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

[memo45_m]

Samurai i have seen lift kits for the body if only is it a body on frame construction fro the new GV, because the old GV that i have is a body on frame. If you wish i could find out if there are any 1" body lift kits available for th e GV here in Colorado as rock crawling and off roading is the big motorsport here. I have a 2.5" body life kit for a sj long wheelbase aka the gypsy.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Man, you really have the courage of taking such a car to offroad like this.

Originally Posted by Nattusbs

I admire the courage you have to put an expensive (relatively by Indian standards) new SUV through this, but that's what the capabilities are there for.

Thanks guys, but I needed to know what this baby could do.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

I wonder how the car was able to get struck at top of the climb!

Originally Posted by Nattusbs

The video's do show that the front wheels ad also the rear wheels (not at the same time though) are freely spinning. This tells me that it is all about traction. So, what caused the lack of traction? Could be the skid plate, or it could be that the low GC of the GV itself.

The reduced breakover angle thanks to the new skid plates. The car started see-sawing on the skid-plate belly and all wheels lost traction. If somebody had sat on the bonnet, I could have made it. But it would have been very unsafe for that person.

Originally Posted by Nattusbs

I wonder when you were trying to reverse at the top, if you had turned the tyres to get a fresh mud to grip, and then suddenly go into 1st gear forward, the extra new traction and torque might have just caused enough grip to overcome the hurdle.

I am not so sure, see below:

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

The video clearly indicate that the surface was very slippery ( this is understood from the video where wheel locks yet the car comes down.

Therefore, I wouldn't have got much purchase in the absence of momentum. I couldn't have overcome the reverse slide by switching back to 1st gear.

Originally Posted by memo45_m

Samurai i have seen lift kits for the body if only is it a body on frame construction fro the new GV, because the old GV that i have is a body on frame. If you wish i could find out if there are any 1" body lift kits available for th e GV here in Colorado as rock crawling and off roading is the big motorsport here. I have a 2.5" body life kit for a sj long wheelbase aka the gypsy.

Memo, I already know where to get 2 1/8 inch lift kits for my GV, but I don't want it. I have heard first person reports about the side-effects on handling from using it. I don't want my on-road handling compromised. (Suzuki Grand Vitara lift)

[anupmathur]

Enjoyed reading your account, Samurai.
I think you ought to buy one of these:



Check here: Exhaust Air Jack - AJ Prindle Uniquely Useful Products

And do check the remote tyre pressure gauge shown on the same page!

[Samurai]

Wow, that would have got me out in minutes. Let's see how I can get it.

Eidt: What happens if we don't switch off engine in time?

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Eidt: What happens if we don't switch off engine in time?

LOL, the backpressure will make the engine simply die!
Most of these have a 'relief' valve, or a 'bursting disc'.

[Jaggu]

hey this was available in india sometime back, was advertised in some automags. Opps maybe late 90's

[nitrous]

Thats a jack.
I would suggest getting these sand trays used by trucks at sand quarries.

[ramkya1]

Hai Samurai,

Good to see you keep trying new things. Methinks that's the fastest way to learn what you want to do...

I am sure this experience will help you do another mount better and more skillfully. Way to go......... very exciting to see keep trying out potential of GV.

What positive images you have added to the GV in a short time, I don't think Maruthy has done in one whole year!!!!!!

Happy 4 Xing,

--Ramky
========

[vikid]

Originally Posted by ex670c

Hi Samurai San,

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.

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

My observations are
1) Tyres ( Try BFG AT/KO)
2) insufficient momentum (1st attempt)
3) over-revving the engine (2nd attempt onwards)
4) With petrol engines (5000rpm+) try the climb in 1st-Lo.


Regards,

Arka

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

i am not sure if you deflated.. try it nxt time and you will see the traction kikin..

Note from Mod : Please take the time to type out your posts in full words as per Team-BHP rules. Avoid the use of SMS language (nxt = next, dat = that, etc), and please take the time to re-read your post for typos before submitting.

[shankar.balan]

remember in the 1980s you could get a thing like this called RAPID JACK in India?
Any idea why the concept died?
Any idea as to where one can get one of these type jacks in India now?

cheers
sb

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Enjoyed reading your account, Samurai.
I think you ought to buy one of these:

Attachment 13443

Check here: Exhaust Air Jack - AJ Prindle Uniquely Useful Products

And do check the remote tyre pressure gauge shown on the same page!

[prabuddhadg]

Hi Shankar.balan, what was this rapid jack? How did it work? I can't recollect having seen one. BTW, how rapid?

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Any idea why the concept died?
Any idea as to where one can get one of these type jacks in India now?

I would imagine it died because no one wanted it!
Seriously, it is not safe for 'repair work' to be undertaken underneath the car.
But it is the IDEAL tool for 4X4 addicts to go mudplugging. A very much less costly and arguably more effective tool for vehicle recovery - compare to the cost of a winch and the sheer pain of retro-fitting a winch to current day soft roaders!

...........and a spade ALWAYS helps!

[sammyboy]

well anup i think the inflatable bed/sofa thingie they show on those, call-now-to- order, tv shows might do the trick. THey do show it as tough what say ?

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by sammyboy

well anup i think the inflatable bed/sofa thingie they show on those, call-now-to- order, tv shows might do the trick. THey do show it as tough what say ?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Certainly merits trying!

[adc]

Any idea overe here where we can get these type of hi-lift jack and/or any cost indication.