Chevrolet SUBURBAN 1993 Owner's Manual page 199

Your Driving and the Road
0
0
For
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.
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
A
Driving across an incline that's 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, don't drive across it. Find another
route instead.
I
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.
Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you're crossing an incline, be sure you (and your
passengers) get out on the uphill side, even if the door there is harder to
open. If you get out on the downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll over,
you'll be right in its path.
If
you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path the vehicle will take
if it does roll over.
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