17
Figure 20
: Inclination meter.
Getting into parallel parking is straightforward, although a longer space is necessary
than a sedan.
The difficult parking situation is bays that are at right angles to the road. These you
will probably not be able to drive straight into. However, you can still easily get into
them by doing it in stages with a small reverse manoeuvre in between. This is
shown in Figures 16-19.
5.2
Roll-over Stability
The Delica, like any full 4WD, has a greater risk of rolling sideways than a sedan.
This is because the centre of gravity is higher though the width is comparable.
In normal town driving there are few, if any, circumstances where the slope of the
land is so steep that the vehicle can roll when stationary. However, it is still easy to
roll the vehicle, even on flat ground, simply by driving fast around a sharp corner.
The tyres on the inside of the curve will lift, and the
vehicle will roll outwards. Control of the vehicle could
be lost even before the tyres lift. When a normal sedan
corners too tightly, the tyres tend to lose grip and
squeal, preventing the car from rolling. However the
Delica, with its higher centre of gravity, might not
squeal its tyres under the same conditions - but simply
roll over on its side.
Slow down in corners. Especially sharp corners.
Driving along the contour of a sufficiently steep slope is
the other way of causing a roll. This terrain is
encountered in off-road use. Corners and bumps plus a slope can be particularly
dangerous.
The inclination meter (Figure 20) on the dashboard measures the combined effect of
the slope and the cornering force. It shows the equivalent static slope.
When off-road, try to drive straight up and down slopes. Avoid driving along the
contour.