[knightrider_25]

Need an expert opinion from you end.....
For participating in Desert Storm in Endure category (4X4 TSD).....which of the following is a better machine / option.....

1. Tata Safari 4X4 (with LSD) - 140bhp

2. Tata Telcoline 4X4 - 90bhp


2. Tempo Judo / Trax 4X4(with diff locks) - 90 / 65 bhp....

- The vehicle will be meant for Desert Driving / Sandy Terrain.....
(I do not like gypsy & Mahindras)

That too while driving in desert sand - which ratio in 4 wheel drive do we normally use... 4H or 4L????

Does power play a important part for continuous desert driving???

Waiting for your reply!!!!!!!

[motocamp]

well I am no sand driving expert but the lighter vehicle the better.
you need a good power to weight ratio.

none of the vehicles you mentioned would be very good in sand.

[XD2]

Hi guys,

I had a newbie 4x4 question. I have a Thar CRDE. Is it okay to do a few km on hard tarmac with the auto-locking hubs locked?

This weekend we were driving thru this road here, which was partially a cement road with patches of mud and pits of (mild) slush in between. We switched to 4H thru the slush and once back on cement, we switched back to 2H. Although, this weekend, after switching back to 2H, we'd reverse and unlock the hubs, doing that every 500m became tedious.

From what I was able to gather going thru the forum, its okay to run with the hubs locked for a few kms and no harm is done.

It would be helpful if you could confirm my understanding on this.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by XD2

It would be helpful if you could confirm my understanding on this.

In 2H, even if you run with locked hubs its fine. After all, old school Jeeps had their hubs always locked!

Actually, by the onset of Monsoons, most Jeeps in Wayanad and Coorg, remove FWH's and install flange, so that they can save the trouble of always getting down and locking the hubs.

[zeemmee]

Originally Posted by XD2

Hi guys,

This weekend we were driving thru this road here, which was partially a cement road with patches of mud and pits of (mild) slush in between. We switched to 4H thru the slush and once back on cement, we switched back to 2H.

That's the right way. In desert its not too different,we use low only during a recovery,stuck,or a refusal where one needs more power. Once you understand the terrain its easy. Have seen some people drive their jeeps, LR's drive in low.But it depends on the power, torque of the vehicle.

Knight rider- I dont have an idea about terrain in the desert storm endurance buy a 4X4 with LSD,it will be more supportive in desert environment.Power & weight is already discussed, Include good suspensions& tires. U have keep momentum on the sand other wise you will bog down. Dont fight gravity, if the car is refusing to climb a dune dont fight , u will end up in a rollover. Instead gently turn the car down, assess your speed then start over.Once you feel you have reached the peak, top of the dune maintain enough speed to bring it to necesary halt or proceed.
Halt - if their is drop on the other side of the dune.
Proceed- If its flat on the other side.
In either case its vital to have enough momentum
If your speed is too low you will get crested.If its too fast you fly off the dune & nose dive or worse - a rollover.
If you get crested then Diff locks come in handy, otherwise you need a tug or pull from a buddy.
If its a case of bogged down in a soft patch of sand then try these 2 techniques, 1. Crawling, 2 rocking, Youtube has many a videos.
Lastly you have to be good with the clutch, Half clutch driving in desert will be disastrous .You have to let the clutch cool after the heatup,wasting a lot of time.

[tsk1979]

Are you planning to cross 60kmph with 4WD engaged? If so, stay away from the safari. The auto locking hubs can give up if you drive at speed with 4WD engaged.

[headers]

Originally Posted by knightrider_25

Need an expert opinion from you end.....
For participating in Desert Storm in Endure category (4X4 TSD).....which of the following is a better machine / option.....

1. Tata Safari 4X4 (with LSD) - 140bhp

2. Tata Telcoline 4X4 - 90bhp


2. Tempo Judo / Trax 4X4(with diff locks) - 90 / 65 bhp....

- The vehicle will be meant for Desert Driving / Sandy Terrain.....
(I do not like gypsy & Mahindras)

That too while driving in desert sand - which ratio in 4 wheel drive do we normally use... 4H or 4L????

Does power play a important part for continuous desert driving???

Waiting for your reply!!!!!!!

A safari will be far more forgiving than a Trax / Judo. But the Trax Judo has OE Diff Locks front and rear and the dimensions that could make the safari user envy!

Drive all 3 and take a call - Its your ability to get the vehicle over the line that finally matters!

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Are you planning to cross 60kmph with 4WD engaged? If so, stay away from the safari. The auto locking hubs can give up if you drive at speed with 4WD engaged.

Why? 4WD-High should be good upto 100 or so right?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by headers

Why? 4WD-High should be good upto 100 or so right?

Yes it should. In theory. But it isnt. Those auto locking hubs are prone to failure. I have had a failure even though I did not cross 50kmph in 4H.

Then there are transfer case issues. In case of extreme driving, sometimes the electronic shift behaves erratically. Vehicle keeps shifting between 4H and 4L on its own. Few people who have done marshal training in the storm have faced this odd behavior.

Last but not the least, the front suspension setup is very weak for the weight it carries. The center link road will give away, and then its difficult to drive in a straight line. The vehicle will not handle well enough to maintain speed. I do not know whats the speed requirement in TSD category, however, if it requires you do to do high speeds on jumpy terrain, its better to give safari a skip.
It does not handle well on such terrains, and controlling the vehicle becomes an issue.
Its very tail snappy, and loves to spin on slippery roads.

However, if TSD category can be done with moderate speeds, then its a very comfortable vehicle to rally in.


That said, the Xenon may be better due to lower weight and slighly different suspension setup as compared to the safari.

[XD2]

Hi Guys,

Me and a friend of mine are newbies to offroading. The two of us took our Thars to a 'mini' OTR around Damdama lake here in Gurgaon. Found a small ditch over there with less than a foot of water. Switched to 4x4-Low, and pretty soon found ourselves stuck with zero traction

Towed each other out and tried again - and were able to make it thru at a higher speed.

Where'd we go wrong on this, though ? Is there a way to make it through any slower ?

Would appreciate your advise on this.

Attaching a few pics which depict the situation with more clarity:

[antihero]

A pretty old video I stumbled across from an age when landrovers were about offroading. It has multitude of great tips (not landrover specific) that I've used in my gypsy and has made me a better driver. One thing this video taught me -

The vehicle with the least drama is the best driven vehicle and the safest

https://youtu.be/TLytdAskGpk