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. 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
rear axle. Put heavier items
as far forward
as
you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly,
so
driving on the off-road terrain
doesn’t toss things around.
4-12
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