Toyota Fortuner tyre comes off while off roading: Here’s why! [Video]

Sand dunes can be extremely fun for driving around but they are also one of the most tricky terrains. Even the most capable 4X4 can fail on such terrains due to numerous reasons including the experience of the driver. Here is a video that shows a highly modified new-generation Toyota Fortuner getting royally stuck in the sand dunes not once, but twice!

In the first part, all the SUVs can be seen going in a circle on the sand dunes. The Toyota Fortuner came in at high speed and took a larger turn, which took it to an incline on the dune. The vehicle got stuck in the dune due to lower traction and lifting the accelerator, which in turn reduced the momentum of the vehicle. The heavy Toyota Fortuner went sideways and got stuck badly in the loose sand.

The recovery process is quite long and tricky. A modified previous generation Ford Endeavour starts the rescue with the help of a winch. The Fortuner is so badly stuck in the sand that the Endeavour starts sliding and moving forward on the sand. The recovery vehicle has been put on the sand ladders to increase the traction but it keeps on getting pulled towards the stuck vehicle.

After several attempts, the Toyota Fortuner gets out of the sand and the front left tyre, which took all the pressure when the Fortuner slid can be seen to be off from the alloy wheel. The sideways movement of the vehicle had put extreme pressure on the wheel and with the lateral movement of the vehicle, the tyre came off the wheel. This is where bead lock equipped steel/alloy wheels greatly help. In fact, off roaders who tackle terrain that needs tyre pressures to be lowered drastically use bead lock equipped wheels on their vehicles. 

The tyre was filled with air after removing the sand and it was good to go. The recovery process started again by pulling the Toyota Fortuner and it came out slowly to the hard sand where the tyres found good enough traction to move forward.  In the second part, the Toyota Fortuner can be seen getting rescued after getting its nose stuck in the sand.

It should be noted that the Toyota Fortuner in the video is heavily modified. It is important to walk the trail first during off-roading in order to know how challenging the surface and the surroundings are. Experienced off-roaders always walk the path to know how difficult or slippery it is and what are the obstacles that can be avoided.

If the Fortuner driver had known about the slippery surface of the sand dunes, he would have maintained the speed to avoid it. The Fortuner gets an off-roading front bumper, snorkel and aftermarket tyres and a lift kit.

Modifying any vehicle while it is still in the warranty period can cause the warranty to be nullified. Doing modifications to any vehicle is also illegal and a clearance from RTO should be obtained to keep the vehicle legal on the road.