hi there, abhishek.
you say your safari is 2 years old- so it's a 2004 model, then. tata had sorted out most of the safari's glitches by 2004, with little left to complain.
firstly- is yours a 4x4? because if it is, it affects the turning radius and steering characteristics. especially when you engage 4x4, you'll find that the car refuses to budge from a standstill when the steering is under full lock, either to the left or the right. even under 2wd mode, the standard feel is slightly different from that of the 4x2. as for the play, your steering pivot arm bush might be worn out. get it checked. also, check the power steering gearbox for adjustment.
as you already know, the front discs are ventilated solid 271 mm dia discs, with the rear having mechanical expanding shoe type drum brakes, incorporating an lspv. the thing is, you don't get many aftermarket systems for the safari, mechanically. the only thing you can try is overhauling your booster, change the diaphragm/felt, and check the vaccuum lines for any leaks that might be causing the sluggishness in the brakes (actually, my safari's brakes used to feel pretty okay, and were upto the task of hauling the 2 tonne beast down from speed). if you feel that everything is fine with the stock brakes, then i'm afraid there's pretty much nothing you can do.
but since since you mentioned that your brakes get ruined in 2-3 months, there's definitely something amiss. the front callipers might not be free, and the pads might be binding to the disc all the time, causing the discs to overheat and hence, brake fade. try getting the front callipers overhauled, and get the tandem cylinder kits for the rear drum brakes changed. your authorised tata mechanic should be able to do that for you.
still, if you are interested in aftermarket enhancements for the brakes, i'm afraid you'll have to spend a lot of money for getting the parts and modification work. you'll need to get brembo kits with four-pot callipers (if my memory serves me right, i'm guessing the stock ones are two-pot), and matching rotors. all this, alongwith the labour charges for the modification work, could cost you a pretty penny (we're talking on the better side of a lac here).
hope this helps. ciao. |