[Parm]

well a tractor is meant for working off roads in the fields and its not even a 4x4!

again i would like to remind everyone that its not the machine, but the man behind the steering wheel which makes the difference.

i have managed to get myself free after being stuck in the sand. put on 4L and lower the tyre pressure to 15 psi, go very easy on the gas, let the vehicle crawl and steer side to side.

passing through slush and mud, dont barge in at a higher speed and try to break free from the other side.

go slow in the slush with 4L dont rush the mud, once the tyres start spinning and thats it! and the kind of tyre pattern makes all the difference, you cant use on road tyres for slush and mud! you have to get mud tyres.

The mud terrain or mud tyre pattern is characterised by large lugs on the tyre with big voids between these lugs. the large lugs provide plenty of grip in low traction conditions while the big voids all the tyres to clean itself by throwing off mud or other material while spinning, thus providing a good grip on every rotation of the tyre. these tyres are also very useful for rock crawling as the large lugs can provide a way of gripping and pulling the tyres up and over irregular rocky edges where a smoother pattern would just spin. the bigges drawback of the patterns is that they run rough and loud on road!

so the pajero getting stuck in the mud was due to some of the conditions and reasons i mentioned above....same goes for the Rangie!

changa fer.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear all - first things first. Never ever take a 2 wheel drive car in such situations. The 4 wheel drive must also engage and disengage perfectly. A long and strong chain is a must carry accessory. Please also carry at leat 4 nos of old spring shackles with bolts and spanners for connecting the chain if required. There have been numerous instances of the chain being available but nothing to attach it to the vehicle. As a last resort, you can tie the chain in a sort of knot and attach it, it will work. The vehicle must have a minimum of 8000 lbs pull capacity winch which must work properly. The winch relays etc must be connected and pre-checked as per Warn's instruction manual. It is adviseable to have 2 batteries permanently connected in parallel for winch equipped cars. Both batteries will be fully charged by the alternator. The alternator must work properly, its drive belt must be in good condition.

The tyre pressure to use in a CL340 when driving on soft dry sand is 13 psi. I learnt this from a simple Rajasthani tourist jeep driver Veer Singh in Mandawa Rajasthan during the Mahindra Great Escape. These guys take foreigner tourists on dunes every single day in CL550MDI Major 4 wheel drive M&M vehicles. He never knew 13 psi but I learnt a trick by seeing him. The trick is to fold the fingers of your right hand into a fist and then hammer the fist on the tyre sidewall (the tyres on my car were JK Brute P215/75R15s). The tyre sidewall must buckle a little and a "dhumm dhumm" sound must come. If the tyre pressure is more, your fist will start hurting and the dhumm dhumm sound will not come. Then I went through every obstacle as if there was no obstacle. I stopped at a petrol pump and checked the tyre pressure. It was 13 psi. But remember, on the road it is terrible, you cannot go fast. The brake effectiveness is also low. Thank you Veer Singhji, tussi mahaan ho ji.

I will give detailed slush driving / rock crawling tips shortly.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[DesertKing]

Originally Posted by bblost

@DesertKing: Did you try reducing the air pressure in the tires when stuck in sand?

I have 31x10.5 R 15 tyres in my Jeep which are already quite wider onces. To specific to your question, I never tried this but in my next run, I will surelly try this.

Originally Posted by vishwaschettri

And the award for best off-roader goes to Tractor!!

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

The tyre pressure to use in a CL340 when driving on soft dry sand is 13 psi. I learnt this from a simple Rajasthani tourist jeep driver Veer Singh in Mandawa Rajasthan during the Mahindra Great Escape. These guys take foreigner tourists on dunes every single day in CL550MDI Major 4 wheel drive M&M vehicles. He never knew 13 psi but I learnt a trick by seeing him. The trick is to fold the fingers of your right hand into a fist and then hammer the fist on the tyre sidewall (the tyres on my car were JK Brute P215/75R15s). The tyre sidewall must buckle a little and a "dhumm dhumm" sound must come. If the tyre pressure is more, your fist will start hurting and the dhumm dhumm sound will not come. Then I went through every obstacle as if there was no obstacle. I stopped at a petrol pump and checked the tyre pressure. It was 13 psi. But remember, on the road it is terrible, you cannot go fast. The brake effectiveness is also low. Thank you Veer Singhji, tussi mahaan ho ji.

Thanks Veer Singh Ji and thanks Behram Ji. I will surely use this trick.

[Tusker4x4]

Thats me stuck in Slush

I had to be pulled out, in the end, after all tries by taking Back and Fornt and rotation of steering to all angles in 4L1/2




My lesson : No harm getting pulled out. You need to push your limits bit by bit to learn.

[Tusker4x4]

Originally Posted by CJ3b

Dear Offroaders,

Interesting topic, ask a offroader whether he would like to get stuck & i am sure he will say "NO", well situation with me was that i used to love getting stuck & i really love to see the other jeepers get stuck too, this where is love the challenge of taking the jeep out of the spot, many know me for this.

I agree Same here boss I just dont mind infact I also enjoy getting stuck and pulling people out. That the fun of offroading. Offroading without, pushing your own limits intelligently, and without getting stuck in no fun.

But recovery equipment has to be there. The shackles, Hooks and loops in the Jeep, winch tow ropes/straps etc.

Originally Posted by CJ3b

Off roading is an art the more you wander in the unknown territory the better offroader will you be,

Never give up & say i will be back the next day, that's not what a offroader is,

Always try to have a back up, this way you will be sure for a support & advise

We have to be ready for being pulled and to pull other out of tight spots. You always learn when you take challenges.

Vinay you are 100%%%% right

[revtech]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

It was 13 psi. But remember, on the road it is terrible, you cannot go fast. The brake effectiveness is also low.

how is braking effectivness low.shouldn it be better if not the same considering there is a greater contact patch with a lower pressure.


rev

[vinod_nookala]

Tusker 4x4,
My first stuck was some thing like yours but unlike yours as i didnt have backup! The thing is i had just then acquired MM540 4x4 and took my GF(some 4-5 years back) to show what off roading is!! She never liked jeeps. Had acquired a 4x4 against her wishes. Went to a lake side and showed some climbs, crawled over huge rocks. Said thats a jeep baby! Was she impressed? - No!!

Ok, i said let me show you what jeep can do- took the jeep on the banks of a lake and the moment i hit water jeep started to slow down horribly. Put 2nd low, wheels started to spin with no grip at all. It was sticky mud. Tried all tricks, fwd reverse, right turn, left turn...no luck!!

She looks at me and says- is this what your jeep can do i.e getting stuck? I had no answer! Now it was getting dark and i had to get the jeep out. Trucks refused to pull me out. No tractor insight. Saw group of men in a mm540 2wd passing by. Stopped them, asked for help. Men pushed the vehicle out. Muscle power worked! Dropped her back home and while getting down she says-" why didnt you buy yourself a maruti 800?- Total image damage

From then she never accompanied me on an OTR even after getting married to her for 3 years now

Lesson- 1. Do not venture without back up
2. Walk and check the terrain before straight leaping into it
3. Dont take a chance with your girlfriend, might lead to a breakup!

[desertfox]

All offroaders get stuck once in a while. Part of the game. A miscalculation or lapse in concentration does it.

While in sandy terrain or in soft mud, lower tyre pressure helps. One may safetely deflate down to 12 psi, but the moment one hits a graded track or tarmac it is essential to carry a compressor with you and inflate back to 25 - 30 psi depending on the vehicle.

[Kushagr]

I first got stuck in no slush or sand, but on hard un even ground. I had just purchased my gypsy and wanted to explore its potential. I made the classic mistake of going out alone. I did the recce of the area on foot but since i lacked skill and experience was unable to read the ground leading to getting stuck in an uneven patch where the difference in heinghts of the ground across the forur tyres was 2.5 feet. This lead to one of the wheel touching the wheel fender roof while the other diagnol set of wheels lost traction. I was able to get out by understanding the problem and putting stones under the diagonal set of spinning wheels to get traction.

Lesson learnt:
Never head out alone, without recovery equipment.
Never get in a posistion where the diagonal set of wheels loose traction, coz then without a LSD of a diff lock ur going no where.
Understand the limits and boundaries of ur vehicle, and guage the obstacles that are to be negotiated accordingly.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear all - you all are absolutely correct. There is no loss of ego in getting stuck because getting stuck is part of the enjoyment. Also after getting stuck, heroics does not work. Simple common sense works. Therefore, please go in only with fully functional and reliable 4 wheel drive and also with correctly fitted and fully operational winch. A long stout chain is absolutely mandatory because sometimes trees are just too far away for the winch cable to reach them. Around 6 to 8 used spring shackles with correct spanners to tighten the fasteners is also a must. I am repeating some of my earlier comments but this is far too important in off roading. It should become enjoyable, not frightening.

And yes, a full tank of fuel helps. Once I got stuck with the LH side of the vehicle much lower than the RH side and as the fuel tank was not full, air rushed into the fuel lines and the engine stalled. We had to go to a petrol pump, get fuel, fill it and the vehicle was out under its own power in no time at all. If the engine does not run, you cannot get unstuck. This is a very important lesson I have learnt. Always go in with a full tank of fuel. Please do not compromise on this.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[vinod_nookala]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Can you explain this a little better with pics if possible?

Dhabhar sir,
Very educative, i have always ensured more than half tank fuel considering in 4 low jeep would give lesser mleage and generally off road spot is far from civilization.

[DesertKing]

Originally Posted by vinod_nookala

Very educative, i have always ensured more than half tank fuel considering in 4 low jeep would give lesser mleage and generally off road spot is far from civilization.

Apart from this, if you have less fuel and trying to climb a steep incline, there are chances that the pump will suck air in it. I have faced this problem a couple of times so I now always ensure at 1/4 of tankful fuel even if I do not have to drive for a very short distance on off road.

Vinod, we expect you to share some of the story of stucking and learning from you too.

[vinod_nookala]

Originally Posted by DesertKing

Vinod, we expect you to share some of the story of stucking and learning from you too.

hi naren,
i did mention about my first stuck in a post in the same page. However there are many more. The rampover angle is inferior of a MM540 even to a mauti gypsy. Where 3b,s and Gypsy climb over straight MM540 cannot and touches belly big time!! This was the challenge is faced in palar too. However due to softness of sand i managed to scrap the bottom and kept going relying solely on momentum. Few pics of desent where MM540 would get stuck if not negotiated properly (blackMM540 with BA10 went down the decent and got stuck on its belly on the rock there= wrong approach!)

[DesertKing]

Originally Posted by vinod_nookala

3. Dont take a chance with your girlfriend, might lead to a breakup!

Vinod, I am sorry as it was such a intresting story and missed that out earlier. It was very funny indeed . The above quoted learning is remarkable from core of your heart.

[Tusker4x4]

Originally Posted by vinod_nookala

Tusker 4x4,

Dropped her back home and while getting down she says-" why didnt you buy yourself a maruti 800?- Total image damage

From then she never accompanied me on an OTR even after getting married to her for 3 years now

Lesson- 1. Do not venture without back up
2. Walk and check the terrain before straight leaping into it
3. Dont take a chance with your girlfriend, might lead to a breakup!

Same story here Vinod, My kids love to go on the OTR not my wife. I have tried to get her to drive the Jeep. but not sucessfull. She just refuses to go on the OTR.

I agree to your points 1, 2 & 3. The 3rd part I have also come very close to that ;o))

Boss, the equipment is also very important as most new comers don't even have pintail hook to pull them out. Its not there fault, as they are not aware what they are in for. Futher the D shakle is a must with tow ropes / straps as they are very convinient for the U loops in the vechiles.

Another Hook I will always recommend guys is Rino Hook on the front of the Jeep this is the most convinient for the recovery. Sizable regulars also dont have Rino hooks on the Jeeps. I experienced the ease with which we were able to put a strap while recovering a vechile in an OTR. By next OTR I had one.
(Pls excuse my Spells)