Leaderboard

Welcome to the Off-Road Hall of Fame, a place where we celebrate the fearless, daring, and ingenious legends of the off-road world. This is the home of the trendsetters who have pushed the limits of off-road driving, supporting, and inspiring all types of adventurers. Off-road driving is not just a hobby, it's a way of life. It requires a rare combination of skill, bravery, and respect for the great outdoors. From conquering the tallest dune to racing through the sands, and wadis to traversing long distances, off-roading comes in various forms that demand unique skills, patience and above all - great teamwork. Only a few have gone above and beyond, leaving their mark on the off-road universe, and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. These heroes have not just driven off-road but have really defined the true meaning of off-road community while taking the sport to new heights. Whether you are an experienced off-roader or just starting, we invite you to join us as we explore the stories and legacies of the off-road greats who have earned their rightful place in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. This is a place where we take pride in their achievements and honor their spirit of adventure. So, fasten your seatbelts, hold tight, and let's embark on a journey of exhilaration, inspiration, and honor in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. Period: April - June 2023 Drives in the spotlight Leading and successfully executing a high-level offroad drive is always a challenge. Finding that delicate balance of pushing our best off-roaders to the limit while still keeping things safe is very difficult and mentally tiring. When @Asif Hussainposted this drive, the expectations were high, knowing that the terrain had fantastic bowls and that the thrill seekers would be present. Asif laid out a buffet of monster bowls and kept the blistering pace throughout the drive, and the feedback after the drive was uniform: "It was unforgettable"... Keep up these fantastic drives @Asif Hussain !! Member in the spotlight Most of you have driven in Abu Dhabi, and if you did, chances were extremely high to come across @Zed who is always around and carries the biggest smile and positive attitude. You'll spot him either in his fully restored black LC100 or his Grand Cherokee 5.7 roaring monster. Always ready to help out and extremely knowledgeable about offroad vehicles, coding, and food (so we've heard )... Keep infecting us with that positive attitude @Zed !! Lead Champion Big congratulations to @M.Seidam for being our lead champion this quarter with a massive 10 drives ! Your dedication shines bright and your passion for off-roading is unmatched ! Support Champions Big congratulations to @Looper and @DP1011 for being our support champions this quarter with a whopping 17 and 16 supports this quarter ! Special Mention A special mention goes out to our marshal @GauravSoni who has kickstarted our sustainability campaign by showing the right example straight away! Let's all do our part in keeping the deserts clean ! Message to all our champions: Your dedication is an admirable quality that is truly valued and appreciated. Your unwavering passion for off-roading has not gone unnoticed, and it is an inspiration to those around you today. We thank you and look forward to seeing the many great things you will achieve in the future.

Wow this is so cool, thanks @Frederic glad I joined your drive after office hours 😁 Actually I don't know much about offroad cars, my computer science background makes it simple binary: you can either break them or drive them 😂

Thanks @Frederic ! Pleasure to be making it to the podium😁🙏🏼 and congratulations to other so well deserving ones too 💥! @Asif Hussain @Gaurav Soni @M.Seidam @Looper & @Zed ! I have driven with you all this quarter except @Asif Hussain - When is next one bhai? 😁, looking forward

@Benjaminmy biggest pleasure is to sit back and relax on the sideline and watch things happen in the club. There’s so much potential in all of you guys and we just brushed the surface of what’s possible.

Congratulations @Asif Hussain @GauravSoni @DP1011 @M.Seidam @Looper and @Zed.. well deserved

Congratulations to everyone above @DP1011 @Gaurav [email protected] @Zed @Asif Hussain @Looper well deserved everyone! thank you again @Frederic for hall of fame. Whereabouts can I vote you in the hall of fame? 😁

Congratulations to all the great heroes of Carnity. @Asif Hussain @M.Seidam @Looper @DP1011 @Zed and @GauravSoni Keep rocking guys. Many thanks, @Frederic - The data god to bring the best ones into the spotlight.

Dear Sand Sailors. Convoy Order is as below. 1. Varun 2. @Krishna Ras SL. 3. @Bashar Beasha 4. @Looperas Platoon leader 1 5. @Mark B 6. @Simon D as Platoon Leader 2 7. @Gary F 8. @Joseph Raju 9. @Benjamin as Sweep. We will be using Channel 3. See you there.

Congratulations @Asif Hussain @GauravSoni @DP1011 @M.Seidam @Looper and @Zed.. well deserved all of you

Dear Desertnauts, welcome to tomorrow's Newbie drive. As all drives including drivers signing up for their first Carnity drive, each "Absolute Newbie" has been asked to watch the instructions video. Moreover, before entering the dunes I will give a technical briefing to the whole convoy (for not AN's, repetita juvant, as the Romans would say). The meeting point has been posted as follows: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oVa8uPKa2h8jaaXHA You may reach it by taking the new 2-lane road from Qudra's Last Exit to Solar Park, and upon reaching the third roundabout, circling back toward Qudra, and leaving the tarmac through an opening in the guard rail, approximately next to the lines of pylons. Once arrived, please start deflating and putting up your flags: I'll be there waiting. The drive will take a track reversed from the initial plan, from Solar Park to Lisaili, to take into account the possibility of starting in an area of "easier" long range dunes and exiting at a more difficult patch of low technical dunes. The convoy order, at this time, is the following: @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke in Second Lead @Aser at #3 @Faraz94 at #4 @DTG at #5 @DP1011 at #6 @essam ibrahim at #7 @Theo09 at #8 and @Benjamin in Sweep. Please set your radios on Carnity Channel #2 (446.031). Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning just before 7:00 AM. Have a nice evening.

@Ranjan Das @Deepak Eswar @FERNANDO SYRIO @Rk ram @Looper Looking forward to seeing you all in the sand tomorrow morning, the convoy order will be as below and we will be using Channel 2 446.031 POS NAME CAR LEAD DAVIE RED JEEP EXP S/L RANJAN DAS GREY JEEP SUPP 3 DEEPAK ESWAR SILVER JEEP FB 4 FERNANDO SYRIO WHITE FORTUNA FB 5 RK RAM XTERRA FB SW LOOPER YELLOW JEEP EXP

Hi @DP1011 Thank you for the welcome Vehicle: Haval H9 - 2023 - Grey Prior Experience: Yes, have some experience from my home country with Suzuki Jimny. Since this is kinda family sport, been joining my father since childhood for some mid level sand driving. Also, had a few beginner level drives myself, while going for hunting or just enjoying the desert. Tow points: 2 front, 1 Back Essential Gear: Yes I have all the things mentioned above, just need to set channels on the Baofeng Radio. Hopefully it’ll be done by tomorrow. Let me know if anything else is required

From my humble experience with cars ( oil and fluids are cheap while engines and Transmission box are expensive ) The oil changing intervals are only estimates and recommendations based on the Oil companies and the vehicle manufacturers expectation of the driving conditions and driving behaviors of normal drivers on normal roads( which we are not ). so, it depends on how much are we pushing the RPM and redlining the engine and for how long and what's the temperature of the oil that we have reached all these factors combined will directly impact on the Oil characteristics degradation and will no longer be able to protect the engine components . As my personal rule ( for only my off-road vehicle, for the other vehicles i use some more relaxed protocols 😂 ) i change the oil around 7 to 8k in combination with the following routine : check the engine oil status using the dip stick once every 3 to 4 weeks ( or before a long IM drive like sweihan in AD) you will need to get your hands dirty and look for - the oil level it should fall just below the MAX line ( if the oil is closer to the min , will have to top it up) - the oil viscosity ,this is the most important characteristics of the oil ( if it is water like fluid then its about time to change ) - while checking the viscosity with your fingers try also looking for some solid particles in the oil if you do find ( change the oil immediately and flush the engine ) if some sand escape into the engine , this way you will save the engine before it get damaged. - If the oil Smell has a burned like smell it means its about time to change soon . - use only Fully Syntactic , as the oil which have the word "Syntactic " it means its a blend between syntactic and organic - change the Oil filter with every oil change ( no cutting corners on this one sorry ) Very important to make sure to wash the engine bay before the oil change or at least to air blow and clean underneath the engine oil cap otherwise some trapped sand under the cap might fall inside the engine when opened !!! While for the Gearbox, Transfer case , and differentials change the fluids between 30 to 40K . but if it happens and you drive in water for a long period of time without an elevated breather ( change all these fluids immediately after the drive ) For the airlifter i have and K&N oiled filter i knock the sand of it every 4 to 5 drives and clean it every 7 to 8 drives ( this might vary from one car to the other depending on the intake position in the car . as in my case i have a snorkel with a pre-filter There are other things that needs maintenance like the engine coolant flush( usually 100K or 5 years ) break fluid and others ... etc you should follow the owner manual for your car ( changing these fluids will protect protect the bearings from corroding and will lengthen lifespan of these systems .

Looking forward to driving with your for the 1st time Ale! See you 7AM!!!

Thanks @Varun Mehndiratta we really had a blast this morning . i personally needed this kind of adrenaline after being out of the sand for more than a month. Although the sand was super soft and challenging in some spots but the convoy drove really well , which allowed us to enjoy it even more. looking forward to drive with such a great convoy members soon @Bashar Beasha@Mark B @Gary F @Joseph Raju thanks @Krishna R for the 2nd lead, and @Looper the beating heart of the convoy ( don't forget to share with me the wonderful clicks 😁 ) and of course @Benjamin for sweeping the convoy and for all your support . cheers 🍻

DRIVE RSVP IS NOW CLOSED @Simon D@Thejas Uthran@Juan R@Mohit Gurnani@Glenn W@Richard Franks@Tom V@Anoop Nair@Sunil Mathew@Charbel@Vanessa8580@DP1011@Looper Thanks for signing up for another adventure! This one will be quite different from driving in the sand, but nevertheless we will be having fun As i mentioned prior on my drive post, please be aware of the following: This route will take you on super steep climbs and descents and is not for the faint of heart ! Make sure your 4x4 is in tip-top condition. You will need all its power and it will run hot. Be ready to regularly switch to 4LO during steep climbs / descents. All-Terrain types are highly recommended. You might struggle with HT tyres. Do not join if you have any fear of heights. Max 2 passengers per vehicle allowed. When you arrive at the meeting point: - Deflate to 25 PSI only. - NO need for offroad flag. We will be using Channel 2 - 446.031 Mhz See you all soon !

Dear @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke @Aser @Faraz94 @DP1011 @essam ibrahim @Theo09 @Benjamin when reaching the meeting point there is NO NEED TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO SOLAR PARK AND BACK, as indicated by Google Maos. You may use the roundabout just last the electric pylon track to turn around and reach the meeting point. Thanks and see you tomorrow.

Thank you for the details @Ale Vallecchi. See you in the morning

Hi Davie, Please add me back, i am in. Thanks

Meeting point posted: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oVa8uPKa2h8jaaXHA Detailed pre-drive briefing to follow ASAP.

Whatever you buy - get a good quality product. I had bought one from Amazon and it lasted for 5-6 lifts. Now it lies in some dumpster. I have since bought a Yato 2 ton jack from Speedex which comes in a plastic box and it is also as large as other 2.5 ton jack. it’s still in the plastic box with un-torne original wrapping. Let’s see how long it lasts like that.

Thank you @DP1011 for updating the new members on Carnity's requirements. @Faraz94 and @Yahir Marban welcome to Carnity. Kindly review the material pointed out by Deepak. I will give the convoy a technical briefing just prior to entering the dunes, so that we can all be aware of the does and don'ts of sand driving. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Enjoy the end of the week.

Hi @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke. Thanks for adding yourself. The 8-car limit has been a mistake. Up to 12 are welcome. See you tomorrow.

Hi All, - This is more for people who are most of times in desert with their machines ( or have been in past and now slowed down ) . I always hear from some people, if off-roading, get your car serviced at 5k instead of 10k - How many of you are already doing this ? I started my new jeep, so far I always have been doing it at 10k, and so far with 55k mileage, I did not foresee any issues ( Nevertheless, I ensure Filter cleaning is done at regular intervals of 3-5 drives, depending on how the drive was , for eg: If I do 2 fast pace IM drives, with lot of ridge riding, then I do it after 2 drives ( although, I learnt about filter cleaning only during my IM stage post 2-3 drives when I had struggle to climb dunes, a conversation with experienced driver helped me to gain this knowledge). So question : Is with regular checks like filter cleaning / coolant check etc., is 10k service OK or you would still have views to get it serviced at 5K ? If at 5k, what would that service include ? Apart from Filter/Coolant - Engine oil change and Wheel alignments ? Any thing specific to be taken care of or ensured ? Would love to hear your thoughts on this as Am sure for new vehicles wont be much of an issue but as it grows older, constant check would be adding to its life for sure.

@Ranjan Das @Pavel Pashkovskiy @Deepak Eswar @FERNANDO SYRIO @Rk ram @Looper Looking forward to seeing you all in the sand tomorrow morning, the convoy order will be as below and we will be using Channel 2 446.031 POS NAME CAR LEAD DAVIE RED JEEP EXP S/L PRAVEL PASHKOSKIY GREY GLADIATOR JEEP FB 4 DEEPAK ESWAR SILVER JEEP FB CF RANJAN DAS GREY JEEP SUPP 5 FERNANDO SYRIO WHITE FORTUNA FB 6 RK RAM XTERRA FB SW LOOPER YELLOW JEEP EXP

Looking forward to drive with you tomorrow! 🙏😀

Guess time to revisit the interval of 10k, with you & @Gary F both now in IM - Its better to spend 200 10 times vs spending 2500 at one go 😂 in addition to having a longer life

This is a great question @DP1011 I was actually thinking of putting down the same post here for advice. because I was thinking that if I got a service every 5000kms the service provider would know me by name at that stage 😂 Personally atleast at my house myself and @Gary F service at 10,000kms more convenient and better costs in the end of the day. however I still unscrew the intake cover and take the filter out of the intake giving it a tap to remove any large amounts of dust or sand, also vacuum out the intake before placing the filter back into the intake.

Quick tip on the climbing: You can either use the Jeremy Clarkson (SPEEEEED AND POWER) or the James May (SLOWLY DOES IT) approach: Let's try both option and see where we end up !

I will decide the convoy order after reaching the location.. too many last min dropouts. Welcome @Benjamin See you all tomo

DRIVE PLAN Faqa'a Express had reached Solar Park destination but it is now time for it to return. Faqa'a Express will leave at 5:30 AM Sunday Morning & it will head towards Little Sweihan before it reaches Faqa'a at about 9:00 am in the morning. Booking starts at 7 p.m. Monday and final call will be on Saturday Noon. We will see lush vegetation soon after we leave Solar Park station and will see proper desert only when we reach Little Sweihan station. Once at Little Sweihan we will find some difficult and narrow technical path leading to some wide wide-open dunes. After we cross Little Sweihan we will encounter a small patch of sabkha and cross on to Faqa'a side. Considering the heat during this summer season, it will be grueling on the vehicle - so make sure that your car is in particularly good condition. We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities DRIVE DETAILS Level: Fewbie Plus and above When: 02 July 2023, Sunday Meeting time: 5:30 AM Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/ymuAZNGhHFUtKch49 Approximate finish time: 9:30 AM Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, enthusiasm, patience, and willingness to learn. MANDATORY OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor Walkie-talkie radio Off-road flag Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Saturday - 12 PM If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - Without any exceptions. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

Sorry All......Will have to cancel my drive for tomorrow morning due to an emergency situation......Hope to see you all for the next drive........

Somewhere in between 5-10k sounds good, my last service at 20k , the old air filter was surprisingly clean. I’m also thinking there was an 8 week period we somehow managed to rack up 5k. And for those of us that grew up in miles 10,000km is only 6214miles One thing I do really like about having the agency service package is we have used their warranty on work and battery twice which we would not have gotten using some other places. I rotated the gladiator tires at 10k had to rotate them back at 17k due to wobble , rebalanced and aligned at 19k and now starting to wobble again at 21k, but this is more a mud terrain tire issue .

@Mark B here you go Freddie ! I am inclined with this, but till my warranty, will go with regular 10k Service, and 5-6k oil change with my trusty mechanic, alongside those other maintenance intervals at 2-3k. Is this your story too ? @Frederic

That sounds like a good option, just somewhere between, but if still on service contract, one is free and one is paid so it’s not too bad Why no wheel rotation, just curious?

You should be servicing every 5k really, it’s not just filters but the oil, trading enterprises will even tell you to do it every 5k if you go in with a off road looking jeep lol

Hi..... This is my 2nd drive with Carnity....... Had my first drive 2 weeks back.... But I'll still drop the details below. Make - Mitsubishi Pajero 2014 GLS LWB Colour - White Have two front and rear hooks and the essential gear as well.

I think Mia ate enough of your cookies to be intermeadiate then!😜 thank-you for the refreshments yesterday.

thx @DP1011.. gonna use it as 'training' drive for my youngest again.. zofia gotta get her rank up as a passanger 😁

Yes @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke Very much, as long as you see a spot, and convoy order is not closed, U can join the drive! The RSVP mechanism is smart to restrict you, by adding you to WL if u r on your second drive for the week, however, if the drive is not getting full, then WL members gets automatically confirmed depending on their WL number, givimg priority to those who have lesser drives compared to those WL with higher drives for thT week:) ( So you can always add yourself before cutoff time and keep yourself under WL) In short you are IN for this drive as the RSVP dint put you on WL😁😎

@Ale Vallecchi Desr Ale , wish my message finds you well , please let us know the meeting location please . thanks

In this topic i am trying to go a little bit deeper into the whole concept of tyre sizes for offroading. Often, we start off with the stock 31inch tyres and find ourselves upgrading to a 32-33- or even 35 and more inch tyres, which might give benefits, or not ? First of all, we need to split into two categories: 1. Offroading in sand/dunes aka dune bashing. 2. Offroading in mountains aka rock crawling or wadi bashing. It is important not to confuse both, and they are almost opposite in terms of wheel size and i will explain this further below. We will not be discussing the fuel economy in relation of tyre size in below topic, nor the effects of the odometer reading, but rather focus on the performance aspect Category 1: Offroading in the sand/dunes What are the key parameters that determine the performance for driving in the dunes ? * Tyre weight (relation with overall size). * Surface area of each tyre on the sand when deflated. * Rolling Resistance * Tyre profile (aggressive knobby vs smooth HT tyre). Looking at above parameters, we would conclude that we are looking for a light tyre. The tyre profile in sand is not so important while driving but deflation is critical, and an AT tyre can be deflated further down safely compared to an HT tyre. We also noticed big differences during self recoveries on a smooth HT profile tyre vs a tyre with some moderate profile (AT tyres). Going for larger tyres results in higher weight on the axles, BUT seems to help with the contact patch area which is a good thing. So there is a balance that we are trying to strike. As a result of that you will see most offroaders in the dunes using similar tyres from the stock 31" to about 33" but not often 35" or more because of the negative effects that go along with that. (see re-gearing further down this topic). Category 2: Offroading in the mountains What are the key parameters that determine the performance for driving in the mountains ? * Surface area of each tyre on the rocks when deflated. * Tyre profile: AT Tyre is needed (HT tyre is not suitable for regular offroading in the mountains). * Ground clearance. As you can see, the key parameters for driving in the mountains are somewhat different because during rock-crawling you will be mostly in Low gearing and won't be needing the full top-end horsepower of your 4x4. The focus is more on using good torque and getting good clearance to overcome those boulders and other obstacles. As a result of that, bigger tyres would be performing better, simply due to the fact that you will win ground clearance without having to lift your 4x4, and the extra surface area of those tyres will give you better grip as well. And this is the main reason why we see so many Jeeps and Bronco's in the US on 35"-37" tyres crawling over boulders Re-Gearing: What's that all about ? source: https://www.4-wheeling-in-western-australia.com/differential-gear-ratio.html The differential gear ratio on a stock standard 4x4, are made to suit the tire diameter which the vehicle is originally came with. Using bigger diameter wheels/tires with stock ratios will cause more wear and tear on clutch, driveline and engine. Low range gear will also suffer as 1st gear low will now roll too fast as the tires are bigger, this becomes a problem when descending steep hills and climbing rocks and logs. Example: a stock 2005+ Toyota Hilux has 29 inch wheels/tires and fitting 33 inch rubber is quite bigger (4 inches in diameter bigger) this will cause the engine and entire driveline more stress and more power is then required due to the larger rolling resistance. The final gear ratio is suited for 29 inch, this ratio in this particular case is 3:5, referring to a chart it will state the same (29' recommended ratio is 3:5) and looking at 33 inch diameter the chart will recommend 4:1. Going by the chart any higher will make the 4x4 rev too much at highway speeds causing poor fuel economy. Changing the crown wheel and pinion is how the ratio is modified. Basically installing a new or reconditioned crown wheel and pinion with the recommended ratio will bring the 4wd driveline back to stock specification rpm and fuel usage. Once differential gear ratio mod is done the vehicle will regain its 1st gear low range and take off in high range will be improved or even back to stock. This chart is an approximate tyre size to differential gear ratio; it’s based on an RPM at 105 km/h (65 mph) and 4th gear on a manual transmission or 3rd gear on an automatic gear box (1:1 gear ratio). This is only a guide to get a general idea of which ratios would suit the vehicle in question. To get an accurate RPM the following steps and formula will give an accurate answer: Take a drive and record the rpm at 105 km/h (65 mph), the next step is to work out what the current ratios are in the vehicle. This can be revealed by calling the manufacturer or even calling a differential repairer giving him/her the Vehicle Identification Number, also known as VIN. Once all this information is known use the following formula to get the accurate differential gear ratio for the larger tires: Example: The rpm is 2806 at 105 km/h (65 mph), the current tires are 29 inch, the factory ratio is 3.73 and the new size upgraded tires are 33 inch. RPM: 2806 Stock tires: 29 inch Stock ratio: 3.727 New Tyre size: 33 inch 2806 = 65 x 3.727 x 336 / 29 (rpm = mph (not km/h) x diff ratio x 336 / tire size) Now the correct rpm is known for the vehicle (2806), the next step is working out what ratios are available for the vehicle, some makes and models won’t have as many choices as others. Say the following 3 ratios are available 3.909, 4.100 & 4.88. The new tire size wanting to be fitted is 33 inch and the rpm needs to be a close to the 2806 as possible in order to keep it to stock specs. Just a quick scan at the differential gear ratio chart it’s obvious that a ratio of 3.909 is too low at 2587 rpm, ratio of 4.88 is too high at 3230 rpm. But looking at 4.10 with the rpm at 2713 is the closest to 2809 stock rpm. New Specs: RPM: 2713 New tires: 33 inch New ratio: 4.10 Please share your experiences / feedback !

Dear @Pranjal Varsani with my Nissan Patrol Y62 (2020 model) I went through the following learning curve: 1. I damaged both front and rear bumpers on my very first drives off-road (after just 2-3 drives, at Newbie Level), then: - Changed the front bumper from "City" to "Offroad" stock version (Nissan said it couldn't be done, but with some fighting I got it installed) - Installed a Front Skid Plate (8mm straight and stiffened with two double ribs) + 35mm steel rod behind bumper for protection for frontal impacts; - Installed a Rear Skid Plate (4mm, rounded) to protect rear bumper from being ripped apart by sand scooping in the central part. If you go for skid plates make sure there is adequate space between plate and bumper to allow for elastic deformations in case of impact, otherwise they serve little purpose (I asked for 20mm min). 2. After approx 30 drives (having reached Intermediate level) I damaged my front bumper again, despite the skid plate, due to an impact from the side while attacking a dune from the slip side, then: - had the front bumper replaced and cut by approx 13 cm and installed a 35mm steel rod below the cut line with welded lower metal plates closing the gap left by cutting the bumper at sides of the skid plate (to minimize sand intake) for protection for angled / lateral impacts 3. After approx 50 drives (having reached Advance level) I damaged again the rear bumper again despite the skid plate (bent it outward from the side during a forward tug due to sand accumulation between the rear wheels and the mudguards, which were stuck in the sand with heavily digged in wheels and held the bumper back while the car was being pulled from the front), then: - removed the rear mudguards I am yet to replace the back bumper (currently held in place with gorilla tape), as I am waiting to see if with no mudguards I still have issues and need to cut the rear bumper as well or not (which looks horrible as you end up seeing the whole exhaust pipe and the spare wheel). It must be said I'm a bit fixated with maintaining as much as possible the original aesthetics and doing always the less invasive and less visible changes, as the car is still meant to be driven on-road mos to fhte time.. I therefore hate the idea of installing proper aluminum or steel off road bumpers. They are bulky and squared, and I don't like the aesthetics (personal taste), so I prefer to keep stock bumpers and have them cut and modified in a smart and less evident way. All work done at Bahwan Motors, even if I suspect in the end the job may have been done by the usual guy in Sharjah. I must say I have put a lot of effort myself (and shown my most annoying attitude as an engineer by mindset and education) in the design and execution of all changes, otherwise aestethics would have been totally compromised and (skid place were redone 3 times each before the guy could get them right l).. I learned by my own mistakes and damaged and progressively understood what I needed. A bit annoying, but quite instructive. I have mentioned the number of drives above so you could realize you don't need to do everything at once.. I'll share some photos tomorrow.