines, adjustable shocks, radius arms to correct caster, and an adjustable panhard bar to center the front axle. We’ll also be offering an adjustable panhard bar, also know as a track bar, for the rear. The axle is way off center right now and the wheels are sticking out on the right side of the vehicle.
So far, the install has been pretty straightforward. The bracket for the brake lines had to be drilled out a bit, since the stainless steel lines are larger than the stock lines.
One other small tweak…the OEM bracket that attaches to the radius arm had to be bent a little (think flattened out) to fit the bolts on the arm.
There is also a sensor on the stock radius arm that has to be reattached to the new arm with a self-tapping screw, so please make not of the angle/position before removing the sensor from the stock arm and create the same angle when re-attaching to the new DTD Radius Arms.
It has nothing to do with the lift, of course, but with the truck in pieces, we added some BMC Air Filters for a little better air flow.
Thanks for checking out our project car!
If you have installed a lift kit on your G-class and have questions, or if you’re thinking about installing a lift kit, feel free to shoot us an email with any questions: in**@gw*********.com.
Please check back for more updates over the next few weeks. Go to Part II.
