1979 Chevrolet Blazer (BlueKnight)

Known as fire roads, two tracks, or graded highways, these can be as difficult to drive as a good boulder patch. What looks like a smooth road where you can get some speed up can get you into trouble at a moment?s notice. It only takes one washout, pothole, or rock in the road to cause you to lose control or damage your ride. Airing down your tires can help soften the ride and absorb some of these rough encounters, but too low a pressure can cause a tire to come off the rim or allow a rock or root to smack the rim and ruin it. Washboard roads pack a violent punch if your suspension or wheelbase isn?t tuned to the harmonics of the ruts, and can leave you without directional control as you hop over the bumpy surface. As always, slow down to the most comfortable speed you and your rig can handle, which also allows the dust from other vehicles to subside. You can?t avoid what you can? t see, and dust can be a serious hazard.

Climbing hills and going back down them is older even than four-wheeling. Usually a steady speed with momentum is adequate, depending on the surface. An occasional blip of the throttle can bump you over some ledges, but rarely will a full-throttle attack do much more than break stuff. When climbing or descending a hill, keep straight up or down, and don?t turn around on the side of a hill. The propensity to roll is far greater, and any stored inertia can send the rig tumbling. Know when to quit and how to back down in a straight line. The steering seems much more sensitive (and backwards) when you are backing down a hill, and miscues and rolls are common. If you traverse a side hill and are off camber, you need to go slowly to prevent sudden shift of vehicle or cargo weight. A rock on the high side or a hole on the low side can tend to tip you in the wrong direction, as in downhill. Likewise, spinning the tires on a loose surface when on a side hill breaks traction, causing gravity to pull you off the trail and possibly over the edge. Descending a hill is best done in the lowest gear, for maximum compression braking. Even auto trannies will have some compression braking, and a light foot on the brakes is better than locking them up and sliding. The tires must be rolling to have control, so if you start to slide you need to give it a little gas and be easy on the brake pedal. Easy movements of the steering wheel can help you keep directional control, while whipping the wheel can cause the tires to slide sideways, right into what you are trying to avoid.

Dirt Roads & Hills

Dirt Roads:

Hills:


Go Home Dirt Roads & Hills Water Crossings Mud, Snow, Ice Sand & Rocks		Dirt Roads & Hills These are tips that I have gathered through the years from magazines and other 4 wheelers. As I find more info I will post it. Some of this info is quite helpful and will aid you in getting further on the trail.Enjoy Dirt Roads: Known as fire roads, two tracks, or graded highways, these can be as difficult to drive as a good boulder patch. What looks like a smooth road where you can get some speed up can get you into trouble at a moment?s notice. It only takes one washout, pothole, or rock in the road to cause you to lose control or damage your ride. Airing down your tires can help soften the ride and absorb some of these rough encounters, but too low a pressure can cause a tire to come off the rim or allow a rock or root to smack the rim and ruin it. Washboard roads pack a violent punch if your suspension or wheelbase isn?t tuned to the harmonics of the ruts, and can leave you without directional control as you hop over the bumpy surface. As always, slow down to the most comfortable speed you and your rig can handle, which also allows the dust from other vehicles to subside. You can?t avoid what you can? t see, and dust can be a serious hazard. Hills: Climbing hills and going back down them is older even than four-wheeling. Usually a steady speed with momentum is adequate, depending on the surface. An occasional blip of the throttle can bump you over some ledges, but rarely will a full-throttle attack do much more than break stuff. When climbing or descending a hill, keep straight up or down, and don?t turn around on the side of a hill. The propensity to roll is far greater, and any stored inertia can send the rig tumbling. Know when to quit and how to back down in a straight line. The steering seems much more sensitive (and backwards) when you are backing down a hill, and miscues and rolls are common. If you traverse a side hill and are off camber, you need to go slowly to prevent sudden shift of vehicle or cargo weight. A rock on the high side or a hole on the low side can tend to tip you in the wrong direction, as in downhill. Likewise, spinning the tires on a loose surface when on a side hill breaks traction, causing gravity to pull you off the trail and possibly over the edge. Descending a hill is best done in the lowest gear, for maximum compression braking. Even auto trannies will have some compression braking, and a light foot on the brakes is better than locking them up and sliding. The tires must be rolling to have control, so if you start to slide you need to give it a little gas and be easy on the brake pedal. Easy movements of the steering wheel can help you keep directional control, while whipping the wheel can cause the tires to slide sideways, right into what you are trying to avoid.