2002 CHEVROLET BLAZER wheel

4-16 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.

Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off
-road terrain doesn't toss things around.
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 ªVehicle Loading,º ªLuggage Carrierº and ªTiresº
in the Index.

4-17 Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises environmental
concerns. GM recognizes these concerns and urges
every off
-roader to follow these basic rules for
protecting the environment:

Always use established trails, roads and areas that
have been specially set aside for public off
-road
recreational driving; obey all posted regulations.

Avoid any driving practice that could damage the
environment
-- shrubs, flowers, trees, grasses -- or
disturb wildlife (this includes wheel
-spinning,
breaking down trees or unnecessary driving through
streams or over soft ground).

Always carry a litter bag . . . make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.

Take extreme care with open fires (where permitted),
camp stoves and lanterns.

Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials that could catch fire from the
heat of the vehicle's exhaust system.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip, especially when going
to a remote area. Know the terrain and plan your route.
You are much less likely to get bad surprises. Get
accurate maps of trails and terrain. Try to learn of any
blocked or closed roads.
It's also a good idea to travel with at least one other
vehicle. If something happens to one of them, the other
can help quickly.
Does your vehicle have a winch? If so, be sure to read
the winch instructions. In a remote area, a winch can be
handy if you get stuck. But you'll want to know how to
use it properly.

4-19 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 distances.
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 abruptly up ahead?

Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There's
more discussion of these subjects later.)

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.
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 ªDrunken Drivingº in the Index.

4-21 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:
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.

Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of
the hill.

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.

Use your headlamps even during the day. They make
you more visible to oncoming traffic.
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.

4-22
Q:What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall, and I can't make it up the hill?
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 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
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R).

If your engine has stopped running, you'll need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or, shift to neutral if your vehicle has a
manual transmission) and restart the engine. Then,
shift to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake,
and slowly back down the hill as straight as possible
in REVERSE (R).
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 not do if you stall, or are
about to stall, when going up a hill.

Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) (or pressing the clutch, if you have a
manual transmission) to ªrev
-upº 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 to REVERSE (R), 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.

4-25
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 pressed
down in a manual shift. This is called
ªfree
-wheeling.º 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.

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.

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.

4-26 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:

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.
CAUTION:
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.

4-28 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.
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.
Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems.
But heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood
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 it
-- you probably won't get
through. Also, water that deep can damage your axle
and other vehicle parts.