Shoji-Wagen

shiann

New member
Thanks for the updates. I'll be watching closely to see what you come up with on the exhaust side (maybe paired with some sliders?). I want to keep the AMG exhuast tone but want it a little bit louder, but not as loud as some of the new exhausts designed for the 63's, which on the 55 are way too loud.

Interested to see what you come up with for new products.
 

freeze

Adventurer
Covid has sure been a strange time, however, very grateful for the opportunities and how life is able to continue forwards. Hopefully all of you are coping well and soon we’ll be out of this fingers crossed!

Some updates that’s been going on for the W463
  • Sliders prototypes are being currently tested.
    • We’ll be able to give the green light once we get through Rubicon without failure.
    • The design is going though design patent pending in three countries. On local trails they’re working really well, however our trails here aren’t severe enough. It needs to pass rock squeezes and drops.
    • It’s passed hi-lift test at all points (which isn’t saying much).
    • There are two options for installation: bolt on or bolt on and weld tabs to bolt on for added strength.
    • Custom exhaust system allows it to be tucked up and out of the way of the slider arms. Still sounds AMG.
  • Bumper brackets were fabricated to use the 70 Series ARB bumper. We have our own bumper under design which will not be a plate or a tube bumper.
    • Used the TJM 10k Australian spec winch from my 4Runner
    • Factor 55 Fairlead
    • Factor 55 Flat Link Gen 1 Thimble (old one from the Tacoma)
    • Adding the front bumper and winch crushed the front coils by almost 25mm.
  • STEDI LED spotties up front wired into the fog light switch. Keeps it simple and clean inside.
    • These punch with a focused beam. For the dollar the distance is very good. Spec say 1lux at 1.15KM.
    • Downside is the light throws so bright on the road it can reduce vision for distance at high speed.
  • Replaced the rear coils with Thor prototype coils.
    • They are shorter by 15mm but is carrying the weight better. Still not satisfactory fully loaded (which isn’t heavy by “overlanders”)
    • We have the biggest ORC coils in the rear with Thor coils up front of a G550 and it also isn’t carrying the weight as well as we’d like.
  • Changed TE37’s to BRAID WinRace T Beadlock 16x8 with biggest offset they make.
    • Gold is a nod to Talaria of Mercury eventually led to Hermes ability to fly.
  • Rebuilt rear Ohlins with custom length for additional droop.
We’ll be running this set up for a while to get some testing in. We have some more updates coming... Slight hint is 37 Trepadors and stock fenders. Soup bowl is calling…. :D

Richard and Ashley from Desk to Glory (power couple!) put together a fun article in the latest TREAD Magazine on the W463 and the shop. Please forgive the Covid stash on the upper lip… haha. That’s gone now but the article still remains. Ashely’s writing skills and Richard‘s photography skills made for a nice read.


7803C152-C1C1-480E-8ACD-E945C09C9F79.jpeg
- Photo: Richard Giordano @DeskToGlory
 

Yarjammer

Wellreadneck
Looking forward to seeing a new bumper offering. Heck, I'd love to get brackets for the ARB if the new bumper doesn't pan out.
 

Speedkills

Member
Darn, I just returned a set of Ohlins for being too short and swapped them out to KW shocks. Wish I would have realized Ohlins could custom make them longer, if so I would have just kept them as I love the feel of Ohlins suspension. Beautiful build.
 

Eric Edwards

Adventurer
Covid has sure been a strange time, however, very grateful for the opportunities and how life is able to continue forwards. Hopefully all of you are coping well and soon we’ll be out of this fingers crossed!

Some updates that’s been going on for the W463
  • Sliders prototypes are being currently tested.
    • We’ll be able to give the green light once we get through Rubicon without failure.
    • The design is going though design patent pending in three countries. On local trails they’re working really well, however our trails here aren’t severe enough. It needs to pass rock squeezes and drops.
    • It’s passed hi-lift test at all points (which isn’t saying much).
    • There are two options for installation: bolt on or bolt on and weld tabs to bolt on for added strength.
    • Custom exhaust system allows it to be tucked up and out of the way of the slider arms. Still sounds AMG.
  • Bumper brackets were fabricated to use the 70 Series ARB bumper. We have our own bumper under design which will not be a plate or a tube bumper.
    • Used the TJM 10k Australian spec winch from my 4Runner
    • Factor 55 Fairlead
    • Factor 55 Flat Link Gen 1 Thimble (old one from the Tacoma)
    • Adding the front bumper and winch crushed the front coils by almost 25mm.
  • STEDI LED spotties up front wired into the fog light switch. Keeps it simple and clean inside.
    • These punch with a focused beam. For the dollar the distance is very good. Spec say 1lux at 1.15KM.
    • Downside is the light throws so bright on the road it can reduce vision for distance at high speed.
  • Replaced the rear coils with Thor prototype coils.
    • They are shorter by 15mm but is carrying the weight better. Still not satisfactory fully loaded (which isn’t heavy by “overlanders”)
    • We have the biggest ORC coils in the rear with Thor coils up front of a G550 and it also isn’t carrying the weight as well as we’d like.
  • Changed TE37’s to BRAID WinRace T Beadlock 16x8 with biggest offset they make.
    • Gold is a nod to Talaria of Mercury eventually led to Hermes ability to fly.
  • Rebuilt rear Ohlins with custom length for additional droop.
We’ll be running this set up for a while to get some testing in. We have some more updates coming... Slight hint is 37 Trepadors and stock fenders. Soup bowl is calling…. :D

Richard and Ashley from Desk to Glory (power couple!) put together a fun article in the latest TREAD Magazine on the W463 and the shop. Please forgive the Covid stash on the upper lip… haha. That’s gone now but the article still remains. Ashely’s writing skills and Richard‘s photography skills made for a nice read.


View attachment 656188
- Photo: Richard Giordano @DeskToGlory

Count me in for the sliders and the ARB front bumper bracket!
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Sweet build!
It's cool to see another ARB bumper on a G!, after seeing MG Metalworks' back in 2020; https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...d-by-mg-metalworks.133006/page-4#post-2748444
Any update on your sliders?
How's the AFN rear swingout bumper holding up with the 35" on it?

Darn, I just returned a set of Ohlins for being too short and swapped them out to KW shocks. Wish I would have realized Ohlins could custom make them longer, if so I would have just kept them as I love the feel of Ohlins suspension. Beautiful build.

Ohlins has an optional set of dampers for +40mm lift. Unfortunately the info is really difficult to find online. No good info here on these 2 kits; https://www.ohlinsusa.com/parts/mercedes/g-class
 
Last edited:

Speedkills

Member
I'm unsure at this point if I will go Ohlins, have KW rebuild their shocks I have and add the optional ability to raise and lower them which sure would make getting into my garage easier, or I may just have my shock mounts modded to fit Jeep shocks, then have a much better choice of shocks in general as some of the semi-active units are looking pretty attractive to me, something like the sdi e-click shocks maybe. What works for me on the way to the trail is quite a bit different from what works for me on the trail so anything I can do to make it easier to switch between road and trail settings is looking attractive to me. https://eclikshocks.com/
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
I'm unsure at this point if I will go Ohlins, have KW rebuild their shocks I have and add the optional ability to raise and lower them which sure would make getting into my garage easier, or I may just have my shock mounts modded to fit Jeep shocks, then have a much better choice of shocks in general as some of the semi-active units are looking pretty attractive to me, something like the sdi e-click shocks maybe. What works for me on the way to the trail is quite a bit different from what works for me on the trail so anything I can do to make it easier to switch between road and trail settings is looking attractive to me. https://eclikshocks.com/

KW offers electronic height adjustability for vehicles without height adjustability as a factory/OEM option? Something like the DDC? https://www.kwsuspensions.com/products/coilovers/ddc

Haven't seen the SDI E-Clik yet, thanks for the link. Looks along the same lines as Falcon's eAdapt setup.

Looking forward to seeing which way you go!
 

Speedkills

Member
Yeah, KW can actually add the hydraulic height control to any of their shocks if you send them back to them and have versions to work with or without factory electronic control.

ENRjceK.png


The Falcon's in my mind are a little closer to something like Fox's IQS, sort of a dumb we let you change a setting for all shocks, between two or three settings. The eAdapt goes a small step further by having a sensor that will auto hit that switch for you, but it's not doing anything intelligent.

E-Clik is more like the Raptor and TRX systems, where they are trying to build a profile of how you are driving and adapt in real time based on that. The Raptor has the famous jump mode, where it senses you leaving the round, dials the compression damping up to full stiff and also relaxes the transmission clutches all before you hit the ground to lessen the impact on you and the vehicle.

The E-Clik is trying to do that, but of course like every programmer they think their algorithms are smarter :D I did chat with one guy who had swapped out his Raptor suspension controller from OEM to the E-Clik and he did agree that he thought it was much smarter about it but I have no first hand experience. In brief conversation with them it's much more individual wheel level control though, interfacing with your vehicle's sensor network to get input on what you are wanting to do, so if it sees you turning into a corner based on the steering wheel angle changing it can stiffen the shocks on the outside of the corner to reduce body roll, of if it senses you are trying to slowly roll off of a rock based on your brake pressure and feels the suspension drop away from the chassis, it will stiffen the suspension on the axle that dropped only to reduce the amount you compress the suspension on the way down, reducing the chance you compress so far you scrape something.

I'm about 90% sure I'll try it out on my truck in a few months, if I do I will report back and share my experiences. They make a universal reservoir kit that bolts onto your existing reservoir shocks, fox, icon, king, whatever, but I'm more interested in the vehicle specific kits that have greater knowledge of what you are doing while driving so it will take me a bit as I won't order them until I confirm I can emulate a Jeep's sensors from my G-Wagen to a sufficient level to work with the Jeep version of the E-Clik shocks.
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Yeah, KW can actually add the hydraulic height control to any of their shocks if you send them back to them and have versions to work with or without factory electronic control.

ENRjceK.png


The Falcon's in my mind are a little closer to something like Fox's IQS, sort of a dumb we let you change a setting for all shocks, between two or three settings. The eAdapt goes a small step further by having a sensor that will auto hit that switch for you, but it's not doing anything intelligent.

E-Clik is more like the Raptor and TRX systems, where they are trying to build a profile of how you are driving and adapt in real time based on that. The Raptor has the famous jump mode, where it senses you leaving the round, dials the compression damping up to full stiff and also relaxes the transmission clutches all before you hit the ground to lessen the impact on you and the vehicle.

The E-Clik is trying to do that, but of course like every programmer they think their algorithms are smarter :D I did chat with one guy who had swapped out his Raptor suspension controller from OEM to the E-Clik and he did agree that he thought it was much smarter about it but I have no first hand experience. In brief conversation with them it's much more individual wheel level control though, interfacing with your vehicle's sensor network to get input on what you are wanting to do, so if it sees you turning into a corner based on the steering wheel angle changing it can stiffen the shocks on the outside of the corner to reduce body roll, of if it senses you are trying to slowly roll off of a rock based on your brake pressure and feels the suspension drop away from the chassis, it will stiffen the suspension on the axle that dropped only to reduce the amount you compress the suspension on the way down, reducing the chance you compress so far you scrape something.

I'm about 90% sure I'll try it out on my truck in a few months, if I do I will report back and share my experiences. They make a universal reservoir kit that bolts onto your existing reservoir shocks, fox, icon, king, whatever, but I'm more interested in the vehicle specific kits that have greater knowledge of what you are doing while driving so it will take me a bit as I won't order them until I confirm I can emulate a Jeep's sensors from my G-Wagen to a sufficient level to work with the Jeep version of the E-Clik shocks.

Good to know on the KW thx for sharing the info.

Falcon's SP2 3.3 is 2way rebound adjustment at the bottom, 3way compression adjustment up top(note; setting 2 has a custom dial with 8 further micro adjustments). eAdapt module is doing a bit more than you state; https://www.falconshocks.com/sp2-3-5-adapt-e-adjust-piggyback-sh
Nothing like E-Clik though no.

I'm wondering though....if E-Clik technology was the cat's pajamas, why aren't Trophy/Baja trucks running them, KOH, etc? Or maybe some are switching over? All I see are King, Fox, Bilstein.

Looking forward to seeing what you end up with!

Back to Shoji...
 

Speedkills

Member
Some are switching over, but I'm not in that scene enough to know how many. I saw one KoH buggy running an unreleased competitors product, plus randomly ran into a guy who had swapped the E-Clik ecu onto his raptor, it controlled his Fox Live shocks and he said he felt it was way improved control in the rough stuff and whoops while similar on the street.

I'll be curious to hear how their new units are received when they come out later this month, they are supposed to be an upgrade to your existing Fox, Icon, King, etc. but don't have the full knowledge of what you are attempting to do like the units that tie into your can bus.
 

rhyno

New member
I see he just received a set of Werewolf portal axles! Looking forward to hearing about the install and thoughts on the product.
 

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