[Shubhendra]

Fazal Sahab,
You always give us nice surprises, this time too you didn't disappoint us!!!!!
A job well done. color scheme and other modifications may not suit to others but it's your vehicle and you have made the changes as per ypur taste.
Awesome work Bhaijaan.

Regards,
Shubhendra Singh

[Kandisa]

Fazal Sir, yet another great jeep from you. The colour scheme is really different and quite refreshing to see such a colour which is so different from the conventional 'army green'. The top has also come out nice. But the really good thing is that you 've mated the 5 speed ISZ gbox. Its a way too refined gbox and helps immensely in making a jeep a comfortable frequent driver.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Also, what is the significance of these bottom leafs that are bent in the reverse angle. This again may pose some hindrance while offroading.

This is commonly done to make the suspension softer. The number of leaves in state of tension is reduced but at the same time the axle load is distributed across the same number of leaves.

However this creates dynamic imbalances at greater speeds or sudden change of momentum.

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by deutscheafrikar

I didn't look at the photos closely until I read about this in JC's post. But well spotted by you. I guess it will have to be corrected quickly before something gets damaged.

Originally Posted by vinod_nookala

Fazal bahi,
Also the front shaft has splines for the movement of the prop shaft however it is missing in the rear and is a fixed type. You will have problems when driving with load and various road adulations. Prop shaft needs that travel to adjust to the varying length due to suspension travel. The rear doesnt have that.

deutscheafrikar and Vinod,
Thank you for your concern and appreciation.
As for the apprehensions expressed by you reg. the absence of splines in the rear shaft and its rigid or lack of travel during heavy loads and adulations.
The splines are provided at the front (gear box) end for the Isuzu gear box, marked by red arrrows in pic.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Also, I have to agree with Vinod about the cross member. When you climb a mound, it is very likey that the cross-member won't clear it, in fact it will get stuck behind the mound. The distance between the cross member and the front tyres is too much. Even a skid-plate at this place won't help.

Vinod and Samurai,
Yes, the breakover angle has taken its toll here, there was no option but to fix the cross member there. A very heavy skid plate is on the agenda. It should help. To negate this I gave a extra 2 inches to the overall GC, (notice in pic. the height of the jeep with me behind it, the jeep at top is 6'-7") without any kind of SPoA... just the tyres and leafspring job did it.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Holy cow, even I missed the significance of Vinod's other comment. Now I see it, I didn't give a closer look before. Vinod indeed has eagle eyes.
Also, what is the significance of these bottom leafs that are bent in the reverse angle. This again may pose some hindrance while offroading.

Samurai,
Vinod was referring to the rear shaft being fixed, you have put in the pic. of the front shaft. The question about the reversed bottom leaf springs have been answered by 1100D, I would like to add to that...I wanted good ground clearance and the ride also to be soft, the two reversed springs add to the lift yet do not contribute to the spring action which would make the ride rigid.

Thank you all for your kind appreciation, there are no pics. that I have taken during the construction stage.
The top and upholstry was done here in Hyderabad and all other works.

Included below are pics of the engine bay, adapter plate for mating Isuzu gearbox with the XD3P.

This colour may not be liked by all as it is a bit offbeat, but I love it and got the colour mixed to the exact shade I had in mind.
SAFARI SERIES, was the idea by my friend Devidas, and the jeep was developed upon this concept. I wanted the colour to be deep earth tone, rugged, masculine and blend with browns and greens. Army or olive green was completely ruled out as it is very common, brownish green is what was finalised.
This colour takes different hues in light and dark as is evident in pictures (notice colour in the pic. with trees in background).

Also, as a tribute I wanted to include pics of Mr. Janniah, a gregarious 80+ gentleman who still yields a 5 kg hammer with one hand for moping after fine tuning on his huge contraption. The helper spring is his indigenous design which was also fitted on my orange 540, take my word for it...ride quality very soft on even surfaces and rigid on offroads.

Regards,

Rear shaft, spline end.

Gearbox/ engine adapter plate.

Engine bay.

Designed decal on hood.

Different hue.

For scale of height of Jeep.

Mr. Janniah with his designed leaf spring.

The huge leaf moping contraption in his workshop.

[Jaggu]

A very good transformation indeed! I like the color it goes well with the vehicles overall looks. Did you get a chance to do some offroading, hows the vehicles performance?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Samurai,
Vinod was referring to the rear shaft being fixed, you have put in the pic. of the front shaft.

I was trying to show the spline in the front shaft, so that people can look at the rear shaft and make out it is missing. Not everybody would know what a spline is, I didn't know a year back.

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

A very good transformation indeed! I like the color it goes well with the vehicles overall looks. Did you get a chance to do some offroading, hows the vehicles performance?

Jaggu,
Thank you, Yes we did offroading yesterday, not extreme though, it performed effortlessly in the 4X4 mode and we could feel the pronounced surge when doing a 20 degree sheet rock 15 foot ascent.

Samurai,
I thought the picture was a misrepresentation. Thank you for the compliments and appreciation.
Regards,

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

deutscheafrikar and Vinod,
Thank you for your concern and appreciation.
As for the apprehensions expressed by you reg. the absence of splines in the rear shaft and its rigid or lack of travel during heavy loads and adulations.
The splines are provided at the front (gear box) end for the Isuzu gear box, marked by red arrrows in pic.

Allright Fazal the doubt has been cleared. I thought for awhile that there could be something like you have explained, for surely something would have got damaged in the little you have used the vehicle, but there was no photo showing the reversal of roles in the male and female portion of the splines.
Those additional lower leaf springs remind me of the maruti van. Somehting more like helper springs. Not sure though cos haven't seen a van in a long time
Regards

[star_aqua]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

I wanted good ground clearance and the ride also to be soft, the two reversed springs add to the lift yet do not contribute to the spring action which would make the ride rigid.

Fazal bhai, i dont think those two reversed springs will add to the lift. If it was done for a SPOA setup, then yes. In the existing setup, even if you remove those two, there will be no difference in the lift.

[sreerajunnithan]

Fazal Bhai,

Another Masterpiece from you. You know what i liked most in this Jeep? The color, soft Top and the interior. How on earth one can make such a finished interior in a Jeep!!!! I am a novice on the technical modifications you have done. So no comments on that. Even My Jeep has a cross member which is positioned much behind than 540/550XD, thanks to Extra Long BA-10 (550XDB). But i did not find it as a show stopper.

Thanks
--Sree--

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by sreerajunnithan

Fazal Bhai,

Another Masterpiece from you. You know what i liked most in this Jeep? The color, soft Top and the interior. How on earth one can make such a finished interior in a Jeep!!!! I am a novice on the technical modifications you have done. So no comments on that. Even My Jeep has a cross member which is positioned much behind than 540/550XD, thanks to Extra Long BA-10 (550XDB). But i did not find it as a show stopper.

Thanks
--Sree--

Sree,
Thanks, Those are the very things I too like in this jeep and in the same order too, aside from technicalities. BA-10 is long too, but I think Isuzu is a bit longer and a very refined gb. I have a BA-10 for my next installation, need to know how it performs offorad? If you have done offroading with the cross member in the new position... has it been a hinderence? Any steps taken to over come it?

Originally Posted by star_aqua

Fazal bhai, i dont think those two reversed springs will add to the lift. If it was done for a SPOA setup, then yes. In the existing setup, even if you remove those two, there will be no difference in the lift.

star_aqua,
You are spot on right. It will not make any difference.
Regards,

[Samurai]

Sree's Jeep is factory build, it came with BA-10.

Knowing the weight of a leaf-set, I am impressed by the 80 year old gentlemen handling it so easily.

[fazalaliadil]

that and this too.

[ArunV]

Wow... Too gud.
Fazal bhai, do you have any pictures with out the soft top?

[vinod_nookala]

Fazal bhai,
Thanks for your detailed explanation. What has been your project cost on this vehicle?

Top looks good. But how will you prevenet the water leakage from top as the water will accumulate and form a puddle and slowly perculate into the cabin? i see the support to the top at two extreme ends on the roll bar. Water is sure to accumulate in the center and leak.

Iam looking to make the top of my vehicle again. hence need your suggestion.


p.s- I love that colour of your jeep. Nice shade.