Driving off-road can be fun, especially when it's intentional. But, that’s a whole different kind of driving. We recommend that you understand the basic techniques, so that you don't get stuck in a precarious situation.
Sand, Snow, And Mud:
- Deflate the tires a little to increase your footprint for better traction.
- Use consistent momentum throughout.
- In sand and snow, if your wheels start to spin, ease off the accelerator a little to gain traction.
- In the mud maintain some wheel slip to help clean the tire.
Rocks, Logs, And Ditches:
- Approach obstacles at an angle, so that only one tire is engaged, leaving the other three tires on solid footing for better traction.
- To protect the fragile components underneath your vehicle, it is best to drive over an obstacle one tire at a time, then roll gently over it.
Hills:
- Approaching hill head-on, so the weight is distributed evenly, providing equal grip to all four tires.
- Use a high speed in order to handle the vehicle comfortably on the hill. If the speed is too low, you will spin the tires. If it's too high, you won't have enough power.
- Always prepare for failure and have an escape plan.
Most manufacturers recommend checking your vehicle's tires on a regular basis, for example; tire pressure and condition once a month and tire rotation every 2 oil changes or 10 thousand kilometers (6,000 miles).
Nitrogen Tire Inflation:
- Nitrogen inflation has a positive impact on your budget.
Wheels Alignment:
- Ensures better maneuverability and better control of your vehicle, approve your vehicle handling and also increases tires performance and durability.
- It is strongly recommended to replace tires whose manufacturing date is more than (6) six years old, even if they have not reached their maximum wear.
- TThis is because the tires rubber components age over time and can lose their grip and strength properties. So be sure to check tires manufacturing date when purchasing them and if necessary replace them to ensure your safety on the road.
- Here is an example of decoding the tire manufacturing date:
- Suppose you have a tire with the following DOT code: DOT XXXX 2418.
- The last four digits, in this example "2418", represent the week and year the tire was manufactured.
- "24" indicates that the tire was manufactured in the 24th week of the year.
- "18" indicates the year, so the tire was manufactured in 2018.
- BFGoodrich
- Bridgestone
- Continental
- Dunlop Tires
- Firestone
- General Tire
- Goodyear
- Hankook
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Toyo Tires
- Uniroyal
- Yokohama.