1994 CHEVROLET TRACKER wheel

0 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.
0 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 a1
possible.
If the path twists and turns,
you might want to find another route.
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Ease up on your speed as you
approach the top
of the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to tnake
you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails
or hills.
Sound the
horn as you approach the
top
of the hill to let opposing traffic
know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the
day. They make you more visible
to
oncoming traffic.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle
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stalls, or is about to stall, and I can’t
make
it up the hill?
If this happens, there are some things
you should do, and there are some
things you must not do. First, here’s
what you should do:
Push the brake pedal
to stop the
vehicle and keep
it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply
the parking
brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the
transmission into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back down
the
hill in reverse.
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 “N” (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 as straight as possible 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,
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Your Driving and the Road
you'll be able to tell if your wheels are
stl-aisht and maneuver
as you back
down. It's best thur ~LI i);\c.l; c'lown the
hill with your wheeis straight rather
than
in the left or right direction.
Turning the wheel
too far to the left or
right will increase the possibility of a
rollover.
Here are some things you must
not do if
you stall, or are about to stall, when going
up a
hill.
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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 rnornentum.
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 straight 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 straight down the
hill.
0: 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
manual transmission in first gear). and
turn off the engine. Leave the vehicle
and go get some help. Exit on the
uphill side and
stay clear of the path
the vehicle would take
if it rolled
downhill.
Do not shift thc transfer
case
to "N" (Neutral) when you leave
the vehicle. Leave it in some gear.
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill,
JOU'II want to consider a number of
hings:
D How steep is the downhill'? Will I be
able
to maintain vehicle control'?
D What's the surfilce like? Smooth?
Rough'! Slippery'? Hard-packed dirt?
Gravel'?
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0 Are there hidden surface obstacles?
Ruts? Logs? Boulders?
0 What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is
there a hidden creek bank or even a
river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a
hill
safely, then try to keep your vehicle
headed straight down, and use a low gear.
This way, engine drag can help your
brakes and they won’t have to do all the
work. Descend slowly, keeping your
vehicle under control at all times.
Q: Are there some things I should not
do when driving down
a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if
you ignore them you could lose
control and have a serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns
that take you across the incline
of the
hill.
A hill that’s not too steep to drive
down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over if you
don’t drive straight down.
Never go downhill with the
transmission in “N” (Neutral), or with
the clutch pedal depressed in a manual
shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to do all the
work and could overheat and fade.
Avoid braking
so hard that you lock
the front wheels when going downhill.
If your front wheels are locked, you
can’t steer your vehicle. If your
wheels lock up during downhill
braking, you may feel the vehicle
starting to slide sideways.
To regain
your direction, just ease
off the brakes
and steer to keep the front of the
vehicle pointing straight downhill.
Q: Am I likely to stall when going
downhill?
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It‘s much more likely to happen going
uphill.
But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the
regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to
“P” (Park) (or to Neutral with
the manual transmission) and, while
still braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the
parking brake, and drive straight down.
If the engine won’t start, get out and
get help.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will
probably go across the incline
of a hill. If
this happeris, you have to decide whether
to try to drive across the incline. Here are
some things to consider:
0 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
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Your Driving and the
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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 whecls) 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.
Surfkce conditions can be
a problem
when you drive across
il 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.
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 iry it might
have rolled over.
Road
Drivihg 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.
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 come” so you
know what the surface is like bcforc
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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A CAUTION:
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. .4nd
if
you do get moving, poor steering and
difficult braking can cause
you to slide
out of control.
A CAUTION:
Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road
driving problems. But heavy rain can
mean tlash flooding, and tlood
waters
demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you
drive through it.
If it's deep enough to
cover your wheel hubs, axles, or exhaust
pipe, don't
try il - you probably won't
get through.
Also, water that deep can
damage your axle and other vehicle parts.
If the water
isn't too deep, then drive
through
it slowly. At fast speeds. water
splashes on your ignition system and
your
vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if
you get your tailpipe under water. ,4nd, as
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Your Driving and the Road
long as your tailpipe is under water, you'll
never be able to
start your engine. When
you go through water, remember that
when your brakes get wet, it may take
you longer to stop.
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.
4 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.
Don't drink and drive.
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.
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Wiper Blades: Are they in good
shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:
Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a
safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread
good enough for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date
maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call
it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with
the same scenery, along with
the hum of the tires
on the road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you! If it
does, your vehicle can leave the road in
less than a second, and
you could crash
and be injured.
What can you do about highway
hypnosis? First, be aware that
it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well
ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the
road ahead and to
the sides. Check
your mirrors and your instruments
frequently.
0 If you get sleepy, pull off the road into
a rest, service, or parking area and
take a nap, get some exercise,
or both.
For safety, treat drowsiness on the
highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain
Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving
in flat or rolling
terrain. If you drive regularly in steep
country, or
if you’re planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
(See “Off-Road Driving” in the Index
for information about driving off-road.)
Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work
hard
on mountain roads.
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Include an ice scraper7 a small brush or
broom. a supply of windshield washer
fluid,
a rag, some winter outer clothing, a
small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth, and
a couple of reflective warning triangles.
And,
if you will be driving under severe
conditions, include
:I small bag of sand, ;I
piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap
bags to
help provide traction. Be sure yo11
properl}, secure these item in your
vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time. those placcs where your
tires meet the road probably have good
traction.
Howe\w-.
it’ thcrc is snow or ice between
your tires antl the road, you can Iwve ;I
very slippery situation. You‘ll have ;t lot
less traction or “grip“ and will need to be
very careful.
What‘s the worst time
for this’? “Wet ice.”
Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and
hurd to drive on. Rut wet ice can be even
more trouble because
it nlay offer the
least traction
of all. You can get ”wet ice”
when it’s about freezing
(32°F; 0°C) and
freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid
hiving on wet ice
until salt and sand
:rews
can get there. Whatever the condition
- smooth ice.
packed. blowing or loose snow
- drive
with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not
to break the
fragile traction. If you accelerate too fast,
the drive wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your
ability
to make a hard stop on a slippery
road. Even though you have
an anti-lock
braking system.
you’ll want to begin
stopping sooner than
you would on dry
pavement.
See “Anti-lock” in the Index.
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Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road
might be fine
until you hit H spot that’s
covered with ice.
On an otherwise
clear road. ice patches may appear
in shaded areas where the sun can’t
reach: around clumps
of trees. behind
buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surftlce
of a curve or
an overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear.
If you
see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake
before you are on
it. Try not to brake
while
you’re actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steerins maneuvers.
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