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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:
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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 nmow track width (the distance
between the left and right wheels) may not prevent the vehicle
from
tilting and rolling over. Also, drivirig across an indline puts more
weight on the downhill wheels. This could cause a
downhil 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.
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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.
Q:
What if I'm driving across an incline that's not too steep, but
I hit
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
h s
is to get out and "walk the
course" so you know what the surface is
like
before you drive it.
some loose gravel and start to slide dowhhill.
What should I do?
4-22
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