Off Road Driving up and down the slopes
Facts from the Off Road Driving ABC book
Here are some basic guidelines to follow if you want to improve your off road driving skills and if you want to drive up a slope that is sharper than up-hill gradient or inclination of asphalt highway.
◊ It is not recommended to shift the gears when you’re overcoming an obstacle during the off road driving. It is especially important when you climb up in a steep grade or descend one.
◊ I think it is not necessary to remind that on variable relief you must drive with all-wheel drive turned on экскурсионные туры в Казань and must have tyres with appropriate trod. Because muddy horizontal surfaces you can probably cross with any type of tyres, but when it comes to muddy slopes, the right trod might be crucial.
◊ In most of the cases it is not the steep of the slope that causes the biggest troubles of getting up on it. The greatest problems arise from soft ground (sand, snow and the like) and different undulations (potholes, wheel tracks, fallen trees). That is why the trajectory you have chosen must be with as flat surface and with as hard ground as possible. If you manage to find one and if there are enough space for a run-up – you will have no problems driving up any steep grade.
◊ If the surface of the road is rough, there is no point “to run” – when running over the mounds, stumps and potholes you would only loose adherence with the road, would start to skid and as a result you will reduce your chances to ascend. So then if there is a steep grade on your way, it is important to choose the highest gear and speed you can develop without loosing adherence and without shifting gears.
There are very, very exciting off road video about Real off road driving in medium-hard muddy trail conditions. Have a nice enjoy!
Off Road driving uphill
And now a little bit of practical off road driving – there is an icy hill in front of you, you explore it, conquer your doubts and then “attack” it… in the middle of the hill you realize, that the speed you have chosen was insufficient – wheels start to skid and there is no onward moving. You step on the brake, but – oh, dear! – wheels of you car are blocked up (or on the contrary: the ABS system does not allow to brake at all) and the car starts to slide down the slippery and steep grade right in the direction of grove of young birches. Now what?
Just keep a cool head! Shift into reverse gear and let go all the pedals you had stepped on. Than start to steer, because the wheels are spinning now and car is once again controllable.
◊ Conclusion – it is not important whether you go downhill forwards or reverse – you must leave vehicle in gear. Use the brakes only to slow down a little.
So you let your car to roll backwards and slowly pass the birches, reflect on your mistakes and try again.
Off Rod Driving on Lateral slopes
If we talk about slopes we cannot forget lateral slopes that are too “tricky” to be left without attention. And not long ago my friend Jānis tried this…
There was SOS call to my cell phone: “Dude, come here – I must get my car back on the wheels! Don’t know what happened – suddenly it just “stood” sideward!”
Who wouldn’t want to see a “Pajero” laying on its side, especially if it is not yours! I was on the place after an hour, we “winched” the car back on the wheels and started the investigation of the “crime scene”. And here’s how it happened: there were deep wheel tracks on the road. Jānis saw it and decided to let the wheels of one side go through the wheel track and the wheels of other side – on top of it. And that’s exactly what he should have done! Just a small detail he didn’t noticed – on the side of the wheel track suddenly “grew” a stump. Although Jānis was driving with the third reduction gear and usually it cannot overturn a jeep, this time it was “fatal”.
◊ Conclusion – it is very hard to overturn a jeep sideward, if you drive slowly. What causes the danger in off road driving is the rough surfaces and inadequately chosen speed – the faster you drive the more a pothole or a mound that you don’t notice affect the stability of the car.
Driving in a car that is inclined 35º, guarantees enough adrenaline even for experienced jeep drivers. Therefore, to enjoy a great off road driving and get some positive off road experience: shift into the first reduction gear (turtle speed) and catch the adrenaline!
