Chevrolet 1993 S-10 Pickup Owner's Manual page 185

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:
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.
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 doesn't mean
you have to drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.
CAUTION
Driving across an incline that's too steep will make your vehicle roll
over. Yol u could ble seriously injured
or
killed. If you h'ave any doubt
about the steepness of the incline, don't drive
across it.
Find another
route instead.
Q: What if I'm driving across an incline that's not too steep, but I hit
some loose gravel and start to slide downhill. What should
I do?
A: 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.
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