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Thank you guys for your feedback. There is nothing much i can add here about the drive. I hope i lived up to title of this drive. i believe we covered almost all the ridges in our vicinity. @Chris Wing no doubt you are one of perfect second lead i ever had, literally i did not have to tell you to adjust as you were already on perfect track behind me. @Deepak Eswar Welldone on your first FB+ drive, apart from the popout you did very well, @Ahmad Nerat your driving skills were very good. glad you enjoyed the drive. @Jona i didnt hear much from you in the radio. means you are enjoyed the drive at back. @Krishna R thank you very much for sweeping and supporting the drive below is the summary of the drive we covered 57km with avg moving speed of 23.5kph which speak out fun we had.

@Josh S ah Jeep and its marketing terms compounded by seasoned individuals who advise without explaining technicalities. You have the Rock-Trac Transfer Case with 5 positions and the confusion is 4WD Hi Auto vs 4WD Hi Part Time. The Part Time moniker is Jeep's tongue-in-cheek way of saying "use this part of the time". Why? 4WD High Auto for non-Jeeps is the same like driving the default Patrol and Land Cruiser: it means turn all 4-wheels at same time, otherwise known by non-Jeeps as Full-Time 4WD. There are no 2WD in Patrol and Land Cruiser so we just casually wait and watch Instagram everytime a Jeeper says "enganging 2WD" 😂 4WD High Part-Time is the same in non-Jeeps as Turn-All-4-Wheels + Lock the Center Diff. This splits the torque front diff 50% and rear diff 50% and all 4 wheels move at the same rotational speed. Rally drivers use 4WD + Center Diff Lock when in long straight track as it gives more traction to push the car forward. They turn off when making sharp turns or many zig-zag turns. You just triggered something that was buried in my memory. After my rollover, I noticed my Center Diff Lock light was on, and this was a mistake. The theory of turning wheels and the invention of differential is to allow front wheels to turn at slower speed than rear wheels, thus making a smooth turn. When you lock the Center Diff, the front wheels turn at the same speed as rear, so when you turn with Center Diff locked you will be DRIFTING. Now imagine me turning 90° with diff lock on to steer down the car during a high-speed side-sloping at 8psi... yeah I don't think you'd do that as I'm a proof of what happens when you do that 😂 People who drive with Center Diff Lock on don't realize this or downplay this theory because their current sand is so soft that the stress of turning wheels at the same speed get "burned" by the sand / cool drifting. But ONCE they got the hard sand and turn 90°, it's the same as turning with Center Diff locked on asphalt. You can do this at home: turn 4WD + Part Time in your parking area and try turning 90° left-right. That effect will be the same when your sand changes from soft to hard sand. To understand more about Differential, I implore you to read my article below, young padawan 😅

Gratitude for the unity we share during Offroad, where we stand together as a team with passion, dedication, and the spirit of 'one for all members in @Carnity.' This sense of togetherness is an integral part of life. Cheers to Crew, Marshal, Advisor, Support team and all members!"

You just won yourself a nomination for bartender of the quarter !

Congrats @M.Seidam @Stumpy Paj @Naveen Raj @Zed @Rajiv Sam @DP1011 @Looper well done and keep rocking 🤝

I had a center diff lock issue few weeks back: after self-recovery the center diff lock remained locked and would not unlock, causing heavy steering when driving home. My mechanic was trying to solve the center diff problem by isolation: whether it was mechanical (possible fix: change center diff lock actuator), or was it electrical (possible fix: clean dirty connections). While he was doing that, I was reading the materials from my Land Cruiser Repair Manuals and some other sources. Thought I'd share my "differential enlightenment" here, and try to explain it as non-technical as possible 🙂 FYI, I've arranged it so that everyone knows the context and working background of a diff before using this knowledge to our offroad driving, so read from 1-2-3-4, but if you wanna go straight to how we use diff locks, go ahead to point #4 below: 1. The Minimum 3 Diffs required for most cars Forget if you have 3 buttons with labels: RR/Rear Lock, Center Lock, FF/Front Lock. Forget the IFS vs Solid Axle debate for front drive. Turn your 4WD car upside-down (or easier to look at the underbody diagram in your manual 😁 ), it better have 3 differentials: Rear Diff (Red Sphere), Center Diff hidden in what's known as Transfer Case that also holds the 4LO low-gearing (Purple Sphere) and Front Diff (Blue Sphere). What's that, you don't like this 3D illustration? Let's show a real example with an old Toyota Fake Jeep #whoops I meant FJ 😂 You can see I circled the 3 "pumpkins" casing showing the 3 differentials location 👇 2. Why do we need those spheres/pumpkins/diffs ? The picture below shows 2 tyres on an axle with NO DIFF. Do you think it will turn nicely without slipping? Do we want this kind of horse carriage in our modern 4WD systems? 😅 So there you go, we need Diffs to make smooth turnings without stressing the driveline. In the illustration below, when we turn the Red Curve is longer (travel more distance) than the Blue Curve (travel less distance), so how can they turn at different rates when the engine gives the same power of 1,000 rpm? The answer: the magical mechanical device called a differential 😊 General Motors made this video long long time back, even though it's in Black & White, it explains how the concept of Differential came about (also explained how the Spider Gears work!). The video is optional, only for the technically-inclined and curious ones... 3. Why do we need that Center Diff? So from point #2 above, we know Diffs are used for turning the car, so front & rear diffs make sense, but what does a center diff do? Tilt the car? Refer to sketch drawing below: The car is turning left. Each wheel follows a different curve path: the inside wheels don't need to turn so fast, so in this diagram the front inside wheel needs 50 rpm and the rear inside wheel needs 48 rpm. BUT in order to turn, the front wheels need to turn faster than the rear wheels: thus the outer front wheel needs 54 rpm and the inner outer front wheel needs 50 rpm. Both front wheels are rotating faster than the rear wheels. If you add all the power required, Total Front Drive Power Needed = 54 + 50 = 104 rpm and Total Front Rear Power Needed = 52 + 48 = 100 rpm. WITHOUT CENTER DIFF, the transmission outputs 100 rpm to both Front and Rear drive shafts. So what? Well, that 104 rpm needed to turn wheels is greater than then 100 rpm, so extra stress is created... if continous stress is accumulated, this may lead to the image below, kablooi! So the Center Diff is similar to point #2 above, but instead of allowing inside wheel & outside wheel turn at different rates, the Center Diff allows the front axle and the rear axle to get different power output. Refer to diagram below now: So by having that Sphere/Pumpkin/Diff in the middle, the front drive shaft gets more power to accelerate faster than the rear drive shaft which move slower. Don't believe this paper drawings and theories? Well let's watch how the World Rally Championship uses Center Diffs to make turnings smoother and then lock the Center Diff to distribute power in a straight-line driving: 4. Press that Center Diff Lock! Finally we can use all that theories to use. Refer to below illustration: Red Axle is the rear and Blue Axle is the front. The Front-Right wheel is slipping while the rest of 3 tyres got some traction. Why won't the car move? Here's a little secret: Diffs are great for helping to turn, but the side-effect of a diff is that the output power from transmission will go to the wheel with the least traction. In the diagram above, that means the Front-Left Blue tyre will not turn at all! BUT we still have the 2 Rear Red tyres with traction, don't we? Yes, but from Point #3 we know an open Center Diff allows front & back axles to turn at different rates, so in this case more power is given to the Front Blue Axle because of that spinning wheel that has the least traction... thus the rear tyres spin r.e.a.l.l.y s.l.o.w.l.y , making the driver frustrated and leaving him sweating 😂 Now we hear those famous words from the radio: "Engage 4LO and (Center) Diff Lock" We'll talk about 4LO some other time, but the effect of pressing the Center Diff Lock is now this illustration: No it's not the same image... ok yes, but watch the rotational arrows at the back. You see that Front-Right Blue slipping wheel? That one is stealing all the drive power. BUT because of Center Diff Lock, we now forced the Front & Rear axles to turn at the same rate. So if the Front-Right Blue is stealing 100 rpm slipping, then now the Rear Tyres are also spinning 100 rpm, with probably 50:50, so Rear-Right is 50 rpm and Rear-Left is 50 rpm. Because the Rear Tyres have traction (those brown balls), then the rear tyres move the car forward... or down-right depending on the angle you wanna recover. 5. Press that Rear Diff Lock! So you think Center Diff Lock is enough and no need for a rope tug? Well check the illustration below: Now we have 2 wheels spinning: one in the front (Front-Right Blue) and one in the back (Rear-Left Red). You press Center Diff: nothing is moving. Why? Well the Center Diff allows front & back axles to turn the same, that bit is right... BUT because power is lost to the least wheel with traction, the transmission output will just spin both wheels (Front-Right Blue & Rear-Left Red). Calculatively: Front-Right: 50 rpm spinning Front-Left: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Right: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Left: 50 rpm spinning (same speed as Front-Right due to Center Diff locked) Here's what's gonna happen if your 4WD is lucky enought to have a Rear Diff Lock button: It's the same image again? Yessirree but look at the rotational arrows, especially at the rear red axle. So now Rear Differential is locked, splitting 50:50 drive power to the Rear-Right Red tyre and the Rear-Left Red tyre. Now instead of Zero RPM, that Rear-Left tyre will get 25rpm and might just nudge the car forward a bit... slowly but steadily, you might self-recover! Calculatively: Front-Right: 50 rpm spinning Front-Left: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Right: 25 rpm (due to Rear Diff Lock) Rear-Left: 25 rpm spinning (due to Rear Diff Lock + Center Diff Lock) Yes you have to do Double-Locking: press Center Diff Lock first, then Rear Diff Lock. 6. Press that Front Diff Lock! That situation in Point #5? Well you have a higher chance of self-recovery if your beloved 4WD also has a Front Diff Lock. Refer to illustration below: Calculatively: Front-Right: 25 rpm spinning Front-Left: 25 rpm (due to Front Diff Lock) Rear-Right: 25 rpm (due to Rear Diff Lock) Rear-Left: 25 rpm spinning (due to Rear Diff Lock + Center Diff Lock) You can now do Triple Locking: get out of the car, assess the situation, then press the magic 3 buttons: Center Diff Lock On, Rear Diff Lock On, and Front Diff Lock On. 7. Cars with Triple Locking from Factory If you made it to this point, then you may want to now look for second-hand 4WDs that have triple-locking from the factory 😊 Here are 3 that I know of (please add if you know more): 7.1. Land Cruiser 80 Series: just look at the diff lock indicators on that dashboard. No custom aftermarket buttons to show if your car is triple-locked 😁 7.2 Mercedes Benz G-Wagon. Do you know why I said the order is Center Diff Lock then Rear Diff Lock then last is Front Diff Lock? It's because Mercedes Benz labelled it in that order too! 7.3 Land Cruiser 300: well, this one you have to wait, and there's no second-hand market yet, so this is the most expensive triple-locked currently 😅 Sources: The nice 3D Illustrations are from the Land Cruiser Cool Project.

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: Jul - Sept 2023 Drive in the spotlight "Catch Me If You Can" series of drives on Fewbie Plus and IM Level Congrats @M.Seidamfor being our winner in the "Drive in the spotlight" category! You have managed, together with your convoy, to completely take in "Big Red" from all possible directions and design a thrilling drive experience! Member in the spotlight While most of us are staying inside during this scorching summer, some people decide to crawl underneath the car and work on them. This hands-on approach has won @Stumpy Paj our "Car Guru Of The Quarter" award !! From dropping sub-frames, to replacing radiators, and spare wheel cover delete work, with the help of @Bravoechohe has turned his Pajero into a real Offroad Beast ! Well done Nathan ! Stucks of the Quarter Usually quite mindful of the terrain and its surroundings, @Fredericmanaged to park his Patrol in front of a big bush, and on top of that was seen smiling and waving, while @Naveen Rajwas actually solving the problem for him . Another noteworthy stuck was @Gauravon the Razeen exploration. Thanks to the great teamwork of @Zed@Rajiv Sam@DP1011and @Stumpy Paj they were able to clear the sand enough to get the car out of this scary angle. Lead Champion Congratulations to @Looperfor leading a whopping 11 drives this quarter! Your passion for off-roading is immense! Support Champion Congratulations @DP1011 for having supported 15 drives this quarter! Climbing multiple dunes on foot even made you part of the HATT, or "High-Altitude-Trek-Team"! Hats off to you ! 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.

Introduction I'm a little late to write about the drive as I had back-to-back drives last week (4 in all Friday through Sunday) and afterwards I edited a couple videos on Sunday and Monday evenings. But here I am with the drive report for the Fwbie Drive on Sunday Morning. Unfortunately, @Joji varghese who was going to support the drive had a battery issue. The briefing was short since three out of four of you drove the previous morning with me and the brief was clear that no fighting Gravity, because we don't want pop-outs similar to the ones we had the previous morning. (PS: I have kept my jack in the factory seal till now and I was not ready to break it. 😜) Drive Report We started slowly getting acquainted with the terrain which is ravaged by preexisting tracks. For the first 22kms we trained mild ridge riding and side sloping with the aim to climb the tall dunes to the north of where we started. We continued to drive without any stoppages for refusals. We did however have to stop a couple of times to adjust the action cam of @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad and a further couple of times to deal with his bumper. Then the real action began as we drove towards camel rock. While we did not drive at FB+ speeds, we saw our companion convoy driving; yet we moved at a brisk pace navigating though the winding dunes giving a roller coaster ride feeling. We stopped at Camel Rock to take a break and enjoy some breathtaking views. The weather was still not hot, and we could gather our thoughts. Next, we climbed the Pink Rock from the back side, because why not? Frankly, it looked like another place altogether, not recognizable at all. After that we practiced few sidees on the side of Pink Rock climb. It was almost 8 am already so it was time to head out. The message was clear, no distraction and we also need a lot of attention as the drive will take us through some of the tallest and windiest dunes in this part of the Sharjah desert. We drove like a row of ants, following the track lay in front of us going up some steep hills without any qualms and, the radio silence only being broken by @Lalaji declaring everything is okay at the back. For convoy, the adrenaline rush it was feeling did not let it know but, finally, at about 8:50 a.m.; When we were on the top of Big Red, we started to feel the strain that this drive had put upon us. We did a couple of more sidees on the side of Big Red and exited at 9:00 a.m. half an hour later than what I declared at the start of the drive but, the delay was only because we were having so much fun driving. Credits @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad, I am glad that you and your companions had a fun drive, after an excruciating previous morning. You did well as a second lead, keeping adequate distance as well as keeping up with me throughout the drive climbing every hill that lay in front of you without any issues. You could have easily realized the potential of your ride. It sure needs some modifications to be suitable for more intense off-roading but soon you will have a lot more fun in it. As we both realized at the end of the drive, this hobby can be quite addictive. @Haneef Thayyil, you cannot have just one and call it enough driving a week, can you? Nice to see you again, in what paraphs third drive with me on the trot. However, as I pointed out during as well as on the previous post, you were keeping a lot more distance between you and the car in front, which can result in you losing track, especially in a place like Tawi Nazwa where there are millions of them. @Lalaji, you kept pace with the Y62s in front of you, matching their speed as well as hill climbing prowess. I also appreciated your announcements for everyone to know that we are doing well at the back. You also made it up by coming for the Sunday as promised the previous morning. @Issam Atra, I have previously heard about a lot of your ride. At Carnity, we adore XJs and you showed us why. You were at the sweep of a very short convoy and obviously had ample fun. See you all in the next instalment of Looper's loops.

Def, we need it. Next, sky-high lifts. Next, the hardest suspensions. Next, strapping turbo with nitro-methanol injections.

@Zed I wish I found this article earlier! Fantastic read-up. I was always interested in differential in vehicles. As I always understood how it worked in 1940s cars plain and simple for the most part. Whereas 4x4 I was always a little skeptical. This article had certainly enlightened my knowledge in this area. Good job mate. I look forward to reading some of your other articles

Agreed @Bjoern every time I’ve tested the two I’ve had a totally different feel in my Jeep. part-time is great but I’ve only ever found it useful (in my personal preference) with more on the side of extreme off-roading conditions. Climbing mountains in Ras Al-Khaimah I’ve found this setting to be a useful choice. in the end of the day these settings are totally down to the driver and their preference in the sand. personally I like having part-time as an extra aid if I were to get stuck in 4-auto which has worked for me before. Though I do prefer the feel of the car when I’m in control and not the computer. It’s a mixed bag I reckon

Congratulations @M.Seidam @Stumpy Paj @Naveen Raj @Zed @Rajiv Sam @DP1011 @Looper well deserved and look forward for more 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@Fredericjust for the record and to manage people’s expectations my role in helping @Stumpy Pajprimarily involved making sure he was hydrated in the summer heat, sometimes resorting to fluids of a amber colour 😁

Congrats to all 💪💪💪

Cheers @Frederic probably not my smartest move working under cars in our summer 😂, lots more to come 👍 congratulations everyone

Congratulations @M.Seidam @Stumpy Paj @Naveen Raj @Zed @Rajiv Sam @DP1011 @Looper all well deserved awards keep it up and keep smiling and loving what we do 😀😃

Thank you and it’s all for one and one for all . The passion teamwork and dedication is part of life indeed . Cheers Carnity.

Congratulations!!!

Thanks, Fredy for keeping track and identifying real heroes. Congratulations @M.Seidam @Stumpy Paj @Naveen Raj @Zed @Rajiv Sam @DP1011 @Looper for all the creativity, teamwork and camaraderie.

“If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing.” ― Ayn Rand I am still trying to figure out how many drives are too many drives. Thank you very much to everyone associated with @Carnity - All the Club Members, Support Team, the Marshals and the Crew, every day is a pleasure in your company.

@Benjamin thanks, I think I'll write about bigger tires effects next time, seems that's a popular mod 😁

Another factor that would influence my choice between the two options is whether the trip leader is driving a SWB vehicle. When you're driving a LWB vehicle and following a SWB lead, it's crucial to have the central differential open (4H for Pajero/4H auto for Wrangler). This setup reduces the turning radius, making it easier to follow the track created by the SWB lead. I faced significant challenges when I drove the LWB Pathfinder, which lacked a central differential. In this vehicle, the front and rear wheels were locked at a 50:50 power distribution at all times when 4WD was engaged. I had to make the wheels spin excessively to stay on the path created by the SWB lead. In technical terrain and more advanced drives, deviating from the lead's track can be quite risky. After driving the SWB Pajero, I've come to realize that driving a SWB vehicle in the desert is a blessing! especially vehicles like the SWB Pajero and JL, which allow the central differential to remain open when 4WD is engaged.

@Bjoern you should give a try to 4H Auto in a more relaxed level drive and you will love it too. I only shift to HLC (Same as Part-time) on high-level drive during tricky terrain. The whole Liwa crossing I did on 4H Auto and used HLC for 10% area closer to the Saudi border, where I constantly needed to climb and steer left and right. Oftentimes what we read and get in the sand is two different worlds. For a normal sand track going through the dunes 4H Auto is intelligent enough to power front for few seconds when speed drops, and then favor the rear rest of the time while vehicle speeds up.

@Josh S Also @Frederic - what are the requirements to become a Carnity instructor in terms of driving experience and teaching experience? Is there a general level shared across all UAE clubs? Many thanks. Of course I cannot talk about the skillset of other instructors outside of Carnity, but inside Carnity our instructors are all seasoned marshals who have hundreds of drives under their belts here, and have been in all sorts of terrains. Furthermore they excel in communicating and mentoring any off-roader to get the best out of them.

Outing myself as a fan of 4H part on sand. Started with 4H high as recommended and preferred 4H part as soon as I tried it. I do believe I have more control of the car taking away a yet another system that does stuff for me. Prefer the driving characteristics and direct control on sand with the 50:50 ratio being fixed. Didn't experience the digging down to the extent that I would say it makes a difference @Benjamin. But that could just be different preferences. Maybe the same reason I am into the oversized tires. Got used to it to the extend of loving it. Trying out the different modes I think is a way to learn more about your car and yourself as a driver. Just don't do 4h part on solid surface.

4H Auto is capable of doing almost everything you want most of the time. To put in numbers you can practically drive your Wrangler in 4H Auto up to 90-95% of the time. You only need 4H Part-time (which means full-time, as Ben mentioned) in tricky terrain, where onboard computers fail (very rare) to do the required power split among the front and rear wheels, so you shift to part-time to have 50:50 power split to negotiate tricky terrains - like soft sand, a tricky slow and fast climb which require split-second change of power. We have many leads in Carnity driving and leading drives in 4H Auto, and only switch to part-time when needed. 4H Part time should be used as a trump card, similar to 4Lo so that you have something to fall back on when you need it. Most clubs even advise ppl to drive in LO gear for various reasons: Too lazy to get newbies stuck and recover and teach the right features, instead tell them to put on LO gear and let them blast all the way to glory. Backed by the garage, so the sooner you break the car in LO gear, the better it is for their business. In an ideal world of off-roading you and all other 4x4s should use a car based on the below order in sand: 4H Auto + D 4H Auto + tiptronic (manual selection of 1st or 2nd gear) 4H Part time + tiptronic (manual selection of 1st or 2nd gear) 4Lo + tiptronic (only for self-recovery and recovering others) This way you will learn your car and car will learn your driving style and also you have options to switch when you enter serious terrain or get stuck so you have room to shift to LO gear.

As a Newbie driver we do advise you to just drive in 4H Auto (assuming it’s JL). In the 4H Auto the computer in the car manages where the power need to go and depending on the requirement it might just act like 2H or 4H when needed. TBH I and most of us JL drivers drove in 4H Auto even Intermediate drives and never ever felt any issues with the power delivery. I started to drive 4H part time only after I started to lead. And even now, sometimes I drive 4H Auto and I find very less differences. The reason for it is the computer is used to my desert driving and manages accordingly. 4H Part time is actually misleading. Because it is full time 4x4 and power is delivered to all 4 wheel at all times. It’s the traditional 4x4, hence better. Following is my personal opinion: You can do advance courses in different clubs including in Carnity, and it will definitely help you to learn finer details much more quickly and will be your prerogative to decide if you want to do those courses or not. While you will learn what to do, quickly; you will still need to practice and it will take as many drives, but at least it is not a learning experience anymore, but rather practice.

Hi @Josh S The main reason we generally advise Newbie level drivers to use auto is because there’s already so much to focus on during these first couple of drives. Depending on your car and your own preferences you might indeed feel after 5-10 drives that you have a preference for shifting gears manually. I know many people who keep driving in D in all levels, and equally many people who prefer taking matters in own hands and choose to upshift or downshift on their own timing. There’s no real right or wrong on this topic. About the courses, Carnity was actually the trailblazer in this segment and the first one that started doing the 1:1 Masterclasses , and by now other clubs have noticed the success and started doing the same. You’ll find the links to the masterclasses here: https://carnity.com/desert-driving-course/ They are indeed worth it if you want to expand your experience and learn valuable off-roading skills in a personal 1:1 environment. Up to you where you get them 😉

Congratulations Lads! @M.Seidam @Stumpy Paj @Naveen Raj @Zed @Rajiv Sam @DP1011 @Looper Thank you @Frederic for another fantastic hall of fame!

Great drive everyone! Some drives feel like a meditation (in a good way) and the first part was just like that, smooth ridges, nice scenery, good company. the big red part was an adrenaline rush and a good way to end the drive. I had a major scare at the top of big red when i didn’t notice a big drop while pushing to climb, no damage to the car but a good reminder to always do an exploration run before tackling these big dunes at full speed!

Ridge Riding - My favourite part of offroading! I gave up a Sweihan drive to take part in ridge riding express by @Rizwanm2 and I did not regret my decision one bit. The entire convoy was ready even before the meet up time and I had to delay the start by 5 mins as my air filter was clogged up. Cleaned it to find about 10 Kgs of red sand and the the car started breathing better. The drive started at 6:05 am and we started attacking the small and medium sized dunes of tawi nazwa and @Rizwanm2's lines were simply superb. I guess he made it a point not to leave even one tiny ridge unflattened and we destroyed them all. The pace was really good and we reached pink rock in no time. A couple of climbs and then more ridges which were getting higher and higher. Then, the ridges started curving which increased the skill level. It was too good. Faced a couple of unfortunate popouts and @Deepak Eswar had to exit due to a personal emergency at 9:20 am. We still had 40 mins and raced to big red for 30 mins of adrenaline pumping climbs and ridge riding, 2 xterras and 3 Fjs. It is safe to say that we flattened big red from all angles and sides. It became small red by the time we were done with it. Exited sharp at 10 am and @Chris Wing hosted us with chilled beverages. Thanks buddy. Inflated quickly and went home to have a hearty lunch and a nice siesta with a smile on my face @Rizwanm2 My first time on your drive and it was excellent bro. Your lines were fantastic and I had so much fun without damaging my car @Chris Wing The most qualified SL for this drive and you performed brilliantly bro. Nice driving with you after a long time. @Ahmad Nerat You are killing it with your FJ man. Great driving with no refusals, no stucks. Climbed everything @Deepak Eswar It was an amazing drive from you that too being your first fb+ drive. popouts are a part of the learning curve and will never stop even if you become a marshall. Sad that you had to exit due to a personal emergency. Hope things will get better. @Jona Just the day before, you said we need to go on a drive with the two of us at the end of the convoy and your wish came true within a day. Please make another wish that your friend, Krishna should become a billionaire soon . about the drive, We were just chillin in the back man, I was following your lines in a laid back fashion and as always, impeccable driving from you. I did not even know you had a passenger until we almost finished big red man In the end, It was the perfect ending to the long weekend and I was energized for the work week ahead. Until next weekend guys, Stay calm and the enjoy the weather. ~Krishna

Thank you very much @Looper You entertained us and made us exceptionally happy. It was a drive with the utmost enthusiasm and excitement. I learned a lot on a personal level. Thanks also to the entire nice group. Thank you again and I hope to see you soon 😊

@Looper thank you for the pics...i am really worried about my tyres poping out, stopping the convoy and pausing the fun you were wishing...

So, I am several drives under my belt now and loving it... On my first Carnity drive I was advised to drive my JL in 4H Auto and keep the car in automatic. I did this for 3 drives. Over the weekend, I completed a drive with another large, leading offroad club in Dubai (sorry Carnity!) and the lead driver is an active instructor. He told me that I should be driving in 4H Part time + Manual which is the opposite of what I heard in Carnity. Could I please seek clarification? Finally, this particular club offers courses in addition to their weekly drives (Beginner, Intermediate and Night). Although I am now 4 drives in and feel confident, the lead instructor advised that anybody would progress significantly faster with a course or two under their belt - learning the exact techniques as opposed to just following. I had always planned on being self-taught, but if I can become a safer driver, and progress more quickly, it could be a winner. Has anyone here participated in a beginner or intermediate course, even after some experience.

@Dan S welcome to carnity offroad club and thank you for the information above appreciate your response , regarding technical dunes it’s everywhere but don’t worry usually we get to technical that is doable for the given level . Don’t worry

I hope if that happens, many ppl will save their car, money and hassle.

I choose 4H Auto because I did not know what Part Time 4x4 was at the beginning just like you and auto (presumably like in any camera) takes care of most stuff. But later on when I learnt what Part Time 4x4 was, then too continued with 4H Auto because it just worked flawlessly for my use case scenario.

Before that, you will damage the transfer case as LO gear in most 4X4 is meant for "Low" speeds under 40 kmph. It's an age-old scam or myth in the UAE off-road scene. Check your owner's manual for specific speed limits for LO gear before attempting again.

Okay, The below is my progression with offroad skills with respect to my driving style and gear preference. My car has 4H, 4L ONLY. NO 4H part time. In Carnity: Newbie & Fewbie - 4H - D. Had no performance issues. Car shifted as per requirement. Fewbie plus - Same gearing as above but learnt to control the power with my foot on the gas. Intermediate - This is where I felt the car was shifting the way i did not want it to. Tried manual in 4H and the car did what I wanted. After a few intermediate drives, I went back to 4H - D and learnt to push the car without it upshifting automatically. Other clubs - There were a few drives where everyone was driving in 4L and I obviously couldn't do some of the manoeuvres they did as I was driving in 4H. I was advised to try 4L which i did and was pleasantly surprised with the stability and torque. What I was doing at 5K rpm in 4H, I was doing it in 2K rpm in 4L, However, I did not continue in 4L so as to not wreck the car. The Xterra has a weak front diff. Based on my experience with other popular clubs, I can second to what @Gaurav has mentioned above. Most of them are backed by garages and after a few drives with them, you would be pressurized to add unnecessary mods ( i have seen newbie fj owners recommended extra transmission cooler, headers etc.) and also safety usually takes a back seat. As for specialized classes, I have friends that have taken the classes and benefitted. I, personally learnt by going on drives. Cant say I know much but I am happy with my learnings and the pace of it. It is highly subjective. I have no plans to enter the desert on my own anytime soon but I will eventually get there in an year, maybe 50 more drives.

Thanks for all of your comments, however, I am now even more confused! To try and get a clear understanding, once and for all, why would somebody choose to use Auto instead of Part time? If Part time uses 4x4 all the time, surely there are no disadvantages to doing that, whilst there are disadvantages to Auto. ie - if you drive in auto, there may be occasions you need to move to part time, however if you drive in part time, you’ll never need to move to auto I’m getting the impression this is purely down to personal preference and different people will teach in different ways? Also @Frederic - what are the requirements to become a Carnity instructor in terms of driving experience and teaching experience? Is there a general level shared across all UAE clubs? Many thanks.

I knew this pic would be posted here 😹

Thank you @M.Seidam for the drive. Took us to the northern part of pink rock that is rarely visited, and the last bit of FF drive in the big red area after night fall, good time catching up with you and other friends that I havent seen in a long while!

Hi @Josh S, it’s not surprising you were advised to use 4H-part-time this is because on the Jeep wranglers part-time is technically “full time” meaning the all 4 wheels will be spinning constantly. Unlike 4H auto which will use the onboard computer to control when you do or don’t need all 4 wheels spinning. Ideally in Newbie drives you generally don’t need part-time in fact I rarely use it myself all the way up at intermediate. However it does come in handy when you need power and all 4 wheels at an exact press of the pedal. it’s all based on preference. Follow what @Frederic mentioned about tiptronic manual. Highly recommend you take a good few drives to understand your car once you know the RPM threshold start experimenting. Personally I started driving tiptronic on late fewbie-intermediate drives.

Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. GMC Sierra AT4X, Silver, 2022 Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. None, only the desert masterclass made with Gaurav Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. I confirm Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. I do have all required items MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING I confirm, video briefing completed Quick kind question, since I do not know the pink rock, does this location have technical dunes since my car will not be the best for this scenario, at least at my level, as per my understanding?

@Rizwanm2thx for leading this drive. It was amazing.. We got the chance to ride most of the ridges in the area. The last 30 minutes around the big red were just WOW👏👏 . @Chris Wing was doing great as SL we were following his steps in confidence. @Jona, @Krishna Rit was amazing to connect with u again.. Finally to my frd @Deepak Eswar u did well regardless of the pop outs u faced. It's just part of our learning curve Thx all see u soon on next drive!! 👌

Dear Friends @Chris Wing @Deepak Eswar @Mohit Gurnani @Ahmad Nerat @Jona @Krishna R Hope you all ready for express drive tomorrow morning, please find below convoy list order and we will be leaving sharp 6 AM. see you all in the morning,

Thanks for this tips. I think I’m going to go for a wrangler rubicon with the intention of it being my off-road only car, however, if I end up enjoying it for on road then I won’t rush into the daily, however will get a daily too if necessarily. I can pickup a 2018 2dr for around 120-150k. I think the 2dr is preferred for desert over 4 dr?

In addition to your list and Rubicon, lc70 series also have the option with part time 4wd and F&R locks, for part time 4WDs, when 4H/4L engaged, power to F&R is locked at 50:50 already hence no central diff lock is needed LC70 series In China, people are so obsessed with locks, they consider more locks = better offroadability, hence there are several options in China with part time 4wd and F&R locks, the costs from 130k AED Great Wall Haval H9, positioned against Prado Great Wall Tank 300 BAIC BJ40, BAIC used to own Jeep's factory in China🙃 They all proper 4x4s with frame and low range gear, but only 2.0T/2.3T engines with power to weight ratio more or less around 100, which is considered as underpowered in desert driving. All those cars indeed beat their competitors (originals) in most of offroad scenaries just because of the locks. Tank 300 is a recent product and I think the engineers probably thought about desert driving under extreme heat: Central display setting to keep engine fan rev high all the time Thermostat can be taken out without removing any parts, just like removing a fuse from fuse box Havel H9 & BAIC BJ40 are also available in UAE, without lockers sadly 0-0 (I didnt see the car but neither of dealers marketed diff locks as selling point)

Thanks @Gaurav bhai for adding these extra correct points. Man how could I forget Rubicon, I almost bought that car and I did look at videos of how cool sway bar disconnect is, most will show putting the tyres on a fork-lift but as Gaurav said; when you are crested press that Electronic Sway Bar Disconnect and the front tyres will drop to touch the sand like a Long-Travel Dune Buggy would, in the hope of gaining traction to self-recover 😁

This is an amazing effort @Zed to enlighten everyone with your recent differential enlightenment. Just a small add-on on few points for better clarity. Point 4: Center differential engagement comes standard when you switch to LO gear. Second, you can use center differential in high using HLC (Hi Lock Center diff), hence in most cars, there is no button labeled as center diff, one can use center diff either in HLC or in LLC 4X4 gearing. Point 5: Rear diff-lock will only help to get unstuck if any one of the rear wheels still has traction. If both rear wheels are in the air or deep inside the sand then the rear diff-lock won't be able to help much. Point 7: Jeep Rubicon has all three diff and plus sway bar disconnect option with a flick of a button, that can work wonder even when the vehicle is crested with all 4 wheels in the air. Sway bar disconnect will drop the front wheel lower by a couple of inches and increase the chance of self-recovery if cresting is not on razor-sharp blade.