[Pjango]

Originally Posted by vivekgm

Thank you. Will be doing differential upgrade sometime in January. 31" tyres and new rims on the way.

Hi friend, please do post pics once you do this upgrade. I'm eager to do a personality makeover on a bolero in the family. This sounds just like it. I hope you get the drive dynamICS sorted with 31 inchers. I'd then just follow your steps ☺
Cheers.

[vivekgm]

Originally Posted by Pjango

Hi friend, please do post pics once you do this upgrade. I'm eager to do a personality makeover on a bolero in the family. This sounds just like it. I hope you get the drive dynamICS sorted with 31 inchers. I'd then just follow your steps ☺
Cheers.

Bolero DI 4x4 with 31" 10.5 R 15 tyres and 15x8 rims. Thanks Pavan (Jeep Tyres).
Leaf re-cambering and one extra leaf front & back with Swastik Fabs dog bone shackles provides around 2-2.5 inches of lift to cater for the larger tyres. Tyres provide an extra 1.5 inches over stock tyre.

Pleasantly surprised that the ride and handling (especially steering) hasn't drastically been compromised after the upgrade. Gearing is now slightly off with the larger tyres. Planning to go in for a 4.88 diff ratio upgrade soon.

Also have got to get the fender flares made (cops in Kerala love to flag down vehicles with tyres jutting out), as well as more aggressive front and rear bumpers.

[Rajith]

Originally Posted by vivekgm

Planning to go in for a 4.88 diff ratio upgrade soon.

Hi Vivek,

With 31-32 inch Tyres 4.55 differential ratio is recommended to go with.If your planning to go for 33-35 inch tyres then 4.88 differential ratio is recommended.

31 inch tyres with 4.88 differential ratio will be a pure off roader.

In any case you may have to change carrier assembly from the current set up as it may be running with 3.73 differential ratio.

[vivekgm]

Originally Posted by Rajith

Hi Vivek,

With 31-32 inch Tyres 4.55 differential ratio is recommended to go with.If your planning to go for 33-35 inch tyres then 4.88 differential ratio is recommended.

31 inch tyres with 4.88 differential ratio will be a pure off roader.

In any case you may have to change carrier assembly from the current set up as it may be running with 3.73 differential ratio.

Thank you Rajith for your suggestion.

[Bump-Stop]

Originally Posted by Rajith

Hi Vivek,

With 31-32 inch Tyres 4.55 differential ratio is recommended to go with.If your planning to go for 33-35 inch tyres then 4.88 differential ratio is recommended.

31 inch tyres with 4.88 differential ratio will be a pure off roader.

In any case you may have to change carrier assembly from the current set up as it may be running with 3.73 differential ratio.

Hi Rajith, a question......will changing the diff ratio also not effect gearing in 2wd mode? Why not just change the transfer case ratios? What will be the effect of keeping the diff ratio unaltered, but changing the transfer case ratios ( provided the bolero t-case allows for this)

[Rajith]

Originally Posted by Bump-Stop

will changing the diff ratio also not effect gearing in 2wd mode?
Why not just change the transfer case ratios?

Yes,change in differential ratio will effect in 2wd mode also.Change in Transfer case ratio is not feasible with out full assembly replacement.

[ananthkamath]

Hey guys,

We have just completed a fantastic trip in our Jeep. And while the old MM550 has been great in every way, the plan is to get a brand-new Camper 4x4 so we can carry more people and their stuff on longer overland journeys, while also doubling as a daily use vehicle for both family and goods-carrying.

I am fully aware that the Camper is not the first-choice for off-roaders but the needs for overland travel are slightly different. I do believe the Camper is the perfect platform for supporting a 3 to 4-person group, perhaps even internationally competitive in some respects. I can share those reasons if anyone wants to go into that.

With this in mind, I would very much appreciate the experienced input of the great folks here on upgrading off-road capability of this vehicle. I know the Camper shares a lot in common with the standard Bolero, but not really knowledgeable on field-proven options available.

Here are the things I would like your input on:

1) Wheels - I would like to retain OEM steel wheels from either Mahindra or Tata (or a 3rd option I dont know of yet). I think the stock size is 6J x 15. Which other sizes are available brand-new from either Tata or Mahindra dealers for this PCD and hub bore?

2) Tires - A related question to (1) obviously, but I believe the Yoko Geolandar AT-G015 is the best all-terrain tire available in India. However, they don't appear to have good options for 31"+ diameter in narrow widths (i.e. < 245). Which other options should I consider keeping the constraint of OEM wheels in mind?

3) Mild suspension lift - I would like 2" but not really more than that. What are the proven options for this in India?

4) Rear Diff lock - Does the Eaton product fit the Camper? Is the Lamda product proven and reliable enough for a remote-area vehicle?

5) Front Diff lock - What options are available for a front diff lock? Anyone using one?

6) Bumper - I really don't like the weight or expense of an aftermarket bumper but it makes a lot of sense for frontal protection, and the option to fit a winch at a later date per mission needs. I need one with a full bull-bar to protect the radiator and headlights in small frontal impacts. Recommendations or manufacturer contacts would be very useful. Already enquired with Viji@Swastik, he doesn't make anything for the Bolero.

Thanks for reading!

[starter]

Dear Ananth,
The bolero camper is very widely used in the north east in quite treacherous conditions.
I have seen examples which are quite battered, chugging along with load just fine on tracks that require 4wd.
I just love the camper for its simple and solid mechanicals and wanted to get one myself to build it up as an expedition vehicle.
There seems to be 2 variants of the camper - Standard and Gold. The gold seems to have better creature comforts like AC, but I did not want the gold since it had front IFS.
The standard seems to be available only as a commercial vehicle. Hence, i dropped the idea.
How do you plan to register it? If there is a way around it, am ready to book one along with you
Cheers,
Deepak

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

..And while the old MM550 has been great in every way, the plan is to get a brand-new Camper 4x4 so we can carry more people and their stuff on longer overland journeys, while also doubling as a daily use vehicle for both family and goods-carrying. ..

Hi Ananth,

Trust me, go and get an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross. It's worth every penny. Especially for people like you. You will not be able to retrieve the amount of money you plan to spend on the camper. The V-Cross is a more modern, comfortable and in the long term, economical solution.

[ananthkamath]

Originally Posted by starter

There seems to be 2 variants of the camper - Standard and Gold. The gold seems to have better creature comforts like AC, but I did not want the gold since it had front IFS.
The standard seems to be available only as a commercial vehicle. Hence, i dropped the idea.
How do you plan to register it? If there is a way around it, am ready to book one along with you

Hi Deepak - We intend to get the standard solid front axle Camper. According to the dealer in Mangalore, it will register in rural RTOs as a white plate, but not in cities. I don't know Indian rules much these days but if you're able to register a vehicle in a city/town other than where you live, I think this is the way to do it.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Hi Ananth,

Trust me, go and get an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross. It's worth every penny. Especially for people like you. You will not be able to retrieve the amount of money you plan to spend on the camper. The V-Cross is a more modern, comfortable and in the long term, economical solution.

Hi Dhanush - Thanks for the sound advice, which I will proceed to ignore . But jokes aside, no doubt the V-Cross is a much nicer vehicle, but I need something that is simple, rugged and fixable in the middle of the Gobi desert if need be (not a joke). I thought my list was pretty reasonable:
Tires - 40k (which the Isuzu will also need)
Wheels - 10k
Lockers - 50k (estimate, and also the Isuzu doesn't have them)
Lift - 10-20k but depends on the solution.
Bull bar bumper - 15k (which I would also want on the Isuzu, I have seen first hand what an animal strike does at highway speeds with and without a bull bar)
Snorkel - 10k, maybe not needed on the V-cross

So at most I save 50k outfitting the Isuzu.
On-road price Camper 9 lacs vs V-Cross 18 lacs.

What am I missing? Aren't Mahindras extremely cheap to maintain too? At least that's been my experience over the past couple of years.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

We have just completed a fantastic trip in our Jeep. And while the old MM550 has been great in every way...

You bought it from Samurai right! Wow, good to know it is still going strong. Just goes to show, one good restoration CAN give you a reliable vehicle.

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

I am fully aware that the Camper is not the first-choice for off-roaders but the needs for overland travel are slightly different. I do believe the Camper is the perfect platform for supporting a 3 to 4-person group, perhaps even internationally competitive in some respects. I can share those reasons if anyone wants to go into that.

Won't the Camper feel underpowered if any sort of competition is on the horizon? I mean for overlanding you do need to traverse good amount of distances on normal roads too, right?

[.anshuman]

Why not the Xenon 3 litre Truck? Its more ergonomic, comfortable, modern compared to the Bolero Camper. Seating 4 in a Camper is going to be a punishment everytime.

If there is an option to stretch the budget there is nothing like the Isuzu V Cross.

[ananthkamath]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Won't the Camper feel underpowered if any sort of competition is on the horizon? I mean for overlanding you do need to traverse good amount of distances on normal roads too, right?

No to the 2nd part of your first question, and yes to your 2nd question.... This is strictly for travel, no competition involved. Maintaining 100kph is good enough....reportedly commercial drivers are doing that today with up to 3 tons of load in the Camper!

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Why not the Xenon 3 litre Truck? Its more ergonomic, comfortable, modern compared to the Bolero Camper. Seating 4 in a Camper is going to be a punishment everytime.

If there is an option to stretch the budget there is nothing like the Isuzu V Cross.

Agreed on both V-Cross and Xenon , Anshuman. But the camper has a couple of things both of these vehicles lack, and that is 1. Simplicity and 2. A track record of reliability under the toughest conditions. Do you disagree?

You're absolutely right about that rear seat. Actually my first choice of vehicle was this Bolero+ but I was told by 2 separate dealers that it isn't available in 4WD. If you notice, it is quite similar in interior space to the most popular overland vehicle in the world, the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series troop carrier.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

.. 1. Simplicity and 2. A track record of reliability under the toughest conditions. Do you disagree? ..

I wouldn't entirely agree on this. It's like saying even though it's hot, I'll have the fan, not the AC because its more complicated and things might go wrong.

You have to understand the camper is old. The only reason the camper is easy to repair is because it doesn't have much to go wrong in it. And because of that, you wont get more out of your car. Also, remember Mahindra parts quality is pathetic. Eg: If you compare the radiator hoses of the Camper and a newer Japanese or European car, you will understand how overpriced the parts are for an old-school Mahindra. Same with other parts.

If it were for farm use, or occasional "short" use, the camper would've been good. But, for long distances? You definitely need a better mile cruncher.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

What am I missing? Aren't Mahindras extremely cheap to maintain too? At least that's been my experience over the past couple of years.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

If it were for farm use, or occasional "short" use, the camper would've been good. But, for long distances? You definitely need a better mile cruncher.

@dhaunush. Your are recommending a V-Cross to someone who is totally enjoying an MM550. I think Camper will be like getting into a Rolls Royce. At this point VCross maybe too much refinement and modernity to manage the transition.

Better to go with Camper. The Camper Gold/Delux doesn't come with 4WD. The standard version comes with 4WD but without PS or AC and brilliant 63 bhp/19 KGM Torque Engine. Wish Mahindra would give free ear muffs as to mask the roar of the engine.