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-   -   Asterix, my 2021 Force Gurkha | The adventure begins (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/244904-asterix-my-2021-force-gurkha-adventure-begins-14.html)

I have convinced dad. Now its either this year or next. 5 Door, Grey. Has my heart :p

Congrats and wish you loads of memorable miles :thumbs up

Quick question - what’s the offset on your new alloys ? do you happen to have any side-side comparison of the tyres on stock vs new alloys ?

I actually have only one concern. Nitin Gadkari is pushing for flex fuel vehicles and most of them are talking about petrol, not Diesel. I’m uncertain about the future - 10+ years of owning this vehicle. I may be OT here. But if @manuuj can get some insider peek with FMs opinion on this, the future of diesels, that should help.

Bio-diesels are one environment-friendly solution. Similar to ethanol.
I think FM will move directly to EVs. They have quite a lot of EV solutions ready to launch (as showcased in Auto Expo LINK

Fortunately both the Gurkha and the TRAX are based on a pick-up chassis also showcased in the same Auto Expo 2020, So I dont think there will be parts issue with this one.
Its very similar to how the bolero is.

Gen 1 (m2DiCR Di) and Gen 2(mHawk 75) Bolero engines are still running in commercial pickup forms, so the private vehicles are still getting benefited as the parts for their vehicles are still available.

Moving to EVs, maybe in the future it's possible FM might take the leap directly to Electric powertrains. They have the technology and knowing the modularity of their platforms, It should just work well.

Just being overly optimistic here.

The Alloys that Jagat is using are the same Plati alloys as on Asterix.
PCD is 160x5
Offset: Zero (0 ET)
Width: 8 inches (8J)
Center Bore: 110 mm.

By rights 245 mm width tyres are the max width that should be used on 8 inch wide rims. Any tyre wider than 245 mm should rightfully be on a rim wider than 8 inches.
Here is a chart for reference:


I confirmed from Ved ji that the Stock Neo Alloy has a Center Bore of 115 mm. They come with self centering bolts.
These are their specifications:



I personally feel that a 108.5 mm Hub diameter should not have anything more than 110 mm Center Bore Alloys fitted to them. I know that the OE Steel Rim that the Gurkha comes with has a Center Bore of 110 mm which is the same as this model of Plati Alloys fitted to Asterix.

This model of Plati Allloy has been in great demand off late especially after being installed on Asterix and infact are not available at the moment as stocks have run out for now. If anyone is planning on getting a Gurkha in the near future i would strongly suggest that you start organising the Alloys and Tyres from now itself if you wish to change them.

In my opinion not only are these Plati Alloys the correct size and specification for the Gurkha but also have a better visual impact on the looks and stance especially with the 245/75/R16 size tyres instead of the 245/70/R16 srock size. The added one inch of ground clearance should be reason enough to upgrade.
Pic for reference:

Looks like I spotted our man today ! :D







Gosh the Gurkha looks humongous. I mean I test drove one recently, however that one didn't had the roof rack and a few more accessories. However it surely stood tall. But this one with bigger tyres, roof rack and the green paintshade looks so much better. And yes, I loved the sight when you totally dwarfed that Fortuner. :coldsweat

Did proper measurement of the hub with micrometer it is 112mm, it was about .5 mm more in rear. Rear steel wheel fits without any play, front has slight play.

Did customary oil change after 3200km, Oil spec in manual is API CK-4. It's pain to get the oil dip stick out/in, tube is bent in wrong direction.

Specification: R5






I have been slowly inspecting GK21 one part at a time, excellent and robust design. There is so much space under belly you can actually pack a tool chest in there. Component assembly and wiring needs some improvement.

I always wanted G300D from 90s, Force Motors did not disappoint, only if rear was bit more boxier like the G



Wheel Alignment Specification

Thank you! Thank you for these awesome pics and your kind words brother! I love them! The one with the Tuna is amazing! lol:

Thanks for the update sire! I had the Engine Oil, Oil filter and both Fuel filters changed at 1500 kms the day before i took delivery. You are correct about the robust design and need for better placement of pipes and wiring. My recent breakdown was precisely for this reason. The dealers have been in touch with early customers of the 2021 Gurkha to check and rectify this issue.

I have been told by Prashant ji (famous for his Gurkha YouTube Videos) to use Synthetic Oil when i change the Oil next. He says it has a noticeable impact on noise and smoothness.

I will update the FE figures soon. I feel though that i am not getting over 9 kmpl in city driving at the moment.

Prashant ji, in one of his replies on the Gurkha Facebook group, has responded to a question on mileage saying he gets about 14 kmpl. No one else have got such figures! Would you be able to check if he does something differently or is it just way he drives that he is able to extract the optimal performance?

Praveen

Glad you liked the pictures. :)

On observation from close quarters today, I felt that the silver footboard looks a bit tame on an otherwise mean looking SUV. How about swapping those with rock sliders along the running board?

Very correct about the footboards. I plan to have them Raptor/Linex coated black. Not going in for rocksliders as they are quite heavy and also not absolutely necessary for the kind of overland trips that I usually undertake.

Will that coating make it rough and anti-slip too? The stock while good and sturdy tend to get slippery and one needs to be careful.
Planning to get this done during our short stint in Pune.

Sorry, my early measurement was wrong, looks like I missed zeroing the device, I had to re-measure today, it is 107.5 mm at front and 108 mm at rear, which falls in range of number(108.5) shared by FM.

For hubcentric wheel, center bore to wheel clearance should be 0.05 - 0.01mm or at least under 0.2mm to avoid wheel hopping. If gap is more getting plastic or aluminum centering ring should do.

Not too sure if Linex or Raptor coating will make it anti slip. It may even end up making it more slippery when wet. Something to consider here. It is a rough finish but i think it may be slippery.

You are correct. The Hub diameter is close to 108 mm. Now i feel hubcentric rings are absolutely necessary even on my alloys with110 mm center bore diameter.
Neo wheels are 115 mm center bore which is way higher than they should be but when i asked the service advisor about this he said that Neo Wheels maintains that the 115 center bore will not be an issue as the bolts supplied are self centering.

My concern is that the Bolts should not be taking the weight of the vehicle in the first place. The vehicle weight should totally be on the Hub. Either I am missing something here or they are incorrect. :confused:

Saw a very good pic of the 5 door Gurkha today on the Official Review on Teambhp. It looks absolutely stunning! Even the steel wheels look superb!



Dont quite undertsand the arches over the mudguards. Hope they will make a better design for the actual vehicle when it goes on sale. I would replace the ones on Asterix too then. The tyres stick out and tend to dirty the car at the moment.

Actually hub indent centers the wheel, bolts unify wheel and hub. Gurkha's tapered bolt should help, but not sure if it as good as hubcentric without gap.


Process to tighten lug-centeric wheels

See http://www.nissantechnicianinfo.mobi...g_Centric.html