[jeeva]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

Let me write it like a simple kitchen recipe

Ingredients:

1. Brake Booster Scorpio CRDe - 0607AB0300N

Hi Bopanna,
The upgraded one is a 10" booster with TMC?

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by jeeva

Hi Bopanna,
The upgraded one is a 10" booster with TMC?

It is 10" booster, but pray, please enlighten me what TMC stand for?

[starter]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

It is 10" booster, but pray, please enlighten me what TMC stand for?

Tandem Master Cylinder..

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by starter

Tandem Master Cylinder..

Thanks Starter!

@ Jeeva..yes, it's a TMC!

[cpbopanna]

An update after almost two years!
Installed 2" MS wheel adapters on my rear wheels yesterday. Has changed the stance of the Jeep considerably. Cannot comment on dynamics since I only had a short city run.
Driving Bangalore-Vellore-Bangalore tomorrow, 400+ km. Should be able to give feed back on (changed) driving characteristics and upload along some pictures!

[cpbopanna]

Just completed a 460 km journey in my Jeep CRD - it's the first time I undertook such a long journey in a Jeep - in ONE day!

Pit-stop enroute to Vellore!



I have to admit, increasing the rear wheel-track to match the front has made a tremendous difference to the vehicle dynamics!
Gone is the nervousness when attacking curves at high speeds (with the feeling that the Jeep may fishtail)

Maintaining a steady 110 kmph throughout the journey (2500 rpm), it is incredible driving a Jeep on expressways - the towering feeling allows one to maintain constant high speeds!

The downside however is the fuel efficiency - 10 kmpl with the air conditioner at full-blast throughout to subdue the mid-day heat

A couple of pictures which highlight the stance of the vehicle!

[sjcherian]

Nice photos and glad you had fun. Next time please try keeping your top speed within 100 and cruise at around 90ish. At 2100 rpm in 5th gear for most of the time I got 14 - 15 kmpl. Best part was the range available with the 60L tank. Did 750km on one tank.

[Mad Max]

How is the hardtop? Does it rattle or squeak (I know, unnecessary question)? Did the AC chill the back seats / area as well? If you have to detach the hard top, how long would it take and can it be done by us or needs a visit to the dealer?

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by sjcherian

Nice photos and glad you had fun. Next time please try keeping your top speed within 100 and cruise at around 90ish. At 2100 rpm in 5th gear for most of the time I got 14 - 15 kmpl. Best part was the range available with the 60L tank. Did 750km on one tank.

Thanks sjcherian, will keep that (2100 rpm) in mind! But the opportunity to play big brother on the expressway was too tempting

Originally Posted by Mad Max

How is the hardtop? Does it rattle or squeak (I know, unnecessary question)? Did the AC chill the back seats / area as well? If you have to detach the hard top, how long would it take and can it be done by us or needs a visit to the dealer?

1. On uneven city roads, when the body flexes, there is a hint of a squeak - in spite of all the bracing I have provided to the Targa band. The solution is a proper rigid cabin up front, like in a Mahindra Pik up. However on good roads, there are no rattles whatsoever, it feels like a car. There is a bit of wind noise after 100 kmph though, because of the near-vertical front windscreen!
2. Because of the improper design of the vents, the air conditioner cools the rear better than the front, my children always ask me to lower the blower speed/decrease the cooling. Please remember that I have front-facing rear seats. In the front, to get a 'proper' cooling effect, our hands need to be on the steering wheel, the throw of the blower does not hit the face unless it's kept at full blast, which can be a little noisy!
3. If you have the proper tools - box spanners, double-end & ring spanners AND a help, removing the rear will not take more than 30 minutes. However, storage of the removed rear portion needed to be planned - please refer to a video I have posted earlier in the thread, it shows the proper (and secure) method to remove a Wrangler's hard top!

[Mad Max]

Thank you for the detailed response. You are totally smitten by the Thar! that much I can see.

I'd love to drive one around for a bit but I am not sure if I'll own one. Maybe a used one in my hometown will make sense. Happy motoring.

[carrot_eater]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

2. Because of the improper design of the vents, the air conditioner cools the rear better than the front. In the front, to get a 'proper' cooling effect, our hands need to be on the steering wheel, the throw of the blower does not hit the face unless it's kept at full blast, which can be a little noisy!

Interestingly - I just did Bangalore - Goa- Bangalore in my Thar, a total of 1175 kms in my Thar with my family (wife, 10 yr old, 4 year old). Kept good speed of over 120 on the NH4. Mileage dropped to 10, with AC all the time.

BTW - I quoted your text - as a well placed visting card will solve the vent design problem to a large extent - have been using the visiting cards for a long time. Try this and see the effect. (I saw this earlier on Tbhp - so not my original idea)

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by sjcherian

...Next time please try keeping your top speed within 100 and cruise at around 90ish. At 2100 rpm in 5th gear for most of the time I got 14 - 15 kmpl....

Followed your advice Sushil, I did a 1070 km road trip in my Jeep in 3 days: Bangalore ->Mysore ->North Coorg ->South Coorg ->Mysore ->Hassan ->Mudigere ->Chikmagalur ->Hassan ->Bangalore

I ensured that the engine speed hovered around 2,000 rpm (very difficult I should say) and drove through all sort of roads - the good, bad and the ugly.
Experienced the worst of the rains in Chikmagalur, must have rained 2-3" in 2 hours, the air-con was on for half the time.
I managed to stretch a litre of Diesel by 12.5 km!

[asingh1977]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

I have to admit, increasing the rear wheel-track to match the front has made a tremendous difference to the vehicle dynamics!

Had a quick question. Why are vehicles not sold with the rear/front axle depressions set same. Specially the Thar. Basically what you did, should not that be the standard default setting.

[sjcherian]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

Followed your advice Sushil, I did a 1070 km road trip in my Jeep in 3 days: Bangalore ->Mysore ->North Coorg ->South Coorg ->Mysore ->Hassan ->Mudigere ->Chikmagalur ->Hassan ->Bangalore

I ensured that the engine speed hovered around 2,000 rpm (very difficult I should say) and drove through all sort of roads - the good, bad and the ugly.
Experienced the worst of the rains in Chikmagalur, must have rained 2-3" in 2 hours, the air-con was on for half the time.
I managed to stretch a litre of Diesel by 12.5 km!

Good to hear your FE has improved by a good jump with some changes in driving. The 15 that I obtained was on flat highways with most of the time in 5th gear. On a trip to Conoor with a lot of slow climbing I saw it drop to 13.5 due to extended stretches of travel in 2nd and 3rd.

One doesnt buy the Thar for the mileage but having the ability to do long stretches without refilling is a good thing to have.

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by asingh1977

Had a quick question. Why are vehicles not sold with the rear/front axle depressions set same. Specially the Thar. Basically what you did, should not that be the standard default setting.

A not-so-quick-reply

Aesthetics and mellifluous designs are not part of the Mahindra language.

Cases in point - the TUV which looks like it has been front-ended by a tank and the 'new' Thar with its plasticky protrusions with more than a passing resemblance to Jeeps in comic books!

The Thar has not been designed, it is basically an aggregate of various vehicles - basic chassis is a shortened version of a Bolero 4x4 (export model) + modified (downsized to 2.5L from 2.6L) engine of the 2nd generation Scorpio + body of an MM 540.

With each iteration, it is becoming worse (at least aesthetically), first the sloping rear, now the atrocious fender extensions and bumpers (not to mention the dashboard whose fit and finish though better, do not belong to a Jeep).
Does Mahindra not understand that fender extensions are required only when the wheels jut out of the body?
With the rear wheel tracks as they are, widening the fender extensions further totally messes with the look of the Jeep!

Tatas tried this experiment with the first-gen Indica V2! They have reverted to a more classic and elegant design.

Mechanically the 'new' Thar may have improved a wee bit with the self-locking rear differentials, but could they not have corrected the glaring difference in wheel-track?
Not only does it give the vehicle an odd look, but it does contribute to the Jeep's instability at high speeds - with the rear track substantially narrower than the front (99 mm or 3.89" or 1.95" on each side to be precise) - fishtailing would be the apt word to describe the phenomenon!

Please check the following link for fishtailing (though in the video, it is an extreme case of fish-tailing, which occured in wet driving conditions)-

https://youtu.be/BNFjI8d9D2s

My friend had a near-similar (if not worse) experience with his Thar - when he braked hard, he ended up facing the opposite direction!
He has since installed wheel adapters on his Thar too!