by Bill Burke of
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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!
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!
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.
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.
Remember that ground clearance has been compromised. Reinflate before
driving on the pavement for any distance.Be careful to not turn fast and push the tire off the bead.
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.
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.| 4X4
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