Chaitanya D

It is not a curfew but unnecessary movements outside not allowed . Please all to cooperate 

Spy 

Designated survivor

Toy Boy

Homeland ,Blacklist ,scorpion and Narcos ( Longer series)

congratulations !!

3 minutes ago, desertdude said:

I thought with everything virtually closed and a lot of people working from the forum would be buzzing with activity as people find ways to kill time at home but it's even more deserted than usual? ( Other than the long list of promotion threads )

Whats up with that?

It is work as usual for me taking all the best precautions .  Praying everyone follows the advise and precautions.  Keep yourself and your loved ones safe 

15 minutes ago, Rahimdad said:

Congratulations @Chaitanya D. It's a pleasure to have a doctor on our drives. You bring a whole new perspective to every drive which I'm learning and enjoying through you. Thank you Doctor. Yes, there is a doctor in the house.

Thanks @Rahimdad. Keep driving safe and hope we can start having the Alu Parathas soon. :-))

4 minutes ago, Kalahari said:

Well done!! With the new off-road bumper you and the Patrol will have lots of fun. 

Frankly yes, lastweek two back to back drives and I was not worried about scraping it at all.

Congratulations @Jamy B.

Congratulations @Kalahari

Congratulations 

Thank you one and all. Hope to get it better from the best 

4 minutes ago, Pancho said:

hello, how do I posted some  photos. I do not know if this is the way to do it and hope you like them. I have got some more and if needed I can send higher quality per email. I am sorry my red car is on most of them

Please go the the drop down options on the website and upload in the gallery for this particular ride

Or use the Link below

https://carnity.com/gallery/category/190-newbie-sweihan-abu-dhabi-20-mar-2020

Thanks @Gaurav  and @Ale Vallecchifor another wonderful drive. Good to see and learn a  very tactful rescue when the car got stuck between sand and rocks...with help from the jeepers...its amazing how people help each other in desert when someone is stuck. Wish it is true in all aspects of life when people are helpful for eachother .

Have a safe time ahead all of you and take care of yourselves 

Thanks @Srikumar  for marshalling the sweihan drive and @Brette It was indeed a pleasure to drive there and get whatever learnt till now better.

Wonderful day spent well considering the current situation all around. Much needed break 

Organizers @Rahimdad, @Frederic, @Gaurav and @Srikumar please arrange one more sweihan drive next week and I am already RSVPing in advance :-))

5 minutes ago, Frederic said:

Unichip and Pedal Commander are two different animals and each have their own functionalities:

- Unichip is basically a plug and play unit that connects to your engine management system, and that is made to enhance the car's performance. I've never been a big fan of chiptuning, unless you do it on a recent vehicle with max 50-60k on the odometer. After that the engine has settled, and i would not go for chiptuning anymore, but that's just my two cents and not based on facts that the engine might suffer more.

- Pedal Commander is a unit that you connect between the pedal actuator and the ECU. What this one does, is manipulate the output voltage of your pedal as per your desired setting. So for example if you put it on ECO mode, and you push the throttle pedal, the signal to the ECU will be slightly delayed, or the throttle signal will be limited, resulting in a more soft throttle response. Vice versa using the Sports Mode will make the responsiveness more aggressive and fast, which can indeed help to have that big beast to slightly react faster (which you could also to by pushing harder on the throttle).

When learning to drive offroad, and especially on newbie level, i would never vouch for spending dirhams on any of these items. But when the time comes that you are completely in tune with your car, and are looking for an upgrade in terms of either performance or responsiveness, than you can start looking at these things, one at a time (don't get them both installed at the same time as it will massively confuse you and how you feel the car).

 I remember how sensitive @Gaurav was when he changed the rear springs on his car, and later when i reached intermediate and advance level i finally understood how ANY small change on your vehicle can have big consequences and might take you some time to get in tune with your vehicle again.

Many thanks @Frederic for your comment and suggestions. Yes I am not changing anything now but wanted to know if anyone had experience with these. I would request you guys ( @Rahimdad, @Gaurav, @Srikumar @desertdude , and all experienced people out here ) to specifically give suggestions when maneuvering the unusual offroad cars (like the y62 ) while getting down a steep dune, valley or a sidee... May be I am asking too early but I want to get it straight sooner than later and of course before breaking a lot of stuff 

Guys @Gaurav , @Salarios and @desertdude many thanks for all your advise, opinion and suggestions. Since this thread is related to modifications I would add more to it ( pls gaurav dont mind - hahaha). If you dont want to burn a hole into your pocket changing a lot and if you dont want to break the warranty on your car ( especially for people riding patrols less than 5 years old, for me it is 5 years now ) one of my friend who takes his bumper modified patrol y62 regularly to desert suggested the following 

- pedal commander 

- unichip 

both improve cars performance (or rather responsiveness ) without breaking the warranty or doing expensive mods . But again getting both of these would cost around 3 to 4 K. 

I am not vouching for them  but as per the one who uses it gives him enough quick response needed to tackle tricky areas. Anyone using here to please share their opinions and advise.

We have our opinions, advises and tastes so let us make this thread as much useful to improve the offroad capabilities without spending much and without breaking a lot of things . Probably we might not continue bashing our patrols , but when we entered this sport it was the only 4×4 I had and hence it is a tough decision to let it go without even trying something- not outrageous but within limits ( limit again is very subjective). Frankly I spent 2.3 k for the bumpers till now and that's it 

I am still a beginner but only after starting off road I realised the flaws in y62 - needs some mods, probably high running costs and being heavy etc. 

But frankly few of my friends in Oman and here who have y62 have not done many mods suggest they did not have any issues. They do fairly regular desert offroading but definitely not jumping dunes etc :-)). Yes one needs to maneuver this car differently unlike the FJ/Wrangler/Xterra /Pajero etc.

12 hours ago, Zed said:

Btw, with all these Y62 mods, what do you guys think @Chaitanya D @Salarios of Nissan Patrol Gazelle? Should one, say, sell his Y62 and upgrade to Gazelle? I mean it already has winch, 2" lift kit, and fully serviceable by Nissan. I'm guessing this will also pass RTA annual tests... >> https://en.nissan-dubai.com/vehicles/new/patrol-safari/gazelle.html 

 

Almost 300 k for another car ...I would rather spend some more and keep my patrol.

Except some niggles while off road , it is a wonderful family car 

26 minutes ago, Salarios said:

@Xaf thank you for taking the time to write such thoughtful and valid comments. These are serious words of wisdom that every driver should adhere to. 

The Y62 does indeed have considerably higher running costs, but the thrill of a V8 400hp engine packaged in luxury justifies it in my humble opinion. @Gaurav can attest to the joy of riding it as he drove up the Maleha mountain with it on Friday. I have a [fake] defender back home (more on that later), and have no worries on damaging it while offroading since running costs are much lower, but sometimes I feel like I'm driving a farm tractor. I'll let people with more experience comment on striking that perfect balance between comfort/power versus running costs. 

Anyway, a few points to mention: 

- I had the bumper changed yesterday (thanks @Chaitanya D for the contact details of Mohammad), and also installed the bash plate painted matte black to match the car, and a new LED light: 

The bash plate is connected to the chasis, and should theoretically absorb the forces better. 

Before doing this, I visited these guys, and considered metal front and rear bumpers along with Smittybilt winch:  

They were asking 3,600 for the front, and 2,200 for the back, plus 2,800 for the 12k winch. But because of three reasons I decided against it : a) The bumpers are made of aluminum and recovery points can not be attached to the bumpers; b) RTA approval is questionable for the bumpers and c) the winch is attached not to the chasis but to a cross bar which is held to the chasis with three bolts on each side. And that front cross bar is not strong enough to with-hold the strong forces of a winch. I spoke to multiple shops that confirmed the Y62 by design is not suited for a winch like a cruiser. 

Just to comment on @Srikumar's valid statement about additional wear and tear, and of course this is true, but my experience is that some cars are built tougher than others. Cruisers and patrols are built like tanks and can withstand that offroad abuse much better than entry level 4x4's. But of course the approach/break-over/departure angles need to be improved. 

 

 

@Salarios I read somewhere that you will not be attending the drive this friday as you have to travel, hope you and your family is all well.

Nice job changing the front end, looks great and I suppose it definitely does a decent job in the sands. That guy is sharjah is super flexible and will include all your suggestions. 

I agree with you on the V8, power and the build quality. But it needs some adjustments/mods to make it a proper offroader - we need to enquire and get the best of available options as there is not much info available especially in UAE as all the mods are coming from Australia mainly... I definitely dont want to write it as my regret may be two years down the line.

See you soon upon return and safe travels 

1 hour ago, Xaf said:

@Salarios Congratulations with your upgrade. Your car looks awesome in my opinion, nice black stealth look with aggressive wheels.

Bumpers
@Salarios and @Chaitanya D, because you are both changing bumpers/ body, try to think a few steps ahead. Do I want to continue with this hobby and do I maybe need other things in the future? As an example, LED lights or a winch maybe? You don't have to do everything at once, but when you are modifying your bumper, I would also think about where you can mount a LED bar/ spots. When the time comes that you want to mount LED lights, you'll have a gap/ space/ bar for that.

I've learned in this region that you have to think by yourself and give them a plan/ design what you like. The work they deliver is often good, as long you give them a detailed concept.

As a technique, you can visit different workshops, ask them an opinion what they can do for you. Sometimes they come with ideas you've never thought about. Go home, think a few days about it, put the best of all ideas together and go the one that was offering you the best price. Try to get a bit more off that price if possible.

One thing I have experienced, the more you bargain, the least in priority your work will be done.

Tires
I am not into the Nissan Y62's, regarding choosing a new tire, I recommend that you both go through the Y62 fora, to see what is possible regarding different offsets and tire sizes. 
https://www.patrol4x4.com/threads/biggest-tyre-stock-car.285785/

 

 

 

@Salarios

I know you already have new wheels and tires, but still I recommend to go through the discussion on the forum, it might help you with other modifications like another UCA or suspension lift.

@Xaf Thanks and I concur with all your suggestions. I will try to get some more ideas as to how to sort the bumper/suspension/tyre changes for Y62 patrols- most being made in Australia where they do many kind of upgrades/changes which I suppose are not allowed in UAE due to the process of re-registration every year.And there is no clear cut directive as to what can be done not to have any issue while registering the car every year.

Another option which strikes to my mind always is instead of making all these expensive changes to a stock nicely equipped car, I go for a cheaper used car and drive it carefree in the desert. I need some suggestions regarding this - Modifications to a Y62 vs buying a used car which can be driven as you like in the desert without worrying much. @Rahimdad, @Gaurav, @Srikumar and @Frederic your inputs will be much appreciated . Thanks in advance

1 hour ago, Rahimdad said:

@Chaitanya D what happened during your sidey, what was so tragic?

@Rahimdad I was doing a beginner sidee on the lower part of slope and rode over a bump ...I am not sure if I can say this was a mistake?

I had taken precautions for front bumper but unfortunately the back bumper came out from right side with some external plastic broken from the back.

Thanks to @sheri, @Michael sammy , @Shamil for helping me to kind of fix it (or rather remove it hahaha) so that I completed the full ride...I was amazed at the equipments they were carrying including a battery operated drill .

Meanwhile I had a nice welcome ceremony  at home when my little one accompanying me spilled the beans to my better half who became a fiery half instantly. 

See you and everyone soon , I hope i will get this bumper issue fixed by that time.

Saturday drive in Meliha was fantastic except for my tragedic sidee . 

Thanks @Gaurav, @Shamil @Xaf and @Ale Vallecchi for guiding the convoy. 

16 minutes ago, Barry said:

The logic behind this one is flawed. 27 degrees supposedly kills the virus, but the temperature of the human body is 37. By this theory, the virus can’t survive in the human body. The virus will eventually die outside the body because it needs a host, not because of the temperature. I’m not an expert on it, just applying year 12 biology and common sense. 
 

According to this, you need a temperature of 60 degrees to kill the virus,

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51735367

Covid 19 has been around since dec 2019 . Unfortunately there has not been enough evidence or research just because of the lack of time ...and in this short time its infectivity has been enormous.  All efforts now are towards containment and getting to know some cure/vaccine.

Even I am a surgeon and my knowledge about these medical issues is quite less but I am getting all these feedbacks from my physician friends in UAE and overseas including US.

On 3/12/2020 at 6:11 PM, Gaurav said:

According to WhatsApp university UNICEF, WHO, HEALTH Ministry graphics says COVID can't stand temperature above 27 degrees.

If it's really true, then we all are really very fortunate to be in a hot country and summers almost approaching that everyday by noon we are touching 30+

Covid cant withstand more than 27 degrees provided the droplets fall on ground.

If the droplets find another host(person) before that then he is bound to be infected :-(. That's the reason to avoid mass gatherings ,crowded places and maintaining 6 feet distance from anyone coughing 

On 3/11/2020 at 10:33 PM, Rahimdad said:

With the current worldwide situation and pandemic declared by WHO with regards to the Corona (COVID-19) virus, as Carnity Offroad Club we want to take the necessary precautions in order to avoid the risk of spreading the virus. 

Therefore, from today onwards, we will implement the following basic steps until further notice:

- Please refrain from joining any offroad drive if you have any symptoms of upper respiratory infection, cough, or fever. 

- Avoid shaking hands and touching faces without washing or using sanitizer.

- Please refrain from sharing food, snacks, or opened water bottles. 

 

We hope we can count on your co-operation and will follow up on the situation closely.

Dear all and especially @Rahimdad, @Gaurav, @Srikumar and @Frederic. I am sharing with you all a detailed article on how to deal and contain covid 19. It's time consuming but worth it as it is going to overwhelm healthcare and facilities around the world

https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca

Considering "current scientific consensus is that this virus can be spread within 2 meters (6 feet) if somebody coughs. Otherwise, the droplets fall to the ground and don’t infect you."

We all need to act now to contain it. I wanted to know if the following was feasible

- do the carnity briefings on radio while we are sitting in our cars. Absolute newbies to please read the carnity brief without fail.

- we get to help each other only when someone is stuck as it is open wider area 

- may be the Marshall's can guide the newbies well ahead not to get stuck.

With these small modifications we dont have to forgo the fun of driving in desert while keeping ourselves safe.

8 hours ago, Salarios said:

Sorry for the delay @Chaitanya D I wanted to go on a drive first before commenting on the new tires, and had some fun with them for the first time today. The tire/rim combo cost just over 7k, and I had it done in Sharjah (across Day to Day in Al Nahda). It was a good decision to go from 20’s to 18’s I think, as there is now a higher tire wall and hence more surface area in the sands. The AT3’s are just amazing though. No noticeable increase in highway noise, very good traction, and they look good too (which was also a factor in my decision!). They didn’t interfere with the suspension at all, but initially they rubbed against the plastic panel in the front passenger side, which was easily fixed by screwing the panel inwards more tightly. Overall I’m very happy with this decision. 

By the way as I broke my front bumper again today on a fewbie drive and dislocated the diffuser in the back, I was thinking about your comment as I was driving back: that I’m glad I didn’t spend 10k on the Japanese bumpers! 😂 

I’ll be calling your guy tomorrow for a new bumper. 🙃  

Cheers, Salar 

Thanks @Salarios for your detailed reply. Sorry to know you have a broke  bumper even with the uplifted one.:-(

I was wondering how does changing rim size increase foot print in desert ? 

Because if you have down sized to 18 , you would have gone for increased side wall (65 or 70 ) and hence the tyre circumference remains almost same. So upon deflating to 15 psi in desert the contact area on sand probably remains the same as the tyre circumference has not changed .I am not sure if I am getting my math wrong here ?please correct me if I am wrong.

Cheers and See you soon