We have seen multiple instances and videos of SUVs ‘jumping’ and ‘dancing’ with or without modified suspensions and hydraulics. However, a new video shared on Instagram takes things to a whole new level. It shows a heavily modified Mahindra Bolero pickup, claimed to be ‘ DJ on wheels’, doing some insane jumps on open roads. The reel has gone viral and is gathering mixed reactions. Some people adore it, and some loathe it.
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The video is supposedly from Ajmer. It can be rented out for weddings and other parties. The truck has a huge generator mounted at the front. This could be powering the speakers and music equipment onboard. These sit in the flatbed, secured from the sun and rain by a protective casing. The vehicle also gets reworked body panels and a plethora of DJ lights. Various decals are also seen on the truck. One of them reads ‘DJ Stunt King’.
The modified Mahindra Pik Up is seen ‘jumping’ and ‘dancing’ on public roads. All of its DJ lights are on, and there is probably some music playing as well (which is not audible in the reel). Several bikers accompany it. The DJ vehicle is seen lifting its front axle and bouncing repeatedly.
In Rajasthan, it isn’t uncommon to find such trucks and SUVs doing jumps and stunts. What makes this vehicle special, however, is that the jumps here are probably the highest we have seen in recent times. The front axle gets airborne for a few milliseconds before it slams down and goes for the next round. The visuals further show rash, zig-zag driving.
So, how does the driver make this pickup hop?
Well, a skilled driver can make any RWD SUV ‘jump’. By carefully controlling the accelerator and modulating the flow of torque, front wheels can be made airborne for a few microseconds. Let it do a free fall then. Once the vehicle touches down, the suspension recoils (even stock does). Many SUVs have springs that offer strong recoils. This throws the vehicle back into the air. By carefully coupling the recoil force and throttle, subsequent jumps are made higher.
In a previous article, we talked about a guy named Kashmiri, a man who makes SUVs hop without any additional devices or hydraulics. He owns two heavily modified SUVs- Fortuner and Thar. Both these are 4×4 SUVs. But Kashmiri can make any 4×2 SUV with RWD hop, by the above throttle modulation method.
However, things could be slightly different with the vehicle featured in this video. Doing the process above on stock vehicles will not make the vehicle hop as high as what’s shown here. This truck seems to have some hydraulic setup installed. That’s probably why the driver can do the jumps so effortlessly. The front suspension seems to be modified as well, to make consecutive jumps possible without much damage to it.
These modifications have likely taken a toll on the ride and handling of the truck. Watch the video again and you will notice how unstable the vehicle feels while trying to change directions and on uneven surfaces. The new body panels, audio equipment and generator have all made it more top-heavy. This further adds to the unstable body dynamics.Β The addition of the metal cage that protects the audio equipment at the back, has drastically changed the truck’s structure and made it more susceptible to rollovers.
Another Instance!
This is not the first time that we have reported an insanely unsafe modification like this. Years ago, we talked about a Mahindra pickup truck that was modified into ‘DJ on Wheels’ doing brazen driving with loads of DJ lights and music equipment on. It, however, did milder jumps and felt relatively safe than what’s shown in the new video. These bizarre modifications seem to be common in many parts of North India. Going by how unsafe they are, these should be controlled legally.