[manveet]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

A couple of close-up images of the Rugged Ridge hood latches from Jeep Wrangler:


Attachment 1135737
Attachment 1135738
Attachment 1135739

Hi, could you PLEASE let me know the link from where you bought these hood latches. I have desperately being trying to find a good source for this for last 2 months.

The best I could find on ebay was NOT delivering to India, only to UK, US and other countries. Landed cost in US was coming approx. Rs. 2500/- and in UK about Rs. 5000/-.

Since I don't have relatives/ friends in US to bring these down to Delhi for me, the best option for me was to deliver these to UK from where I have plenty of people who can get it for me. But landed cost of Rs. 5000/- for these latches seems exorbitant to me.

Any inputs from your side will be helpful. You can PM me in case you are not open to sharing the link on the forum.

Thanks in advance!.

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by manveet

Hi, could you PLEASE let me know the link from where you bought these hood latches. I have desperately being trying to find a good source for this for last 2 months.

The best I could find on ebay was NOT delivering to India, only to UK, US and other countries. Landed cost in US was coming approx. Rs. 2500/- and in UK about Rs. 5000/-.

Since I don't have relatives/ friends in US to bring these down to Delhi for me, the best option for me was to deliver these to UK from where I have plenty of people who can get it for me. But landed cost of Rs. 5000/- for these latches seems exorbitant to me.

Any inputs from your side will be helpful. You can PM me in case you are not open to sharing the link on the forum.

Thanks in advance!.

Manveet

Please find the Sale confirmation copy from ebay. CSE offroad was the only seller willing to ship to India. The total cost was US$ 48.63 (including shipping)



However, please note that you ought to be careful - the hood latches arrived promptly and were as described.

Subsequently, I purchased a pair of 87' model Wrangler door mirrors based on a picture and description for US$ 83.91!

The mirrors arrived after 60 days, was stuck in customs for 15 days and the product was a miniature version of what the pictures suggested. I raised a dispute, but reached nowhere! I had to junk the wrangler mirrors and go in for Bolero ZLX mirrors instead. To add insult to injury, I had paid customs duty for the junk mirrors!

[dean5545]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

Subsequently, I purchased a pair of 87' model Wrangler door mirrors based on a picture and description for US$ 83.91!

The mirrors arrived after 60 days, was stuck in customs for 15 days and the product was a miniature version of what the pictures suggested. I raised a dispute, but reached nowhere! I had to junk the wrangler mirrors and go in for Bolero ZLX mirrors instead. To add insult to injury, I had paid customs duty for the junk mirrors!

Hey cpbopanna,
The wrangler type mirrors are available in India too,However I don't know the model no.Just got them installed on my Thar yesterday.The initial impression is good,however they are bit expensive at Rs 13k for a pair.

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by dean5545

Hey cpbopanna,
The wrangler type mirrors are available in India too,However I don't know the model no.Just got them installed on my Thar yesterday.The initial impression is good,however they are bit expensive at Rs 13k for a pair.

Wow! That's superb! But indeed, as you mentioned, they are superlatively expensive!

[byomjeet]

Dear Mr. Bopanna,

Thanks a wagon for diverting me to this thread. I will be grateful to you for this. I have gone through each and every post in the thread.

I am not an owner of Thar but I always want to own one provided some of my requirements are met. Among all my requirements, hardtop was one for which you gave a solution. But, this italian HT will really be expensive. If the price is below 1L then, I think, it becomes a best value proposition.

Your Thar is in all smiles for the things you have done for him. You have done a commendable job. But I somehow feel that you spent a lot on the HT. Nevertheless it looks really good. No other HT can come close this.

Let me also check with HYD HT and find out how is that.

I probably should rush and book my Thar.

All the best.

Keep Tharing.

[cpbopanna]

Enough of improving the aesthetics and ergonomics!

The safety factor in the OEM brakes has been worrying me a lot.
After many internal deliberations, I decided to take the plunge and upgrade my brakes.

Thanks to Rajith for sharing the part numbers (and a few parts!). He drove down to India Garage at Peenya so that mechanics could measure the LSPV settings from his vehicle to replicate in mine!

Most importantly, he introduced to the Service Advisor Manjunath who is totally hands-on! Hats off to him!

The OE brake booster was replaced with the brake booster from the Scorpio CRDe and the vacuum tank replaced with that of a Scorpio (Mhawk?). With new plumbing, of course.

After adjusting the LSPV settings and bleeding the brakes, we went for a test drive. On returning, the brakes were bled once again and the LSPV settings fine-tuned.

I drove home 25 km with the upgraded brakes. While it is premature to jump with elation, the initial feeling is that the brakes are very effective and confidence-inspiring. However, I shall know the true improvement after a long-distance run, hopefully to Coorg and back!

The following are the pictures of the work-in-progress:





Phase 2 of the Power Mods are soon coming.......

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

The safety factor in the OEM brakes has been worrying me a lot.
After many internal deliberations, I decided to take the plunge and upgrade my brakes

The entire brake upgrade cost me around Rs. 13k.

If the bigger brake booster, vacuum tank had been installed at the factory level itself, the price differential between the current OE set-up and the upgraded set-up would be Rs. 5k, probably even lesser! (Considering that the already installed set-up is redundant)

It is unfair on Mahindra's part to cringe on something as essential as good brakes for the sake of cost-cutting. In any case, all costs are passed on to the customers (with handsome margins) who grudgingly accept the same!

Blaming CMVR for the current state of affairs is illogical, as I have said earlier - CMVR has given minimum specifications, which do not prevent a manufacturer from offering a better product.

I doubt CMVR has specified that ABS, EBD, Air-bags etc.need to be installed in vehicles, but manufacturers continue to use them to improve safety ratings of their vehicles. If I am not mistaken, from somewhere around 1999, only seat-belts were made compulsory.

To maximize profits, the bean counters will always want to produce and sell only bare-bones chassis (as vehicles) if possible, but should the designers/marketers accept it?

[manasm]

Woo hoo! Nice one Bopanna!

Did you get Manju to clean your air mass sensor as well. If you did, then we need to do a drag race with our Thars at the next meeting!

[sjcherian]

Can a list of parts and steps be detailed in simple English that can be taken to any Mahindra/outside mechanic to get the brake upgrade done ? :-) . Please !

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by manasm

Woo hoo! Nice one Bopanna!

Did you get Manju to clean your air mass sensor as well. If you did, then we need to do a drag race with our Thars at the next meeting!

No Manas....the air mass sensor was quite clean!

Thanks to Rajith, I had the suspension sorted out, the last time I had the alignment checked at Madhus, they hadn't re-tightened the nuts!

So much for the famed Madhus and their Wheel Alignment!

I had got used to the noise and had assumed that it was probably something else. When Rajith drove my Jeep, he immediately noticed sounds emating from the front suspension!

After a thorough alignment yesterday, my Jeep is almost as silent as a purring cat

Yes, we can probably have a drag during our next meet..with my Race Chip Pro2 which is on its way!

[chandan]

Have been following your thread closely. Your beast looks great with simple, yet appealing mods. With all the necessary mods done, do you think a Thar could be a long distance cruiser ?

BTW, I live in a similar place north of Coorg district

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by sjcherian

Can a list of parts and steps be detailed in simple English that can be taken to any Mahindra/outside mechanic to get the brake upgrade done ? :-) . Please !

Let me write it like a simple kitchen recipe

Ingredients:

1. Brake Booster Scorpio CRDe - 0607AB0300N
2. Vacuum hoses Scorpio MHawk - 0606CB1340N
3. Vacuum Reservoir Scorpio - 0606EB0190N

For topping:

DOT 3 Brake Fluid

Procedure:

- Remove the air filter, OEM brake booster after disconnecting vacuum pipes and electricals.
- Remove the original vacuum tank after disconnecting the vacuum hoses.
- Fix the new Brake Booster in place of the old one.
- Re-mount the Air Cleaner by adding rubber bushes at the bottom and using longer bolts; else in the stock position, it will foul with the new (longer) Brake Booster.
- Weld / braze a portion of the bottom clamp of the old Vacuum Tank to the new one, so that it can be fastened to the existing support.
- Connect the Vacuum hoses: alternator to Tee; from Tee one hose to the new Brake Booster and the other to the new Vacuum tank
- Connect the (existing) smaller vacuum hose to the new Vacuum Tank and the EGR valve
- Top up the brake fluid and bleed the brakes.
- Re-connect all the electricals...the connectors need to be swapped from the old Brake Booster to the new one.
- Adjust the LSPV as per recommended settings (either using a proper guage or using measurements from another vehicle)

- Go on a trial, bleed the brakes once again, and adjust the LSVP - if required.

Your vehicle is now capable of admirable stopping power that ought to have been part of the original package!




P.S. Though I have written the procedure in a simple way, please do not attempt the same through a road-side mechanic or garage. A trained mechanic at an ASC is highly recommended. Please remember you are playing with lives, it is imperative that a trained Mahindra mechanic carries out the upgradation!

[sjcherian]

Thanks so much for the write up of the steps. I was under the impression that armed with the part numbers and the steps one could walk into an ASC and get it done - but the last step you listed is where I think most including myself will get stuck on getting the settings done by the ASC.

How much time will it take to get done - if I drive to BLR - can it be completed in a day ?

[cpbopanna]

Originally Posted by sjcherian

Thanks so much for the write up of the steps. I was under the impression that armed with the part numbers and the steps one could walk into an ASC and get it done - but the last step you listed is where I think most including myself will get stuck on getting the settings done by the ASC.

How much time will it take to get done - if I drive to BLR - can it be completed in a day ?

Sushil

If you can manage Mr. Manjunath's undivided attention, 4 hours max!

However, please ensure that all parts are with you before starting the exercise. The brake-booster is generally NOT available off-the-self.

Regards,

[sjcherian]

Originally Posted by cpbopanna

Sushil

If you can manage Mr. Manjunath's undivided attention, 4 hours max!

However, please ensure that all parts are with you before starting the exercise. The brake-booster is generally NOT available off-the-self.

Regards,

Thanks - now need to "cook" the plan to get this done.