Things You'll Need:
- 4x4 truck
- off road tires
- spotter
- a place to wheel
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Step 1
Assure legal access to your preferred off road adventure. Nothing ruins a fun day of off roading like a trespassing fine or bullet holes in your Jeep. There are many off road parks that allow access to maintained trails where you can challenge your Jeep and driving skills in a legal manner.
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Step 2
Upon arriving at the end of the pavement, lower the air pressure in your tires. Lower air pressure allows the tires to conform to the shape of the rocks and other obstacles giving you better traction and control. Consult other off roaders as to the right pressure for your rig. Going too low will reduce ground clearance and increase the chance of the tire popping off the rim. Staying too high will limit your traction and cause a rough ride.
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Step 3
Disconnect or remove the sway bars. While sway bars are great for on road handling, they limit the suspension travel and hinder off road driving. Removable sway bar end links are available for many trucks to make disconnecting and reconnecting the bar at the trail head a simple and quick task.
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Step 4
Before approaching a new obstacle take time to walk the trail first. Make sure there is a safe exit form the other side of a hill. While there are many funny videos on you tube where people have driven up a hill without checking the other side first, it is really no fun to be the one with the broken Jeep in the woods.
Walk the trail and laugh at those who don't. -
Step 5
Plan an escape route in case you can;t make it over an obstacle. Never go down a hill that you are not sure you can climb back up unless you know there is another way out. Having another capable rig with you also adds a degree of safety. Just don't get both trucks in a place where you can't get back out.
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Step 6
When approaching a rock try to work one wheel at a time up onto the obstacle. Having a locking differential helps as you lift one tire off the ground. Always be aware of where your tires are and try to keep as much traction on each wheel as possible.
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Step 7
Go as slowly as possible to allow your tires to grab the rocks. However at times there will simply not be enough traction to pull your Jeep up a rock face. In this case you can sometimes use momentum to push your rig up. After carefully picking a line and aligning your Jeep with the rock, back up a foot or two and accelerate slightly as your approach the rock. This is know as "giving it a BUMP." Giving a bump greatly increases the load of the steering linkage and other suspension components so do so with care. Use only the amount of spied necessary to get over the obstacle and no more. Also be prepared to stop quickly so that you do not overshoot your goal.
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Step 8
When descending a steep slope, always keep your wheels turning. Do not lock up the brakes as this looses all control. When driving a manual transmission Jeep, put the transmission a low gear and use the throttle to control your speed as you descend. If the tire start to slide, accelerate until the tires regain grip and then close the throttle slightly to reduce speed.
With an automatic transmission you will have to use the wheel brakes to control the speed. However you must also be ready to use the throttle to catch the traction should you st rat to slide. Using your left foot on the brake and your right on the gas is a good way to be ready for sudden changes in traction.
Alway strive to keep the front of the Jeep pointed down the hill to avoid a roll over. It is sometimes better to bump a tree or a berm if necessary to control your descent speed in slippery conditions than to allow your Jeep to turn sideways on the hill. -
Step 9
When crossing water always check the depth first. Sucking water into the engine will ruin your day. Ensure that your air intake will always be above the water level. On some vehicles like the Jeep Cherokee, you can remove the air hose from the air box to increase the height of the air intake.
Attach tow straps before entering the water so you don;t have to scuba dive to connect one if you get stuck.
While in the water maintain a constant speed and keep up your momentum. If there is a current, be aware of it pushing your truck downstream and counter steer to compensate.
If the water is deep enough your truck may tend to float slightly lowering your traction. Be aware of this effect when planing you crossing.
