Five
Safety Tips When Taking Your Vehicle Off-Highway
by Bill Burke
It's 7
a.m., you hop in your sport utility vehicle, crank the
starter, shift into gear and head out. The only thing is
that your destination is right into the middle of traffic to
the high-rise office, and not to the high-rise mountains!
Like so many of us, the 4-wheel drive we bought usually only
takes us to work and shopping, and our driving experience
reflects that! When it is time to hit the trails and do some
actual 4-wheeling, our skill level is hindered by lack of
practice and the all too present level of fear--fear of
damage, getting lost and getting stuck. These are real fears
and have limiting consequences to the adventure called
4-wheeling. You could blunder along until something
happens that turns you off to 4-wheeling, but it doesn't
have to be like that. The learning curve and
experience level do not need to include the damage, lost or
stuck scenario!
4-wheeling
is not always about big torque and horsepower, lockers and
big 35's. IT IS ABOUT FINESSE. The other stuff helps some,
but finesse is the first and most important thing to
acquire! Here are some hints to help you out in this area.
Of course, there is no substitute for taking a class or
experiential trip with me!
1 -
Drive as slow as possible, but as fast as necessary.
There are times when in soft sand like beaches and washes,
speed needs to be moderate and flotation through mud and
snow needs to be kept up, hence "as fast as necessary." But
usually taking your time on the trail will allow you to pick
a smooth path and allow you time to react/act to the
varieties of terrain like moving rocks and logs under the
tires. If you have a ground clearance deficiency, going slow
helps here, in that, if you do hit a rock with the diff or
other rock grabber, it will usually stop the vehicle on
impact or you will lightly scrape over it. If you were going
too fast and hit a rock or other obstacle, it could knock a
hole in the oil pan, diff or even knock off the oil
filter.
Don't get
caught up in the Baja or Camel Trophy syndrome. They don't
use those rigs as daily drivers. At the end of those events,
the keys are handed over to a mechanic and a corporation
that has deep pockets to refurbish them. Plus, you could get
hurt!
2 -
Survey the trail ahead to avoid any "surprises." When in
doubt, get out and recon! Make sure the trail goes
beyond the obstacle, doesn't become a bottomless quagmire,
has no back side to the hill (cliff?) or just plain ends.
You can get a good idea where to place your tires and the
differentials and have a plan of approach. And follow
through to beyond the obstacle.
Don't
stop in the middle of the challenge to check it
out.
Get
through it, then walk back and check it out again. See where
you actually went. Observe your tire tracks.
3 - Drive directly up and down hills. Traveling
diagonally may result in a sideways slide -- worst case, a
rollover.
Know your approach and departure angles, the bumper to tire
distance. Some trails will require off-camber driving. Just
go slow, keeping the tires in the tracks. Don't lose
attention and climb up a rock or stump on the up hillside.
Vehicles will tend to slide sideways before rolling over.
The tires will slip sideways a little. Stop if the slide
puts you off the edge of the track. If it is clear downhill
and a rollover is imminent, immediately turn the vehicle
into the slide and drive it down. If that is not an option,
and you are going over, turn the vehicle off and hold on to
your seat-bottom and hope the seat belt works properly. You
did have it on? There are other scenarios, but this is the
least drastic. Use enough momentum to get up and over the
hill. Avoid high centering on the crest. Use the engine
brake method for the descent. Remember #2!
DO NOT TURN AROUND WHEN ON A HILL.
Rollover CAN happen. Practice backing down.
4 - Reduce the tire pressure. This improves traction in all
conditions, especially sand. Remember that ground clearance
has been compromised. Reinflate before driving on the
pavement for any distance.
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The
easiest way to improve off-highway traction
and performance is to "air-down." Depending on the
tire
you have and type of vehicle, you could go to
as
much as 15psi, even lower, if needed; for soft
sand,
10psi.
Be careful to not turn fast and push the tire off
the bead.
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Usually,
though, for most average 4-wheeling, 18 to 20psi will be
enough. I know some folks who run 6psi. Highway pressure is
another thing. The tire is marked on the side, i.e., 50psi
at 3300 pounds. In essence, that one tire could hold my
Defender up. Depending on the weight of the loaded vehicle
and the size of tire, I have found that between 28 and 35
psi works in most on-highway applications. Read the
manufacturer's label. The air pressure difference between
the front and rear is due to the tire and auto
manufacturers' experimentation for over/under steer and load
variances. Carry a mini-compressor to reinflate, or know
that an air pump is not far from the trail end. For snow,
on- and off-highway, I like to run my tires a little hard.
It allows the edges to grip better, especially if I am going
to run chains.
5 -
Cross ditches or logs at an angle so that one wheel at a
time goes over the obstacle; the other three help the one
wheel to climb over. Dropping the tire into a ditch or
crack in a rock is scary! Sometimes the vehicle pitches and
one or more tires will catch air. Be very deliberate and
careful when approaching this challenge section of any
trail. Logs can bounce up and catch the undercarriage, so
come off these things slowly and carefully. Turn the vehicle
at an angle to facilitate the one tire at a time approach.
Be careful not to allow one of the front tires and one of
the rear tires to get in the ditch at the same
time.
©Bill Burke’s 4-Wheeling America LLC
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Back
Are
You a Yahoo
The
Nuances of Off-Highway Driving
True
Life Bonehead Experiences: Part I
True
Life Bonehead Experiences: Part II
Off-Highway,
Off-Road, Off Your Rocker: on Tread Lightly! and how to
deal with those who don't
Beyond
Tool Kits in Field
Repairs
Trail
Ethics
Using
the Hi-Lift Jack
Driving
with Air Lockers
Five
More Safety Tips
Aftermarket
Accessories, Part I: Always Be Prepared to Get
Unstuck
Aftermarket
Accessories, Part II: Always Be Prepared to Get Unstuck,
The Winch
Aftermarket
Accessories, Part III: Tired of Your
Tires?
Easy
Tire Chains
Winter
Driving Tips for On- and Off-Highway
Easter
Jeep Safari Part I
Easter
Jeep Safari Part II
Easter
Jeep Safari Part III
4-Wheeling
from the Heart
A
Photo Essay
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Bill
Burke's 4-Wheeling America LLC
