Discussion
This is my beloved, but much underused Jeep 'Pepe':
I've decided to keep it after much umming and ahhhring and am now committed to getting into a bit of desert driving next year. As it is staying I want to spend a little bit of money on it over the summer so I thought I'd open it up to those who know what is good in the desert and anyone who just has an opinion!
I'm currently thinking:
1. Get the brakes fixed
2. Get the AC fixed - it has had a slow leak for ages
3. Roof and door tops off permanantly and get a sun screen for the top of the cage only
4. Air filter and sports exhaust - it is asthmatic to say the least
5. Lift kit, though I'm not convinced on this one
6. Spray the wheels anthracite
7. New seat covers and new stereo
8. Remove hideous plastic bumper covers
Any other ideas?
I've decided to keep it after much umming and ahhhring and am now committed to getting into a bit of desert driving next year. As it is staying I want to spend a little bit of money on it over the summer so I thought I'd open it up to those who know what is good in the desert and anyone who just has an opinion!
I'm currently thinking:
1. Get the brakes fixed
2. Get the AC fixed - it has had a slow leak for ages
3. Roof and door tops off permanantly and get a sun screen for the top of the cage only
4. Air filter and sports exhaust - it is asthmatic to say the least
5. Lift kit, though I'm not convinced on this one
6. Spray the wheels anthracite
7. New seat covers and new stereo
8. Remove hideous plastic bumper covers
Any other ideas?
remove the rear seat as well, gives you room for bigger coolboxes, desert kits etc.
I would get the lift done (properly), friend had all his work done at Robbie's motorsport just behind the Mercedes dealers on SZ road.
That included a K+N filter and headers, bit more ooomph and a much nicer noise.
What size are the tires?
I would get the lift done (properly), friend had all his work done at Robbie's motorsport just behind the Mercedes dealers on SZ road.
That included a K+N filter and headers, bit more ooomph and a much nicer noise.
What size are the tires?
Hitch78 said:
Er, big? I have no idea!
Does size matter?
Big style. It's all about getting as big a footprint as you can, so big fat tyres at the lowest pressure you can safely run are win. If you want to run super low pressures (you do) it's worth considering bead locking rims (basically the tyre beads get sandwiched between the wheel and a bolted on plate so they can't come off the rim), but these will be overkill for most folks (and it means buying a new set of wheels). We had some mickey thompson ones on the truck out there, albeit mainly for aesthetic reasons Does size matter?
Suspension lift is definitely worth while, it does sacrifice some road cornering ability due to the raised CoG, but it's worth it for the ground clearance, and also the extra room in the arches for tyres. If you don't want the fat tyres sticking out proud of the bodywork look, get some fender flares, bushwackers are ace and currently being fitted to my chevy truck. Go as big as you can for tyres, as said you drop the pressure nice and low for the desert (I usually got down to <10psi in the proper stuff, 10-15 psi on the more compacted. You will need to be able to reinflate the tyres of course, plenty of the battery powered compressors which although they'll take a while to do it, will get 20psi in the tyre no problem, enough to get you to a gas station and pumped up properly without ruining the tyres on tarmac. K&N type stuff I wouldn't consider unless it's a panel type, sand gets everywhere.
Get the bumpers off, if needs be get some off road bumpers on. I just took a jigsaw to our disco's bumpers
If you're planning on lots of dune bashing make sure you've got plenty of recovery kit, it's very easy to get stuck! As a minimum get yourself some sand ladders, some shackles / towing eyes and a long tow strap (longer the better really) or rope (don't forget to put a blanket at the mid point when hauling a stuck motor out, if the strap lets go it arrests it and protects people stupid enough to stand in the bite area - more relevant to winches but still, when you're shock loading a strap to drag someone out it's worth 10 seconds of effort) or better yet a snatch strap (not half as sexy as it sounds, alas), jerry cans of fuel, a shovel, some sand ladders if you want to get out quickly or you're going out on your own, plenty of water, duct tape, that sort of thing. Strap it all down properly too, some sticky backed velcro will stop you getting the unexpected socket set to the back of the head (ask me how I learned that the hard way
). Gentleman Geoff said:
Hitch78 said:
Get the AC fixed . . . Roof and door tops off permanantly
Am I missing something here? I'm not being flippant, but would the A/C make any difference to an open vehicle in this climate?Stu R said:
Hitch78 said:
Er, big? I have no idea!
Does size matter?
Big style. It's all about getting as big a footprint as you can, so big fat tyres at the lowest pressure you can safely run are win. If you want to run super low pressures (you do) it's worth considering bead locking rims (basically the tyre beads get sandwiched between the wheel and a bolted on plate so they can't come off the rim), but these will be overkill for most folks (and it means buying a new set of wheels). We had some mickey thompson ones on the truck out there, albeit mainly for aesthetic reasons Does size matter?
Suspension lift is definitely worth while, it does sacrifice some road cornering ability due to the raised CoG, but it's worth it for the ground clearance, and also the extra room in the arches for tyres. If you don't want the fat tyres sticking out proud of the bodywork look, get some fender flares, bushwackers are ace and currently being fitted to my chevy truck. Go as big as you can for tyres, as said you drop the pressure nice and low for the desert (I usually got down to <10psi in the proper stuff, 10-15 psi on the more compacted. You will need to be able to reinflate the tyres of course, plenty of the battery powered compressors which although they'll take a while to do it, will get 20psi in the tyre no problem, enough to get you to a gas station and pumped up properly without ruining the tyres on tarmac. K&N type stuff I wouldn't consider unless it's a panel type, sand gets everywhere.
Get the bumpers off, if needs be get some off road bumpers on. I just took a jigsaw to our disco's bumpers
If you're planning on lots of dune bashing make sure you've got plenty of recovery kit, it's very easy to get stuck! As a minimum get yourself some sand ladders, some shackles / towing eyes and a long tow strap (longer the better really) or rope (don't forget to put a blanket at the mid point when hauling a stuck motor out, if the strap lets go it arrests it and protects people stupid enough to stand in the bite area - more relevant to winches but still, when you're shock loading a strap to drag someone out it's worth 10 seconds of effort) or better yet a snatch strap (not half as sexy as it sounds, alas), jerry cans of fuel, a shovel, some sand ladders if you want to get out quickly or you're going out on your own, plenty of water, duct tape, that sort of thing. Strap it all down properly too, some sticky backed velcro will stop you getting the unexpected socket set to the back of the head (ask me how I learned that the hard way
). Where do you get your mods done Stu?
Hitch78 said:
Stu R said:
Hitch78 said:
Er, big? I have no idea!
Does size matter?
Big style. It's all about getting as big a footprint as you can, so big fat tyres at the lowest pressure you can safely run are win. If you want to run super low pressures (you do) it's worth considering bead locking rims (basically the tyre beads get sandwiched between the wheel and a bolted on plate so they can't come off the rim), but these will be overkill for most folks (and it means buying a new set of wheels). We had some mickey thompson ones on the truck out there, albeit mainly for aesthetic reasons Does size matter?
Suspension lift is definitely worth while, it does sacrifice some road cornering ability due to the raised CoG, but it's worth it for the ground clearance, and also the extra room in the arches for tyres. If you don't want the fat tyres sticking out proud of the bodywork look, get some fender flares, bushwackers are ace and currently being fitted to my chevy truck. Go as big as you can for tyres, as said you drop the pressure nice and low for the desert (I usually got down to <10psi in the proper stuff, 10-15 psi on the more compacted. You will need to be able to reinflate the tyres of course, plenty of the battery powered compressors which although they'll take a while to do it, will get 20psi in the tyre no problem, enough to get you to a gas station and pumped up properly without ruining the tyres on tarmac. K&N type stuff I wouldn't consider unless it's a panel type, sand gets everywhere.
Get the bumpers off, if needs be get some off road bumpers on. I just took a jigsaw to our disco's bumpers
If you're planning on lots of dune bashing make sure you've got plenty of recovery kit, it's very easy to get stuck! As a minimum get yourself some sand ladders, some shackles / towing eyes and a long tow strap (longer the better really) or rope (don't forget to put a blanket at the mid point when hauling a stuck motor out, if the strap lets go it arrests it and protects people stupid enough to stand in the bite area - more relevant to winches but still, when you're shock loading a strap to drag someone out it's worth 10 seconds of effort) or better yet a snatch strap (not half as sexy as it sounds, alas), jerry cans of fuel, a shovel, some sand ladders if you want to get out quickly or you're going out on your own, plenty of water, duct tape, that sort of thing. Strap it all down properly too, some sticky backed velcro will stop you getting the unexpected socket set to the back of the head (ask me how I learned that the hard way
). Where do you get your mods done Stu?
I haven't lived in Dubai for a few years mate, but I did most of the work myself. I've heard a lot of good things about Robbie's though.Hitch78 said:
dxbtiger said:
So she tells me.......
My mates ran on 31 inches I think, you won't believe how flat they were at optimum desert pressure, I think we used to drop them to about 11 psi.
Gratuitous shot with me at the wheel
That is exactly what I want to be doing!!!My mates ran on 31 inches I think, you won't believe how flat they were at optimum desert pressure, I think we used to drop them to about 11 psi.
Gratuitous shot with me at the wheel
also, can you get a v8 wrongler?hitch, sand ladders can be aquired for no money. mate at work made some today from aluminium grating, i could easily get you the same. we're also fabricating a new mount for his spare wheel to take it from the door onto a seperate swing-out frame. i'm drawing it up; he reckons under 500dhs for bearings, catch/release plate, welding [beers to works welder] and everything powder coating.
They take that kind of abuse al day long, believe me I've tried!
If they do break they are like meccano to fix I believe.
Ultimately more cost effective than a defender I'd have to believe, that jeep in that photo owed its owner less than 30k I think, certainly not much more.
Tires down, revs up, go hard
Ps please please go a-team on hitch's, I'm having Mad Max visions!
If they do break they are like meccano to fix I believe.
Ultimately more cost effective than a defender I'd have to believe, that jeep in that photo owed its owner less than 30k I think, certainly not much more.
Tires down, revs up, go hard
Ps please please go a-team on hitch's, I'm having Mad Max visions!
This is my old Jeep. The clutch slave cyclinder failed in the desert on one trip, still finished the trip and drove it home. Manual is the the way on Jeeps. An alternative to Robbies (just be very clear in what you want doing) is a place in Sharjah called Tadmur Auto's (easy to get to). They were the default choice of AEV in Al Quoz for fitting lift kits etc. Tadmur build our desert rally car and they know what they are doing.
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