STARTING AND OPERATING
221
Getting High Centered
If you get hung up or high centered on an object,
get out of the vehicle and try to determine what
the vehicle is hung up on, where it is contacting
the underbody and what is the best direction to
recover the vehicle. Depending on what you are
in contact with, jack the vehicle up and place a
few rocks under the tires so the weight is off of
the high point when you let the vehicle down.
You can also try rocking the vehicle or winching
the vehicle off the object.
Hill Climbing
Hill climbing requires good judgment and a
good understanding of your abilities and your
vehicle's limitations. Hills can cause serious
problems. Some are just too steep to climb and
should not be attempted. You should always
feel confident with the vehicle and your abilities.
You should always climb hills straight up and
down. Never attempt to climb a hill on an angle.
Before Climbing A Steep Hill – As you
approach a hill consider its grade or steep
-
ness. Determine if it is too steep. Look to see
what the traction is on the hill side trail. Is the
trail straight up and down? What is on top
and the other side? Are there ruts, rocks,
branches or other obstacles on the path?
Can you safely recover the vehicle if some
-
thing goes wrong? If everything looks good
and you feel confident, then change trans
-
mission into a lower gear, shift the transfer
case into 4LO (Low) and proceed with
caution. You should use first gear and 4LO
(Low Range) for very steep hills.
Driving Up Hill – Once you have determined
your ability to proceed and have shifted into
the appropriate gear, line your vehicle up for
the straightest possible run. Accelerate with
an easy constant throttle and apply more
power as you start up the hill. Do not race
forward into a steep grade, the abrupt
change of grade could cause you to lose
control. If the front end begins to bounce,
ease off the throttle slightly to bring all four
tires back on the ground. As you approach
the crest of the hill ease off the throttle and
slowly proceed over the top. If the wheels
start to slip as you approach the crest of a
hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain
headway by turning the steering wheel no
more than a ¼ turn quickly back and forth.
This will provide a fresh "bite" into the surface
and will usually provide enough traction to
complete the climb. If you do not make it to
the top, place the vehicle in REVERSE and
back straight down the grade using engine
resistance along with the vehicle brakes.
Driving Down Hill – Before driving down a
steep hill you need to determine if it is too
steep for a safe descent. What is the surface
traction? Is the grade too steep to maintain a
slow controlled descent? Are there obsta
-
cles? Is it a straight descent? Is there plenty
of distance at the base of the hill to regain
control if the vehicle descends too fast? If
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to cross a log with a greater
diameter than the running ground clearance
or the vehicle will become high centered.
CAUTION!
Winching or rocking the vehicle off hard
objects increases the risk of underbody
damage.
WARNING!
Never attempt to climb a hill at an angle or
turn around on a steep grade. Driving across
an incline increases the risk of a roll over,
which may result in severe injury or death.
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