[MudMover]

Originally Posted by rockyb

The OEM Bridgestone Dueler HT 689 which you got are pretty good...I mean you can use them for another 20,000 km if you wish

Thanks Rocky! It would be nice if I could juice out another 20K from the current tyres. To settle all doubts, I think I'll do a 'coin test' and post the pics for you guys to take a look.

[MudMover]

Right! So this is how my tyres look at 32K. I would appreciate it if folks can take a look and tell me approximately how many more Ks these would last.



The tyre in the first pic was the original spare until it was moved to the front during the last service. Otherwise as can be seen, tyre wear has been consistent in all the tyres.

[2500cc]

If these tires were on my Jeep, they would last me for another 8k-10k

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by MudMover

Right! So this is how my tyres look at 32K. I would appreciate it if folks can take a look and tell me approximately how many more Ks these would last.

Attachment 300759 Attachment 300760 Attachment 300761 Attachment 300762 Attachment 300763

The tyre in the first pic was the original spare until it was moved to the front during the last service. Otherwise as can be seen, tyre wear has been consistent in all the tyres.

Hey MM,
If you go to any tyre shop, you can ask them for their tread depth gauge which will tell you how much tread is left. Looking at the picture, I think you have about 2.5-3 mm depth left. Considering lot of highway run and the impending monsoon, I would change tyres at 1.5 mm tread depth.

Cheers

[MudMover]

Thanks 2.5 and MC! Another 10K from the current tyres would be quite reasonable. Got the Bolero back from service today. Below is the service bill. Unfortunately, I can't rip on my drive tomorrow since I'll be carrying some glass and cutlery .

[MudMover]

Last weekend I went to look over some land near Gundlupet. The day's events turned out to be a kind of anniversary celebration for the Bolero. It was the apt roads and territory for the Bolero and it felt good driving the vehicle like it was meant to be driven. The only damage suffered by the bolero seems to be the windscreen washer which now squirts water directly onto my shoes instead of the windscreen! I'm attaching a few pics. Check out the last pic, there's also a GLX parked far in the background. I took the snap from atop a hill nearby.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by MudMover

The only damage suffered by the bolero seems to be the windscreen washer which now squirts water directly onto my shoes instead of the windscreen!

Seems that the pipe has come out. I also had the same problem in the first week itself of buying the vehicle. All you need to do is get a small piece of wire and tie it around the pipe. You can access it from under the dashboard.

[MudMover]

Thanks for the tip MC! I'll poke under the dashboard tomorrow. By the way, a little birdie tells me that I can expect carbon-fibre leaf springs for the rear, next month. I also want to fit a carrier on the roof permanently.

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by MudMover

By the way, a little birdie tells me that I can expect carbon-fibre leaf springs for the rear, next month. I also want to fit a carrier on the roof permanently.

IIRC the CFLs will void warranty on the entire suspension system and not sure how much benefit will it be in terms of ride. Also please remember if it breaks in the middle of nowhere, you'll have a hard time procuring alternatives. Hence I have decided against moving to them considering my driving style especially

[MudMover]

Got my Bolero back today after the 36K service -- service charges were Rs.3144. The only main issue was that the pin and washer of the clutch pedal assembly had come off during last weekend's drive. I had wanted to replace the damaged left footstand, but since it would've meant leaving the vehicle for another few days, I decided against it due to my trip to Cochin tomorrow.

As mentioned earlier, I got the CFL springs attached. I'm yet to find any noticeable impact on the ride. But I was told that the springs take some time to 'set', 'open-up' etc-etc, so the effects may not be immediately perceivable. I hope tomorrow's long drive proves the benefits of fitting these springs. Am attaching a few pics of the CFLs in comparison with the normal springs that I had before. The A.S.C -- SKS Automobiles, had offered to fit them but in the end I had them fitted at Motorsmiths since they had some kind of a tie-up with my in-laws' joint.

[headers]

@MM, all the best, that is one gamble i would NOT do in a storm.

Reason: I travel at 120 kph in general and would not want anything to happen at that speed and you know the braking of a storm from such speeds

Also, please note that a softer rear suspension would tend to make the vehicle "dive" more under braking. This means the ride becomes more uncomfortable for passengers especially the ones not seat belted!

[mooza]

Hi MudMover, that's an interesting mod there, regarding the CFL! Please share your ride experiences in detail, on all surfaces.

How much was the cost?

My advice : carry at least one of the removed leaf spring sets with you in your boot (assuming both are identical), especially on long drives, for the initial few months. As MileCruncher mentioned, if there is a failure, you could get stranded. But at least the spare will be readily available, for fitting at the nearest FNG, in such cases.

Another important point regarding CFL / composites. Unlike steel parts, composite components often give out visible signs of failure, like hairline cracks along their surfaces. This is a very good feature of composite components, which gives you a warning before a catastrophic failure. So please keep checking your CFLs visually, for the appearance of any cracks, and immediately bring them to the notice of the supplier, if they do appear.

Wishing all the best for the success of this mod

[MudMover]

With last weekend's drive I've now done 2000Kms on the CFLs. I'm sad to report that I still don't find any perceivable difference in the ride quality. I've previously heard another member comment that the VLX has softer shocks (dampers) than the SLX, I wonder whether that is negating the effect of the CFLs?

Originally Posted by headers

@MM, all the best, that is one gamble i would NOT do in a storm.Reason: I travel at 120 kph in general and would not want anything to happen at that speed and you know the braking of a storm from such speeds. Also, please note that a softer rear suspension would tend to make the vehicle "dive" more under braking. This means the ride becomes more uncomfortable for passengers especially the ones not seat belted!

I fully agree Headers. But I've mentioned the circumstances of this installation, this was not my call. Anyways, I now maintain 80-90 or at the most 100 on my weekly trips - anything more is stressful & tiring. I've not yet experienced a sudden braking situation, so I wouldn't know about the dive effect as yet. But nowadays, while looking at the vehicle when it is parked I do feel as if the back has risen up a little.

Originally Posted by mooza

Hi MudMover, that's an interesting mod there, regarding the CFL! Please share your ride experiences in detail, on all surfaces. How much was the cost?

Thanks Mooza! It cost my father-in-law 16K ! Your suggestion about carrying the OE as spare is good one, but I think that defeats the whole purpose of the mod. Inspection of the suspension was already part of my pre-drive checks so no doubt I'll keep a close watch.

[mooza]

Originally Posted by MudMover

I'm sad to report that I still don't find any perceivable difference in the ride quality

Thanks for the honest feedback, MudMover !

I am still a bit confused, but I guess you were you looking for a softer ride, with less rebound bouncing ? Some of the CFL companies offer 2 different types of CFLs, with different stiffnesses for each, I think. I wonder which one was installed on your beast.

On the other hand, stiffer shocks on stock leaf springs have improved the ride quality in my Scorpio by around 30 %.

A bit OT, but maybe Shankar Balan and others who have driven both the Bolero & Scorpio could drop in a quick line on the handling comparision, to help further

[rockyb]

Do keep us posted bout the CFL ride quality. Colour is definitely sexy

Your tyres should last for another 20K