1995 GMC SIERRA wheel

Driving Guidelines
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-wheel Drive
Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-Lock Brakes”
in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you shouldn’t drive off-road
unless you’re
on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have some definite hazards.
The greatest of these
is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the great North American road system
behind. Traffic lanes aren’t marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can
be slippery. rough, uphill or downhill. In short,
you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s why it’s very
important that
you read this guide. You’ll find many driving tips and
suggestions. These will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For example, be sure to have
all necessary maintenance and service work done. Check to make sure all
underbody shields
(if so equipped) are properly attached. Be sure you read
all the information about your four-wheel drive vehicle in this manual.
Is
there enough fuel? Is the spare tire fully inflated? Are the fluid levels up
where they should be? What are
the local laws that apply to off-roading
where you’ll be driving?
If you don’t know, you should check with law
enforcement people in the area. Will you be
on someone’s private land? If
so, be sure to get the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about how to load your
vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the load floor and forward of your
rear axle. Put heavier items as far forward
as you can.
doesn’t toss things around.
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on the off-road terrain
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Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways
to control your vehicle is to control your speed. Here are some
things
to keep in mind. At higher speeds:
you approach things faster and you have less time to scan the terrain for
obstacles.
0 you have less time to react.
0 you have more vehicle bounce when you drive over obstacles.
0 you’ll need more distance for braking, especially since you’re on an
unpaved surface.
A CAUTION:
When you’re driving off road, bouncing and quick changes in
direction can easily throw you out of position. This could cau\
se
you to lose control and crash.
So, whether you’re driving on or
off the road, you and your passengers should wear safety belts.
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.
Stttface 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 distances.
Surjace 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 abruptly up ahead‘?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s more discussion
of these subjects later.)
0 Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction quickly?
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.
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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.
Because
you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s especially important to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden turns, or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind
of alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways. There are
no road signs, posted speed limits
or signal lights. You have to use your own good judgment about what is safe
and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any road. And this is
certainly true for off-road driving. At the very time
you need special
alertness and driving skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol.
You could have a serious - or
even fatal
- accident if you drink and drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index.)
Driving On Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or across a hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and an understanding
of what your vehicle
can and can’t do. There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no matter
how well built the vehicle.
A CAUTION:
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle, If you drive up
them, you will stall, If you drive
down them, you can’t control
your speed. If you drive across them, you will roll over. You
could be seriously injured
or killed. If you have any doubt about
the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one of those hills that’s
just
too steep to climb, descend, or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge.
On
a very small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant incline
with only a small change in elevation where you can easily see all the way
to the top. On
a large hill, the incline may get steeper as you near the top,
but you may
not see this because the crest of the hill is hidden by bushes,
grass, or shrubs.
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Here are some other things to consider as you approach a hill.
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the surface cause tire
slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you won’t have to make
0 Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your path (boulders,
turning maneuvers?
trees,
logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an embankment, a drop-off, a
fence? Get out and walk
the hill if you don’t know. It’s the smart way
to find out.
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 Uphi//
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.
0 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.
1 A CAUTION:
nrning 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.
Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of the hill.
0 Attach a flag to the vehicle to make 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.
to oncoming traffic.
Use your headlights even during the day. They make you more visible
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A CAUTION:
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed can cause an
accident. There could be a drop-off, embankment, cliff, or even
another vehicle. You could be seriously injured
or killed. As you
near the top
of a hill, slow down and stay alert.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about to stall, and I
A: If this happens, there are some things you should do, and there are
some things you must not do. First, here’s what you
shoclld do:
can’t make it up the hill?
0 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 PARK (P) (or, shift to NEUTRAL
(N) 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.
0 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 and maneuver
as you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels 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 mt do if you stall, or are about to stall,
when going
up a hill.
0 Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into NEUTRAL (N) (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.
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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.
Q: Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the hill and decide I just
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in PARK (P) (or the
can’t do it. What should I do?
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 the
transfer case
to NEUTRAL (N) when you leave the vehicle. Leave it in
some gear,
I A CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N) can cause your
vehicle to roll even
if the transmission is in PARK (P) (or, if you
have the manual transmission, even if you’re in gear), This is
because the
NEUTRAL (N) position on the transfer case
overrides the transmission.
If you are going to leave your
vehicle, set the parking brake and shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or, put your manual transmission in first gear). But
do not shift the transfer case to the NEUTRAL (N) position.
Leave the transfer case in the
2 Wheel, 4 High or 4 Low position.
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to consider a number of
things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain vehicle control?
What’s the surfxe like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery? Hard-packed dirt?
Gravel?
0 Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs? Boulders?
What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden creek bank or even a
river bottom with large rocks?
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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.
A CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause your brakes to
overheat and fade. This could cause
loss of control and a serious
accident. Apply the brakes lightly when descending
a hill and
use a low gear to keep vehicle speed under control.
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 NEUTRAL (N) , 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.
Q: Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphill. But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what
to do.
0 Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to PARK (P) (or to Neutral with the manual transmission) and,
while still braking, restart the engine.
down.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake, and drive straight
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
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Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across the incline of a hill.
If this happens, you have to decide whether to
try to drive across the incline.
0
0
0
~~
Here are some things to consider:
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.
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 try it might have rolled over.
A CAUTION:
Driving across an incline that’s too steep will make your v\
ehicle
roll over.
You could be seriously injured or killed. If you have
any doubt about the steepness of the incline, don’t drive a\
cross
it. Find another route instead.
0: 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.
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