Is it okay to drive GL 450 at increased height all the time?
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Current/Last 5-years:GLS;G70;Alpina B8;X7;Accord. Sold:X7,TeslaS;S560;S550,X5;530e;L.Navigator;LS460
Is it okay to drive GL 450 at increased height all the time?
Is it okay to drive GL 450 at increased height all the time?
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 648
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From: Yeast Coast, Canada
GL550 X164
I wish I could find a post I had come across a while ago, to point you to, which discussed the changes in suspension geometry for the different ride heights. The basics of it was to use automatic setting for everyday around the city driving, sport for 70mph+ speeds and comfort for situations where you need the added clearance. This will also help with tire wear and give you a more even wear pattern. You should still rotate tires anyway. If you run sport or comfort all the time, you're going to see uneven tire wear on the outside or inside. This is assuming that your car is aligned correctly. These beasts of SUVs are not kind to tires as it is and you would be accelerating their wear if you run sport or comfort all the time. Personally I can't find much of a difference between auto and comfort.
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NGL450 w/EORP, S550
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,119
Likes: 784
NGL450 w/EORP, S550
I wish I could find a post I had come across a while ago, to point you to, which discussed the changes in suspension geometry for the different ride heights. The basics of it was to use automatic setting for everyday around the city driving, sport for 70mph+ speeds and comfort for situations where you need the added clearance. This will also help with tire wear and give you a more even wear pattern. You should still rotate tires anyway. If you run sport or comfort all the time, you're going to see uneven tire wear on the outside or inside. This is assuming that your car is aligned correctly. These beasts of SUVs are not kind to tires as it is and you would be accelerating their wear if you run sport or comfort all the time. Personally I can't find much of a difference between auto and comfort.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 648
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From: Yeast Coast, Canada
GL550 X164
This seems specific to the Advanced Damping System (ADS) equipped x164 - not all x164 have this option. The majority are just up/down airmatic. That version doesn't lower 2" at highway speeds like the ADS does, but it does cancel out the raised level at or above 45 mph to keep the center of gravity within safe bounds.
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Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Emmett, ID, USA
2007 GL450
This seems specific to the Advanced Damping System (ADS) equipped x164 - not all x164 have this option. The majority are just up/down airmatic. That version doesn't lower 2" at highway speeds like the ADS does, but it does cancel out the raised level at or above 45 mph to keep the center of gravity within safe bounds.
I don't have ADS, but the manual says the Sport lowering is 0.6" also. Doesn't say anything about 2" lowering at high speeds. The Comfort and Normal modes also lower 0.6" at high speeds.
The 0.6" lowering is disabled if you are towing a trailer.
The raised suspension mode is disabled with speed in a rather clever way. If you stay above 40 mph for 20 seconds, or exceed 55 mph, the raised suspension mode is disabled. I don't think it's much of a Baja truck.
There's no way I'd drive the thing around with the suspension raised. The suspension geometry goes to hell. You could get away with this if there were solid axles front and rear, but there aren't.
A raised suspension will also force deflection on the CV joints. I couldn't tell you if that's significant.
The highway lowering is mildly annoying, considering that the GL, mine at least, wears the inside of the rear tires. The lowering makes that worse. If you haven't already done so, I suggest reducing the rear negative camber as much as possible. I did a post on that topic; it's pretty easy and I'm kicking myself for never doing it before.
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Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Albuquerque
'10 CL550, '12 GL550
The “soft” will be gone from the springs, of course. Handling/cornering will be negatively affected, perhaps to the point of being unsafe. It’s clearly designed to be an infrequently used option. It’s not a built-in lift kit for posing.
