Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it is
one of those hills that is just too steep to climb, descend,
or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very
small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant
incline with only a small change in elevation where
you can easily see all the way to the top. On a large hill,
the incline may get steeper as you near the top, but
you may not see this because the crest of the hill
is hidden by bushes, grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you approach
a hill:
• Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
• Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
• Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
will not have to make turning maneuvers?
• Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your
path, such as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
• What is beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know. It is the smart way
to find out.
• Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks because
they are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps:
• Use transmission and transfer case low gear and
get a firm grip on the steering wheel.
• Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Do not use more power than you
need, because you do not want your wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
• Let the traction system work to control any wheel
slippage. The traction control system allows for
moderate wheel spin with some capability to dig in
and power up the hill.
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