My G has the narrow fender flares but I'd like to replace them with the late model (or G55/G63) wider flares. In addition to lifting my G, I am putting spacers on my wheels. I'm going to end up with 275 70 R18 or 285 70 R18 tires...I'd like to know if I should buy 30mm or 50mm spacers. Ideally I'd like the tires to line up as close to the tops of the flares as possible. Thanks.
are you keeping OEM rims ? if you're doing the flares even 285's with 31mm spacers will do little to fill our the flare....50mm would push that to the edge almost. What's your goal - handling or just looks ? if you're open to new rims you could get the right offset dialed in and fit up to a 325 in there...... tthat as a set of softer shocks transforms the handling and ride IMHO....
are you keeping OEM rims ? if you're doing the flares even 285's with 31mm spacers will do little to fill our the flare....50mm would push that to the edge almost. What's your goal - handling or just looks ? if you're open to new rims you could get the right offset dialed in and fit up to a 325 in there...... tthat as a set of softer shocks transforms the handling and ride IMHO....
I'm sticking with the stock wheels. If I were to switch, I'd probably go for a set of used G55 AMG rims and have them refinished.
That's from the JWO website. Those are stock G class wheels with the 30mm spacers. That said I don't know if they are 7.5" or wider. I was hoping that, based on the above picture, the wider flares would cover the wheels perfectly.
I'm going to go to the dealership next week. They have a G63 and I'll see if I can measure the size.
Through a little googling...it seems (though there are a few conflicting sources) that the G550 is 71" wide while the G63 is 73" wide. Visually this seems roughly accurate - that each G63 flare is approximately 1" wider than the stock one.
My bodyshop guy is booked solid until late March so I decided to paint the fenders myself.
It has been a bit of a learning curve. This is the first time I've painted a part on the car that requires a really good looking paint job (I've refinished the oxidized underside of the front skid plate and both running boards before). I managed to smudge the paint, ever so slightly, on one of the fenders even though I let it dry overnight. My garage is around 55 degrees and under 30% humidity but I guess that still wasn't low enough to adequately dry. I'm not sure if I should sand the entire fender or simply clean it and give it another coat. Any thoughts?
I'm using the tried and true Rust-o-leum method - a few coats of primer, a few coats of automotive gloss black enamel and then a few coats of automotive gloss clear (the automotive products are formulated to provide greater UV protection). I'd really like to use Eastwood 2k clearcoat but the rust-o-leum fumes are already making their way into the house, and 2k is way, way more toxic. Hopefully the gloss clear will help it to pop a bit more. I'll probably end up brining the fenders to my detailer and see if he can polish them before I perform the install.
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
