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Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you'll want to
consider a number of things:
0
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
0
What's the surface like? Smooth? Rough'? Slippery'?
Hard-pac ked dirt
'?
Gravel?
0
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts'?
Logs? Boulders'?
0
What's at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way. engine drag
can
help
your
brakes and
they
won't
have
t o
do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping
y ) u r \rehick
under control at all times.
I
A
CAUTION:
1
I
Heavy braking when going aown a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could
cause loss of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending a hill
and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
&=
Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A:
Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
0
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the
hill. A hill that's not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don't drive straight down.
NEUTRAL (N). or with the clutch pedal depressed
in a manual shift. This is called "free-wheeling."
Your brakes will have
to do
all the work and could
overheat and fade.
0
Never go downhill with the transmission in
4-23
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