1993 CHEVROLET TRACKER steering

Depending on your speed, this can be
rather violent for an unprepared driver.
This is one of the reasons driving
experts recommend that you use your
safety belts and keep both hands on the
steering wheel.
The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to
practice defensive driving at all times. Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right
wheels have dropped off the edge of a
road onto the shoulder
(A) while you’re
driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing
in the way, steer
so that your vehicle
straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to
1/4
turn (B) until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the
roadway.
If the shoulder appears to be about four
inches
(100 mm) or more below the
pavement,
this difference can cause
problems. If there is not enough room to
pull entirely onto the shoulder and stop,
then follow the same procedures. But
if
the right front tire scrubs against the
side of the pavement, do NOT steer
more sharply. With too much steering
angle, the vehicle may jump back onto
the road with
so much steering input
that it crosses over into the oncoming
traffic before you can bring it back
under control. Instead, ease
off again on
the accelerator and steering input,
straddle the pavement once more, then
try again.
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Your Driving and the Road
you just passed may seem to be
further away from
you than it really
is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle
at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy
for the following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you can ease a little
to the right.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say
about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet
the road to do what
the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep
trying to steer and constantly seek an
escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of
the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care
suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But
skids are always possible. The three types
of skids correspond
to
your Geo’s three control systems. In the
braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering skid,
too
much speed or steering in a curve causes
tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to
spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration
skid are best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal. If your
vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn
a corner on a wet, snow- or ice-covered
road), ease your foot off the accelerator
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pedal as soon as you feel the vehicle
start to slide. Quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, your vehicle
will straighten out. As
it does, straighten
the front wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is
on the road. For safety,
you’ll want to slow down and adjust
your driving to these conditions. It is
important to slow down
on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance
will
be longer and vehicle control more
limited. While
driving on a surface with reduced
traction,
try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration, or braking
(including engine braking by shifting to
a lower gear). Any sudden changes
could cause the tires to slide.
You may
not realize the surface
is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues
- such as
enough water, ice
or packed snow on
the. road to make a “mirrored surface’’
- and slow down when you have any
doubt. Remember: the
rear wheel anti-lock
braking system (RWAL) helps avoid
only a rear braking skid. In a braking
skid (where the front wheels are no
longer rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the front wheels
rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down
steadily when you have to stop
suddenly. As long as the front wheels
are rolling, you will have steering
control. Steer the way you want to go.
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Your Driving and the Road
... 144
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over
many different kinds of terrain. You
need to be familiar with the terrain and
its many different features. Here
are
some things to consider.
Surface Conditions. Off-roading can
take you over hard-packed dirt; gravel,
rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow or ice.
Each
of these surfaces affects the
steering, acceleration, and braking of
your vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface you
are
on, you may experience slipping,
sliding,
wheel spinning, delayed
acceleration, poor traction. and longer
braking distanc
Surface Obstacles. Unseen or hidden
obstacles can be hazardous.
A rock, log,
hole, rut, or bump can startle
you if
you’re not prepared for them. Often
these obstacles
are hidden by grass,
bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things
to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change
Does the travel take you uphill or
abruptly up ahead?
downhill? (There’s
more discussion of
these subjects later.)
change direction quickly?
Will you have to stop suddenly or When you
drive over obstacles or rough
terrain, keep
a firm grip on the steering
wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other surface
features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or
other obstacles,
your wheels can leave
the ground.
If this happens, even with
one or two wheels, you can’t control the
vehicle as well or at
all.
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Is the hill simply too rough? Steep
hills often have ruts, gullies, troughs
and exposed rocks because they are
more susceptible to
the effects of
erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up
the hill, you need to take some special
steps.
Use a low gear and get a firm grip on
the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try
to maintain your speed. Don’t use
more power than you need, because
you don’t want your wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at
all possible. If the path twists and
turns, you might want to find another
route.
CAUTION
A
Turning or driving across
steep hills can be dangerous.
You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over.
You could be seriously injured or
killed. When driving
up hills,
always
try to go straight up.
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If your engine has stopped running,
you’ll need to restart
it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission
to P (Park) (or, shift to
Neutral if your vehicle has a
manual transmission) and restart the
engine. Then, shift to reverse,
release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in
reverse.
As you are backing down the hill,
put your
left hand on the steering
wheel at the
12 o’clock position.
This way, you’ll be able
to tell if
your wheels are straight or turned to
the left or right as you back down. Here
are some things you
must not do
if you stall, or are about to stall, when
going up
a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by
shifting into
N (Neutral) (or
depressing the clutch, if you have a
manual transmission)
to “rev-up” the
engine and regain forward
momentum. This won’t work. Your
vehicle will roll backwards very
quickly and you could go out of
control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop
the vehicle. Then apply the parking
brake. Shift into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back down.
Never attempt to turn around if you
are about to stall when going up a
hill.
If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough
to cause you to roll over if you turn
around. If you can’t make it up the
hill, you must back down the hill.
Q: Suppose, after stalling, I try to
back down the hill and decide
I
just can’t do it. What should I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your
transmission
in P (Park) (or the
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..
I
CA UTlON
t
Getting out on the downhill
(low) side of a vehicle
stopped across 811 incline is
dangerous. If the vehicle rolls
over, you could be crushed or
killed. Always get out on the
uphill (high) side of the vehicle
and
stay well clear of the rollover
path.
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Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow, or sand,
your wheels won’t get good traction.
You can’t accelerate as quickly, turning
is more difficult, and you’ll need longer
braking distances.
It’s best to use
a low gear when you’re
in mud - the deeper the mud, the lower
the gear. In really deep mud, the idea is
to keep your vehicle moving
so you
don’t get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense a
change in wheel traction. But it will
depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on
beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend
to sink into the sand. This has an
effect on steering, accelerating, and
braking. You may want to reduce the air
pressure in your tires slightly when
driving on sand. This will improve
traction,
Hard packed snow and ice offer the
worst tire traction. On these surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is
so poor
that you will have difficulty
accelerating. And if you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can
cause you to slide out of control.
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After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has
collected on the underbody, chassis or
under the hood. These accumulations
can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the
brake linings cleaned and checked.
These substances can cause glazing and
uneven braking. Check the body
structure, steering, suspension, wheels,
tires, and exhaust system for damage.
Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent
service due to off-road use. Refer
to the
Maintenance Schedule for additional
information.
rn Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired
- by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips
on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See
“Drunken Driving” in the Index for
more on this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle
ahead is going just by looking at its
taillights.
Slow down, especially on higher
speed roads.
Your headlights can light
up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
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