I was going to order the adjustableairride.com drop links, but the price went up to 300 and I was too impatient to wait for them to get shipped to illinois from cali, so....


I went to home depot and bought two packs of 1/4 inch washers (as the guys in the e55 forum use for drop the front)... do a search on washer technique for lowering

my gl450 on 22 inch rims and 305/35-22 tires measured 34 1/2 inches in the rear and 34 1/4 in the front to the center/top of the wheel well arches

I raised the truck up all the way, and did the same 4 washer technique like the guys in the e55 forums have done. the front dropped to 32 1/4

for the rear, there are two sensors on top of the rear suspension. I simply grabbed the bracket with a pair of plyers and bent them down (towards the ground) a little bit....netted a 2 1/2 inch drop. rear is now 32 inches even. make sure you bend them equally or your truck will sit funny.

very easy to do and the truck looks great. make sure your careful and have fun.

dave

 

thats great, do you have any pics before and after lowering?

 

I didn't take any before pics, but I will try to get some new after shots.

dave

 

Aren't you worried they might "fix" it when you go in for a service?

 

the brackets don't need to bend much to cause the truck to drop...maybe a half inch or so.

If they do fix them, I will rebend them.

dave

 

awesome i have my 08 gl coming tomorrow i am going to throw 23x10in wheels on it and do the same thing for the lowered appearance.

 

ah the hill-billy way, come on, how can you even post that on a forum? how to ghetto rig your vehicle? Seriously if you can't afford to do it right, why bother at all. Don't make yourself look bad. So what about the alignment afterwards? I hope you have no followers... because this a freaking joke...

 

What ever makes you feel comfortable.

Buy the Renntech module or get the links...I caught the bug to do this on a friday, and I didn't want to wait until the links arrived. After I saw what was really happening with the suspension, I don't see the need for the links.

Every method of lowering these trucks involves tricking the suspension to do what it was built to do.

These sensors are not weight bearing, and they are very easy to access. The fronts are actually easier then on my e500, because the long bolt is not attached to the link, but instead simply slides thru a hole. This makes it easier to replace with a longer bolt for more washers and a lower drop.

what ever you decide, lowering the truck will make a big difference in how it looks.

Dave

 

Can you post your results?

 

Or post the pics of the results.

 

I took this with the camera on my phone. I'll get some more shots in later and post them.. Let me know what you think.

 

I like the look.

Do you notice any improvement in the suspension/handling now that the vehicle sits lower? Does it seem to 'roll' as much?

Our new CDI has a very 'tippy' feel to it that I'm not used too, and was wondering if dropping the truck helps 'firm' things up.

Bish

 

What were you driving before? I had an LX470, I've got an Excursion, the wife has an RX330. My CDI is no more "tippy" than any of them - in fact, only the RX comes close in handling. IMHO, the GL's handling is good for what it is. No, it's not the firmest but it's certainly not the softest either and I drive it a lot more like a sedan than any other vehicle I've owned.

STP

 

There also may be a software "fix" similar to what people came up with for the Audi Allroad. The problem with Benz is that there is not cheap aftermarket "hack" program to get into the programming.

With the Allroad, you just need to buy the software and OBD cord, and you could do some amazing things.

 

I just traded our Range Rover Sport Supercharged for the GL. The RRS S/C had the Dynamic Response suspension which has active anti-roll bars; literally the vehicle just stays flat in most corners. Also, its suspension is definitley tuned for a more 'sporting' experience, regardless of the DRS.

Don't get me wrong, I love everything about the GL, and I don't mind the 'tippy' feeling as I know it is still a very safe vehicle; it's just that IF the lowered center of gravity does in fact help the vehicle feel more 'stable', I might look into one of the lowering options.

Bish

 

I understand completely. I guess it's just a matter of perspective. Now that Audi has that linear motor suspension in its ... was it the A6? ... maybe Bose will be convinced to sell theirs on the top-end sedans and develop an off-highway-compatible version for our GLs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSi6J-QK1lw

STP