G55 offroad capable???

[AAA]

Hello. I have an opportunity to buy a 2003 g55 for a pretty good price. Gas milage aside can this be modified into a capable offroader like a g500? Would i need to get smaller brakes, etc..?

[otiswesty]

The 2003 G55 should be about the same offroad as a G500, both are naturally aspirated, G55 with more power though by a 5.5 liter engine. The G55 got the Kompressor in 2005 I believe. Some would argue that the G55 is limited by the side pipes, but really there is just a risk of damaging them, then you have a good reason to cut them off. Use the 18" wheels with a 33" tire then you do not need to do anything with the brakes. More brake is better anyway.
Some would also argue that it is too much power for offroad:Wow1:

[4x4abc]

the G55 would make an excellent off-road vehicle
springs are a little shorter though and you have less ground clearance unless you get G500 springs
shocks have different valving and might get you a little rough ride

the G55 is definitely my next G - after my still young and strong G500 (170,000 miles) needs replacement
never had a better off-road vehicle in my life (had many other G before and still have several Jeep and Toyota in the fleet)

it has its (physical size) limits, however, the extreme rough (like the Rubicon Trail) are better driven with a swb Jeep or Toyota

[AAA]

Thats very inspiring! So you dont think 18 is to big of a wheel to offroad with. I live in the rocky north east. Most go with 16, but i dont know if the difference in size will dramatically decrease offroad comfort.

[autonovice]

Hello. I have an opportunity to buy a 2003 g55 for a pretty good price. Gas milage aside can this be modified into a capable offroader like a g500? Would i need to get smaller brakes, etc..?

I know the 2000 G55 has the same brakes as >2002 G500.

I know the 2005 G55K has bigger brakes; 17in. These are ATE.

I am not sure how big the 2003-2004 G55 brakes are. You can tell by looking
at the rotors in relation to the wheels. There should be only .5 gap between
them if these are 17in rotors.

This link confirms the 2003-2004 G55 has the same brakes as regular G500
http://www.mbworld.org/forums/g55-amg-w463/319934-brake-size-differences-between-2003-2004-up-g55s.html

I would stick with the same brakes since you probably will get bigger tires anyway.

I would swap out to a G500 or similar springs and shocks. The G55K ride
is very stiff unless you plan to road race. In that case, it is a perfect set up.

[4x4abc]

Thats very inspiring! So you dont think 18 is to big of a wheel to offroad with. I live in the rocky north east. Most go with 16, but i dont know if the difference in size will dramatically decrease offroad comfort.

there is no wheel size too big for off-road
point is - you need as much rubber between the ground and the wheel
the more volume of air a tire has, the better for off-road

if you would compare two tires equal in diameter and compare 16" wheel to 18" wheel = the tire mounted on a 16" wheel has more volume = better for off-road - more comfort on-road (air in tires act as "secondary" springs)

for on-road performance (especially high speed and fast cornering) you want as little rubber as possible between road and wheel

please also note: all stock 4x4 tires are way too small for real off-road use
since 99.99% of all 4x4 are operated on pavement its the right choice from the manufacturer
if you ever want to leave pavement, you must get larger tires from a dependable manufacturer (not many to chose from)

larger tires have a myriad of advantages (need a new thread for that) and a few draw backs (expensive secondary modifications like lower gears)

[hoser]

IIRC, the G500 and G55 have different final drive ratios with the G500 having a numerically higher ratio. A consideration for some.

[4x4abc]

meaning that the G500 will crawl slower than the G55 - a very important point!

[hoser]

Harald, I can't seem to find reliable information on the gear ratios for the 2003 G55. Know where I can find such? I don't want to pass on bad info.

[4x4abc]

someone would have to look it up in the EPC

[mogwildRW1]

I have access to the EPC if you tell me what info to plugin :victory:

[4x4abc]

you either pick any of the G55 in the menu and go into axle section
under differential you will find the applicable gear ratios
or you could start with a valid G55 VIN and the go into the axles section

[mogwildRW1]

Ok, I picked "463271" G55 USA/CANADA

Then Major Assy Front Axle, but I'm not sure which to pick after that, here's some screenshots of the options

[4x4abc]

here is another way of looking at it:
the Mercedes G 463 series is produced with 4 different axle ratios
4.11:1, 4.385:1, 4.857:1 and 5.286:1

the G500 uses 4.375:1 - then the G55 has to have 4.11:1 diff ratios since it has to be higher (numerically lower) to achieve lover rpm (since the engine is so powerful, higher rpm would not be beneficial for every day use = less gas)

[AAA]

so essentially the g500 is better for offroad use due to gearing? So its safe to say that for daily street use you would want the factory 18s and then swap to 16s with 33s for offroad use? How beneficial is a subtle lift of the suspension? I imagine any lift will help but do you see good improvements in offroad capability because of it?

[4x4abc]

so essentially the g500 is better for offroad use due to gearing? So its safe to say that for daily street use you would want the factory 18s and then swap to 16s with 33s for offroad use? How beneficial is a subtle lift of the suspension? I imagine any lift will help but do you see good improvements in offroad capability because of it?

Yes, the G500 is slightly better because of slower crawl speed.

If you drive very aggressively, 18's are your ticket for best performance on-road. Many G owners have converted to 16" wheels for every day driving - it is so much more comfortable (the tires provide extra suspension).

I run 295/75 R 16 (about 33.5") all year round - pavement and off-road. Could not be happier.

A suspension lift (taller OEM springs) will provide more clearance under the rocker panels (they are a bit low on the G).

Recommended white springs for the rear, red springs for the front. They will provide about 3' of lift.

rear springs (http://www.rubicon-trail.com/G-Class/img/rearsprings.gif)

front springs (http://www.rubicon-trail.com/G-Class/img/Vorderfedern.gif)

Spring spacers in combination with the stock springs will provide a subtle lift:
Karl's G stuff (http://www.g-wagenaccessories.com/)

[hoser]

Harald, is the 2003 G55 diff ratio confirmed to be 4.11? I know the G55 estimated fuel mileage is supposed to be slightly better than the G500 and the different ratio could explain it. Is there a sticker on the door jamb that specifies which ratio it is equipped with?

[4x4abc]

both front and rear axles have a small tag on the outside with serial number and diff ratio (in the picture shown its a 460 series 5.3333:1 diff)

[AAA]

Thanks so much for the assistance. I love the very well built appearance of the g. I dont have experience with it but am anal about high quality and a vault like build. 99% of cars and trucks are plastic snap togethers these days so the g wagen definitely intrigued me. Is it really that incredible of a vehicle compared to its competitors at land rover etc?

[mogwildRW1]

Thanks so much for the assistance. I love the very well built appearance of the g. I dont have experience with it but am anal about high quality and a vault like build. 99% of cars and trucks are plastic snap togethers these days so the g wagen definitely intrigued me. Is it really that incredible of a vehicle compared to its competitors at land rover etc?

IMHO the Gwagon is in a class of its own. Still hand built: http://www.pbase.com/flydutch/gclass_assemby

(For the record, I stole that link from another forum, and it might even have been from 4x4abc :) )