Off-Roading and adventure riding has been a growing trend lately, in wake of this growing trend Off-Road driving tips and safety have become even more important, in this article we will be undergoing some of the most important points to be kept in mind before setting out on your next off-road adventure. Visit CarSwitch in order to buy used cars in Dubai that are best for adventures.
Transmission
When going off-road it is always recommended to try and stay in the higher transmission range. Although lower range may seem more alluring but staying in lower transmissions will only cause your engine to overheat. In lower transmissions, the engine revs higher and as the speed is slow the wind flow through the radiator is not enough to cool the engine. Even for a recovery maneuverer lower first should never be the gear of choice. However, lower second with a light foot on the pedal may be more efficient as throttling it hard only causes the wheels to spin out of control and the vehicle will only dig it’s own grave instead of going forward or backward.
On the other hand, lower range has its own pros especially when going down a steep slope it is useful to stay in lower range as once the foot is off the throttle the engine brakes are applied across all 4 wheels causing a retardation effect instead of using the brakes too much to control the speed on down slopes.
Manoeuvring Tough Terrain
During our off-roading adventures it is unavoidable to come across unfavourable ditches and bumps a rule of the thumb when approaching a ditch or a steep bump is to never try to take it head on, what happens is most of the times if the driver is inexperienced they just try to power though the obstacle as a result the front 2 wheels of the vehicle end up in the ditch and the rear wheels in the air with no traction whatsoever it can also greatly damage the bodywork if the ditch is deep enough and the ridge has a gap.
Proper way to overcome this problem is by always approaching such obstacles diagonally at a 45 degree angle so even when you enter the ditch at least 2 or 3 of your wheels can always stay in touch with the ground to provide traction. That way you can always drive along the drop of the ditch with 2 wheels against the drop until you can make your way out of it.
Traversing Slopes
During desert riding when going along a slope the vehicle has a tendency to try to slip sideways to the bottom of the slope. The only way to overcome this is by steering uphill and throttling slightly but be mindful of the lean angle if you feel the vehicle is about to tip over you must turn to face downhill to regain control.
Especially when riding steep angles of lean, even the slightest bump or depression can cause the vehicle to lose balance and tip over so this must be taken into account.
Ascends and Descends
There are a few very basic principles to be kept in mind when riding steep slopes uphill or going downhill over a sand dune.
When riding uphill on a solid terrain the best strategy is to take it slow and steady and map out the route that gives you the best traction and inch your way up, but when climbing sand dunes, it’s a different story altogether you must be able to built up the momentum before approaching the run of the dune and make sure you have enough momentum built up to carry you to the top. Be careful not to go overboard as it can cause the vehicle to go out of control.
While on a descent, is it important to keep the nose down and not try to come down at an angle, and brakes must be avoided at all costs as braking puts the weight of the vehicle on front tires and will cause it to tip over. Instead you must drive down the slope in a lower gear, second or third are the ideal choice as letting go of the throttle causes engine retardation which is applied equally on all wheels.
