[Trojan]

Tyre change

So far the Bear has clocked 36K kms on the Yoko Geolanders.
The performance of the tyre has been great, faced the infamous Side wall cut during a spirited drive through a very rough trail during the first month itself and though it was under warranty etc. the country was in full lockdown and we were 1500kms away, so could not do much about it.

Other than this cut, did not face even a puncture in our 2 years of driving. So I would give it a high score.

Another issue I faced was of uneven tyre wear in the front 2 wheels. The Gurkha was veering to the left, maybe it was a result of constant off-roading and desperately needed Wheel alignment, unfortunately the circumstances and our location did not help yet again and I had drive for almost 2-3 months in this state resulting in uneven tyre wear.

After getting it corrected, I moved those to the rear, but the rot had set in and I started losing tread depth rapidly in the last 3-4 months, so much so that it now looks visibly smaller too.

Keeping tyre size stock at 245/70 R16 my choices are

- Apollo Apterra AT2
- Good Year Wrangler AT Silentrac
- Ceat Czar AT (this one is 245/75 R16) will translate to better clearance?

OR

- Continue with Yoko Geolanders


Barring the Yoko at 10500 rest all are similarly priced, Apollo, Wrangler, Ceat are all available at 8200-8400.

My dilemma is which one should I go for, the Good Year Wrangler Silentracs are new and they still have the older version selling too.
I received good feedback about the Apollos from a friend, but said that he found it a bit soft and had to up the tyre pressure to compensate.

My own experience with Czar HT on my Aria was good, lasted 45k without a single puncture.

Suggestions welcome...

Cheers,

[Kosfactor]

Considering trail damage I recommend not to spend too much on tyres , preferably something that is available readily in local market would be ideal.

Consider Indian brands & Bridgestone depending on the ratio of trail vs tarmac driving. Geolandar has held up well in my friend's Bolero but its wet grip is over ~ 40K , still very grippy and comfortable in the dry,

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Trojan

Ceat Czar AT (this one is 245/75 R16) will translate to better clearance?...

Yoko is a good choice. If it ain't broke, don't fix it

If you do want to change, MRF Wanderer A/T is another option, but in 245/75 R16 size. Cost is reasonable too. Don't know about the availability though.

https://m.mrftyres.com/products/tyres/27

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Considering trail damage I recommend not to spend too much on tyres , preferably something that is available readily in local market would be ideal.

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Yoko is a good choice. If it ain't broke, don't fix it

If you do want to change, MRF Wanderer A/T is another option, but in 245/75 R16 size. Cost is reasonable too. Don't know about the availability though.

Thank you, yes considering the on-off-road usage, 36K is a bit less but could be due to the softer compound of the Yokos, hence keeping similar usage in mind, looking at a more feasible option.

I have not been that lucky with MRFs, so didn't think about it this time, will check that out.

I am leaning towards the Wrangler Silentracs, mostly as its new technology, will keep you posted.

Cheers,

[Trojan]

So got the tyres changed today, picked up the Goodyear Wrangler Silentrac ATs in 245/70 R16.





The dealer had JK Elanzos in 245/75 R16 but did not want to go for JK, Ceat Czar ATs were not in stock.

While I have been happy with the Yokos as such, but I feel they gave up way too soon. Inspite of the off-road those are at speeds of 25-30kmph and only dirt tracks nothing more than that.

In similar driving situations our previous Bridgestones and then later a set of Ceat (both HT) on our Aria lasted 45-50K kms each, maybe the softer compound of the Yokohamas resulted in this wear.

The Good Years cost INR8500 each and they look really good. Will be heading outdoors on Saturday and can check then how they perform on highways and trails.
Came with a 3yr unconditional warranty of replacement and an additional 3yrs against Manufacturing defects (such as ballooning and bulges)

We will see how this performs,

A few pics of the Tyres,

The tread depth indicator of the Yoko, almost flat now and visible cracks too, though it may still be driveable but can't say about safety in this condition.



The tread depth of the Wranglers, the treads seem quite deep and groovy and the top profile is nice and flat.



Side by side, you can see the tyre wear and the difference in height between the old and new



Installed, planning to get the rims painted black





Cheers,

[Trojan]

So its been a long hiatus with zero updates but I can guarantee you, its like a Duck on calm water, you can't see the crazy action underneath.




So how has it been over the last 4 months, for starters the Gurkha has now crossed 40K eventful kilometers.

States explored
- Maharashtra
- Karnataka
- Madhya Pradesh

Terrains
- Rocky
- Slush
- Beaches
- Forest Trails
- Highways


At devils point - North Goa





Drone view of Devils Point

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeN-q..._web_copy_link

Issues?
Yes, a few I reckon, during the tyre change I wanted to investigate the wearout on my Yokos, the culprit were Wheel Bearings. The quality of parts raises its ugly head every now and then.
I have the Scorpio which is now in its 17th year and 220K kms and with stock Bearings, the Aria too was running on stock bearings until 95K kms after which we let her go.
And both the Aria and the Scorpio have been used in a similar manner as the Gurkha I do not see any reason why such a failure should happen on the Gurkha which is expected and designed to traverse such terrain in the first place?

Beach drive, does not sag or slip

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChRLK..._web_copy_link










But the thing about this Force team is that they listen and do most certainly acknowledge and action if something is not right and needs correction. The wheel-bearings for our Gurkha were changed FoC under exception whereas one could argue (deny) at length on the same. So this is where it keeps reminding me that we have made the correct choice in terms of the vehicle. But I would really urge FM to pull up the erring Vendors and get quality parts - its no longer a cheap vehicle now.







There was another instance of the Gear link fulcrum (ball-joint socket) where it popped out during my drive through a forest road. And yet again, my call to the Technical Head at FM was promptly answered and solution given in no time, leading to me moving on my way in under 10mins.

This is what I have always kept repeating, it does not matter what car you drive or what kind of on paper support systems you have. Unless it works at crucial hours and places - it is useless.








I had mentioned I would write about the tyres and their performance - well it has been a mixed bag but in general am happy and satisfied. The grip levels are amazing but I found myself stuck on a meadow with zero traction and wheelspin aplomb - maybe some driver error there as it was raining cats n dogs and with leeches sucking the life out of you every few minutes, you stop thinking straight, but nevertheless I got out of the same.





Evaluating the ground clearance post the cycle, I was worried but it did not hamper me one bit. And just check out the amount of sag on the vehicle, it was loaded, truly-madly-deeply






For the 1400kms drive the fuel efficiency I got was quite good at 10.5 - 11kmpl, now considering I carry a rooftop tent and usually travel with a huge amount of luggage - I would say that its darn good.








Lastly, I am back at our camp (Bear Valley Camp), did a 1400km drive to reach and that again proved just how wonderful and versatile this vehicle really is. Want to check how much stuff did I really get along - watch this video.

https://youtu.be/MVyKxB0rQyo

[Slushmaster]

Beautiful pics, I enjoyed every bit of your writeup. Gurkha really looks strong and from some angles it looks like the old Defender 90.

On the roof tent and rear nudge guard, did you face any challenges with the cops? In NCR cops put hefty fines on these types of modifications.

I think you are among the very few lifestyle vehicle owners who are using their vehicles for what they are built for. Experience like yours definitely makes our forum unique and definitely adds to the buying decision of potential buyers. Looking forward to more updates

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by Slushmaster

Beautiful pics, I enjoyed every bit of your writeup. Gurkha really looks strong and from some angles it looks like the old Defender 90.

On the roof tent and rear nudge guard, did you face any challenges with the cops? In NCR cops put hefty fines on these types of modifications.

I think you are among the very few lifestyle vehicle owners who are using their vehicles for what they are built for. Experience like yours definitely makes our forum unique and definitely adds to the buying decision of potential buyers. Looking forward to more updates

Thank you, yes it definitely does, in fact I believe it resembles the Defender more than the G-Wagen.

On the modifications front, I guess its the same situation all over. Maharashtra is no different than NCR and we do get pulled over.

I remember once while driving towards Nagpur, there was an entire posse of traffic cops (around 7-8) of them who literally blocked the entire single lane highway to stop me.

As I rolled down my window, he walks up to me and says (in Hindi),
"I don't know what all to add in your Challan, you have plenty of stuff added on, the list is going to be long."

I chuckled and of course agreed, he then went on to ask me what I do for a living and where were we headed (my wife and kids were also along).
I told him all of that and also showed pics and videos of what we do. And that was it, they let us through, at no point in time did I try to defend or negotiate.

And this has happened with us on multiple occasions at State border crossings, random check-posts etc. But every single time we move forward after a good discussion. At the Uttarakhand border check-post, I had a 20min chat with the Inspector and he was so happy to hear our stories and sharing a few of his own too.

The differentiator I believe is the purpose for adding/modifying our vehicle, how are we driving, paperwork in place etc. I usually keep my extra lights covered during the day and never use it while crossing cities. One should be mindful of such things.

I am glad you enjoyed reading through as much as we enjoy driving it, vehicles like these come only once in a while, one should make merry while the fun lasts.

Cheers,

[TejasV]

There is something beautifully basic about the vehicle and the photographs too. Thanks for sharing the update and wishing you lots of adventures on this beautiful vehicle.


Iam glad the cops are sane. I think a good open conversation always helps but the problem is the law itself where sensible, useful mods are not fully understood or respected. The other thing is the targets the cops here in Hyderabad have for sure, as if they’re sales people. They need to bring in revenue, I have seen multiple times where the first thing they do here in Hyderabad is key in your car registration in their tablets for past challans and not even care to ask if you have a license or check anything else.

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by TejasV

There is something beautifully basic about the vehicle and the photographs too. Thanks for sharing the update and wishing you lots of adventures on this beautiful vehicle.

Thanks TejasV,

What can we say, in our world of a disconnected RTO system, where the moment you leave your District; you are considered an outsider and targeted, there is no one size fits all.

One has to go with the flow and not let the fear deter you from doing what you love, go on and travel.