OF4WD Guide to Safe Wheeling
The following
are a series of guidelines, developed by the OF4WD, for the
purpose of creating a more pleasant environment in which to
4-wheel. Within the recommendations are guidelines that promote
consideration for other 4WD enthusiasts, consideration for
government representatives, and consideration for other user
groups. Following these guidelines will improve the public
image of 4WD enthusiasts and aid fostering new and improved
relationships with other user groups.
Contents
Glossary
General Terrain
Hills
Obstacles
Mud
Ditches & Steep
Ascents/Descents
Water Crossings
Guiding
Traveling in a Pack
Winching & Recovery
Glossary
Crawling:
Using the lowest available gear ratio in a vehicle to traverse
an obstacle in the most controlled manner. Speeds should be only
fast enough to maintain forward progress, there should be little
to no tire slippage when crawling.
With
Momentum:
Taking a
controlled
“run” at an
obstacle. Some obstacles cannot be
completed by
crawling and must be attempted using a certain measure of
momentum to aid
the progress of
the vehicle. Attempting an obstacle “with momentum” should only
be
attempted if
crawling does not succeed.
4-Lo or Low
Gear:
The low gear set selectable through your transfer
case usually only
available in
4WD. This is usually used in combination with low gear in the
transmission to
“crawl”
obstacles and has the least impact on your vehicle.
Approach/Departure Angle:
The maximum
angle of hill that can be attempted in
forward/reverse
head-on without overhangs (bumpers, gas tank, etc.) contacting
the
ground and
stopping progress.
General
Terrain
-
There
is a saying 4x4 circles that goes “as slow as possible,
as fast as necessary”. Basically, if you are going
slowly you are in better control of your vehicle. You are
more able see what is coming up on the trail, pick the right
line with less chance of causing damage to the vehicle and
trail. However, sometimes a little speed is necessary to
traverse an obstacle, e.g. section of mud, hill climb. The
momentum gathered before the obstacle will help carry you
through/up. Be careful though, you always need to be in
control of your vehicle. More speed would not be
appropriate in side incline or other situation where there
is a risk you will lose control or damage your vehicle/the
trail. In these cases consider using a winch or use bypass
if one is available.
-
When
on the trail, always have your vehicle in 4WD (Hi or Lo).
Although it may not
be necessary, using it impacts less on the environment.
-
Avoid
sudden actions, maintain control over the vehicle at all
times. Good "offroading" is about control not brute force.
-
Keep your
thumbs out from inside the steering wheel, if the steering
wheel should turn suddenly (from contacting an obstacle),
the spokes could break your thumbs.
-
Never
stand downhill of a vehicle and always stand well back of
any vehicle in motion.
-
Do not
trust the “Park” setting (automatic) or leaving a vehicle in
gear (manual) to hold your vehicle on a hill. Always use
your parking brake along with either of the above if you
must leave your vehicle on a grade unattended. Try to find a
natural chock (i.e. a rock or log) if possible.
Hills
-
Do
not travel across a hill, always drive as straight up or
down the grade as possible.
-
Use
low gear (called engine braking) when traveling down hills
and avoid sudden heavy braking.
-
Attempt a controlled “crawl” of each hill before attempting
it with momentum.
-
If
the vehicle begins to slide sideways while traveling up
hill, stop and re-evaluate the situation. Call and wait for
a guide to assist you.
Obstacles
-
Avoid
attempting obstacles (large rocks, fallen trees) head-on.
Cross them on an angle with control and in low gear, most
obstacles can be completed by “crawling” them.
-
Never
straddle an obstacle, drive your tires over them to avoid
being "high centered" (stuck).
-
Know
where the low points are on your vehicle and be aware of
their location when negotiating obstacles (usually
differential pods on most vehicles).
-
Use a
spotter if you are unsure how to proceed through an obstacle
or better yet, get out and check the situation for yourself
if it is safe to do so.
Mud
-
Use a
low gear to traverse muddy sections of trail.
-
Use
just enough throttle to maintain forward momentum, too much
throttle digs you deeper and decreases traction.
-
Turn
your wheels rapidly from side-to-side if you feel yourself
losing traction. This allows the side lugs of your tire to
grab the edges of ruts and increase traction.
-
When
traversing ruts try to avoid falling into the ruts, attempt
to straddle them. However, beware of falling into deep ruts
which could result in a rollover.
Ditches
& Steep Ascents/Descents
-
Be
aware of the approach and departure angles of your vehicle.
Avoid grounding your bumper or dragging the rear of your
vehicle in ditches.
-
If
the ditch is not too deep, cross it at a 45-degree angle,
entering and exiting one wheel at a time.
-
Go
slowly and with control using low gear.
Water
Crossings
-
Avoid
water crossings if at all possible.
-
When
crossing water, maintain forward progress creating a “bow
wake” in front of your vehicle. This creates an air pocket
in the engine bay.
-
Motion should be steady and continuous.
-
Water
that is hub depth is safe, avoid water which is more than
bumper depth.
-
If
you find yourself in unexpectedly deep water and your
vehicle stalls DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RESTART. Contact your trail
leader for assistance.
-
Brakes will not function to their full capacity after
crossing deep water, temporarily depress them after exiting
the water to restore performance.
Guiding
-
Use
simple hand gestures rather than words (spotters left is not
drivers left).
-
Allow
only one spotter, more than one signal can confuse the
driver.
-
Stand
well back of the vehicle and in clear view of the driver.
Traveling
in a Pack
-
Leave
lots of space between vehicles.
-
When
approaching an obstacle, ensure that there is sufficient
space past the obstacle before continuing.
-
Always keep the vehicle behind you in view, never leave
anyone behind.
-
Never
go 4-wheeling alone.
Winching
& Recovery
-
Never
stand in-line with a winch cable under tension, if the cable
breaks it becomes a deadly projectile.
-
Do
not touch the winch cable without wearing gloves or you will
quickly learn the definition of "meat-hooks".
-
Whenever possible lay a coat or blanket across the cable
near the center to dampen the recoil in case of a break.
-
The
winching vehicle should always have it’s hood up when
winching.
-
Always use a tree strap when winching to a tree to protect
the tree from damage.
-
Do
not overdrive the winch, be aware of the limits of your
winch. Keep your engine running at a high idle while
winching to keep voltage up. Low voltage = high current
which generates excessive heat that can damage your winch.
**For more information on Safe Winching see the
WARN Guide to Safe Winching
