[Sudarshan]

This is a very welcome Initiative -- Thanks to Tejas

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Not carrying adequate tools

Also a must is carrying basic spares like extra hose pipes, plastic ties, assorted nuts and bolts, oils, etc.

Correct , & one must know how to use them , having practiced minor repairs under the guidance of your mechanic will help immensely.


.

Entering deep water without snorkel

Poorly fitted snorkel

No breather tubes for GB / Diff

I want to add some Important things, NOT ONLY snorkels & Breather tubes are important but there are few things must also be looked into

1) Clutch housing protection or clutch protection --- the clutch thrust bearing is the most weak link in Indian Jeeps ,they get easily damaged when water gets in to the housing

2) Loosening of Fan Belt is must before one enters deep waters -- this prevents radiator damage , Placing radiator grill blinder is another good Idea to prevent mud blocking radiator fins

3) I have even observed timing belt case sealing plugs provided to prevent
water getting in to it

4) Alternators get easily damaged by muddy water & also Starter motors , Particularly old & serviced units ( Starters ) , electricians tend to ignore refitting / reconditioning the O rings that help them splash resistant . To my knowledge both the units are not waterproof ( Indian vehicles )

5) the ECM ( engine ) units also need to be taken care of & so are the electric shift transfer cases

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Bigger tyres and lifts change the center of gravity of the vehicle and can lead to greater chances of a tip over.

+ 100 to that , drivers of Lifted vehicles often forget this & face disasters

Not doing a pre offroad check on vehicle before getting the vehicle on a OTR trip

Not only that I suggest to inspect the undercarriage thoroughly on a ramp after every OTR , once I discovered my Jeep chassis had cracked after a heavy session

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Wrong tyre pressure

Many times while offroading you many need to air down the tyres.

Carry a portable air compressor to fill up before you hit the road though.

It's also a good idea to carry a puncture repair it and a tyre pressure gauge.

Also driving on tarmac with too low pressure is very damaging for tyres , it weakens them & reduces the life considerably , such ( run ) tyres look perfect from outside , but they burst unexpectedly due to the damage caused by running on low pressure on tarmac

Not knowing basic DIY

You might carry all possible tools and spares, but if you don't know basic DIY, all this preparation will be in vain.

Go to your mechanic and learn basic DIY if you don't know it already.

100 % correct but this is less practiced sadly

Originally Posted by genesis

Confucius says:

.When you worry what lies ahead, get fat butt out of jeep and walk

Fantastic - no better words for that habit of not getting down the vehicle & 'avoid' to walk

[advaitlele]

This is probably the best thread in recent times I've come across on the forum. Thanks Tejas for starting this.

I am not an offroader and whatever queries I had - breather pipes for differentials etc. are all given. Thanks again.

Sapna - very valid point you've brought here. Last monsoons we were holidaying in Konkan and someone fancied doing offroading on their Tavera and Qualis; and guess what; they were royally stuck amid the glass bottles and were in no position to walk leave alone take vehicles out

[500ContyCruiser]

Thank you very much for this thread! Was looking for such article with all / most of the points under one roof.

Experienced personally a couple of things recently. On motorbike though. Especially, stream crossing in our Leh ride. Wasted around 6,000 /- to learn lesson hard way! Luckily nothing happened to bike and myself.

[Manas]

Many thanks TEJAS ! This was a much needed thread. Great points and helper videos!

May I add a couple of points that I have noticed experienced off-roaders follow:

1. Timing gear shift during speedy ascents to ensure minimum loss of traction.

2. Steering input during ascents - countering the effect of side-slip to ensure that the vehicle is pointed straight up and does not start going sideways.

3. NEVER changing gears during water fording. When you depress the clutch to change gears, there is a tiny chance that the housing where the clutch plate meets the flywheel may attempt to 'breathe' in. and one cannot afford to let that happen in knee deep water.

4. Be weary of unnatural projections jutting out from the Earth. In regions that are adjacent to proposed commercial sites, some preliminary pillar marking work could have been done an the plants went on to grow around it. This 'jutting out angle' caused a fuel tank rupture in one of the OTRs. <pic attached>

[AVR]

Something that isn't too technical but kinda plays a role in most of the 'do-nots' is to keep your ego aside.

Don't let your ego write cheques your Jeep/driving can't cash. I know we usually call the easy way out the "Chicken Route" but I think it takes more brains/guts to stay away from doing things you know you can't comfortably risk than to get into something you can't handle and lead to any of the kind of disasters shown in all the videos here.

If i am not comfortable with an obstacle, I prefer to see a few people do it the right way and learn from them how to do/not do it. That way, I know what I can do/can't do/can risk/can't risk!

Keep tire-side down!

Cheers,
Adi

[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Here is something for the heroes who stand on the back. (Source Uknown)

Attachment 966549

I found a similar one , they are every where

Total shmuck. Total off road idiot. - YouTube

Sudarshan

[dhawcash]

Excellent and practical thread. I'm thankful to all the knowledgeable and experienced Bhpians for sharing their experiences and knowledge. It will definitely be worth it the day i get my own 4x4 .

Never venture into a 4x4 terrain with a 2WD. Let alone the vehicle getting stuck, its also outright dangerous.

Can you shed some more light on the dangers of venturing off-road in a 4x2?
(Apart from getting stuck and starving to death)

[W.A.G.7]

Wow, this thread is an eye opener on what can go wrong in off-roading. It's like a checklist on what to do and what not to do while off-roading. Thanks for the inputs provided by everyone; to develop this like a knowledge base. I know nothing about off roading, maybe I might never go off-roading, but one day I will surely like to be spectator at one of these outings!

[dhawcash]

Another noob(and non technical) mistake i just realized- All the energy bars, munchies, medicines, coke bottles, spares give off a lot of non degradable plastic as a by product after being used. Make sure you have a bag dedicated for these in the vehicle so that these can be disposed off properly instead of littering the jungles.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Thanks for the appreciation guys.

This thread is only for technical mistakes. All other extremely valid points mentioned are covered here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-of...e-conduct.html

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by dhawcash

Can you shed some more light on the dangers of venturing off-road in a 4x2?
(Apart from getting stuck and starving to death)

Hi dhawcash,

One have considerably more vehicle control in 4WD, than in 2WD. For example, a slushy incline might be conquerable in a 2WD sometimes using momentum. While trying it, if one gets stuck halfway, or at the top, reversing in 2WD without a low ratio is outright dangerous. Like tejas has mentioned here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...ml#post2862707

Same case while coming downhill, without a low ratio and engine braking on all four wheels. Eg: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ex...ml#post2861447

Also, while coming down slightly inclined slushy turns, a 2WD can sometimes surprise you and skid off the track.

I have experienced all the above and luckily managed to come out safely. May be more experienced fellow members can add some more points.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Here's a textbook case of mistakes. As you can see in the pic (source: unknown; from Facebook), the jeep is overloaded, there is no roll bar nor is anyone wearing seat belts and they are tackling the incline at an angle. A recipe for disaster.



EDIT: In all probability, not wearing a seat belt may have saved the life of the guy in the back. How we humans search for a silver lining?

[roy_libran]

My contribution here:
Never underestimate an obstacle just because you have done it maybe multiple times earlier!


Example-
A 20 foot drop with approx 70 degree incline. Sounds like cheesecake and behaved like one on all earlier attempts.

Then came a time when I came to this obstacle, I didn't even think twice; just slotted into 1st Low-No ABC, and started rolling. Didn't bother much about the wheel track and my front right wheel goes into a deep rut, at the bottom of the incline, with a vertical mound face that stops it from proceeding any further along the rut.

Okay, so a bit of A might just do it... But Nothing Moves. Worse, the vehicle's rear starts slipping out and the vehicle is now at a slight angle, while face down on the 70 degree slope! One more try and the angle gets worse! Now I'm beginning to get concerned.

Next and final try (before I plan to call for assistance) - Pull up both Diff Locks and engage Reverse and go back a couple of feet on that incline. Thankfully the vehicle moves and the right wheel is free of the rut. Re-positioned the wheel and sail through.

The MM540 in front of me, also made a similar mistake. He went down too fast and his bumper hit the mound and got badly bent. I didn't make the same mistake but another one!

Lesson Learnt - Never underestimate any obstacle and study it clearly before attempting.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Here's a pic from Facebook specially for those who don't wear their seat belts properly or have weak belt mountings or belt up "under the shoulder".



Source:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater

[Sudarshan]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

EDIT: In all probability, not wearing a seat belt may have saved the life of the guy in the back. How we humans search for a silver lining?

So when there is no Roll Bar/Cage, having seat belts is a suicide ? Particularly on steep side slopes ? Looks like .

Getting trapped under your own vehicle

BTW wearing helmet is a must at extreme conditions ( IMHO ) be it a hard top or six point cage or one is wearing a seat belt in it .

Sudarshan