Driving Across An Incline - Chevrolet 2008 Colorado Owner's Manual

Driving Across an Incline

Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across
the incline of a hill. If this happens, you have to
decide whether to try to drive across the incline.
Here are some things to consider:
CAUTION:
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Driving across an incline that is too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. If you have any
doubt about the steepness of the incline, do
not drive across it. Find another route instead.
•
A hill that can be driven straight up or down
may be too steep to drive across. When you go
straight up or down a hill, the length of the wheel
base — the distance from the front wheels to
the rear wheels — reduces the likelihood the
vehicle will tumble end over end. But when you
drive across an incline, the much more narrow track
width — the distance between the left and right
wheels — may not prevent the vehicle from tilting
and rolling over. Also, driving across an incline puts
more weight on the downhill wheels. This could
cause a downhill slide or a rollover.
4-20
•
Surface conditions can be a problem when you
drive across a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots,
or even wet grass can cause your tires to slip
sideways, downhill. If the vehicle slips sideways,
it can hit something that will trip it — a rock, a rut,
etc. — and roll over.
•
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse. If you drive across a rock with the
uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into a rut
or depression, your vehicle can tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully
whether to try to drive across an incline. Just because
the trail goes across the incline does not mean you
have to drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have
rolled over.
When driving across an incline that is not too steep,
the vehicle can hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. If you feel your vehicle starting to slide
sideways, turn downhill. This should help straighten out
the vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However,
a much better way to prevent this is to get out and
"walk the course" so you know what the surface is like
before you drive it.