Gypsy MG410 suspension lift and...

[diff_locked]

Thank you all very much for your time and suggestions – greatly appreciated.

Where I live now, lift kits from ARB, OME, Calmini, etc. are available for the Samurai(which is basically the 1.3L Gypsy) and so are mud/trail tyres. There are some fine examples of after market suspension modifications on the Samurai (besides others) around here – some of which are regulars at the Rain Forest Challenge and local trails.
What I am pondering upon is the virtue of bringing along some of these parts when I come back to Delhi in March. I must mention that these are all for LHD vehicles – which I gather shouldn’t really be a problem though.

I will seriously consider GTO’s(and jyobeb’s) suggestion of acquiring a recent model King and then working on it when I get back.

What are my chances of finding 30"-31" trail tyres for the Gypsy in Delhi? Also, aren’t there any decent and reliable local “jugaad” lift jobs going around? By jugaad, I mean sensible enough modifications...not axle busting upgrades!!! Else, are there any machine-shops/workshops doing similar things in Delhi?
My aim is not to have a great looking 'monster' Gypsy – but something which is capable, kind of biased towards off-roading but is also practical(no, I'm not talking about fuel consumption here!) and easy enough to drive around..., never mind the harsher ride and the higher CG!

Originally Posted by GTO

Keen on injecting steroids into the old horse eh?

Plenty of kits (for Gypsy / Samurai) available internationally, though I have seen some local "jugad" jobs too. Get in touch with Arush @ AutoPsyche if you are open to importing a kit.

Great engine, but finding a 4x4 transfer box is next to impossible (ask me!!). The MM540 1.8 was built within only a brief span of time, and in extremely limited numbers. As TSK has suggested, an Esteem engine is more suited to your purpose, as mounts etc. will be a straight lift from the Gypsy king.

What I'd really recommend to you is to sell your Gypsy and buy a recent model King instead. Not only do you get a newer car, but also the 1.3 engine and the widetrack design.

@GTO : Thanks very much for your time and advice. Will find out from my planter cousin in Assam whether he still has the ISZ – then maybe persuade him to sell it...hehehe! Would you know what gearbox/transfer case came with the ISZ? Having read about your experience with the 1.8L engine(in Abhijeet’s thread), I would like to know what kind of problems did you face? Also, can the KMT90 & DANA18 t/case be mated with the 1.8L?
Will definitely get in touch with Arush when I get back. Thanks again.

@ difflock : Sorry for hijacking your engine thread with my engine

No worries...any information on MMs is more than welcome!



@TSK1979 : The problem is not so much with the engine as with the gearbox and the 4WD transfer case. I am willing to go thru with the Isuzu transplant if I can find a gearbox/4WD transfer case to mate with it – but which as GTO says will be extremely hard to come by! In all probability, the Gypsys you mentioned running on diesel engines would have had their 4WD removed!!

@Headers : I would like to know what exactly do you mean by your fully modded engine? Please do let me know if you are able to get hold of any suspension-lift kits. Thanks.
Signature...yes it doesn’t!

Thanks once again to all of you,

Cheers.

[diff_locked]

Originally Posted by autopsyche

Ahhh tha MG410, i own one myself... its my workhorse, transports ten people everyday to and fro from work and has put around 5,60,000kms on the odo to date with two major overhauls and one time cylinder head repair. Now thats unbeatable reliability! Some of my workers managed to add the widebody wheel arcs on to it along with widened bumpers, although it looks funny without the widetrack wheel setup. Its still in the original dark blue color that came on the car in 1986 (same as the police gypsys) repainted a couple of times.

Now coming back to the topic... there are some nice hi lift kits available outside india. Im planning to do one on a friends car sometime soon, looking at a mini-monster gypsy kinda setup with about a 4" lift and 33" tires. Will keep you posted on that front on the progress. Cheers.

Cheers.

@autopsyche : Thank you for your reply. Absolutely bullet-proof - mine too has gone over 500,000kms(inspite of not having been driven quite that much the past some years!) albeit with 3 major overhauls, 2 head replacements and a change of rear differential pinions.
Really looking forward to hearing about your 'mini-monster Gypsy' project! Would like to drop by your place of work(and hopefully see the your monster!) when am in Delhi next if it is okay with you.

Best wishes...

[headers]

Originally Posted by diff_locked

My aim is not to have a great looking 'monster' Gypsy – but something which is capable, kind of biased towards off-roading but is also practical(no, I'm not talking about fuel consumption here!) and easy enough to drive around..., never mind the harsher ride and the higher CG!

@Headers : I would like to know what exactly do you mean by your fully modded engine? Please do let me know if you are able to get hold of any suspension-lift kits. Thanks.

Cheers.

Hey, my modded engine has the port polished with lighter lift springs etc.. A 4x2 headers, K&N filter, an esteem carburettor, Michelin 235/70 R15 LTX rubber, This has increased my ride height by about an inch from the orig spec. The overhang [rear] has been altered to acomodate better exit angles while off roading. I did think about lift kits but decided against it as there is a high likely hood of toppling while off road. I've managed to do it once and hence the reluctance for a high lift suspension.

This engine was originally in my zen wherein it was tuned for performance..now i've put it on my gypsy with the gypsy cams and retuned the same for better low end torque. The engine revs up to 7000 rpm..

am now looking for full diff locks to get me out of those extreme situations..

rest later..

[GTO]

Originally Posted by jyobeb

GTO how about an XD3P turbo engine for your jeep? The engine is quieter and smoother than the XDP4.9.

Originally Posted by headers

@GTO, the XD3P without turbo is also a good buy. Arka aka ex670c has one in his jeep and our expert offroader Nitrous has sampled the same lifting wheels etc.. [refer the offroad training @ kelambakkam...]

Will try to source some engines for your jeep..the tavera engine is a great buy, but honestly trying to source / install 2nd hand turbo engines require a lot of patience and the jingle.

Thanks! Would the XD3P match with my XDP 4 speed box & 4x4?

[nitrous]

Yes, GTO. XD3P(bolero) engine matches with the 4-spd Gb and stock transfer case.
This is quite easy to source and pretty common with Jeepers' upgrade wishlists.

[headers]

Originally Posted by nitrous

Yes, GTO. XD3P(bolero) engine matches with the 4-spd Gb and stock transfer case.
This is quite easy to source and pretty common with Jeepers' upgrade wishlists.

The BOSS said it all GTO..need i say more..

[GTO]

Originally Posted by nitrous

Yes, GTO. XD3P(bolero) engine matches with the 4-spd Gb and stock transfer case.
This is quite easy to source and pretty common with Jeepers' upgrade wishlists.

Originally Posted by headers

The BOSS said it all GTO..need i say more..

Thanks! Will wait for an update from you guys on the engine.

[diff_locked]

Originally Posted by autopsyche

Now coming back to the topic... there are some nice hi lift kits available outside india. Im planning to do one on a friends car sometime soon, looking at a mini-monster gypsy kinda setup with about a 4" lift and 33" tires. Will keep you posted on that front on the progress. Cheers.
Cheers.

So is it a good idea to buy the kit(for the Samurai) here, bring it back with me to Delhi and get it done there? Also, are 30"-31" mud/trail tyres available in Delhi - if so how much would they cost?

Many thanks.

[headers]

all of us need your inputs autopsyche.. some details on the 4" lift would help.

OT: A friend of mine has a toyota prado SWB with pneumatic suspension. One could adjust the settings to either soft or hard [for front or rear or both] onboard and he told me that the entire suspension kit cost him around 20K from coimbatore. Any pointers here?

[autopsyche]

headers i do not have much idea about the lift kit yet in regards to suspension geometry as i havent got it in my hands yet... will update as soon as i do! Its more or less an experiment here too hehe.

difflocked: i have these tires with me, 31" Maxxis Mudzilla for a 15" wheel.

[headers]

@ autopsyche : Great tyres man..pricing? Tubeless ?

[autopsyche]

hey, these tires do not have a specific retail price because theyre private imports, but you can find them selling for anywhere between Rs.10,000 to Rs.12,000 per piece.

[brutus]

Hi,
Tires, well the maxxis Mudzilla's are discontinued tires but still a nice soft peice can be found for anywhere between Rs7,500-12,000(depends on how much the dealer wants to loot you) for 31x10.5 sizes. Dont go above 31" tires coz the Birfields in the front Gypsy axles aint that strong.
A cheaper alternative to a lift kit is use a longer shakle(for lift upto 2"), or just do a SOA and get 3.5"-4" of lift.
Dont go for non maruti motors. The gypsy motor weighs 80kgs(1L) and 85kgs(1.3L), and the 1.8l isuzu weighs 165kgs. There are people here who have put toy 2c'c or Nissan 1.8l or izusu 1.8l deisel motors into Gypsys but then the front end gets very heavy and affects handling and anyway , even after adding 2 leafs up front, my friends gypsy was always breaking leafs.
Regards,
Bikram

P.S.- by the way, the 1.8 l petrol motor is a direct fit into the attached gearbox cum transfer case of the 4 and 5 speeders of the diesel izuzus. You can find them in Mayapuri, Delhi.

[smsrini]

There was a showcar as a giveaway used a couple of years ago, by either Pepsi / MountainDew.LimeGreen color which was supposed to be a Gypsy with high lift and monster tyres... cant find the photos anywhere.

Any ideas anyone ?

[khan_sultan]

Originally Posted by headers

.....
We [a group of friends] are tryin to source some high lift suspension kits..will give details if successful.
..........

Buddy, are you still planning to source the same? I am also looking for sourcing SPOA kits. Did you also have SPOA in mind or something else?

Here are some links [Specific to Gypsy]:

All about lifts: Truth about lifts
SPOA on Gypsy: Bolton SPOA for Suzuki Samurai

If you are planning to souce similar stuff, count me in for the same.

Cheers,