[SS-Traveller]

Hi Heinz (couldn't help it, HG!), great to see mud on your ride, if only for a short while (or was it face pack, good for the skin/paint? )

Originally Posted by Manuuj

The Fortuner has permanent 4 wheel Drive and so is normally in 4H at all times...

The Pajero has 2H, 4H, 4HL, N, LLC.

The Endy has no Low Range. Therefore 4L represents 4 wheel drive High Range with Diff Locked.

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

The Endy set-up should be similar to the Pajero's.

Just a quick correction, at the cost of posting , but the Fortuner & Pajero are full-time 4wd setups, while the Endeavour has a part-time 4wd system. More details, explanations and discussions can be found here.

@HG: Apologies for going OT on your thread.

Originally Posted by Samurai

On paper, Endeavour has better 4WD system for offroad usage.

@Samurai: Just noticed your post after I posted. I guess this discussion can be shifted to the thread linked above.

[nilanjanray]

Afaik the Pajero has a 2H mode i.e. 4x2 mode for normal use. Wouldn't it be a part time 4wd like the Endy then?

However, I don't know whether the Pajero in India has a rear diff lock.

@ Samurai: The Fortuner in South Africa comes with rear diff locks. Pity about the Indian version.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Afaik the Pajero has a 2H mode i.e. 4x2 mode for normal use. Wouldn't it be a part time 4wd like the Endy then?

No - the Pajero's 2wd mode disengages the drive to the front axle and freewheels the front wheels to improve fuel economy. It can also be driven indefinitely on tarmac in 4H mode (but not in 4HL mode, when the Torsen centre diff is locked). This is an feature unique to the Mitsubishi group of 4wd vehicles in India (Pajero/Montero) (the Outlander has an on-demand 4wd system), and no other manufacturer offers this AFAIK.

[Monaro CV8]

OK Guys,
Lets not get OT here.

Moving on; here are the famed videos which have been eagerly anticipated.
Please note that due to the windy conditions, some of the videos may have audio issues. These are shot on a HTC mobile device.

HGs run-up on a slippery, traction less, steep incline:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c66NceHRkJ0

Abhay's Hillock Climb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9SePLZIB_M

Kedar & Abhay in the Mosh Pit: Making Donuts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cMXOrMMXVc

Kedar's Hillock Climb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE7EbPYNNn4

Guderian's Descent (Part 1) : This is the same patch where the 4x4 Safari was stranded, rescued & pack off back in the home direction.
Notice the locking of wheels due to zero grip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afy9Amz0fN8

Guderian's Descent (Part 2) : There is a deep valley on the right and a deep gutter on the left. The hard part / tricky part was to keep the Fortuner on the trail, even though it was drifting away with a mind of its own

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuZ6f0D2a-s

cheers!

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by Monaro CV8

Kedar & Abhay in the Mosh Pit: Making Donuts

This looked scary to me. What if inside vehicle fails to break in time.
I am newbie at off-roading, but 2 vehicles doing donuts at same spot should be avoided.

[kedarwalke]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

This looked scary to me. What if inside vehicle fails to break in time.
I am newbie at off-roading, but 2 vehicles doing donuts at same spot should be avoided.

Thanks for the concern, will take care next time.

Great videos Monaro, uploading mine in a while.

[yaji]

Originally Posted by Guderian

Look no further sir...come to the West.
And join us in the next mud-drive being planned before the end of this monsoon !

Thanks for the invite HG but driving all the way to the west for driving into mud is a tiresome (though inviting) idea

[nilanjanray]

Nice videos folks!

Why do these videos remind me of my old days, trying to walk up or down a slope after more than my fair share of the golden stuff? The same determined gait, the same weaving from side to side... :-)

Actually, our AT tyres are not that suitable for these muddy tracks. If the Forts had proper MT tyres, the slippage would have been significantly less.

Question: wouldn't it have been easier to straddle one rut and drive? The ruts seemed more slippery than the surrounding area that seemed somewhat firmer. Obviously, I wasn't there to see the terrain firsthand (e.g. firmness, slipperiness), so this is just an armchair comment.

Another question: what gears were most of you using during climbing up and down? HL vs. LL, and what gears in them?

[Monaro CV8]

Hi Nilanjan ,

That slope was one of the three tough ones on the trail..

Like I said, there was no place to take grip from the surrounds, since there was a gutter on one side and deep valley on the other.

During the journey on the way up, I was leading the pack. We had these hand signals for LL and HL, based on which the rest would select their ratios and ascend.

On the way up, the surface was damp and starting to loose grip. But on the way down, specially after the mid day rains, the clay played a very important part in forming the slippery & severe rut. This became practically unconquerable for vehicles going up (specially for that 4x4 safari).

I think most of us slipped into LL mode, both up and down this slope.
During the ascend, crawled in 2nd gear. Loosing grip and traction, wriggled through the track with that huge car, all the way up.

The way down was more tricky, since we also had to save the truck from falling into the deep valley on the right, or slamming into the rocky wall, post that deep gutter, on the left.
I slipped into LL (at stand-still). Shifted into 1st gear, released the brakes and let go of the clutch. No foot on the gas pedal too. The low gear ratio allowed the car to crawl down the slope at a very steady rate (speeds less that 5kmph). No sliding, but yea lots of drifting - owing to the car not able to turn at all...steering control - none! The steering correction was achieved by slightly tapping the accelerator for small bursts of torque, to arrest the over-steer.
It was a very slow, but a steady, controlled descend.
And oh yea, did break a sweat too..

Had just one thing to say to the car after negotiating those slippery twisties - Atta Boy !

[W.A.G.7]

Wow, looks like you guys had a lot of fun. I enjoyed reading the report and the pics as well. Youtube is blocked in our office, so can't view the videos right now. I will do that once I go home. Thanks for the great read, it livened up a dull Friday afternoon.

O.T: Did you have time to park your cars and trek to Rajmachi fort top, since you were so near?

And requested us whether we could ferry a comely young Damsel in distress to the highway as she was experiencing serious cramps, fatigue and a few other disorders we didn't understand.

What distress?? Rajmachi is considered as a beginners trek, it's one of the easiest... I think the damsel was more interested in your Fortuners than trekking !!

[kedarwalke]

Extremely sorry for the shaky video,could not help it,was shooting it while driving.I have a HD video in my camcorder of donuts,will post later.

slushfest in Tforts!!! - YouTube

Thanks once again to Monaro & Guderian for this awesomeness!!!!

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by kedarwalke

Extremely sorry for the shaky video,could not help it,was shooting it while driving.I have a HD video in my camcorder of donuts,will post later.

Fabulous piece of work there Kedar in piecing it together ! Looks great. Thanks & eagerly awaiting for more from your camcorder !

[abhayshanu]

Visited Rajmachi again today with a few friends. We were 7 including me, so the weight helped alot. I did not need LL while going upwards but I did use LL while coming down the place where the safari got stuck, just for safety sake. Most places were conqured in H, even the Hill Climb. All in ALl a good day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pjTR...ature=youtu.be

[dieselbelly]

Originally Posted by yaji

Wonderful write up Guderian & Monaro ! Loved reading the whole act and enjoyed the scenery too (armchair off roading )

I would love to go on a drive like this if someone is doing this stuff in or around Bangalore....good you guys have the vindhyas around ...its another thing that rains have done the vanishing act this monsoon in and around Bangalore !

I have a 2012 T-fort and recently to test the 4wd ability, i took it to gowribidanur - Uttara Pinakini river bed. This is a dried up river bed, which has water only for one month in a year. The govt and police are quite strict about sand minining here, so we have 2 ft of coarse river sand without any water all along this bed . Dropped the fortuner from one embankment and then the awd took over in 4H itself. Could do speeds of 35-40 kmph in 2nd. Then the vehicle would loose power for a second, then take on power, loose power for a second again and so on. Thats when i realised that the stability control program / traction control was working and thus the feeling of loosing power. Then I shifted to LL and 4th gear, ( Traction and stability control get turned off) and then she took off..... was able to touch 60 Kmph in a straight line, and even at that speed, the moment you take your foot of the throttle, the sand swallows the tyres and you slow down to a full stop in 2-3 seconds. Engine was doing upwards of 3500 rpm, and the FE was 2.5 KMPL .

It was a great experience, like steering a boat through choppy waters, where the bow will lift off the water once a certain power is applied. SAme in the car, once the tyres get out of sand and floats, then she just picks up speed. The ride is smooth till you cross your own tracks already made in the sand, then she goes Thud, thud, thud over these tracks.

did a couple of u turns at slower speeds, did not want to risk overturning, esp with VSP off .

This river bed will not damage your vehicle or body work, and hence the reason to take my car there.

cheers and happy 4WDing!!!

[abhayshanu]

Originally Posted by dieselbelly

I have a 2012 T-fort and recently to test the 4wd ability, i took it to gowribidanur - Uttara Pinakini river bed. This is a dried up river bed, which has water only for one month in a year. The govt and police are quite strict about sand minining here, so we have 2 ft of coarse river sand without any water all along this bed . Dropped the fortuner from one embankment and then the awd took over in 4H itself. Could do speeds of 35-40 kmph in 2nd. Then the vehicle would loose power for a second, then take on power, loose power for a second again and so on. Thats when i realised that the stability control program / traction control was working and thus the feeling of loosing power. Then I shifted to LL and 4th gear, ( Traction and stability control get turned off) and then she took off..... was able to touch 60 Kmph in a straight line, and even at that speed, the moment you take your foot of the throttle, the sand swallows the tyres and you slow down to a full stop in 2-3 seconds. Engine was doing upwards of 3500 rpm, and the FE was 2.5 KMPL .

It was a great experience, like steering a boat through choppy waters, where the bow will lift off the water once a certain power is applied. SAme in the car, once the tyres get out of sand and floats, then she just picks up speed. The ride is smooth till you cross your own tracks already made in the sand, then she goes Thud, thud, thud over these tracks.

did a couple of u turns at slower speeds, did not want to risk overturning, esp with VSP off .

This river bed will not damage your vehicle or body work, and hence the reason to take my car there.

cheers and happy 4WDing!!!

I really think you should consider your 4WD techniques. Using LL for anything other than crawling is extremely wrong. If you wanted more torque, you should go into HL and turn your VSC off manually. Just a suggestion so as to help you not spoil your differential.