MadaboutKitcars

If you don't fancy the hassle of the extra axle there is always the 4x4 ^2

4x4[super]2[/super]
or
4x4 to the power 2
or
4x4 squared
[EDIT]
damn, can't work out superscript

To be honnest WCA its going to be a 4x4 that looks like a 6x6! Will be the usual merc drive with a trailing axcel at the back. Will need a full air suspension lift kit of course and some megga tyres.

Does anyone know of any style wheels that look like this or similar?..

Danny, are you thinking of going down the portal axle route?

The portals on the proper one make it look right.

Unimog portals are too big, but Volvo portals can be had for reasonable money and will fit quite easily I think. Those wheels are bolt on beadlockers for standard 8 spokes.

6 x 4 would be a lot easier!

Doesnt the ML have independent front suspension? You will have to check the max lift it will take, dont think you could jack it up enough to match rear portals without serious front inner arch chopping,.

For your wheels ebay search weld on bead lock ring lots of companies make them and my friend has some fitted on his land cruiser that would make wheels look similar, you will have to play with your diff ratios once your tyres are up to 35" I have kumho KL tyres on my Jeep they look fantastic and are quiet on road and reasonable off it, go on difflock forum they are the bods for technical questions. Ed
But don't chop the back body off and fit an alloy truck back and 35" tyres in the garage before you have measure the door, it took a good few ratchet straps and laughing to get it out.
http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/album.php?albumid=23&pictureid=420

Danny - Your first re-body idea looked like a "simple" plan, even if it required serious skills to pull it off.

Whereas this looks like a seriously challenging project from start to finish.

Dare I ask if adding the extra axle will open up the whole IVA can of worms?

Good luck, Paul.

Looks like an interesting project.

Something similar to the MB G63 AMG 6X6 that Michael Douglas drives in his new movie "Beyond the Reach".

Ideally suited to an expensive builder...

Landmannn I'm just looking into all the options at the min but had a look at portals and it looks a good route (depending on price). As the G body will be grafted onto the ML chasis/floor plan, Il be able to have that raised more than usual to give me extra clearance aswell.

Il have a look about for bead lock rings but what whees do they weld/bolt onto?

That link doesnt work.

Paul, I think I'l be going about the body swap 1st then sending paperwork off etc to re register it as a Mercedes 'whatever I like', which will probibly somthing like 'Mercedes G6X6' so will be correct 'ish' on the logbook then worry about the extra 2 wheels later.....

Try that link
Done some more digging the G Wagen has solid axles whereas the ML has independent suspension all round, this may actually make a replica more straightforward as welding on panhard rod, shock,spring mounts etc is serious geometry not to mention chassis modification plus its very difficult to get them to drive straight and wobble free, I have built 2 serious off roaders that where road legal a couple of dedicated off roaders off Suzuki chassis and helped friends on there off road quarry basher projects and they only ones that work safely on the road are when the suspension was left mainly standard and the body inner metal is chopped to take the big tyres, generally the only reason suspension is lifted is to fit the bigger tyres on as it is only tyres that give you more clearance particularly on a solid axle. Therefore I would suggest sticking standard ish suspension height with wound up front torsion bar or proprietary air ride all round fit the tyre size you want and then chop the g wagen inner body to suit. This way the extra axle can just sit there looking pretty with a simple suspension set up I'd look at a torsion bar set up off a hatch back with ML hubs added as the brakes will have to work, its never going to be a serious off roader but it will look tremendous and should be nice to drive, the picture link is my mates land cruiser we cut the back body off after a tree incident added an alloy truck back body and winch chopped the inner arches and external arches at the front added 35" tyres and then had to ratchet the suspension down 3" and deflate tyres to get it out of the garage, that motor is superb off road and is on completely standard suspension, is my point. Ed let me know if the link works it does on mine.

Un finished but next to a standard but over tyred land cruiser both standard suspension.can't find a PIC of bead locker wheels.

Suzuki built for my daughter pretty standard leaf springs sat on 31" tyres with body chopped and plus 2" land rover arches drives bang on, ratios altered to compensate for tyres land cruiser 3.0 deisel will cope with 35's on standard gearing.
Looks like you are lucky the ML has a very popular stud pattern 5x112 so finding steel wheels should be easy there are plenty banded ones off VW's on eBay so once your at rolling chassis stage it should be easy to work out what offset you need, I will check with my friend where he gets his tyres from I think they are in Nottingham and pretty cheap I recon you will get 6 wheels and tyres and bead locks for around £1500 but check on tyre prices before commiting to wheels same size tyres for 15,16,17" rims can vary A LOT. ED

These any good


http://www.raceways.co.uk/Worx_804_Tank_USA_alloy_wheel.htm

Sorry, just seen this post. Im looking to get as close to the origional 6x6 as possible but im really struggling!

I have a slot for the end of July for the body swap but Im hoping to have portal axels fitted to the ML and wheels and tyres 1st but I'm having trouble! Ive found a company that do portal axels for G wagons but I'm needing them for an ML!

Did you try a post on difflock forum? It would be a major engineering job to fit portals on an ML, do they even have a proper separate chassis? How does the drive get to the rear end? Have they a separate transfer box? Anything is do able with enough time and money but it would be far easier to put the ML engine and dash in the g wagen mated to whatever gear box then have a prop shaft made to fit existing transfer box then extend the chassis and fit another standard back axle floating behind. There are sometimes Jeep Cherokees on eBay with portal axles that go for less than the axles would of cost.saying that the ML would never work in 4 wheel drive unless you could somehow match exactly the diff ratios in the portal to the existing front diff. Good luck with it. Ed.

To be honnest big scary monster the more ive looked into this the more im thinking to just stick to the origional idea of just swaping the bodies and having an 02 plate G wagon that looks the biz rather than going down the 6x6 route, although it would of been nice!

Agreed it would be tremendous but it would be so hard to engineer and there is a huge risk of it not driving well if at all on the road, you could always disconnect all drive to the rear wheels and just have front wheel drive which would wheelspin like a maniac and sound brilliant screeching the big tyres ( although somewhat ruining the 6x6 illusion) I look forward to seeing what you achieve as your kobra and gto are my favourites of each so far, I think I would do a 4 wheel one first then you can sit and stare and ponder about an extra axle. Hope I didn't sound like a massive downer I was only sharing the experiences I have had or been involved in, in fact the land cruiser I posted pictures of has been off the road for months due to diff ratio issues whilst trying to fit diff lockers that have to come from Australia , that and he has lost the keys. What colour you thinking for the Spanish streets? Matte black and carbon wrap has been done to death in marbella anyway, think I'd go baby blue especially for the wife's car. There is a maclaran SLR brush painted by hand very badly with blackboard paint that knocks around the harbour in marbella its kind of the ultimate screw you I'm loaded car. Ed

Brain wave build your original plan you then have a g wagen rolling chassis once the floors removed this has a proper chassis solid axles proper transfer box and would be much easier to add an extra axle probably even possible to make it a driven one then put an extended g body back on take molds off the back and arches and sell them.
Or sell the g rolling chassis on the diff lock 4x4 forum, quarry basher buggy builders will pay a good price for it I recon. Ed

This is what forums are all about, advice! And I'm glad you gave me some much needed. Im going to just go with the body swap and the choice of colour will be either the VXR Blue to match my wifes Range Rover or maybe a Ferrari Red. Its defiantly not going to be black, silver or white as thats all you can seem to find for sale at the min.

I will also be on the look out for another G wagon thats running in the future to build a G wagon 6x6 as appose to a ml 6x6. (But dont tell the wife!)

Well you don't tell mine about the new ride on mower I NEED to sit next to the speed boat, 2 Jeeps, camper, and motor cross bike, oh and I might NEED a new van as well as those new transit appeal, she doesn't go into my garage much as long as her Lexus is polished every month I'm rite.
I thought I'd read you where building it for her, was that just a rouse?
What I thought this aft was there must be a market for a body swap g wagen be it 4x4 or 6x4 to fit on a discovery chassis also it would really annoy the merc purests , what's your weather like ? My friend in Majorca's just invited me over. Ed.

The origional plan for the g wagon body swap would end up being my wifes but she wasnt interested in no 6x6! Im in Mexico at the min and the weather is warm but been rainy. Its better weather in Alicante where I live!

Why not make a Mercedes-Benz G500 4x4² it is in the £200,000 range so very exclusive.
And it is a lot more usable then the 6x6 and also cheaper to build.

I think im going to stick with the body swap 1st and see how I get on with it!