Mike M.

2 minutes ago, Sam K said:

Hey @Mike.. I have a heat gun, so if you haven't bough one already, just stop by and borrow mine. I live in cadre villas / silicon oasis or I can bring it along to work (the fancy Al Qouz).

Very nice of you @Sam K! Let me figure out the next step and I might take you up on your offer very shortly. Thanks again!

3 minutes ago, Thomas Varghese said:

Once I think I can survive without depending on my kids for financial assistance without me working. All these years I was investing on their studies. By the grace of God all of them completed.Daughter is a manager in a hospital and married. Son is an Aerospace engineer and working in Bangalore. Youngest daughter finished her B Com recently 

Seems like you’re a good man and a great father @Thomas Varghese. God bless!

15 minutes ago, Thomas Varghese said:

Ok everybody. Let me put it in another perspective. When I started driving with @Carnity every time I get bogged down or couldn't match the climbing abilities of other drivers I was sad my car was not living upto my expectations. It was the same when I started to click pictures. Every picture I took I felt was not upto the mark and was always looking to spend money on better gear so that I could at least come near taking some good photos. Both cases I was wrong. It is never the gear. Gear can help but its always the man who uses the gear who unleashes the potential of the gear. I was wrong with my car. Thank God I kept it in stock condition. Once I started to understand the capabilities of the car I understood the car was never to be blamed. It was me and me alone. Over time I got to know how my car behaves when I ask him to perform certain tasks and what I have to do to make my car do it. Every gear has its limitations. Its good to upgrade once you are done with the present gear. Same with my camera gear also. I bought all the lenses I could afford to improve my photography, Do you all know which lens I use the most? The nifty fifty which is the 50mm prime lens and which is the cheapest. Sometimes the 75 - 300 if I need so much of a close up from far. All other lenses are simply resting in my camera bag. Same with car mods also. At one point of time you will realize the company settings were the best and you have sunk all your money into an endless moneypit for nothing and you will no longer recognize your car. Go through @Carnity website and propaganda. It clearly says the club teaches you to offroad in stock condition. I'm happy with that. The money I may have spend for mods I can use it for my retirement and continue offroading more in those days. 

Noted. It’s not all for off-roading purposes and performance of course but for personal taste and preference as well.
How many more years before retirement @Thomas Varghese?

19 minutes ago, Tom B said:

@Mike. totally agree with everything you have said. I also think that for a lot of members in the club, myself included, part of the fun during their off-road "journey" is to spend time researching about modifications, talking to others about their experiences with similar mods and then actually taking the plunge and getting the modifications done.

Personally, I feel all the upgrades I have done have benefited car handling performance both on road and off road and has made things that much more enjoyable when I am in the dunes.

Each to their own as they say!

Totally right @Tom B, you wouldn’t upgrade without research and the fun journey to get there. Then to enjoy the fruit of all the effort and time you put to get there!

Thanks @Tom B, my solution will probably be a combination of putting the suspensions on stiffer setting and finding a way of pushing back the front side of the liners a bit. 
You are right it seems mods are an interesting point of debate and everyone is right from his own standpoint as it is true that car companies spend a lot of R&D to design and eventually release cars. 
The way I see it also has to do with target clients and price points appealing to those target clients. Car manufacturers have to keep the design within a certain price range in mind. Same like when ur buying a villa let’s say, the contractor will design it to keep the price at X to appeal for the intended target clientele. Some customers would be interested in that villa for location or any other reason but would like to upgrade the kitchen or the flooring for example. 
Say a new pajero with some upgrades costs 200k which is 50 more than a new FJ or the price of a new wrangler, how many would be interested still in buying that Pajero? 
At the end of the day, it will boil down to taste, preference and choice. Still a very interesting point of debate  

6 hours ago, Rizwanm2 said:

if its marginal rubbing in fender liner. take a heat gun and heat the area where its rubbing and slightly push it in. 

cheapest solution. 🤑..

@Rizwanm2 I still have to buy the heat gun in this case  

19 minutes ago, GauravSoni said:

Rightly said @Mike.… these machines are our boy toys!! We do these mods to make ourselves enjoy the ride…and every mod has its own good and flip side..what @Thomas Varghese says is also right which is the loss of power due to the heavy tyres but it shouldn’t matter as long you enjoy your ride.. it’s not a competition of who can climb higher or go faster…you probably will have less chances of pop out with more side wall! And better traction during self recovery.. 

yes agreed bigger tyres are heavier, as you both rightly said so, everything has its pros and cons but other than the rubbing issue which is really minor, the traction on the car now is at a completely different level. In the last drive with Ale, I was mostly on 3rd gear and very rarely on second  when not in “D”. With those new A/T the car feels like a tractor now compared to the skating ballerina feeling with the H/T

19 minutes ago, Thomas Varghese said:

Mike looks like the offroad bug has bitten you and will stay until you drain all of your wallet. You want to see how a really modified Xterra looks like? I have seen 2. One was my friend's X. It had all the works you can imagine of. I used to gaze at it with wide open eyes. Calmini metal bumpers front and rear with a winch in the front. Imported from USA. Both rear sides had a ladder going up to the roof. 2 petrol cans mounted on either side up the rear tires. Water can mounted at the back door with the steppini tire relocated from under the car to the rear door. For an X this itself is a very expensive mod. Hi lift jack mounted along side the mounted tire. Inside it looks like he has his whole house inside and ready to zoom in case of a nuclear war to his bunker. Man that car looks like a monster out to prey on his victims. Last year I saw his ad in FB to sell the car. Called him up and asked him why you want to sell such a beautiful car. The answer he gave opened my eyes and made me vow I will not do anything to my car. With all the weight loaded on the car it won't run more than 150km on a full tank. The 2nd car belongs to a garage owner. He partially own a club and is a Marshal. I asked him why he is not using his highly modified Xterra on his drives. The answer he gave made my vow even stronger. He said every time he takes out the car it will cost him 1000 AED to repair the broken parts. 

So please go easy on the mods until you know what you are doing exactly and there are technicians who can deliver what you have paid for. 

Thanks Thomas for looking out. I can sense ur protective nature in your message. Will keep your message in mind at all times. I’m not doing any crazy mods and not planning to. The White Rhino has a reputation to keep  

Thanks for the input @Thomas Varghese. don’t look at it as a setback. It’s still the same White Rhino, still very capable  I have an image of a rig in mind which I’m executing and I’m almost there. Trust me it’s even more capable now. Hope to see u on the sand soon and Ull see for yourself. 

3 hours ago, Gaurav said:

There is nothing we can make out from the above pics. Sorry.

Take a pic of showing how much tire is impacting against the fender, along with at what percentage of steering.

What I meant is "ONLY ON FULL TURN" = Marginal, as you will only drive any vehicle at full turn lock for less than 0.1% of the vehicle lifetime. I know I have a full lock turn issue so I steer at 90-95% of steering while making u-turns.

@Gaurav there is no rubbing in normal steering even at full angles. I’m guessing that’s marginal. I’ll try to find a way to push away the fenders as the rubbing is only happening sometimes when steering almost full and suspensions are compressed at the same time. Thanks for trying to help though! 

@Thomas Varghesemade me laugh! Fully agree brother. Funny enough 2 months ago I didn’t even know how to read tyre information but turns out off roading is in my blood as I am addicted and cannot stop. I’ll use @Brette to vouch for that as he has been trying to slow me down for some time now  

it has been a great learning curve and a genuine fun journey with @Carnity. Also it helped discover my new addiction. 

@Srikumar the tyre width is the same as I upgraded from 265/60/18 to 265/70/17. The original rims however were 7.5” wide and offset +46. The new rims are 9” wide and offset zero 

hi gents, some pieces of information i forgot to mention is the following: 

- Original tyre width is 7.5 inches, the new sets have a 9" width which i believe is causing the rubbing on full turns on climbs and descends. 

- The offset of the R18 of the Pajero is at +46 and the offset of the new set of tyres installed are 0

@Gaurav, i am following up this message with some pictures as I am not sure which rubbing is marginal and which is not as this is my first rubbing  If you mean by marginal that it is not hitting all the time then yes I can confirm that especially when I hardened the suspensions a bit during the drive to lessen the impact, a point that @Thomas Varghese mentioned. 

The final verdict i guess is due to the wider rims and the full turn. Pictures to follow now....

Is the above considered as marginal rubbing ? or should i be worried from your experience guys?

Hi all, 

I recently switched from OEM wheels and H/T tyres that usually come on the Pajero 265/60/R18 to 265/70/17. I have a 2 inch lift kit. In my first drive after the upgrade, I noticed that there is rubbing especially when I am steering left and right and descending. I can see parts of the fender liner that rubbed off. What can i do in order to get some more space between the fender and the tyres? 

I am adding here the Pajero experts for advice as well. @Gaurav @Frederic@GauravSoni.

Thanks everyone for the help in advance.

Congrats Stan! Glad that you made the move

Now my ego can take a break knowing that we will cross paths again!

Well deserved classmate!

@Stan Hassettany video or pic I have (at least 99% of it) has come from you or Natalia. 
The ego in me urges you to apply for a promotion as well

1 hour ago, Stan Hassett said:

Nicely done @Mike M., may the road rise to meet you... 

thank you sir  

14 minutes ago, Anirudh Dayma said:

Congratulations Mike.

it was nice drive together.

hope we can meet again and have drive again.

let’s make Pajero power together @@@

Thanks @Anirudh Dayma. It was a pleasure. For sure! Looking forward to it. 

1 hour ago, Brette said:

Congrats @Mike M.. Well done. You have come a long way. Still remember how nervous you were on the AN drive and been a pleasure watching you gain confidence on every single drive. You ask the right questions after every drive and having been on every drive of yours so far, I have noticed you put it all into practice every week.  Again, well done and look forward to see you keep growing. Enjoy the new level.. 

Thanks Coach for all the kind words. It has been more than a pleasure to be part of this journey and most of it is because of you. Your readiness to share the wealth of knowledge and experience, the safety net you put around the convoy to give them the space to push and explore capabilities are all dwarfed compared to the great person you are overall. 
Your passion to this sport is contagious and I am glad and honoured to have started it with you. 
While your official title in off-roading is Marshal, you will always be Coach to me  

5 hours ago, munkybizness said:

And the legend of the White Rhino gets emboldened... congratulations @Mike M. 😎

Thanks @munkybizness, I guess what this means is that we now have to find higher hills to tackle

3 hours ago, Jonny90 said:

Well done @Mike M.. Started on the same day & promoted on the same day! 💪

Thanks @Jonny90! Well deserved for you as well! 

1 hour ago, Sunny84 said:

Congratulations @Mike M. you have come a long way as @Brette mentioned🤙. 

Thanks @Sunny84, same for you man! 
btw what happened to the all pajero photo? I didn’t see it posted 

2 hours ago, munkybizness said:

It's tough to follow @Thomas Varghese's recount of the drive this morning, so I'll try my best to fill in or express how I felt by the end of it all. My last newbie drive, just about a month ago, was the opposite showing of today. There, our convoy was bogged down refusal after refusal in the soft sands of Faqa and then Little Sweihan. I have also not driven with @Brette since he joined @Gaurav's convoy in Iftar Bowl in September last year, where he gave me some of the best tips and advice on how to climb. Thank you for those lessons, Brette. They've come in handy every single time after that, and with enough practice using that advice, I've learnt a lot more about how far I can push this car. So any success in scaling the climbs today, first begin with @Brette and other members offering critical notes to me.

Sweeping at the back, I had little visibility on the front end of the convoy until we came to individual climbs. But, since we were always on the move, with almost no radio chatter, it was evident that every single driver today was clued in and in complete control of their machines.

@Sunny84, you played the role of the second lead with elan. The drive from Tawi Nazwa to Pink Rock is usually a tight and twisty section where drivers not paying attention can often find themselves getting stuck. As Thomas has commented, we made the run to Pink Rock in record time, flying through this section. This is really a testament to the SL staying true to @Brette's beautiful line, and the convoy responding with pace and vigour.

In the middle, @Pacific, and his experienced self just constantly pushed the boundary further and higher still. It gave Thomas and myself, quite a nice stretch to go after.

In the latter half of the convoy, @Sita Sharma sitting with I'm sure a pretty vocal "back-seat" driver in @Looper was choosing excellent lines, plenty of throttle and even powering through sticky crests. Great job.

One of the things I recognized and realized today, was exactly how other more experienced drivers would have felt when I was a Newbie. They too would have wanted to step in and show me the way. And the best ones did. I learned so much from then, just like Brette gave my first real advice on how to climb Iftar Bowl. Back then, as a Newbie, I too showed immense trepidation and hesitation when trying to climb, or criss-cross across dunes, or ride a ridge. These all seem so much easier now, because it took 50 odd drives to get here. But 45 drives ago, I too was a nervous wreck. I would hold off on the throttle when approaching a bump and proceed to lose all momentum and wonder why heavier cars can make it. It's very rarely the machine. The longer you do this, the harder you push yourself, and the more comfortable you get, will all lead you to get here.

@Super Safari Girl, you'll lose the hesitation with time. And do a night drive. You'll lose it even faster 😛 . Your lines throughout the drive were cleaner, you gave yourself adequate distance to judge and see how the car in front of you was negotiating the terrain, and you were elegantly gentle through sections where there was no need to be brutish. There is already great foundations in the way you drive. Take some more of the hesitation out, and that SWB Super Safari will be screaming up the hill

@Mike M. & @Jaro Tuzinsky, I was positively surprised to see the way both you pushed your cars. You were both not lacking in momentum, your lines were clean, and you had excellent follow-through going through side slopes. It was a treat to watch. White Rhinos don't see many hills in the savannas, but today, in the red sands of Sharjah, our homegrown white rhino was showing that even it can scale the highest hills. As mentioned above, it was a real treat for us.

@Jad Moussalli, I haven't had the opportunity to see the new Defender in action in these sands before. And it was a nice surprise. There was clearly plenty of power at your disposal especially in the climbs where it showed no signs of relenting.

@Anirudh Dayma & @Jonny90, I didn't get very good visuals on you until we got to the climbs, and there you both piloted your machines with absolute ease. Important to note is how well you exited when you lost momentum ensuring that you weren't fishtailing through the slopes. 

And finally, @Thomas Varghese, with more than double the number of drives, your experience is evident in spaces beyond just the driving, from clearing live codes with electronics, to getting a limping car to leap to the top of hills. You made it look super easy. And of course, I'm looking forward to what you caught in your frame.

Thank you @Brette, for leading a great drive through this area. I learned so much today on why I got into offroading, and it brought up again the early feelings I had as a newbie.

See you all out on the sands again soon

[ 🐵  ]

Thanks @munkybizness for the kind words. It was a pleasure driving with you! Appreciate the tips you were continuously sharing. Did my best not to further churn the plowed sands in front of the both of us  

2 hours ago, Thomas Varghese said:

For me all the basis of offroading came from @Frederic in my Absolute Newbie drive. Every time I do slide slopes or climbs his words ring in my ears. Gain higher ground initially and you will be able to negotiate the slopes and climbs much easier. Even if I sometimes deviate a little from the laid tracks its always to gain higher ground so that I can control the fishtailing and control my exit easily. Plus a little left right motion of the steering will help the car to climb more. You already saw that today. 

Agreed with you. Passing on the experience is vital for starters as it will make the difference between having off-roading as a one-off or a real passion. 
What you saw today from the White Rhino with the ability to climb Big Red to the top every single time with ease with H/T is thanks to all the tips, tricks and feedback of coach @Brette  

Thanks @Thomas Varghese for your humbling words. I am looking forward to seeing how The White Rhino will behave once I switch from H/T to All Terrains. Thanks again and it was a great drive today! Great going by everyone!

@P C Limdont get discouraged man! This is part of the game!

Just get rid of the ticking bomb in your car and fix a few things and you will be having more fun next time!

In the @Carnityclan, we don’t judge. We help each other and see ourselves and others grow! 

@Jaro Tuzinskyalways a pleasure Pajero Partner.

Btw there’s a gallery section where you can upload all photos. Just in case.

Seems like it’s a ceremony day tomorrow. The entire convoy is white minus crew and support!

@Warren Flay, why did your gearing ratio change if you have the OEM size of 65 R17?

reason why I’m asking is now i am between 2 options only 

1- 265/70/R17 - I believe this setup will impact my gearing ratio for the taller tyre

2- 275/65/17 this should not impact much the Speedo nor the gearing as it’s OEM specs.

what do you think? 

Thanks @Rob S for taking the time to share this content. As you have mentioned in your previous post for Prado, it’s not that straightforward as there are different opinions. I am trying to triangulate information from  multiple sources and will decide based on that. As of now, I am between 265/70/17 or 275/65/17. Still a lot of reading needs to be done  

Thanks again, much appreciated!