VaderOne

Hi, it's been few months since installing ORC rear sway bar that I had purchased from a forum member here. Just for some background, my 06 G55 is running 35''s on Fox 2.0 + Thor spring setup (about 3 - 4 inch lift). It also has Frontrunner slimline II roof rack on which it sits SFR Evo 55 roof top tent. On the rear, it has Rigd UltraSwing spare tire carrier. Primary use of the vehicle is overlanding (car camping ). So when it is fully loaded with all the gear, it's very heavy, especially in the back and center of gravity shifts and due to rooftop tent, it's very top heavy. So for many months, driving the rig on freeway, the car felt "unsafe." Way too much roll and changing direction at freeway speed was hair raising to say the least. This is where ORC rear sway bar (any quality rear sway bar will do) comes in...the vehicle now feels safe and planted. No more scary rear wobble. For all those have lifted G wagon (model, year depended) and are experiencing similar rear wobble, do yourself a favor and install a rear sway bar. You will fall in love with your G wagon all over again.

shiann

Great feedback. Thanks for the information regarding rear sway bars Vader! Have you had any issues with install or since then? I plan to add one to my G sometime next year as time allows and am deciding between getting the ORC kit or retrofitting an OTS universal sway bar kit for more adjustability (and less cost).

VaderOne

Hi shiann,

No adverse effect noted since the install. Everything fit as it should and so far I have had no issues at all. Just miles of enjoyable drives and piece of mind knowing that when curves come at freeway speed, I don't experience that "pucker" factor. You are right about the cost factor, based on what it is and parts involved, no way it costs what it cost. Definitely a G wagon tax on that item. But to fall in love with my rig all over again has been worth it. For many months, I dreaded the long highway drives to the camping spots...it got so bad that I wouldn't let anyone else drive the rig. It now drives much like before the lift....planted and safe.

C240-Merc

I have an ORC one that I purchased from Viking Offroad. I had it installed for about a month or so, but took it off cause it would always make a popping sound when I was pulling into an elevated parking lot (one with a ramp that is higher than street level) and I felt like I wasn’t getting full flex of the rear suspension. I have to agree with VaderOne it was great on the highway though. It’s now sitting in my garage.

VaderOne

C240-Merc, sorry to hear about your experience with ORC. I have not experienced similar things but do understand that when offroading, depending on severity of the terrain, your rear suspension will have limitation on full flex. Do wish we could connect and disconnect sway bars like the jeeps.

Limey Hooligan

Great review, and I agree... although I had mine fitted at the same time I lifted the truck so I don't know how a lifted truck handles without it....
Feels fine on the highway, and in the off-roading I've done it's never caused any issues with clearance (though you do have to be aware that it's there).

The Butcher

I think you need to get some thicker washers for the threaded rod that goes through the frame tube. The ones ORC sends are very flimsy, and deform when you tighten them down to hold everything in place. I'm almost positive this is what causes the popping sound when you go in and out of parking lots. I think the brackets shift/pop since the threaded rod isn't secured tight enough after the washer deform. I could be wrong, but that's the only thing I could figure was the issue.

@VaderOne did you end up making thicker washers for the threaded rod?

VaderOne

Hi Butcher,
Yes, I did what you recommended installed much thicker washers (thanks for all your help in getting it done). The sway bar kits are as quiet as church mice No weird sounds at all....now as for my exhaust mods, well that is a whole different story. Maybe the sound is there but can't hear anything due to obscenely loud exhaust . One word of advice for people wanting to mess around with the exhaust, "don't!" This is my 4th iteration of exhaust mods and I have regretted it each time.

Limey - I hear ya on the low clearance points, I am cautious of it. I just did some eastern OR where I spent 3 days off of the pavement and so far so good. I think as long as I am not trying to rock crawl, it will be fine. The true value on this is the long 400miles + freeway drives to get and from our car camping trips are now safe and enjoyable. Didn't get to CO this year unfortunately but next year?

PeriodCorrect

How would this affect the ride of a stock 2011 G550? Would it make it even more responsive or planted?

Limey Hooligan

I'm sure the cornering would feel more planted, but if you don't drive fast I'm not sure it would be worth the expense... these things are not cheap!

VaderOne

Totally agree with Limey on the response. If your G is in stock form and not lifted, you shouldn't need rear sway bar setup. Keep in mind the only reason for my sway bar setup was due to my G55 being lifted and having additional weight due to rooftop tent, heavy overlanding gear in the rear cargo area and lastly due to additional weight on rear tire/fuel carrier. The G55 got super rear heavy and with the lift, the center of gravity had shifted causing the rig to be super unstable. The ORC rear sway bar corrected that problem. As Limey stated, these our not cheap.

The Butcher

Awesome. Glad to hear it all worked out.
What have you done with your exhaust? I think I actually have a couple of new valved mufflers that I was going to fab another exhaust for one of the G65s, but ended up selling it before I did the exhaust. I've got a set of new black tips as well. If you have a good muffler shop near you they could fab up this design, and it is pretty quite (on the turbo trucks anyway), but can get nice and obnoxious when you want by opening the valves.

@C240-Merc If we can meet up sometime and you can give me one of the washers for the all-thread I'll source a thicker set of them. I think this is the issue with the noise, and should be an easy fix.

VaderOne

Hi Butcher,
I am currently running MBRP 3inch straight through. I love how it tucks in under the chassis so it doesn’t hang below the chassis. The exhaust exits downward towards the pavement and it terminates just shy of rear tires. Love the function but it’s way too loud. The drone is terrible and it really is awful. I have tried few other exhausts and they all sounded terribly loud. If you have some options to fix this I would be very interested. I am however not looking to have factory look of the exhaust where it exits out to the side “below” the chassis. If the install could be same as current MBRP but could be quieter, I would be all over it. Thanks.

The Butcher

Why did you go with an aftermarket exhaust to begin with? Was it just to eliminate the visible exhaust tips that hang below the frame and exit in front of the rear tires? Or, were you looking for a louder/deeper exhaust?

MBRP makes good stuff, but I have noticed drone was pretty prevalent on a few of their systems. It gets pretty old after awhile. I would guess there are two problems with the MBRP for your application. The straight through mufflers, and the turn downs. The straight through muffler obviously has less restriction, but also has less sound dampening. It's more difficult to tune a straight through muffler so that it doesn't drone. Typically a chambered muffler, or at least one with more internal volume will allow for less sound volume and can cancel the sound waves that create the drone. The turn down is also likely bouncing the sound waves off the ground, and in the factory location that is pretty close to the driver.

Without knowing more of what your intention was with going with an aftermarket exhaust, it's tough to say which direction you should go. However, here are two things you could try:

Option 1. Reinstall the factory exhaust, but have a competent muffler shop cut off the exhaust tips that hang down below the frame. They could create some turndowns that angle slightly outboard to help push the sound out and away from the truck. The G500 exhaust is similar to that set up. The factory exhaust is stainless, so the muffler shop would need to be able to weld stainless. They may have to reconfigure the rear hanger rods to work depending on how much room they have to work with after cutting off the factory tips that hang low. This would be the solution if your only intent was to get rid of the tips that hang down.

Option 2. Get a larger muffler than you currently have on there, and have an exhaust shop fab up an exhaust for you. You will need the correct size rod for the rear hangers, as well as the correct connection from the factory manifold/collector. If you go by the exhaust shop they could get under there and figure out what is required and get it ordered. I've done this on a couple of G63s with the QTP mufflers I mentioned, and they did not drone at all. They have cutout valves on them so they can be very loud when you want, or you can close the valves and they are pretty quiet. The valve is controlled by a remote control key fob. If you are interested in this option I have two of them that I never used (new in box). I'd make you a deal on them. I just need to figure out where I put them!

VaderOne

Hi Butcher,

I went to MBRP for both reasons you stated, liked the "tucked" look and it advertised as it providing "deeper" throaty sound. However, the sound is terrible, at idle it sounds ok, but at any loads over 2k rpm, it sounds terrible. I was told that supercharged engines behave differently on exhaust. I think your point of exhaust tip location and direction could be correct. I have tried other larger mufflers but didn't like the sound either, at loads, it sounded like a tractor. Oh, well....will try to do something with the exhaust outlet location and direction. Wish someone would make a bolt on with that "tucked" look without the annoying drone. thanks for your input.