1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER tires

TWO-WHEEL HIGH (2H): This setting is for driving
in most street and highway situations. Your front axle is
not engaged
in two-wheel drive.
FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H): This setting engages your
front axle to help drive your vehicle. Use FOUR-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) when you need extra traction, such as on wet
or icy roads, or in most off-road situations.
NEUTRAL (N): Shft to this setting only when your
vehicle needs to be towed.
FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L): This setting also engages
your front axle to give you extra traction and can be
used for driving downhill, uphill or
on rocky terrain
when you’re driving slower than
35 mph (55 km/h).
Remember that driving in FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H)
or FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L) may reduce fuel
economy. Also, driving
in four-wheel drive on dry
pavement could cause your tires to wear faster and make
your transfer case harder to shift. You
can shift from TWO-WHEEL
HIGH (2H) to
FOUR-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) or from FOUR-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) to TWO-WHEEL HIGH (2H) at any speed
if your hubs are locked and your wheels are straight
ahead. Your front axle will engage fas,ter if you take
your foot
off the accelerator pedal for a few seconds
as you shift.
Shifting Into or Out of FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L)
1. Stop your vehicle and shift your transmission
2. Shift the transfer case in one continuous motion.
to NEUTRAL (N).
Don’t pause in NEUTRAL
(N) as you shift into
FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H), or your gears could clash.
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Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes,
as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
Braking
Bralung action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long
as two or three seconds or more with
another.
Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving
at 60 mph (100 kmh) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface
of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
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Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced
driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change.its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you’ve ever
tried
to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition
of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose
you’re steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems
-- steering and braking -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Unless
you
have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard
braking can demand too much
of those places. You
can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you’re steering through
a
sharp curve. and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems
-- steering and acceleration -- can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Ease up on the
brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow. down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to
go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” though the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For
me thing, following too closely reduces your area
of vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly
slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass
is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care
that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
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of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle
to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane
change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther 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.
Don’t overtake
a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps 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.
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.
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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, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten
out. Always be ready for a
second
skid if it occurs.
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.
mle 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.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have
to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.
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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
umaderbody 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?
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
1 If you don’t know, you should check with law
forward
of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.
0 Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn’t toss things around.
A CAUTION:
Cargo on the load floor piled higher than
the seatbacks can be thrown forward
during
a sudden stop. You or your
passengers could be injured. Keep cargo
below the top of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo on the load floor can be
tossed about when driving over rough
terrain.
You or your passengers can be
struck
by flying objects. Secure the cargo
properly.
Heavy loads on the roof raise the vehicle’s
center of gravity, making it more likely to
roll over.
You can be seriously or fatally
injured
if the vehicle rolls over. Put heavy
loads inside the cargo
area, not on the roof.
Keep cargo in the cargo area as far forward
and
low as possible.
You’ll find other important information in this manual.
See “Vehicle Loading,” “Luggage Carrier” and “Tires”
in the Index.
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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. Here are some
things to consider:
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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 bve across an inche. 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.
Driving 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 course”
so you know what the surface is
like before you drive it.
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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
bnger 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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A CAUTION:
-
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs, currents under
the ice,
or sudden thaws can weaken the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through the ice and you and your passengers could drown. Drive
your vehicle
on safe surfaces only.
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