Off-road driving tips
Care should be taken when attempting to climb steep hills or driving diagonally across a hill or slope. If natural obstacles force you to travel diagonally up or down a hill, choose a mild angle and keep as little side tilt as possible. Keep the vehicle moving and make turns slowly and cautiously. If you must back down a hill, back straight down using REVERSE gear. Never back down in NEUTRAL or diago- nally across the hill. When driving over sand, mud, and other soft terrain, shift to low gear and drive steadily. Apply the accelerator slowly to avoid spinning the wheels. Do not reduce the tire pressures for this type of driving.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it is
always a good idea to check for damage. That way you can get any problems taken care of right away and have your vehicle ready when you need it. • Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and exhaust system for damage.
Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as required.
Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus- pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the values specified in the Service Manual.
Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These things could be a fire hazard. They might hide damage to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and propeller shafts.
After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or similar dirty conditions, have the radiator, fan, brake rotors, wheels, brake linings, and axle yokes inspected and cleaned as soon as possible.
WARNING! Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may cause excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You might not have full braking power when you need it to prevent a collision. If you have been operating your vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes checked and cleaned as necessary.
If you experience unusual vibration after driving in mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels for impacted material. Impacted material can cause a wheel imbalance and freeing the wheels of it will correct the situation.
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