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Off-Road Driving with
Your
Four-wheel Drive
Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-Lock Brakes”
in
the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you shouldn’t drive off-road
unless you’re on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great
fun.
But
it
does have some definite hazards.
The greatest
of
these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the great North American road system
behind. Traffic lanes aren’t marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In short,
you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new
skills.
And that’s why it’s very
important that you read this guide. You’ll find many driving tips and
suggestions. These will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
Before
You
Go
Off-Roading
There are some things
to
do before you go
out.
For example, be sure
to
have
all necessary maintenance and service work done. Check to make sure all
underbody shields (if
so
equipped) are properly attached. Be sure you read
all
the
information about your four-wheel drive vehicle in this manual.
Is
there enough fuel?
Is
the spare tire
fully
inflated? Are the fluid levels up
where they should be? What are
the
local laws that apply to off-roading
where you’ll be driving? If you don’t know, you should check with law
enforcement people in the area. Will you be
on
someone’s private land?
If
so,
be sure to get the necessary permission.
Loading
Your
Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how
to load your
vehicle.
0
The heaviest things should be on the load floor and forward
of
your
0
Be sure the load
is
secured properly, so driving on the off-road terrain
rear axle. Put heavier items as far forward as you can.
doesn’t toss things around.