[gsferrari]

Bumper - Done!
Rock Sliders - Done!
Gas tank Protection - Done!
2" Shackle Lift - Done! (to improve comfort and approach angle with the new bumper)
Front Left/Right Kingpin bearings replaced - Done!
Transfer Case Slider - W.I.P
Winch - W.I.P
Lockright Locker Installation - 17th November
Spares ordering - 1 x Rear Axle set, 2 x U-joints for prop shaft, 1 spare set of transfer case mounts, 1 set of king-pin bearings and shims spare, 1 spare set of engine mounts, fan belts, ac belt, differential oil, engine oil, coolant and grease.

GMC...Here I come!

[Desmosedici]

Beauty macchi. Have you fitted your FFE back or are you running on stock ones.
Lots of stuff being done this festive season for you. Please keep the pics coming.

and how does a lift improve comfort?

[gsferrari]

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

Beauty macchi. Have you fitted your FFE back or are you running on stock ones.
Lots of stuff being done this festive season for you. Please keep the pics coming.

and how does a lift improve comfort?

FFE going back on but post-Munnar. Driving that all the way there will mean ear-plugs for me and my passenger. I love the FFE sound but only when I am using it for a short while K&N intake is going on 100%.

Yes lots of stuff happening but the main thing is the differential locks and the underbody/side protection. The bumper was a cosmetic decision and the only solution to fit a winch. I need a winch because I plan to do some solo drives where I will not have another vehicle for support.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

FFE going back on but post-Munnar. Driving that all the way there will mean ear-plugs for me and my passenger. I love the FFE sound but only when I am using it for a short while K&N intake is going on 100%.

K&N makes more noise than the FFE. Rather, do the FFE and leave the K&N out.

[gsferrari]

@Tejas - considering you might be in the driver's seat for an extended period of time I am inclined to have both installed along with an open top

HA HA HA!

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Originally Posted by gsferrari

@Tejas - considering you might be in the driver's seat for an extended period of time I am inclined to have both installed along with an open top

HA HA HA!

I can almost visualize my next ad in the classifieds:

MH registered single owner gypsy for sale with K&N, FFE, rock sliders, bumper, ice box, etc for 5 lakhs. Delivery anywhere between bombay and munnar. Price highly negotiable or your best offer. First preferences to all the Paras's of the world!

[dwaraka]

gsferrari,

Gypsy is coming up great. What make is the winch?

[gsferrari]

Phew what a TIRING day!! My feet are swollen from all the standing and walking but I think we have a winner here.

Allan and I got to work on the Lockright differential locks this afternoon at 2:00pm sharp. He had thoughtfully removed the axles and the diff the previous day so today would be all about installing those little gears and couplers and pins that come with the Lockright kit.

Took us a good hour or so to follow the included instructions and get a first "fitting" done. I made the mistake of pushing to have everything greased so the measurements were off so Allan's guys had to clean everything up again! Anyway...we re-assembled the lockers and tried measuring again. As per instructions we had used the stock shim that was leftover after removing the open-diff gears. With just the stock shim the locker stack was giving us a play of 0.018 inches which was above the recommended 0.012 inches. I was worried that this would mean unpredictable locker performance so Allan and I made a lot of calls to Arka, Khan Sultan and several parts stockists in the area. We then headed out on the bike trying our luck at random shops.

Finally we managed to score really thin shims with inner/outer diameter in the ballpark of the stock shims. We had cross checked with Arka who confirmed that doubling the shims was not an issue and plus the stock shim also has reasonable play around the coupler axle tunnel. Now with 4 shims total (2 on each side) the play was down to 0.009 and I took the call to leave it this way because with wear and proper installation, the clearances would work out. We'll know how this works out only tomorrow.

Got the differential re-assembled, Lock tite applied on all bolts and everything torqued down. Installed into the housing and sealed with Silicone gasket sealant. Finally re-installed the axles and HOORAY! Both turn in the same direction and if one of the axles was forced to stop, it became impossible to move the other one as well. This is a clear indication that the lockers are functioning as lockers. Now...whether they are able to unlock during cornering is something we will find out tomorrow. Just got done at about 8:30pm after 6.5 grueling hours but Allan is good TP and plus I had the opportunity to get close to some awesome off-road machinery

Tomorrow the wheels go on, brake lines will be bled and the diff will be filled with thick grade diff oil. Post this we will test it out on a nearby trail and on the highway. I hope the diffs stay locked in a straight line and unlock during cornering because I really don't want to have to open the whole thing up again to set the clearances! :(

Fingers crossed!

[xtreme power]

so heres the real story,
guru walks into my shop at 2pm sharp and leave at 8:30 and does nothing whatsoever, he only parks himself at comfortable spots and chills while im left to do all the hard work
u dont believe me, then see this



jokes apart
love working the whole afternoon cause of the sheer enthusiam shown by guru, plus the learning experience for me
i have never installed a diff lock, so a first time for me, and obviously we had some of the guru's like arka's and khan's number close at hand and used them whenever in doubt. plus thank god for youtube
the install is fairly simple id say, just getting the setting right is a pain, and searching for small items like shims can be a pain specially since it was eid.
learnt one thing
"guru loves grease"

here i go opening the diff





got the bottom half of the lockers in

and assembled the diff back again

trials this afternoon after i fit the brake lines and tyres back on
ill be doing the work again while this man does this

guru drop in today, lets get tired again>"thats what she said"

[xtreme power]

back to the topic
guru getting difflocked
testing done today
traction was much better
but we put her in a slush bit that had just worsen so she got stuck even in four wheel drive,, blaming the tyres here
but the difference is very noticable specially when we did a very steep incline in two wheel drive with the front tyres in the air
but yes we still managed to get her stuck,
guess guru, tyres are your next upgrade


this is in two wheel drive

YouTube - MOV03294

YouTube - MOV03298

[gsferrari]

Got a call from Allan at 2:00pm asking me to come over to his place PRONTO because he couldn't wait to test the lockers out and neither could I!! Finally I was able to get away from work and headed straight over, literally FLYING on the Karizma wringing that tiny engine for all it was worth. Reached the garage and hopped into the Gypsy with a mechanic to check out the operation of the lockers on tarmac.

Absolutely smooth operation without any clunking and loud clanking. On mild cornering there was no difference from open diff. On tighter cornering you can feel the inside tire slip/skid in order to slow down and allow the outside tire to come around. Under extremely tight cornering you can hear 1 or 2 clicks from the lockers but that is about it. They work...beautifully.

Just too confirm they were indeed locking, Allan and I headed to a spot nearby where we could get one of the rear tires up in the air. Even with the tire up in the air the vehicle still moved forward thanks to the rear differential locks. SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION!!!


Soon after this we tacked on the front bumper because Allan also wanted to see how much approach angle we'd lost as a result of the increased overhang. We headed out to a nearby trail in Mahape and got straight to business. We attempted some slush in 2WD but I guess we were asking too much of the lockers and while it made some distance in, it got stuck with both tires spinning uselessly. Notched it into 4L and after some rocking, got her out again. We tried again in 4L with some momentum and we went through a 60m slush patch with ease. The difference in traction with the lockers is profound and you really do feel let down by the tires.

Slush patch conquered we tried a rather steep ascent with a deep slush approach. This slush was made more difficult by the fact that the water content was less so there was just this thick Ooze that was adhering to the tires and turning them into slick chocolate donuts. I got stuck the first time and we gave up...Allan called for help and then got out to firm ground with some acrobatics.

I stayed in the car, rocked around for a bit with guidance from Allan and SHE BROKE FREE!! I doubt this would have been possible without the lockers and in fact, I feel I can do tricky slush in reverse better than in forward because the locked rear axle just has so much traction!

After breaking free I made another attempt, made it through the slush and UP the steep climb with the front 2 wheels in the air at one point. Unfortunately Allan was NOT filming this climb. Subsequent attempts by me and Allan ended in failure and we had to use the backup vehicle to pull the Gypsy out.

On another steep climb I simply drove up easily. Allan then drove back down to see if the front bumper's overhang would cause problems off-road. On this particular descent they did not hit the ground but I suppose at a descent like the one at AKC, it may ground out.

Testing done we headed back to give the Gypsy a wash. Another successful Gypsy upgrade done at Sara auto garage!



Another finding is that post the 2" shackle lift, the ride comfort is SOOO good! Of course this could also be down to the Bolero shocks but my back will thank me for this.

[xtreme power]

not to forget that we ended up liking a new face wash
and i look so freakin dirty in that pic

[gsferrari]

Things are shaping up nicely and I am absolutely impressed at the speed at which things get done at Allan's garage. Knowing that things can be done fatak-se gives us options to spend time getting the fundamentals right. Tomorrow the paata work is getting done to give the 2" shackle lift some help. Then new tires are going on and maybe we do another off-roading session to see how she performs...maybe not.

Depite the alacrity with which the upgrades have progressed the Gypsy is still a few days away from being complete and the shadow of Munnar looms upon us inspiring fear and doubt. I hope we're able to make the trip...me and Geoff...really!

[starter]

Hey GS and Allan,
Thanks for the update.
A couple of questions.
Post the 2" shackle lift, do you find 215s look under tyred?
You mention about some bolero shocks. Could you please share some details about it?
Cheers,
Deepak

[gsferrari]

Deepak - I can answer your question now. With the 2" shackle lift **AND** after adding 2 leaves to the front and 1 leaf to the rear and re-cambering the leaves, Yes the Gypsy looks under-tired wearing 215-75-R15 rubber.

I think even 235-75-R15 will look under-tired...30/31" will look best but may compromise off-road and on-road performance.

Bolero shocks are required as the stock shocks are not long enough. Even with this there is an issue because the front shocks of bolero are different from those in the Gypsy (the design). Rear shocks are straight fit. Have to figure out an option for the front.

As the Gypsy make-over project winds down to a close the latest update is that the vehicle will be ready on Thursday (2nd December). Geoff looks a lot meaner than before and I cannot wait to outfit him with a 5 ton winch and MT tires to complete the package. Due to non-availability of quality MT tires at sensible prices, I am forced to wait for this. Getting a winch will also require a wait as the only sensible ones available are the Runwa winches (even these are backordered now).

I'll post pictures once I take delivery from Allan.