The Basics of Offroading.

Hello, I am 16 and I have a Toyota PU '88 4x4 EFI. I'm going to be doing a lot of 4 wheeling. The thng is, I do not know a lot about off roading. I do a lot of it on my ATVs, so I use common sense.

When is a good time to lock the hubs? What is 4-High and 4-Low mean and what situations should I use them in? When is a good time to unlock the hubs? What should I avoid doing while shifting in 4 WD?

Anyone want to help me or point me to a good guide, it would be most appreciative.

Reply to
Shinnokxz
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When you leave the pavement, aslo a good time to air down the tires.

4H = 4WD, 4L is 4WD with a lowered gear ratio, usually 2.28:1 on the Toyota 4-cyl. transfer cases. USe 4H when you need added traction and 4L when you want to go slower.

When you get back to pavement.

Don't drive on pavement or other high traction surface in 4WD.

Reply to
Roger Brown

4-cyl. transfer cases. USe 4H when you need added

One thing to note - that means crawling over things. In most vehicles, 5mph in

1st gear in 4L is about as fast as it gets. I think 25-30mph in 5th.

Most people drive for a whole season and only shift into 4-Low a couple of times. But when you need it, it's a god-send.

Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

Lock the hubs when you pull off the pavement or you may find yourself having to do it when you don't want to.. like, say, 10" deep in mud. If you are going out as the only vehicle I have always used what I call the 'safety fuse' method. Leave it in 2wd as long as possible. If I get to a point that I need 4x4 I use that to get myself back out of the situation. If you are already in 4x4 and you get stuck and you are alone, you are pretty much screwed without a come-a-long or something similar. There are, of course, exceptions to this but then again aren't there always?

What area of the country are you in? You might call a few 4x4 shops and ask around about the local clubs and see what is available. Getting in with a few good people who do this on a regular basis can not only show you the trails you never knew existed but can also get you the experiance and knowledge right without having to endur several very costly mistakes.

Either way, good luck, enjoy, and you have a heck of a good truck to start doing this with.

Reply to
DragonRider

Do not underestimate the advantages of low tire pressure... say 10-15psi, depending on tire type and (off) road condition.

Reply to
Jason

I keep a 2-ton come-a-along with me, and 2 15ft long 6000lbs tow straps with hooks, not the ropes. The come-a-long was for snowmobiling, but a 2-ton may be enough to help get me out of a snarl.

I drive a 03 Tacoma XtraCab. I avoid mud, only like going over rough terrain. Almost got stuck on a beach 2 weeks ago, 'almost' haha

Reply to
Brad P

Oh, also whilst in sand. If you get stuck, or need to stop, do not give it much gas to get out. Spin your wheels VERY slowly until you begin to move forward. And also dont ferget to air down lots. Almost lost my finger because I did not know any of this.

I saw on TV about a Denmark couple who went on a tour in Africa and got stuck in sand. They couldnt get out, so the wife took the water and went for help. She died in the desert. Eventually the husband and truck were spotted... it took the rescue crew 15 minutes to get the truck out without the aid of a winch or tow strap or any other vehicle. Air down and craaaaaawl out. Sad but true.

Reply to
Jason

Thanks a lot guys.

Haha. My friend got his Tacoma stuck on a beach outside a lake. We finally got a Chevy to come out and save us, and that almost got stuck!

Reply to
Shinnokxz

Well, I was at the ocean last week and towed out a Chevy, so we'll call it even. Oh, next time, try 4WD

Reply to
MDT Tech®
0When is a good time to lock the hubs? What is 4-High and 4-Low mean and

try and unlock the hubs just before you get back on to a "high traction surface" like pavement that has no snow or ice or covrered in sand...

Never drive in 4wd on clean pavement...

A Toyota tech mentioned that he leaves his hubs locked all winter and only has to shift into 4wd when he needs it, which keeps the hubs better lubed.

Reply to
Joe Zito

Shinnokxz wrote in message news:...

Ok- be careful. Three years ago I took my fairly new '98 Tacoma out for the obligatory 4x4 drive (my companion, more wisely, was in his '85 beater Toyota 4x4). We were WAY out in the boondocks (up above Pi-Pi, for any Nor-Cals reading this), an hour of 4x4 driving from where the last pavement ended. Trying to bust through a snowy spot on a muddy road, the front grabbed and tried to go up the bank. I just about sh*t myself when I felt the right front end come off of the ground and stay there for two long seconds as I let off the gas and felt it drop back down, still at a pretty good angle up the berm, but I was able to turn the wheel and get it down ok. It would have gone over and down the lower bank into a bunch of stumps and trees... not a pretty thought, especially considering how far out from anywhere we were. Other than that, I was in 4-low, in 5th gear, doing about 40mph busting through snow piles on the road. Eventually, we got up in elevation enough that we couldn't bust through the snow piles anymore, and had to turn back (hour and a half at least) rather than making it to the main highway like we had hoped. Getting stuck out there would have been a nightmare. Buddy had a tow-rope, and he used it twice to get me out of snow banks (which I would have not attempted if he were not there with a tow-rope. When younger, we got stuck for hours when the only thing we had was a come-along with which to extricate ourselves. That sucked, big time, one time we were in the rain for a few hours with no shelter). As for 4-low I usually only shift into

4-low when having a tough time with the snow. The gear ratios are such that you should try starting out from 3rd or 2nd from a dead stop. I can't imagine ever using 1st, it being so short anyway.

Another time, we were on a muddy track back on BLM land doing some shooting, and on the way out, spied a puddle in the road. Didn't look too deep (never assume), and I didn't recall any deep depressions when we were there in the summer and it was dry. I think I hit it in 3rd,

4-low, not too fast. Oops, the friggin puddle was at least 4 feet deep and at least two dozen feet long. When muddy water was coming up over the front of the hood and only seemed to be a few inches from the bottom of the windows it wasn't too bad, but when the truck was noticeably bogging down and slowing to a stop... it wouldn't have been a nice thing to climb out of the windows and into deep muddy water and then walk a mile out to the main road to try and catch a ride, or call for help, all the while with the truck sitting in muddy water, leaking inside (it did a bit) and leaking into who knows what in the drivetrain for perhaps hours until we could have gotten it out. Luckily, sure-footed right foot and luck was on my side, and I made it (the extra few hundred pounds of my two buddies with me probably helped, too). The force of the water being diverted back under the bumper bent my front license plate almost vertical.

Those are my piddley experiences. Usually, I just stick to seeing how far I can get past chain control until I need to go into 4WD, then turn back. Just don't get arrogant or stupid and you should be fine.

Reply to
zach

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