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4.9 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 450 Google Reviews
Biju Abdul
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Posts posted by Biju Abdul
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Hi @Emmanuel please can you put me in waiting list?
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5 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:
EVENTFUL DAY IN QUDRA BASIN - Bab al Shams' Loop Report
Nice drive today in the so called "Bab al Shams" sector of the Qudra Basin. Punctual members, incremental levels of difficulty along the route, and a few adventurous moments. Actually, a couple of these unexpected situations have taken center stage, and have pushed in the background an overall impressive performance by all the drivers. To be specific, and give dues where dues are owed, @Jolly Abraham carried out an impeccable Second Lead, always correcting properly, and communicating smoothly. @Islam Soliman confirmed his skills at maneuvering such an extra-large car. @Lisa Pemberton delivered an impressive performance (extra kudos for making it all the way from RAK). @luwaimncontinued his progress, building up his confidence on the slopes (which will grow exponentially as soon as he'll understand his car's full potential). Likewise @Yousef Alimadadi progressed nicely throughout the day, overcoming some initial hesitance to show very good command and control. @Mehmet Volga and @Heisem handled their backward position, and the sometimes churned sand, without batting an eyelid. Finally @Biju Abdul swept the convoy with precision and flair (as he managed his FJ). Special mention for @Brette, who anchored the convoy and assisted on refusals and stucks, with patience and competence.
Now, back to the adventurous moments. In chronological order, the first was the encounter with a very young wounded gazelle. It appeared in front of my car as I was coming down a side slope, hiding in the shade of a small bush. The fact that it didn't move made me suspicious, and decided to take a break from the drive to check it out. Unfortunately, the little one had some wounds on its back (maybe from a vulture?). The convoy agreed to see if we could tend to the gazelle, which we did by providing it with some water, and by calling the Municipality (all animal rescue places were closed). Contrarily to our instinct, to take it out of the desert to Qudra Parkimg, we were told that we should not move it: the area is part of Al Marmoon Conservation Area, and the information we got was that nothing can be taken from it, under no circumstances. The Municipality informed us that someone will be sent to pick the gazelle up, so we left it under some shade, on a straw mat provided by Islam, extra water care of Yousef, and a flag, care of @Srikumar (who had come to aid us from his nearby Newbie convoy) to identify the bush where the little animal was resting. Fast forward to the end of the drive, the Municipality had contacted Heisem (who had called them in the first place) and informing us that they could not locate the gazelle, asked us if we could go back and take it out. After leaving the rest of the convoy at the exit point, we went back, with Jolly, Heisem and Brette, hell bent on our rescue mission (upping the drive from Fewbie to Intermediate 😅). Unfortunately, upon reaching the flag-marked bush we could not do anything else but confirm to the Municipality that very sadly the little gazelle had died from its wounds. Nonetheless we did our best, and learned a lesson in how the conservation area is managed, rightly so, by the laws of wild nature.
As for the second surprise of the day, it was certainly one that Islam would have done without. Fact is that most cars are programmed to be driven on flat surfaces, and their computers don't understand their driver's crave for off-roading. It so happened that, coming down from a small slope, just after crossing a low ridge, the big Yukon's electronic brain must have thought it was rolling to one side, and decided to save Islam by exploding its lateral air-bags. A stark, and unfortunate, reminder that all electronics should be switched off (or manually disabled) before going into the desert, so that a rather simple obstacle (Islam didn't seem to have any difficulty at all, navigating the ridge and the descent) doesn't transform itself in a dire problem. Wish Islam will be able to have his car back ASAP.
As for the drive itself, after a technical briefing on riding ridges and crossing dunes, and a couple of practices (one driver at the time), it was clear that the whole convoy was able to manage such skills. We progressed from the western part of Qudra (closest to Bab al Shams) in a northerly direction, through a couple of sabkhas, so that we could then travel southward, and back west, and cross the mostly compact, wind-swept side of the longer open dunes, which in this area also offer abundant possibilities of side sloping, as well as some "bowl" areas.
In the end, we traveled for 4 hours, including the stops for the briefing, the attempted rescue and the air-bags incident, for a total of 50 Km, at an average speed of 12 Kms/h (and moving average speed of 24 Kms/h).
Splendid video @Islam Soliman. Well done!
Thanks a lot @Ale Vallecchi for another wonderful drive today.
Being at the sweep position was a different experience to me, though not sure if I did justice to it’s responsibility 😀. Thanks to @Brette for managing all refusals and recoveries 👏🏻👏🏻 so well, I had no stress at the back.
@Ale Vallecchi you have showed your kindness so well today by spending so much energy and time on trying to save the Gazelle, despite the fact that what happened to it was a normal survival fights within wildlife. Special thanks to @Heisem for finding an option to report this to Dubai Muncipality.
All of us could practice ridge crossing quite well today and I am sure that all of us could step up our skills on this very important skill today. Excited to hit the dune next week for more such challenges.
I am uploading some pictures and the trip track video similar to what @Islam Soliman did.
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5 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:
Dear Desertnauts
In preparation for tomorrow's drive, find below the convoy order
@Jolly Abraham will drive in Second Lead
@Islam Soliman will take #3
@Lisa Pemberton in at #4
@luwaimn will be in position #5
@Brette will Center Forward the convoy
@Yousef Alimadadi will follow at #7
@Mehmet Volga will occupy spot #8
@Heisem will drive at #9
@Biju Abdul will sweep the convoy
Be advised that the meeting and deflation point is along a dirt track, turning right on the Road from Bab al Shams, approximately 1 Km in. You may refill at Al Qudra Parking lot ADNOC's station, then take the road toward Bab al Shams. We will meet a little later than in past drives, at 5:30 AM SHARP: the goal is to deflate quickly, have a briefing and depart as swiftly as possible. Once on site, please tune into Carnity Channel 4 (446.081).
Make sure all of you have a good shovel (not a "spoon"), recovery rope and soft shackles (metal ones are quite dangerous), a compressor (as we plan to exit e few Km from the nearest station), and most of all front and back tow points in good conditions.
See you all tomorrow just before dawn. Have a nice Thursday evening.
Hi @Ale Vallecchi the recovery rope i have is not kinetic one and I don’t have soft shackles, thought of buying it from fewbie plus level.
I am attaching the ones I currently have which is brand new and never had to open yet.😀. Hope it’s fine for the drive tomorrow and I hope to get the kinetic rope and soft shackles before the next drive.
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1 hour ago, Frederic said:
DRIVE REPORT
On my way to Second December Cafeteria I came across hundreds of cars that were parked next to the road, awaiting the predicted rain showers. As soon as the rains set in, it was funny to see all of them running outside their cars, splashing in the water and enjoying the rain. For me, coming from a country where it rains a lot more I must say it made me laugh quite hard while I was passing them by.
Upon arrival, where I found @Febin Frederic also had an itch to hit the sand early, we saw the cafeteria area already was a muddy pool, with locals arriving with buggy's and Landcruisers and Batrols hitting the sand and revving without deflating.
We quickly set out by crossing the road and heading towards direction Faya. The Suwaydan area we went into is mostly left behind by other clubs because the terrain is more technical and quite bushy, with even a forest in the middle of it (we will come to that later). I have driven in that area before and although it is not the most exciting area, it does offer scenic views and for this drive I wanted to let the convoy digest some technical areas as it's important to learn them, and also the scenic views on this cloudy afternoon is something we should enjoy as this is super rare in UAE.
We had a strong convoy that day, and no-one really struggled, and even @Tero Vallas who was a little bit stuck in the mud at the back of the convoy managed to get himself out eventually by deflating a bit more and giving the mighty Prado a good kickin'
Well done !
We arrived at Sharjah Forest (don't laugh this is how I named that waypoint in my gps), and parked the cars next to each other and made some shots, which will be the perfect Insta and FB material I hope).
It was quickly getting more dark, even earlier as expected maybe due to the cloudy weather, so that meant we had pick up the pace and head over to Faya, where I was expecting to see hundreds of cars but fortunately the area was quite calm and all of us had our chance to climb from our so-called cheat route. Attacking from the front was simply impossible with all the muddy cross tracks, and I was sure we were all able to reach the top via that cheat route.
As the dark set in, I was contemplating if we would play around in the Faya a little bit more, but it was getting quite dark and felt it was the right time to head out towards the exit as it had been a lovely day and sometimes my gut feeling tells me not to jinx it. We inflated at the dune buggy shops and I hope everyone appreciated the different type of drive this was today. We will just call it "Insta-Drive" from now
The whole convoy was super-cooperative, helpful, and all of you drove really well. @Veedooshee who lost a bit of the inside of her Pajero eventually found it back thanks to @Mels Wolf, and this event amongst others showed how much we try to look after each other, which is THE main reason why I gladly keep doing these drives. It is all about the community spirit, helping out each other, and having a good day in the sand.
@Jun Zamora which I have not seen a while, has become a confident off-roader that easily digests whatever terrain is being thrown at him. Fantastic growth in a short time !
@Christian Andras as my second lead, and with the family safely strapped in (LOL), drove also very confident and did not break a sweat. Maybe it helped that we were driving in Tawi Swedan 😅
@Biju Abdul gave us the perfect excuse to have a difflock on board and used it on the PERFECT moment. Super !
@Edgar you drove really well today, and you went on Faya like you drove on Sheikh Zayed. Mighty impressive !
@David Ortells it was nice meeting your wife, and it will be great to see her joining the club too very soon !
@Yousef Alimadadi and friends, hope you had a good time !
@Jeepie as always the calm supportive sweep, a pleasure to have you in the convoy. Absolutely well done, and a big thanks also to @Febin Frederic for helping out with the recoveries.
See you guys soon in the sand !
Yes @Frederic it was a lovely drive “Insta-drive”
I really enjoyed the technical dunes track we did, “ car in low pace but our brain in fast pace “ 😀
The Diff lock recovery boosted my already High pride of owning a FJ 😎😁
Overall it was a great drive with our captain @Frederic and a lovely convoy.
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2 minutes ago, Biju Abdul said:
I don’t have much knowledge about this Brand. Is it All Terrain? There was a post where Gaurav had listed tyre recommendations based on some facts, please check it out.
My experience with Geolander G015 is satisfactory so far.
Hi @sertac check for Gaurav’s note in below topic.
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1 hour ago, sertac said:
They are very expensive compare to Yokohama Sharjah. But i saw Nitto Duro Grappler 2019 is 1200aed for a set is very attractive.
I don’t have much knowledge about this Brand. Is it All Terrain? There was a post where Gaurav had listed tyre recommendations based on some facts, please check it out.
My experience with Geolander G015 is satisfactory so far.
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4 hours ago, sertac said:
I just talk to them for my Xterra Geolander G015 2020 1680aed they quoted.
This means old promo is over. Still price sounds ok considering the authenticity. Hope they offer you free wheel alignment for 1st 10K and also free wheel rotation till warranty (check this).
For an alternate pricing query, you may check online or enquire through https://www.myzdegree.com
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4 hours ago, Gaurav said:
Recently heard from someone here that Juma Al Majid (Yokohoma distributor) giving some good discount on geo's.
Check with them first if its still there.
Yes @Gaurav I recently got 4 Geolander G015 2019 Juma Al Majid for AED 1328 for my FJ. I got the last set from dec 2019 tyres but 2020 batch would cost higher. Anyways it’s worth checking with them for any running promo since I believe they are a strong distributor of Yokohama.
Hi @andy_macdxb you can reach Richard at +971504660765 from Juma Al Majid Sharjah.-
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Hi @Emmanuel I did RSVP here by mistake, please ignore and you can remove me from the list. Sorry for that.
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3 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:
NIGHT AND DAY - PINK ROCK EXTENDED
This time every driver's maniacal punctuality allowed us to start the day....with a night drive. With the cover of the dark we snuck into the dunes leading to Pink Rock's nothern base, and easily climbed its saddle, just in time to enjoy the first hints of dawn.
From there we proceeded, skirting Fennec Cave, all around the rock, in a south-westerly direction, toward the beautiful range of sand bowls and low ridges that makes up the plateau betweem our starting point and Big Red.
The terrain, and the quality of the drivers, allowed us to practice all off-roading skills: streight crossing, side sloping, and the rudiment of criss-crossing. Eventually, as everybody got more comfortable, we pushed the level up, and by the time we exited, the convoy had managed to ride in and out of the lower Big Red's bowls in good form, driving smoothly , crossing over the last 3 bowls without stucks.
Great job by @Chaitanya D, executing flawlessly his first Second Lead. Very good contribution by @Rinelle Sanaani in his first Center Forward position (good recovery of Islam's GMC). Also perfect job by @Febin Frederic, also in his first Sweep, keeping the convoy together, and managing its flow when some refusals demanded directing the traffic.
Special mention to @Islam Soliman for the impressive handling of his "beast": after the first challanging ridge, you never looked back, and managed a perfect ride.
Very good drive, cool and collected, by the "younger" off-roaders (@Tero Vallas, @muzamil hussain, @Biju Abdul and @Gregory Perkin) as well as the more experienced ones (@Anish S and @Shiju Manuel) one could see all of you gaining in self-confidence, improving at each crossing, managing the last, more fast paced ones at Big Red, with good precision and control. Well done.
By 9AM we had managed to drive for 3:35 hours and 38.4Km, at an average speed of 11Km/h (20 Km/h while moving), with a maximum speed of 58Km/h, and a total of 608 meters climbed.
Thank you all very much for joining, and see you next time on the hot sand. Have a great week!!
@Ale Vallecchi today’s drive was fantastic and the happy face of all of us at the exit point is the testimonial of the same I guess.
Thank you so much for making us practice ridge crossing at safer dunes and especially with your live commentary, feels much more confident now to practice this further.
Needless to say, the convoy management was very good today, thanks to @Chaitanya D @Rinelle Sanaani @Febin Frederic and I feel they share great sync in communication.
@Ale Vallecchi overall this was my best drive so far and I would say this till I have the next best drive with you 😁😉 maybe next Friday ? 😉
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52 minutes ago, Asif Hussain said:
@Biju Abdul your radiator is sitting inside frame. 6mm thick aluminium is more than enough. If you have hanging radiator then you should go for a thicker plate with proper radiator support bracket.
Thank you @Asif Hussain.
But I had confirmed to the workshop today for 10 mm aluminum skid plate and will get it installed tomorrow. Hope it’s fine too?
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1 hour ago, topgear said:
@Biju Abdulthe one that I have also have certain cut out areas where the service centre can open with the Allen key when they need to change the oil filter, drain the engine oil etc, During regular service, the SC does not need to remove the whole skid plate.
Thank you @topgear @sertac @Srikumar for the advice. A known workshop guy in sharjah suggested 10 mm aluminum (as opposed to steel for lesser weight) which protects the base more area than current base plate. The cost is 1200 aed including labour charges. I will go for it thanks.
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Hi
During my last Friday drive at Al Qudra, the base plate of my FJ 2013 model, got completely bent while recovering on reverse. I had to get it removed as fixing this back doesn’t seem to be a good idea now. I have shared pictures of the plate and the view from down now.
My request for an expert advice is about
1) whether a similar base plate is advisable (keeping in mind that this was done by dealer themself for a few years of FJ models and not directly from Toyota)?
2) is it ok to continue off roading (mostly desert for now) without this plate? Picture shared with view of base.
3) is it required to have such extra protection, either another base plate of this kind or other types of skid plates available outside in the market (steel / aluminum) or its a nice to have stuff?
I would appreciate guidance from my fellow Carnity members or our expert leaders please.
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2 hours ago, Tbone said:
Thanks @Ale Vallecchi, as always you gave us an interesting drive to kick start a weekend. @Kalahari, special thanks for helping me out. Hope @Biju Abdul didn't have any trouble reaching home. Also thank you everyone for the nice drive.
@Jeandre Bezuidenhout, I think I forgot to return your tool set. This is my number 0505090048. Whattsapp me and we will figure it how to get it back to you.
Hi @Tbone yes I managed to reach home with the bent guard plate holding on to two Nuts 😀. Thanks a lot to you, @Kalahari @Najeeb Mohammed @Jeandre Bezuidenhout @Shiju Manuel for the great support when in need.
Hi @Ale Vallecchi it was a great start and your technical briefing and making us try sample ridge crossing was getting really exciting but unfortunately my car knocked me down in the middle. But I must say that the drive from that bowl to the exit point was really thrilling cause of the condition for survival that “no refusals and no room for reverse for me 😁”.
Hope to join your convoy soon to learn more and practice.
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49 minutes ago, Emmanuel said:
I’m surprised (or maybe I didn’t get what you mean?) because there’s always a briefing, even at fewbie level. If I remember well, at the beginning of the morning drive you attended last Friday, for example, @Wrangeld explained his plan in details and made a radio briefing.
Hi @Emmanuel I think I didn’t communicate it well. I was referring to briefing or small demo (on sand) about the general techniques similar to details and illustrations shared in Frederics article.
I have seen some videos of this kind of briefing by some clubs, so thought it would be very helpful for all of us in any levels as we progress in learning.
I have a YouTube video link for a reference but please let me know if I am allowed to share it here. Obviously this video is of time before covid, so it’s an open briefing with people closer than 2 meters distance 😀. Maybe a line up of convoy in cars with Our leader at our line of slight (demo on sand 😎) and the briefing on radio.-
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1 hour ago, Frederic said:
Hi @Biju Abdul. Dune bashing is just a general name for a dynamic driving style in the dunes, in which ridge riding and criss-crossing is a part of. I never liked the description "bashing" as it would mean that we try to destroy the dune, which is the complete opposite of what we should be doing. The real art of offroading exists in "riding" the dunes like a surfer would "ride" the waves. Hence, using the slopes to gain momentum and make it to the next dune by carrying that momentum.
If you drive in a convoy, you need to be aware that there are drivers coming behind you that also want to enjoy the same dune, so churning up the sand and fishtailing all over the place is not the way to do it, as you are completely destroying the tracks.
The spinning while taking fast turns and rounds is called making "donuts". That is being done in 2WD and serves NO purpose other than showing off.
Hi @Frederic thank you for your response.
I am in total agreement with you, I too enjoy smooth rides in the desert and enjoy nature and not a fan of stunts, though I am not judging those who enjoy it.
By feeling the comfort level we are getting out of this knowledge (theory), can we think of getting some short briefing by Marshal about what we are planning to do in each drive? As we know that the theory really helps when you learn the same by practicing. I know the covid situation makes it challenging for an open briefing but maybe a line up of convoy in cars with Not Allowed at our line of slight (demo on sand 😎) and the briefing on radio. Just a suggestion because it would really help us to learn faster and safer.
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On 12/5/2019 at 6:36 PM, Frederic said:
Different ways of crossing sand dunes
Throughout the Carnity Offroad briefings you might have heard the terms "straight up and straight down", "side sloping", or "criss-crossing", and these are basically different techniques that we use in desert for crossing the sand dunes.
Each come with its own risks and by learning and understanding the technicalities behind them i hope we can all learn faster and get more confidence in executing them. I hope below tutorial gives a more clear understanding on the subject and we can use it for future reference.
1) Straight Up - Straight Down
Carnity Offroad Level: Newbie and Fewbies
Description
This technique is one of the very first we learn to apply when learning offroading. The trick is to approach the dune straight up with "JUST" enough momentum to make it through, but not too much to damage bumpers or cause a jump.
One should always take into account the resistance that the sand offers based on different areas, and even more on different seasons.
Most sand dunes have two sides
- The windward side, which is the side where the prevailing wind blows on, and can be recognized by the wavy lines of the sand. This is the side where we ride on because the sand is more compacted and firm to drive on.
- The slip-face side, this the softer backside (smooth side, no lines) of the dune which is generally not recommended to climb on, but this technique can later be learned as you advance through the off-road levels (slip-face attack).
How to tackle
It is advisable to start off at the bottom of the dune with applying a decent amount of power, and start letting go of the gas once you have climbed 75% of the dune. By that point the momentum should carry you further, and as soon as the car front wheel touches the crest, leave the gas completely or apply a bit of gentle braking when needed, to let you slide on other side of the dune safely. In fact the perfect technique is finding that right amount of momentum that you don't even need to apply brakes on the other side. Some gentle blips of throttle can help at the top to push you over the edge, as you learn and master this first step.
If you run out of momentum going upwards to cross the dune, do not worry or panic, this is called a REFUSAL. Gently reverse and slowly come back in a straight line as you have climbed up. Announce on the radio that you have a refusal. Reverse up far enough so you can take a second attempt but this time with a bit more momentum.
Risk Level: Low to medium. Approaching too slow will increase refusal and might cause stuck at the crest. Approaching with excessive speed might damage the bumpers or cause a vehicle to jump. Apply gentle throttle and slowly increase after learning.
Take note that every dune is different and each approach will need to be made slightly different in terms of speed.
Associated Risks: If you approach the dune too fast, more likely you will cause the bumper damage because your reaction time will be reduced substantially at very high speed.
2) Side-Sloping
Carnity Offroad Level: Fewbie and upwards
Description
This technique is very fun and addictive, but it needs to be executed with a clear mind and a good experience on the behavior of the car. That is the main reason why this technique is only used from Fewbie level onwards. It is very critical to understand how gravity works and as we always says: " DO NOT FIGHT GRAVITY ". this applies to this technique most of all.
When you approach a dune that you want to side-slope on, you need to carry enough momentum to get you through. This does not necessarily mean FULL throttle, because that depends on the type of dune. As soon as your car is on an incline, it will have the natural tendency to try to come down. The more momentum you carry, the further you will get. It is extremely important that you do not fight this by going higher up the dune at that point, but to steer down in a smooth way. Braking at this point is also very dangerous.
While doing side sloping try to choose smooth path as possible and avoid stepping on rock, bushes or bumps that can bounce you and disturb the whole balance and tip you off or result in dangerous fish-tailing or tire pop-out at high speed.
EVERY MOVEMENT OR ACTION YOU DO WHILE SLIDE-SLOPING NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A SMOOTH WAY, SUDDEN BRAKING OR EXTREME STEERING CAN LEAD TO ROLL-OVERS.
Best practice: Always visually mark the entry and exit of the dune that you wish to do side sloping on. Stick to the initial plan as far as possible and exit safely. If you are new to this, then watch and observe how others have done before and try to replicate that as much as you can.
The best thing to keep in mind is to think about "HALF MOONS" What i mean with that is that you should never make 90° turns during any kinds of these activities, but make smooth half moons during approaching dunes or crossing them.
Risk Level: Medium. With proper training and guidance you can eliminate the risk of a roll-over for 95%, but one should always be aware of the risks involved and take all measures possible to minimize these. Keep both hands at the steering wheel and your full attention on the view ahead. Do not get distracted !
Associated Risks: If your vehicle is lifted more than 4 inch of OEM stock height then your 4x4 center of gravity will be less, and this will increase the risk of roll-over or flip by 50%. Same goes for bouncy (non-standard/rated) suspensions.
3) Criss-Crossing
Carnity Offroad Level: Fewbie and upwards
Description
Criss-crossing is the art of riding the ridge of the dune and crossing over to the other side. Also here it is vital to understand that the approach towards the ridge, as well as the crossing over needs to be done in a smooth, half moon way.
So basically you approach the dune along the length, you can stay on the ridge for as long as you want, but don't lose momentum at this point, or you will be crested lengthwise in the exact middle.
Now the trick is to choose the right point at which you cross towards the other side. This feels scary at the beginning, but soon you will get the hang of it, and cross ridges without panicking at all. Make the criss-cross movement again in a half-moon method as seen below.
Below picture shows the right and wrong way to criss-cross a dune. On the left side you will see that the approach is smooth and as soon as you cross over to the other side you gently steer down. Braking at this point is again very dangerous.
In the right-side scenario, the angle of approach is very sharp, and during higher speeds this can result in a roll-over.
EVERY MOVEMENT OR ACTION YOU DO WHILE CRISS-CROSSING NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A SMOOTH WAY, SUDDEN BRAKING OR EXTREME STEERING CAN LEAD TO ROLL-OVERS.
Risk Level: Medium. With proper training and guidance you can eliminate the risk of a roll-over for 95%, but one should always be aware of the risks involved and take all measures possible to minimize these. Keep both hands at the steering wheel and your full attention on the view ahead. Do not get distracted !
Associated Risks: If your vehicle is lifted more then 4 inch of OEM stock height, then your 4x4 center of gravity will be less and this will increase the risk of roll-over or flip by 50%. Same goes for bouncy (non-standard/rated) suspensions.
4) Hill Climbing
While this technique is not immediately necessary to cross dunes, climbing a mighty big dune will bring some fun and adrenaline in the equation. At first, you might feel intimidated and not sure if your car can handle this. With the right techniques at hand you can at least make a safe attempt and see how far you can get. This technique can be practiced from Newbie level onwards on small hills, and later you will learn to approach taller dunes from Fewbie level and up.
Again it is extremely important to make a smooth "half-moon" circle at the top. If you run out of momentum and come to a standstill, DO NOT attempt to make a turn, but put your car in 4LO, and slowly reverse down the dune while keeping your wheels straight. The low gearing will help you in keeping that slow pace.
As you begin to learn this, it's always advisable to make a smaller U-Turn to learn how your car reacts and how your mind reacts when you take the first turn on top of dune. This needs to be done with confidence and without any doubt or fear, so that you don't brake on top and do the complete U-Turn without braking and in a very smooth manner. Practicing on small U-Turn will build your confidence and after 5-10 small U-Turn attempt you can try higher and higher by understanding your vehicle dynamics and limitations.
Risk Level: Medium. With proper training and guidance you can eliminate the risk of a roll-over for 95%, but one should always be aware of the risks involved and take all measures possible to minimize these. Keep both hands at the steering wheel and your full attention on the view ahead. Do not get distracted !
Associated Risks: If your vehicle is lifted more than 4 inch above OEM stock height, then your 4x4 center of gravity will be less and this will increase the risk of roll-over or flip by 50%. Same goes for bouncy (non-standard/rated) suspensions.
Safety of all offroad enthusiasts is the most important thing. This is an extreme hobby that brings confidence, thrills, and people together as a family. We can only do whatever we can to make all safety instructions clear and concise but in end it's up to the offroader behavior to understand all risk and associated risk involve and enjoy safely.
Open for any questions or comments !
Thanks a lot @Frederic for the excellent write up with illustrations. It helps a lot to understand these basic things for people like me who have no idea of these jargons of dune drives. Feeling more confident now to hit the dune in future with this awareness. That “half moon circle” Logic is really interesting way to keep in mind.
May I also ask about dune bashing and how it’s done safely?
Also we see many performing spinning of their cars in flat surface while taking fast turns and rounds. Are these done in 2WD or some other techniques?
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17 hours ago, Nivin said:
Yes it is 1386AED for 4 including fitting and one time free rotation and alignment at 10K
Thank you @Nivin finally I got it done from Juma Al Majid sharjah same person Richard. It was the last 4 piece left with this price. Can’t wait till Friday to hit the dune with it. 😀
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7 hours ago, Xaf said:
Thanks, it is the buy 4 pay 2 promotion I assume?
My tire size is P265/70R17, anyways I will check with them.
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4 hours ago, Nivin said:
@Biju Abdul they are out of stock now. Was looking for a friend and he couldn't get it. G015 2019 is available with Juma Al Majid for 1400 for 4.
+971504660765 Juma Al Majid SharjahThank you @sertac and @Nivin for the guidance. The price seems to be very good. I will reach out to them. Thank you very much.
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47 minutes ago, Chaitanya D said:
There is one guy Mr Warren in Fast Lane tires Al Qusais , is pretty knowledgeable with regards to wheel aligning and balancing.
Note Yokohama Geolander ATS (Made in Japan) is no longer available as per the dealer, so you will have to go for the AT Geolander G015. (Made in Thailand). In general pretty similar in performance compared to the ATS.
Thank you @Chaitanya D for the response.
You must be right about the availability, two of the garages nearby have told me too that this mode is not available now. I am waiting to hear from one garage at Rashidiya too and if not available I will go for the AT Geolander G015. Thanks.
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On 5/22/2017 at 5:00 PM, Gaurav said:
Very well said Rahimdad, meaning of community is not appropriately understood by many in UAE and they always think their wallet have to be ripped off before listening to any solution.
Syed, I strongly advise you to sort your alignment issue first before buying new tire to save them and use them as they are inteded for. This issu isn't big deal but require some expert to figure out and fix out based on degrees and angles.
For Geolander, be sure you can't go wrong as I have purchased my second set 6 months ago by repeating the same tire set for first time in my car owning experience of 18 years.
Hi @Gaurav
I am currently using Maxxis (on road preferred) tyres since a few years and was planning to change tyres after a newbie drives. Just last week I am being promoted to Fewbie and was planning to post my query for a good tyres in our forum as suggested by @Emmanuel
I am happy to read all these old posts about the same. I already had eyes on Yokohama geo lander after seeing @Srikumar and now more than convinced to go with Yokohama Geolander A/T-S
I am not able to find a good party to buy and get it fixed and also get wheel alignment done. It would be great if any suggestion of a good one cost effective but who knows the stuff. I want to do this before this Friday drive. Suggestions welcome please.
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Thanks a lot @Srikumar for a wonderful ride.
Yes totally agree that we did a lot of side slopping this time and I guess almost everyone got so comfortable with it by now.
It was a great experience to ride as second lead, I had to be so focused because I shouldn’t be judging the challenge in front of me by seeing how seamlessly you pass through it 😀-
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COVID19 Compliant - Evening Fewbie Desert Drive - Murquab To Solar Park - Dubai - 11 Sep 2020
in Offroad Drives
Posted
Hi @Frederic please put me in waiting list.