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WOW! Subscribing to this thread. Amazing rigs. Definitely adding some links to my G55 build spreadhseet.
Hey Ian!
Welcome to the G community! Saw some of your old thread posts about your E63. We took a similar path, I was in an E class before the G and couldn’t be happier about the new rig. It’s provided years of joy for us although I do miss my old E at times.. The G can take you anywhere you want.
Feel free to ask on here or email me any questions you might have about getting your G rigged up for the trails. If you’re a former Land Rover guy, you probably have a good idea already of the things you want but as you’re finding out, locating them for the G is a struggle sometimes. We’re a full supplier of several brands and have even more parts than are listed on our website. If there’s something you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to ask. We love the opportunity to get to be apart of all of the incredible G builds out there!
-Jack
jackwagonoverlanding@gmail.com
jackwagonoverlanding.com
Hey Ian!
Welcome to the G community! Saw some of your old thread posts about your E63. We took a similar path, I was in an E class before the G and couldn’t be happier about the new rig. It’s provided years of joy for us although I do miss my old E at times.. The G can take you anywhere you want.
Feel free to ask on here or email me any questions you might have about getting your G rigged up for the trails. If you’re a former Land Rover guy, you probably have a good idea already of the things you want but as you’re finding out, locating them for the G is a struggle sometimes. We’re a full supplier of several brands and have even more parts than are listed on our website. If there’s something you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to ask. We love the opportunity to get to be apart of all of the incredible G builds out there!
-Jack jackwagonoverlanding@gmail.com
jackwagonoverlanding.com
Thanks Jack!
I'm sure we will definitely be in touch once I get this rig underway. I do plan on keeping the E63 as well, but definitely need something that the wife and our great danes can hop into and get away from civilization.
The ALL NEW Hutchinson Rock Monster 2059 18" Two Piece Beadlock Wheels are in! This is a military grade, cast aluminum, DOT compliant, street legal, double beadlock wheel.
Jack Wagon Overlanding is honored to be the first in the world to both run these wheels and offer them to the public!
They are now available on our website https://jackwagonoverlanding.com/col...eadlock-wheels and are ready to get shipped out! Available in a variety of wheel and lug cap colors (pictured below is the Matte Black Wheels w/ Sparkle Silver Caps), check out the link to get yours!
We've been running them for a little over two weeks so far. Because of the Corona Virus, getting out to off road has been difficult but we've driven them around town for a few hundred miles already and are very satisfied with their capability and appearance.
They are a +63 mm offset which is a little more positive than the factory wheels (tucks more into the wheel well) so we recommend adding the 30 mm H&R Wheel Spacers to widen the stance to slightly wider than the factory stance. This combination would give you the equivalent of a +33 mm offset or the 50 mm Spacers for a +13 mm offset equivalent.
Side note: The 911 Reverse Spare Tire Mount is capable of holding these even with the additional weight compared to the factory wheels with no issues.
If you have any prior knowledge of Hutchinson, you are aware that they are a global leader in military beadlock wheels seen on HMMWVs/HUMVEEs, G Wagons, and more. Their name alone speaks to their reputation and this is yet another great product they have unveiled.
In the coming weeks, as COVID restrictions are lifted, we look to post more pictures and provide more insight of them being tested off road but for now, here is a quick shot of them installed onto the Jack Wagon. They've been a real head turner.
We also now offer the 0492 and 1873 16" Hutchinson models which can be found under the wheel section of our site as well.
*Unfortunately, none of the Hutchinson wheels will fit models that have Brembo/AMG larger brakes installed.. You will need to consider a 19"+ wheel. For AMG models and Gs with bigger brakes, we suggest another of our partners - 463 Industries. Their wheels are also listed under our wheel section and are a great option to consider.*
I’d like to try the 911 reverse tire mount on my 2020 G550 with OEM 20 inch wheels. Had a few questions. Email sent.
Got your email and sent you a response. Unfortunately, the current mount does not work with the '19+ models. 911 Motorsports is currently working on the new generation mount.
I will give an update once it is finished. If anyone else is a 2019+ owner located in or around Oregon and would be interested in aiding in finishing this development, shoot us a message and we can get you in contact with 911 Motorsports.
Thank you for your interest
Got to go on a little cruise this week, here's a couple more shots of the Hutchinson 2059 18" Beadlocks. Already made some sales on them and looking to add more G owners to the list! They ride very smooth and surprisingly, the added weight hasn't had any impact on fuel economy.. Got 11.6 mpg over the last 500 miles. The Jack Wagon ranges from 9-12 mpg usually. Definitely enjoying these cheap gas prices. lol
Hutchinson Rock Monster 2059 18" Beadlock Wheels for Mercedes G Wagon
I’d like to try the 911 reverse tire mount on my 2020 G550 with OEM 20 inch wheels. Had a few questions. Email sent.
A quick follow up on this: The 911 Reverse Spare Mount for 2019+ W463A models is now available. It's been out for a few months, I have just been quiet on the forums and did not update this.
Of course you can also purchase direct through 911 Motorsports if you choose.
Because of the different mount setup on the newer models, it is required that you measure the backspacing of your wheel and tire assembled to get the right size.
If you need help with this, you can always email us about the wheel and tire you are using and we can advise which one to use.
We haven't received many great pictures of it from clients yet but this gives you an idea:
I hope everyone is doing well and making it through these wild times.. It's been about a year since I chimed in and gave an update on the "Jack Wagon" and thought it was about time we checked in again! 2020 put a dagger in some of our trip plans - we wanted to make sure all of the places we went to were open when we went and have tried to be mindful of the COVID situation as well. Looking like things may finally be on their way back to “normal” so I am hopeful that we might be able to get out a little more in the next few months.
I've been fortunate to have the privilege of talking with more G owners and helping guide some of their builds through this time. I can't thank y'all enough for all of the kind words and compliments I've gotten through the process. There's a constant learning opportunity with the G for me and with each person I talk with, there is another chance to expand my knowledge and try to push the limits of the G. I really enjoy the comradery of the G community and it's an honor to be someone who gets to welcome new members to it at times.
As I mentioned above, no major trips to report on but we did stumble down into the Texas Hill Country for a few days last year to do a little trail ride and chow down on some barbeque, German cuisine, and good ol' Texas home cooking. This trip centered around Fredericksburg and we branched out to Mason, Llano, Pflugerville, Bandera, and Luckenbach. More of a laid back get away, we enjoyed some country music on the radio, simpler times, and some friendly encounters along the way.
The trail we took on this trip was one documented on Expedition Portal, you can find it here:
We started from the South in Fredericksburg and made a big loop back. Mainly just dirt roads, nothing really challenging about it but just nice to explore the wilderness and get our minds off of everything for a little while. There is a river crossing at the NW corner of the trail and we had another group watch as we crossed through it. Again, not difficult by any means but sure was fun! It's a limestone bottom so there's not any risk of sinking or getting stuck. Do be cautious if you're going during the rainy season though - river crossings and currents can get dangerous but that wasn't the case when we went. If you make this journey, there are also a couple little creek crossings before you get to it. As we would go over a creek crossing, I would think.. "where is this big crossing everyone tells me about?".. You'll know it when you see it. There won't be any question.
Now down to some G Wagon stuff! We've made a few additions over the past year and I also wanted to share a full current build list of the Jack Wagon as we get asked a lot.
First with the new stuff, we are now running the Rigid Adapt 40” Light Bar on the roof and a pair of Baja Designs LP9 Pros on the bull bar as well as the MBRP 3” High Clearance Catback Exhaust. All three of the additions are not only pleasing aesthetically but are also very beneficial in given situations.
The Rigid Adapt gets its name for having the ability to "adapt" to the speed of your driving and vary its pattern as you speed up and slow down. It comes with a GPS module that detects your speed and as you speed up, the light pattern shines more forward and down the road. As you slow down, it widens out so you can see more of what is on the sides of you. You can adjust the speed sensitivity of this sequence and you can also toggle through the options manually or just leave it on the pattern that works best for you. Pretty cool to watch it cycle through. The other cool thing about this light bar is it has a full RBG color spectrum backlighting option. You can set the backlight to any color you want and it has two preset options so you can go to your two favorite backlight colors and beam pattern on the fly.
The Baja Designs LP9 Pros are orange backlit (so we typically run the Rigid backlight in orange as well - except around Halloween we made that purple) and they have a high and low beam option. On the low setting, only 6 of the 9 main lights are on as well as the 6 peripheral lights and this gives a nice full view of everything in front and around you. Because of their design that utilizes peripheral lights, the LP9s actually have a visible range of 200 degrees. This really helps when you're watching out for wildlife on the side of the roads and trying to see everything around you. When you flip them to the high setting, the 3 remaining main lights come on as well and send a more direct spot down the road on top of the original low setting's pattern. Unique to the Baja lights is they shine a more natural white from typical light bars. Rather than being a blue-white, they are a little warmer burning at 5000K rather than the ~6000K that seems to be more standard with LEDs. This makes the light a little less straining on your eyes and more comfortable to use for long periods of time.
Besides light bars, we also added the MBRP 3 Inch High Clearance Catback Exhaust System. Personally, an exhaust system was never part of the build plan but when MBRP reached out and told us about the ability to RAISE the exhaust, I had to give it a try. Making the “Jack Wagon” into a race car was the last thing I had in mind. Pushing a little over 6000 lbs and having a high CoG do not make it the most fun thing to push the speedometer in. However, when I put this on, the exhaust note gave me that feeling I get when I sit in sports cars. The best way I can describe the sound compared to stock is “more full”. I always loved the stock sound as it was but now the sound seems to be even broader as the pipes can push air even easier. A little louder, a little more full, but not obnoxious and over bearing. It’s nice! What’s better though? THE CLEARANCE. After install, it raised the muffler/resonator 2 inches and the tips of the exhaust by 4 inches. It now is tucked perfectly above our sliders and is out of harms way. For anyone that is serious about off roading the G, this really is a game changer. Keep in mind, the Jack Wagon is a 2014 G550 and there are a few different stock exhaust setups on the G so another way to get an idea of this is that the new muffler/resonator has its lowest point one inch above the bottom of the flange that connects the system behind the cats and the exhaust tips are 2 inches above the flange. Now most G55, G63, and G550 owners may be getting an idea but for folks with older models you may still be scratching your head because you don’t know which flange I’m talking about.. Here’s the current situation: as of today, this only bolts on to models that have a driver and passenger exhaust dump. We are speaking with MBRP in the upcoming week to make a few modifications of the original design to allow for fitment onto older models that have either a single exhaust line on one side of the vehicle or have exhaust lines on both sides but only the dump out of one. It is most likely that vehicles that have the full system that has the muffler around the rear axle and dumps out the one side will need to cut out everything behind the cats and mount this on but at least you will be able to bolt this on after taking that out. It has been done in the past but takes sourcing some extra pieces and we want owners to be able to have everything necessary all in one package. We will see what we come up with and I will try to give an update as soon as we finalize. As for putting it onto the 2012-2018 models and the G55, the only thing we did was cut off an inch of the tailpipe section and extend the 4 slits used to couple this piece over the muffler assembly the same length. From there, we clamped the segments together, bolted it on, and got rolling! Here’s our link to it and there is a before and after video about halfway down:
ORC Standard Springs
Koni Raid Shocks
Fox 2.0 Steering Stabilizer
Front Adjustable Panhard Bar
H&R 30mm Wheel Spacers
Hutchinson 2059 Wheels
BFG KM3 275/70/18 Tires
911 Reverse Spare Mount
JWO Skid Steps
MBRP High Clearance Exhaust
Gobi Stealth Rack
Rigid Adapt 40" Light Bar
Baja LP9 Pro (Clear)/Pair
G-Raid Front and Transfer Case Skid Plates
The setup has worked great for us. In the last few months, we have heard a few people with bigger V8 models wanting to level the truck a little better. Because we load the G down, I like that the ORC Standard Front Springs give the truck a little bit of a rake lift (about an inch difference from front wheel well to rear wheel well – similar to factory setup) because then it doesn’t have the appearance of sagging in the rear when it’s weighted down. But for folks that aren’t loading down the G as much and want it to sit more level, we have found that the HD Front Springs also work well on 2008+ models to level the truck out when unloaded. Both the Standard and HD options work on all 463 models but if you are wanting to fine tune front ride height, having the two options gives you some flexibility.
Thank you guys again for all of the support on the Jack Wagon. This is a passion of mine and I love spending my time talking G Wagons, mods, and trips with y’all.
Great write-up. How load is the exhaust at highway speeds? is there any drone to it?
Hey there Brian,
Not sure if you will see this or the separate email first but I wanted to put my reply on here so others can see as well.
To describe the exhaust, it has a similar TONE to the G550 and G63 models. Deeper and more aggressive than the G500 stock models as they are pretty muffled from the factory.
After initial driving, it did not seem to be much louder than the factory exhaust but driving more and more, it is definitely louder than the stock 2014 G550 exhaust and it is most likely louder than the AMG models as well. Pretty close to being straight piped really.
It has a very aggressive throttle to it which is fun and at idle it has a little gurgle to it as well that makes it seem like the G is ready to roll.
On the highway, it does have some drone but not anything unlike other aftermarket exhausts.
While you can still hear the radio and the person next to you, I have found myself letting off the gas occasionally to hear conversation a little better on phone calls.
If you like or are used to loud exhausts, it's no problem. Most aftermarket exhausts are going for this and MBRP does a great job of making an aggressive, beastly sounding exhaust. It's very fitting for the G Wagon as it is a broad and deep roar, not high and squealy like others I have heard.
But if you are looking for something "like stock" or something quiet, this might not be the one.
Keep in mind that the G550 and G63 have a different exhaust set up than your model. The G500, due to its more complex exhaust layout, is more quiet than either of these two.
Models with the 5.5L V8 are going to make the most noise with this, then the 5.4, then the 5.0, etc. You're essentially taking out the muffling of the system and letting the engine rip.
To summarize the system, the ability to tuck the exhaust up higher under the truck is an incredible benefit and this is the only option available in the G Wagon aftermarket to my knowledge that accomplishes this.
I like this setup for its high clearance capability which minimizes damage when off roading.
To get the clearance, you have to accept the sound as well.
Some of the clients we have had love it and others wish it was more quiet. You have to realize that this is an aftermarket exhaust and like any other, the goal is typically more sound, not less.
From day 1, I always thought the G was loud enough so I never even considered an exhaust modification until I was told about this option.
If you're looking to off road your G and don't want to risk the exhaust, it is a heck of an option but don't expect it to be quiet.
I am personally enjoying it and love getting to hear the G roar down the road when I push it. It makes the already exciting G Wagon even more of a thrilling ride!
Wow, this is like a walk down memory lane.. Happy 2025 to all and your Gs! It has been a while since I last updated our build and journey here.
What an honor it has been over the years to welcome new G owners into the community and show others the ropes as they start their own journey of building out their G.
Whether it was shipping out a single part or doing a full on build at our shop in Fort Worth, TX, we have enjoyed every bit of this process and can't thank y'all enough for enabling this dream to be a reality!
So cool to see how the community has evolved in the last few years - long time members still hanging around but lots of newcomers as well!
Since we last checked in, we have gone up to our 4 inch lift kit using our in house JWO 4 Inch Springs, JWO Custom Extended King Shocks and a handful (more like a trunk full) of other parts as well.
This combination of our 4 inch kit provides the most down travel/flex of any publicly available kit for the G and boasts some other advantages too..
With the 4 inch lift, we now clear 35s without any rubbing. You will read of varying results on the forums on what fits with what kit but our standard has become 2 inch lift with 33s or 4 inch lift with 35s.
We have been using some variation of our 4 inch kit kit since late 2021 and have really enjoyed the capability it's added for the G. To learn more, you can check it out here: https://jackwagonoverlanding.com/pro...100mm-lift-kit
Our JWO suspension lineup now includes factory height replacement springs, 2 inch springs, and 4 inch springs.
We noticed there were people that wanted to freshen up their Gs without lifting them and for a while, there was not much option.
We now offer our JWO Factory Ride Height Springs which will give your G a non-AMG (g500/g550) style feel/stance at a more affordable rate compared to MB pricing and good factory height compatible shocks as well.
We've updated our original skid step design from what was previously pictured to a more form fitting design. With our slider rail at the bottom and protective step rail out the side, these provide protection from all angles.
We also added a "kick-out" to the sliders to assist with sharp turns while off roading. You can learn more about our JWO Skid Steps here: https://jackwagonoverlanding.com/pro...der-skid-steps
Fun fact - in 2025, we plan to make a new side step offering for those who do not need "as much" protection and would prefer a more refined look. Stay tuned.
We have also added front and rear steel bumpers to the "Jack Wagon". At current, we are using our JWO Front Detachable Winch Bumper and JWO Rear Bumper
Our front bumper was inspired by the original MB Tow Pin Bumper. We saw over the years how some attempted to use that bumper for winching but read about different bending/warping issues if you were not winching from straight ahead.
Paying tribute to MB heritage, we made a bumper that supports our winch tray in 3 positions - the tow pin and a d-ring on either side of the tray. With three points of contact as opposed to one, we have a much stronger connection with our winch and bumper. When the winch is taken off, the d-rings/tow hooks can still be used as recovery points and the pocket where the tow pin goes is designed to accept a 10 inch light bar when you're not using the winch.
All of our bumpers are constructed primarily of 1/4" steel. No plastic covers, no flimsy steel. Put ours up against other options and you will quickly realize just "how solid" they are.
The downside to this would obviously be the weight added however the weight we're talking here is not much relative to a 6000 lb vehicle.. We have been very satisfied with the results!
In addition, we have played around with some other more intricate pieces - orange turn signals, turn signal guards, air compressor, and some other fun items but these are the biggest things.
As of early 2023, we now have our own small shop in Fort Worth, TX where we have had the opportunity to work on a few g wagons already! If you are in the area or want to travel to come see us, shoot us an email and we'd be happy to see about having you in! With our shop, we have the ability to stock more inventory, fabricate our in house parts and custom one off parts for those unique builds, and install everything right here. It's not a huge space but we're making do!
Coming soon for 2025, we have a handful of new items that have either just launched or will soon:
- JWO Front Integrated Winch Bumper - if you want an even sleeker bumper and your winch mounted permanently, this will be the one for you. Prototyping is done, will be going live in the next couple weeks once we have some content gathered for it
- JWO Front Detachable Winch Bumper for 16-18 G550 (and potentially 4x4 squared and G63 models) - another G owner brought his G550 to us to get this design squared away so we now have a bumper option for the Gs with the corner coolers in the bumper. Fitment is confirmed for the 16-18 G550 but we'll need to get a squared and a G63 in our hands to confirm those dimensions.
- JWO Aluminum Skid Plates - we've been working with mainly steel ourselves but are sliding into the aluminum realm. Skid Plates are first on the list here and already prototyping a couple front options!
- JWO Hood Protection Plates - couple things I'd like to do on these. Will see what sticks
- JWO HD Steering Links - For the guys hammering down on their Gs, we've got an upgraded tie rod and drag link solution that is made of thick wall steel tube, heim joints, and hefty hardware. Also has an option for an upgraded stabilizer not previously able to be fit onto the G.
- JWO Rear Swing Out Bumper - Will likely be a dual swing out option to put a tire and other gear on. Integrated lights and sensors.. started on the prototyping of this already just haven't seen it through just yet..
- New Project Car?! - Is not a G, is not a truck.. Going to start up on a new side project and see what we can do with an SLK55 AMG!
- Open to more suggestions - let us know what you might need for your truck and happy to take a look at if it's something we can do for you!
As always, we encourage you to check our Instagram for the latest content - we do a lot of teasers of what we're working on, show off our builds, and keep you up to date with what we're doing in the Jack Wagon!
