Birthday off-roading bash on Grand Vitara goes sour...

[pjbiju]

Samurai,

Why did you not think of chopping off a little bit of mud from the top edge of the hill before your second attempt? That way your skid plates would not have got stuck. Anyway nice learning experience.

-Biju

[rmonie]

Samuria San,

Beleted happy birthday. I really enjoy your pictorial reports.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by ex670c

Belated Happy Birthday. I think the OTR you organised was complete in all aspects, nothing sour about it, gave the spectators a proper introduction to Off-Road Driving.

Thanks Arka, but for the uninitiated, it might look like a failure.

Originally Posted by ex670c

I think you GV is doing pretty well. The GC is OK, The Skid-Plates are perfect.

This I am not sure. Look at these pics, look at the gap in the wheel arches when the GV was on the ridge and when on the firm ground. Both wheels had no weight on them on the ridge. Looks like I have a lift kit, but I don't.

Originally Posted by ex670c

PS - I have fitted another LSD on the Front Diff.

Ah, that's nice. What next? Diff locks...

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by Samurai

When I told them that those tracks are from going up and I drove in here for fun, I got that same look from everyone. The look that one would give a person who after having been rescued from the well claims that he jumped in intentionally, for fun....

Samurai, (on the basis of your GV posts) I assume that you are now living in a small town. Be warned that if you start explaining like "I drove in here for fun" to the locals, you and your GV will soon become the talk of the town. The talk may not be favourable for your reputation...

I'll tell you an experience of mine: we have some property in a rural place that's near a forested area. While visiting this property last october I saw some small boys trying to capture a tortoise. I shooed them away and tried to explain them that it is must be protected and not be killed (for the obvious reasons).

Next week, my bro-in-law went there and while having a chat with the local (adults), he's been told that I am a "very soft-hearted person", and I never "allow anyone to kill anything"....

So, next time, please tell them "I am testing the Suzuki Grand Vitara for Team-BHP.com" or something like that. No pun intended.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

So, next time, please tell them "I am testing the Suzuki Grand Vitara for Team-BHP.com" or something like that. No pun intended.

Not good for Team-BHP.com if he's gonna get stuck again.

[ex670c]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Thanks Arka, but for the uninitiated, it might look like a failure.

This I am not sure. Look at these pics, look at the gap in the wheel arches when the GV was on the ridge and when on the firm ground. Both wheels had no weight on them on the ridge. Looks like I have a lift kit, but I don't.

Samurai San,

Since they are initiated lets not worry about them anymore.

As your vehicle is IFS & IRS it will have a variable GC.

The trick with LWB and IFS/IRS 4x4s is a little bit more momentum and a tap on the throttle just before the front wheels break over the ledge.

Try to build up the flywheel RPM by pumping/tapping the throttle.

Keep trying it out....You are the pioneer with the GRAND VITARA.

You will be giving us these tips & tricks in a few months.

Regards,

Arka

PS - Please carry polypropylene ropes (10mm) & Coir mats for recovery.will be available at boat repair shops.

[Samurai]

Great points Arka, I'll wait for the summer to resume however, let me get some firm ground.

Meanwhile, check this post: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-of...tml#post770786 (Grand Vitara gets custom made skid plates)

[Ignazio]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Samurai

Ignazio, videos didn't capture everything. My wife and couple of others who were in front, confirmed that the front wheels were free-spinning in the air. One voice in the video actually said that. Yes, the tyres were around 25psi instead of the normal 32. I was trying the whole climb at 1st gear in 4L with central diffs locked.

The front tyres were in air, the GV had rested heavily on the middle part of the lower skid plates and lightly on the rear tyres. Had it rested heavily on the rear tyres, the 345Nm torque would have pushed it forward. But torque is the least power required to turn the wheels, since it was sitting lightly, it robbed away all the torque.

I need to get back the breakover angle I lost.

I see...
Personally I'll leave your excellent skid plates where they are!!! Very good job!
Go for a suspension kit if you want to have a good fun and keep the GV still perfect on normal road (have a look on the web for Calmini kit for GV). Then maybe, as suggested by someone else (forgive me, I forget the name) by a second set of proper mud tires on steel rims. When you like, change the tires and you go!!! Muck is always funny, but do not forget to carry a tow strap, a couple of omega shuckle and a friend with another offroad!
Have great fun with your GV, it is nice and powerfull!
BTW, I liked the red muck on white body, looks like great adventurer...
Ciao ciao


Ignazio

[vinod_nookala]

Hi samurai,
Belated birthday wishes!!! I must compliment you on your guts to put an expensive machine on its belly and repeatedly so. Many of the faint hearted wouldnt do it even with 1/10th costing vehicle.

Though iam a beginer my observation is that-

1. That slope with such a short run and not enough GC you couldnt have made it however you try reving it and build momentum (May be Arka can explain us how to do it practically)
2. May be you could have tried approaching the slope not striaght but in an angle. This would have provided you with extra GC. While you approach the crest of the slope your one tyre would have lost grip first instead of two while approaching straight due to beaching. Extra momentum gained may have helped you getting over.

But what ever, great attempt.

[rippergeo]

samurai-i hope you leave your skid plates alone. they might be a pain in the mud(sometimes), but when you need to tackle rocks, you'll need them badly.

[Jaggu]

since you have already installed the skid plates i also will advice you not to go removing them and fitting them back on and off.

Lets be realistic here, how much of hill climbing you are planning to do? On the other hand everytime you remove and fix chances of nuts loosing thread, things snapping etc etc are more. Instead why dont you invest on some tyres and rims and maybe some suspension kits if you are that keen.

What all warranty cover is affected due to suspension kit?? and in the unfortunate eventuality cant the OE kit be fitted back for the claim, as long as you have a understanding dealer it should be fine

[1100D]

I wonder, even with the street spec tyres, if using tyre chains (on the rears, as the fronts were visibly up in the air in the video), could have helped.

And what if you tried this climb in reverse? Extra weight of the engine in the front would have kept more traction pushing it up. Although the place might not have allowed you to turn back.

[rippergeo]

Originally Posted by 1100D

And what if you tried this climb in reverse? Extra weight of the engine in the front would have kept more traction pushing it up. Although the place might not have allowed you to turn back.

its useful to do that with front wheel drive cars(did that a lot with my M800 in college), but in 4wd, the weight would shift to the rear wheels anyway and provide decent traction at the rear. the lack of visibility would be a pain while reversing up an incline offroad.

without a decent breakover angle, samurai san would have ended up see sawing at the top of the ridge whether going forwards or in reverse.

the other advantage of reversing up a steep incline is that the rear overhang is usually less than the front overhang.

but in samurai's case it was the breakover angle that did him in.

IMO going in reverse would not have helped. any other views from the experts?

[prabuddhadg]

Would the reverse gear have provided as much power? Does the low ratio get engaged also for the reverse gear? I have no idea at all. Visibility would definitely have been an issue.

The only thing that could have helped, in my opinion, would have been a run in space to pick up a bit of speed to get the car perhaps a foot ahead without traction.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

I have been a part of 27 out of some 42 Great Escapes that M&M conducts every year. I drive a "CL340DP80"WB48WT5.38Axleratio4WD" vehicle. My job is to pull out everybody who gets stuck. On an average, between around 6 of us, we pull out 50 cars everytime. This is simple. A REAL 4WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE MUST HAVE LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL AND A WINCH. We use WARN 8000 lbs drawbar pull winches. Just for your information.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar