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Off road and 4x4 driving basics

9K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  Knightslugger 
#1 ·
Hi, Folks,

A new thread - hopefully that will explain the basics of driving a 4x4 vehicle and off road basics.

There are a lot of us - me included - who now own a 4x4 for the first time and we don't have a clue as to how to handle either 4x4 driving or off road exploring.

Here's a chance for us to be educated by some of the best.

If you have some helpful advice - this thread would be the place to start.

Many thanks and an apology for bringing nothing but questions to the table.

Bill
 
#2 ·
Besides the web sites and books you'll be recommended to - one of my top five pieces of advice, that I have to remind myself every few minutes, is drive with your thumbs on the OUTSIDE of the wheel.

You run the risk of breaking or dislocating them otherwise. For real. :ugh: :sadcry:
 
#3 ·
Where you off-road is a big one, of course these things would be covered in a lot of books, terrain types are what I am talking about.
The Roadie wheels in a lot of dry areas, where as I can drive in dry dust or 2 foot deep wet muck. The east coast is softwood forest, most of our off-roading is old logging roads.
The big thing, is know yourself and your truck. You need to take it to school. Try some short runs, with friends, get a little more adventurous each trip. You need to be able to gauge the trucks abilities at every obstacle and react in an automatic fashion.
Good luck, it's a lot of fun.
 
#5 ·
Go out and get it hung up on stuff...
And try to make sure the stuff it sticks on is the cheap and strong stuff, like the frame rails. Not the expensive and delicate bits like the bottom of the radiator, steering tie rod ends, air injector pump, oil pan, transmission, driveshaft, gas tank, or rear shock lower mounts. :D The rear differential front surface is pretty strongly cast and the anti-sway bar can be considered sacrificial. :thumbsup:
 
#6 ·
QQ: I was just talking with my brother about some potential off roading in Colorado next year. he just looked at me queer and said aloud, "With an IFS?"... I took this to mean Independent Front Suspension... and i equally looked at him queer...

The trailblazer is a solid front axle correct? it is not IFS... or am i all wrong?
 
#10 ·
Excellent summary. I have only a couple points to add. The "prerunner" style Baja trucks are 2WD. Without a CV shaft getting in the way, they can design in a lot more articulation (suspension droop). In the case of prerunners, it's so the front suspension can travel more to absorb the large bumps and jumping shock.

4WD with IFS increases the number of moving parts in the CV shaft that get stressed, since they also have to slide in and out more as the articulation is used.

IFS has a perception problem also because the systems the manufacturers are putting on new SUVs (to get that nicey-nice ride) also are weaker than you need for tough trails. The designers are told what the typical use is, and for SUVs, it's not what we aspire to do. A strong IFS, with the 9.25" front diff (GM 1-ton trucks and the H2 using 8 wheel lugs) is going to survive abuse that would kill our 7.25" (trailvoys and the H3). As I look longingly at the nice Tahoe/Avalanche/Suburban parts out there, their 8.25" front diff looks pretty attractive. And stronger CV shafts and all that comes with that package.
 
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