[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

Why upgrade? I bought my car new in 2009, and the OE Exide is still healthy. The car starts as when new even today. Except for rarely used Hella lights, I run only OE electrics though.

Are you saying that your OE Exide from 2009 is still running now at the end of 2016?
Wow!

[Sawyer]

Yes, an ongoing and very pleasant surprise!

[shankar.balan]

Amazing. How many kms do you typically drive in a month?

[Sawyer]

Anything from zero to 2000.

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

What's the right way to mount a boomerang shackle?

Attachment 1556835


Attachment 1556836
(Pic from jeepforum.com)

As illustrated, at the rear of the vehicle the long end of the shackle goes on top and it needs to point to the front of the vehicle. At the front end of the vehicle the short end of the shackle goes on top and it needs to point to the rear of the vehicle.

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by Vikram Arya

As illustrated, at the rear of the vehicle the long end of the shackle goes on top and it needs to point to the front of the vehicle. At the front end of the vehicle the short end of the shackle goes on top and it needs to point to the rear of the vehicle.

So, the mounting on the Gypsy is correct?

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

What would be a 'safe' battery upgrade for a Gypsy King mpfi?

You can fit a higher ampere battery as long as it fits the battery tray however please note that a larger battery would only help in situations when you're operating your accessories with engine switched off which itself is not a great idea in the first place.

When the engine is running all your accessories are being fed by the alternator & not the battery. If you are concerned that the existing alternator may not be providing enough juice for all the auxiliary lights, audio system etc. you would need to install an alternator that is of higher amperage rating than the stock Gypsy alternator which I believe is 45 or 50 Amps.

I believe there is a GM alternator (GM 7127) that provides 100 Amps and Delco Remy 10SI/12SI that provide 63 to 94 Amps. These alternators provide a relatively cleaner fit however you may have to look into pulley/bracket compatibility aspect. Also as the charging rate of these alternators will be higher as compared to that of the stock alternator you will need to replace the existing fuse with higher capacity inline fuse and also possibly change the fusible link.

I’m not sure about their availability in India though. Ebay/other online sites may be helpful with that aspect.

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by Vikram Arya

If you are concerned that the existing alternator may not be providing enough juice for all the auxiliary lights, audio system etc. you would need to install an alternator that is of higher amperage rating than the stock Gypsy alternator which I believe is 45 or 50 Amps.

I think the Gypsy alternator is 35A.

Since my requirements are not that intensive, as advised earlier, I'll be sticking to the stock spec.

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

So, the mounting on the Gypsy is correct?

Yes, the mounting seems to correct.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

I think the Gypsy alternator is 35A.

I would beg to differ. I guess its atleast 50Amps for the MPFI version. According to the parts manual, its shared with the Zen MPFI. And I am pretty sure that the Zen MPFI never had the 35A alternator. Hech, even the M800 MPFi came with a 50A alternator.

Regards,
Shashi

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

Tyres - Yokohama Geolanders AT 215/75 R15. Don't look beyond these. People say softer sidewalls but from an overall usage perspective i found these to be the best.

Anyone tried the ContiCrossContact ATs? Any feedback?

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Anyone tried the ContiCrossContact ATs? Any feedback?

I've used the Contis on my Xenon XT.
Popular online feedback and the concerns about the weak sidewall of the Yokos made me opt for the Cross Contacts.

But my experience with the Contis wasn't good though.
In around 1000kms of driving/off roading, two tread blocks cleanly sheared off. One more tyre suffered beading failure. That's 3 out of 4 tyres that got damaged.

I was willing to put it down to a one-off batch fault and re-trust the brand (mine was made in SA; the current tyres are all made in India), but their customer service sucks big time.
It took 4+ months and matter escalation to get the warranty claim approved.

For the next two purchases I've made since then for my car and 4x4, I've given the brand a miss.

Again, just my experience and might be a one-off.

Edit: forgot to answer your query in all my ranting!
The tyres are silent and offer good grip both on and off road. Braking takes a bit of a hit, but not 'scary' level though..

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by schakravarthy

For the next two purchases I've made since then for my car and 4x4, I've given the brand a miss.

Thanks for the candid feedback mate. Did you switch to Yokos or some other brand?

[schakravarthy]

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Did you switch to Yokos or some other brand?

I bought Maxxis MTs, just for the heck of it.

Friends using Yokos have very high words for the tyre.
It all boils down to your usage pattern.

[shyamkrish]

All,

Just wanted to check with the new owners of Gypsy. Is the car serviced every 5000 kms or every 10,000 kms? Also, do you give it for service based on the Odo reading (Kms) or 6 months?

Thanks
Shyam