A few useful tips on Safe Off-Roading A few things learnt during my offroading experiences. Thought I'd share them here. Respecting the Environment
Offroading as a sport has the tendency to damage the environment if engaged in without diligence. It is important people respect the natural terrain and try not to scar it to an extent it would entail permanent damage.
Desert landscapes are a lot safer as the winds that follow erase your tracks in time.
A lot of people, I have noticed, have the tendency to leave behind the garbage they create. Please carry your garbage out of the wilderness and dispose appropriately. Plastics, as you may know, don't disintegrate in a 100 years and pose a threat to wild animals.
Offroading can be a huge disturbance to wildlife in the area. Please engage in the sport in a manner that causes the least bit of disturbance. Sound and exhaust pollution are concerns
Disused quarries are the best bet for extreme offroading. Chances are there is no wildlife around and the earth has already been completely ravaged. Your antics won't add to the damage already done.
All forest cover is under government protection and as citizens we don't have an open right to access. We need to apply to the local forest officer for permission and only then can we proceed into a forest. Safety first
Needless to say this is, without any doubt, the single most critical element all off roading enthusiasts must focus on first.
If you are venturing into unknown terrain please make sure of the following:
1. Carry a compass or better still a GPS so you can find your way out
2. Ideally always go into unknown territory with atleast one other SUV, to assist, should your car get stuck or fail
3. Never venture out alone
4. Carry first aid
5. Carry plenty of drinking water and snacks/energy bars etc
6. Always carry a tow rope with appropriate hooks
7. A winch helps where other cars can't pull you out. The winch wire should be of sufficient length so as to enable you to tie to a tree at a distance
6. Ensure you are out with a full tank of fuel
7. Communication devices such as cell phone, 2 way radios, satellite cell would be useful
8. Know your car inside out. Just this can mean staying out of trouble that may eiher damage your car or harm you and occupants. Know the permissible angles of incline your vehicle can handle. I've known many a careless offroader to roll and damage his SUV, not to mention the shock and trauma to persons
9. Know your abilities. Being adventurous in this sport without practice and high skill level developed invariably causes nasty accidents. Practice a lot and tackle difficult obstacles only with growing experiences. Please don't take chances. Expert offroading is about calculated moves, not daredevil attempts.
10. Never take chances when you are faced with an unknown. facing a road disappearing over a sharp hill that requires you to build a sharp run for momentum to get over it? Get down, walk up to the top of the hill, study whats on the other side, the road may make a sharp turn, there may be trees or boulders not visible, and worse, sometimes you may have a picnic of people on the other side!!! Choosing the right vehicle
When evaluating SUV's choose engines that develop peak torque as low down in the rev band as possible, at say 1500 rpm. Consider the weight of the vehicle too as the engine has to work harder on a heavier SUV
Generally speaking large displacement engines are able to develop torque very low down in the rev bands. As the Americans are fond of saying "There's no replacement for displacement" Big bore engines rule. V config engines also develop torque better. This is not to say inlines can't do the job. The SUV I used had an inline six and it never fell short on torque. Low centre of gravity. This affects your vehicle's ability to handle inclines. Usually a good SUV manufacturer will quote the angles the vehicle can handle. Tyres. Wide track tyres with offroad pattern (lugs). No amount of writeups can do justice to how significantly tyres impact your experience. The key word here is FOOTPRINT and TRACTION. For soft sand deflate tyres to 15 psi as this gives you an even wider footprint. Basically you want all that engine torque to grip the soil and move forward. Lesser the contact patch more the chances of tyres spinning and digging in. Also a high aspect ratio help as you don't want the rims to get damaged and plus it gives the tyre the pliability to grip rocks better. The max size of the tyre useable on your SUV gets dictated by the ability to torque through the increased grip. Also it impacts steering and loads your power unit. Short wheelbase and overhangs. A short wheelbase eg less than 2500mm helps as you don't risk bottoming out on ridges. Short overhangs allow you a sharper angle of attack and exit. I've seen many SUV's have their front and rear bumpers knocked out in a few minutes of offroading on dunes.
Gearboxes with close raios and diff spec for torque application. The key in smooth offroading is building momentum. Nothing helps more than a gear box that allows you to maintain the momentum as you change up. Lose momentum between gears and risk getting stuck Technique
Great off roading at best is 50% vehicle ability and 50% driver skill. There are no set rules but only one. Practice, practice, and practice. Considering every SUV is unique you have to develop a driving style that suits your car and the terrain. What applies in sand won't apply in slush or snow or hard soil. Only experience will teach you the myriad nuances of this magnificent sport.
In slush and sand one tip is to weave through as you drive. What this means is you contantly oscillate the steering to avoid buildup of the soft soil ahead of your tyre, that eventually serves as a brake and bogs you down.
Always be gentle as you apply the throttle while starting off on say a beach. High torque setup makes your wheels spin cutting into the sand in no time. The key is to move out gently and build and maintain momentum. Often we started in 2nd gear when the gearbox was in the low mode.
When you get stuck, STOP. Don't sit there trying to frantically rev yourself out. Chances are you'll dig yourself in and bottom out(where the underside of the SUV rests on the ground and your wheels spin freely. Step out and evaluate the situation. The first option is to try and move back out the way you came. You may need to rebuild momentum to tackle the patch. It helps to get all other occupants out when you are trying to get the vehicle unstuck, lower weight helps.
At times you'd have to rock the car using first and reverse so as to make room for the tyres. Oscillate the steering as you do that. If you have shrubs or small stones around place them ahead and behind the wheel to give it some grip.
Always watch if you car is moving while you attempt to throttle up. If its moving maintain the throttle and gently increase the momentum while increasing throttle. If you notice the car slowing down with increased throttle chances are the wheels are digging in, so ease off.
In situations where one or two of the wheels are spinning freely you need to increase traction under those wheels by placing stones, shrubs (anything)
If your SUV has diff locks this is where you use it.
Am sure I've missed something. Will add on as it comes to my mind. Disclaimer: The author is neither an expert offroader nor does he have the knowledge to state the above is a comprehensive guide. These are just some of the points followed by him and they helped in making his experiences safe and deeply enjoyable. Many of these tips were gleaned practicing in the company of expert offroaders on whose lifelong experiences I drew as they shared generously.
Offroading is an extreme sport and can prove to be harmful to your vehicle and people if engaged in without due diligence and skill.
I would urge enthusiasts to read up extensively before they venture out and ideally tie up with experienced folk if you are a novice. It helps.
Last edited by DKG : 4th March 2008 at 11:50.
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