Basic 101: Your vehicle is your life

Of course you can also go offroading with a beat-up ancient truck your grandpa used to haul fertilizer, but you certainly will not get far. And, you shall possibly come back walking. So if you intend some enjoyable offroading outing, get your vehicle in excellent condition especially its motor, frame and springs. Getting% LINK1% is also a positive plus, and using lift kits is positive plus-plus, as they are specifically designed for offroad driving. Making your vehicle reliable is the first requirement of offroading, because your life is dependent on it while on the trip.

Basic 102: Go dirty easy

Seek a location offroad that contains a dirt road, a hillock or two, mud or waterhole, ruts, gravel and passable rocks, where you can feel how your vehicle performs. Move to 4-low and steer slowly over the hazards, keeping your speed under five mph. Choose your route mentally and put the wheels where you want them for optimum traction. This is called picking the line and it merely means you should choose the most passable path around or over the hazards. Be aware of how the vehicle responds while you are traversing the hazards, so you can anticipate them later.

Basic 103: It could be’ muddlin’

Mud is slick, wet and always moves even without your permission, so as much as you can go around the mudhole. If you cannot, pick a line through the lowest, firmest part you can determine and try driving through in 4-low with 3rd or 4th gear in use. The trick is to go fast enough that there is momentum and you do not get stuck, but slow enough to remain in control. Too fast and you could intake water, drive slow and you can sink and get stuck. But if you do get stuck, reverse the way you came in, wiggling the steering wheel and with sufficient power to get the mud off the tire tread. Otherwise dig the truck out of the mud.

Basic 104: 4-Wheeling on the rocks

Deemed the most demanding form, crawling over the rock piles really tests your vehicle and your skills. But there are methods. First, lower your tire pressure to about half that of usual road pressure for better traction. Inspect the bottom for any part that may get damaged if hauled as well as prompt you of the ground Scout your route to pick your line and then shift to 4-low or first gear. Go over your line slowly, ears pricked up meanwhile for the sound of sliding tires or the stone dinging your under carriage. If it proves too arduous, back up and seek another way.

Basic 105: Bugging the Sandhills

The sand is more shifty in the day and thus more tricky to drive on. Braking and turning take longer distances so try to compensate. Momentum can help you traverse difficult hence, go in 4-Hi and gear in Drive, going at 10-15 mph, tires lowered to half its usual pressure for footing and to ‘float’ them. Park it on firmer parts of the sand and face downhill for [easier|trouble-free} departure. When you are spinning tires but not moving, stop and reverse up.