Thread: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips.

Results 1 to 23 of 23
  1. #1 TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    ....... Lifetime Supporter rstrucks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Tn
    Posts
    1,511
    Rep Power
    106
    Every region of the country is a little (or a lot) different so what works in your neck of the woods? What have you learned that you can pass on to others? We'll try to keep this from turning into a "wheelin' in X region is more difficult" argument. After all we all know southeastern wheeling is the most challenging.

    I kid, I kid.
    Thank you to those that serve our country.
     

  2. #2 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member ATL ZJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,169
    Rep Power
    191
    The key is to use as little throttle as possible but as much as you need [/thread]
     

  3. #3 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    176
    Rep Power
    58
    Quote Originally Posted by ATL ZJ View Post
    The key is to use as little throttle as possible but as much as you need [/thread]
    X2....slow as possible, fast as necessary. Of course there's always some exceptions
    '99 WJ 4.0, 44/8.8, 35's, body damage
     

  4. #4 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    My avatar isn't animated Lifetime Supporter SirFuego's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Elma, NY (near Buffalo)
    Posts
    2,765
    Rep Power
    144
    There is no replacement for seat time.

    If you drive an automatic, learn to drive two footed when crawling (especially if you are undergeared). Keep your right foot as steady on the skinny pedal as possible, but keep the RPMs low enough so you can still completely stop your rig with your left foot on the brake. Then you can vary your speed with the brake, which makes your movements much more controlled.

    When in the rocks, plan your line at least 20-30 feet in front of you, so your best bet is to not ride the ass of the guy in front of you.

    Avoid hitting trees whenever possible, but use them to your advantage if you want to turn sharply.

    In east coast wheeling, the trail often picks your line for you.

    Never drive with your thumbs inside of the steering wheel.

    Always have an "oh shit" plan in place. If you are on a tough climb, be ready to slam it in neutral or reverse if you feel like you are going to endo. If there is a possibility of a flop, be aware of which way to turn the steering wheel and nail the gas if there is a way to possibility save it.

    Always listen to your spotter. If you aren't sure what he's telling you to do, ask him to clarify what he means or to make his hand/arm motions more exaggerated. If you don't trust what he is asking you to do, ask someone else to spot for you or discuss other options. Always designate a single person as your spotter. 20 people telling you 20 different things to do is just asking for trouble.

    Always look at your spotter unless there is a specific obstacle he tells you to avoid. I usually don't even look at the trail if I'm getting spotted through a nasty rock section unless my job is to nail the gas and avoid certain obstacles.
    Quote Originally Posted by SB406
    I think that's your signature move.
    "The Former"- Lay Jeep against obstacle in trail. Mat gas pedal. Form Jeep to the shape of obstacle.
    Robot
     

  5. #5 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    ....... Lifetime Supporter rstrucks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Tn
    Posts
    1,511
    Rep Power
    106
    Few things to keep in mind to help limit breakage.

    - When the rig starts hopping, stop! The cycling of traction, no traction, traction leads to parts becoming multi-piece.
    - When giving it "a bump" let off the throttle (a little if you think you are going to make the obstacle and totally if you're not) before the weight of the vehicle comes down on the front end.
    - Limit the angle of steering during bound up situations.


    Sometimes wheel speed is better than crawl gearing. Don't always assume the low(est) range in the t-case is always the best bet.

    This stuff might seem elementary but less breakage is always better - to me anyway.

    One more thing. Don't do front digs on D44 axles.
    Thank you to those that serve our country.
     

  6. #6 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    1,409
    Rep Power
    102
    I'll throw my $0.02 in... don't try and do a three point turn at the top of long hill, barrel rolls can happen
     

  7. #7 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    My avatar isn't animated Lifetime Supporter SirFuego's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Elma, NY (near Buffalo)
    Posts
    2,765
    Rep Power
    144
    Quote Originally Posted by rstrucks View Post
    When giving it "a bump" let off the throttle (a little if you think you are going to make the obstacle and totally if you're not) before the weight of the vehicle comes down on the front end.
    This is exactly how I blew up my HP30 last time I wheeled (which was too long ago to admit :-().

    Quote Originally Posted by rstrucks View Post
    Sometimes wheel speed is better than crawl gearing. Don't always assume the low(est) range in the t-case is always the best bet.
    In all the setups I've run so far with my 5.2 (3.55 gearing with 31s and 4.10 gearing with 33-36" tires) I'd usually do most slick hill climbs in 2nd gear. Sometimes I'll just put it in D and let it shift if it's a longer climb and 2nd doesn't give enough wheelspeed.

    Some other things to add:

    If you are on a hill climb or in the mud, do NOT let off of the gas pedal quickly if you still have momentum. Gravity and friction is often working against you, so you need to keep momentum going. I'm not saying to mash the pedal to all hell, but make sure you have enough to keep up controlled momentum. Those are sometimes situations where if you are done if you let off of the gas even though it may seem as if you don't "need" to stay in the gas. It's moreso of a "feel" thing, so it's difficult to describe over the interwebs.

    And now I go on to say that what I said above is not always applicable in deep snow. In the snow, while wheelspeed and low pressures are often the key, you sometimes have better traction letting off of the gas a bit and steering left/right/left/right/etc. Again, it's a feel thing and honestly snow driving technique varies based on the type of snow on the ground, but just keep that in mind as something to try if you are having difficulty.

    If you are in deep snow, stop as soon as you lose momentum. If you don't you could just be digging yourself deeper.

    In the east coast, snow can actually HELP traction (it can be deep enough to where your tires aren't digging down to the slick mud/dirt) -- at least until it turns into ice and makes the trails a throttlefest.

    I absolutely love snow wheeling. It's basically all about "feel" so what works one time doesn't necessarily mean it will work the next time.
    Last edited by SirFuego; 12-02-2011 at 12:42 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by SB406
    I think that's your signature move.
    "The Former"- Lay Jeep against obstacle in trail. Mat gas pedal. Form Jeep to the shape of obstacle.
    Robot
     

  8. #8 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member ATL ZJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,169
    Rep Power
    191
    Keep your tires on top of the rocks when you can.

    Try not to hammer on it full lock. not only hard on ujoints but steering pumps too.

    If you live on the right coast get comfy gassing it and steering uphill when things get hairy

    In certain circumstances you can turn tighter by breaking the front end loose than you can reversing and 3-pointing, especially when you have little traction

    Learn how to see where the trail will throw you and plan that line in your head. Sliding sideways is fine and usually fun if you expect it
     

  9. #9 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member Ken L's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Arvada, CO
    Posts
    906
    Rep Power
    94
    If you need a spotter, trust your spotter.

    Airing down increases traction most of the time.

    Follow the Tread Lightly! principles and stay on the trail.
    Ken L
    '96 ZJ with stuff
     

  10. #10 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member Grand Slam West Planner Cody's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    2,935
    Rep Power
    140
    I think seat time creates familiarity with your vehicle, and at that point you start to drive by feel. If you know your vehicle well enough, you have a pretty good idea what/how you're stuck, and how your vehicle reacts to things and will react to things. That's when you can start pushing yourself a little bit, and it gets fun.

    Oh ya, if you don't have full hydro, keep your thumbs on the outside of the steering wheel

    ...and keep your chicken wing in the rig.
    Resident hater of tall lifts, dana 44's, 4.0's, stingers, exo cages, and ZJ tow rigs....and the word "overlanding"
     

  11. #11 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    204
    Rep Power
    68
    Get comfortable driving over the hood. Poking your head out to watch a tire not only distracts you from what the vehicle is doing overall, it also puts your ugly mug outside the safety of the box you're riding in. same as not hanging a wing out. Not cruising the strip here.Trust your spotter to put your tires right.As elementary as it may seem, your arm is not going to stop your rig from tipping into a tree, it will snap nice and clean for you though. Seen too many new trail riders try to push their rig over from the drivers seat, at lest no once has broken an arm yet.NE trails really do dictate their own lines, I've ridden quite a few miles with no steering input.
    97 grand cherokee ltd, 5.2, white, many mods of debatable value.
     

  12. #12 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Western NY
    Posts
    247
    Rep Power
    65
    If it's not your first trip, you should at least attempt to not use an external spotter. If you are using a spotter, pick your own line and discuss it with them. You won't learn anything if the spotter is just driving the truck from the outside. Have your passenger talk to you.
     

  13. #13 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member Lifetime Supporter
    Grand Slam West Planner
    Admin
    BigDaveZJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Centennial, CO
    Posts
    10,676
    Rep Power
    221
    For Moab and some of the CO stuff, the "Moab Bump" is a required technique, and really emphasizes momentum as opposed to speed. The mistake I see people make the most on the Moab Bump though is waiting too long to give it some throttle. Usually the front end gets pushed up the ledge or up on to a wall, and then you want to bump it when the ledge or start of the wall is about halfway between the front and rear tires.
     

  14. #14 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Member Dels383TA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
    Posts
    104
    Rep Power
    65
    When in doubt hit the gas, it may not solve anything but it will end the suspense.LOL
    96 5"lift,44 rear HP30 front, locked all the way, 5.2swap, 9.5 Keeper Winch,33" Firestone Destenation MTs,custom rear bumper,2" trim, and a set of kick ass rockers.
     

  15. #15 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Member dyn0mitemat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    ↑↑ This side up ↑↑
    Posts
    166
    Rep Power
    53
    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaveZJ View Post
    For Moab and some of the CO stuff, the "Moab Bump" is a required technique, and really emphasizes momentum as opposed to speed. The mistake I see people make the most on the Moab Bump though is waiting too long to give it some throttle. Usually the front end gets pushed up the ledge or up on to a wall, and then you want to bump it when the ledge or start of the wall is about halfway between the front and rear tires.
    I'm pretty good at this, ledges and small steep hills (shorter than the wheelbase of the vehicle) don't give me any toubles, my hardest thing is figuring out how to get my front tires exactly where I want them when crawling sections of rocks. I usually hang my noggin out the window and check driver, and then can estimate where the passengers will land, but I know that's not a good way of doing it. If I keep my head in and don't have a spotter I usually hit too far inside/outside of where I'm trying to put the tire when off chamber or on a bunch of rocks flexing the suspension.

    And I agree with all of the above in that:
    If you need a spotter, trust him (and use only one)
    If you start bouncing let off the skinny pedal
    Momentum is key for some obstacles

    What gears (transmission) are you guys using for crawling/offroading? I usually have transfer case in low and keep the shifter in 1 for crawling, then for hills where you need some more speed or just cruising the trails i bump it up in to 2


    And any advice on those side hill situations when you cant get out of big ruts (or something similar) and a tree/bank/rock is about to attack the downhill side? This is my biggest problem right now, there's only two xj's in our group and they have wider axles so the tires hit before the body, everyone else has wranglers so no one has a problem. Then here I come and either need everyone to push the roof and tilt the truck away as I crawl past, or hammer it through and beat the doors to crap. I figure after my axle swaps I'll get rims with more backspacing or spacers to help out, as well as bump the rocker rails out some too

    Heres a pick of my two fucked doors from this weekend from above bank rubbing the side. Hard to tell but both look like bacon right above the cladding strips :p
    https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V...204_200109.jpg
    98 ZJ - Build hd44/88, 35s, long armed, locked, blah blah blah...
    Build thread
     

  16. #16 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    My avatar isn't animated Lifetime Supporter SirFuego's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Elma, NY (near Buffalo)
    Posts
    2,765
    Rep Power
    144
    Quote Originally Posted by dyn0mitemat View Post
    And any advice on those side hill situations when you cant get out of big ruts (or something similar) and a tree/bank/rock is about to attack the downhill side? This is my biggest problem right now, there's only two xj's in our group and they have wider axles so the tires hit before the body, everyone else has wranglers so no one has a problem. Then here I come and either need everyone to push the roof and tilt the truck away as I crawl past, or hammer it through and beat the doors to crap. I figure after my axle swaps I'll get rims with more backspacing or spacers to help out, as well as bump the rocker rails out some too
    Yeah -- don't let your rig slide into the rut.

    Seriously, though, it sounds like that falls into the "trail picking your line for you" category. ZJ bodies are a lot wider than XJs and TJs, which (coupled with the wheelbase) makes it very difficult to get through some trails without damage. In terms of getting out of ruts, the huge side lugs on my old Swamper LTBs were great for doing that, but there were just some ruts that it wasn't possible to get out of because there just wasn't enough traction.
    Last edited by SirFuego; 12-05-2011 at 11:15 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by SB406
    I think that's your signature move.
    "The Former"- Lay Jeep against obstacle in trail. Mat gas pedal. Form Jeep to the shape of obstacle.
    Robot
     

  17. #17 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Western NY
    Posts
    247
    Rep Power
    65
    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaveZJ View Post
    For Moab and some of the CO stuff, the "Moab Bump" is a required technique, and really emphasizes momentum as opposed to speed. The mistake I see people make the most on the Moab Bump though is waiting too long to give it some throttle. Usually the front end gets pushed up the ledge or up on to a wall, and then you want to bump it when the ledge or start of the wall is about halfway between the front and rear tires.
    I've never been to Moab, but we have similiar problems on the East Coast. You'll see guys roll forward and then get some when the back tires hit. You need the momentum before the back tires hit. I usually get lined up with the front tires up the obstacle, brake torque it in drive, then slip my foot off the brake, & stab the gas.
    You also need to be careful not to overspin the tires. Wheelspeed is sometimes needed to clear mud, but other times, too much wheel speed just prevents the tires from hooking up. I often roll in & out of the throttle on loose hill climbs.
     

  18. #18 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member Lifetime Supporter
    Grand Slam West Planner
    Admin
    BigDaveZJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Centennial, CO
    Posts
    10,676
    Rep Power
    221
    Good point on two footin it, I'm almost always doing that when crawling.
     

  19. #19 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member Grand Slam West Planner K2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Posts
    964
    Rep Power
    98
    On a side hill avoid staying to the high side. It feels more comfortable but if you lose traction you will have momentum and slide through or past the edge. Ride in the ruts or near the low side lip. Plus great advise above.

    Also I will add, even small hops can cause damage with god traction. Ask me how I know.
    Last edited by K2; 12-06-2011 at 12:45 PM.
    02 WJ, Lift, dents, noise and smoke.
     

  20. #20 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member Grand Slam West Planner Cody's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    2,935
    Rep Power
    140
    Also, be conscious of the "closer to danger, further from harm" lines. Sometimes, the easiest and least risky line is the one that will feel the worst because it's closer to the cliff/ledge/rock/tree etc. I can think of more than a few obstacles that people make way harder than they need to be because they try to stay far away from something (usually a 1000 foot cliff..don't be a pussy)
    Resident hater of tall lifts, dana 44's, 4.0's, stingers, exo cages, and ZJ tow rigs....and the word "overlanding"
     

  21. #21 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member ATL ZJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    6,169
    Rep Power
    191
    Quote Originally Posted by K2 View Post
    even small hops can cause damage with god traction.
    Where do I find this god traction
     

  22. #22 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    ....... Lifetime Supporter rstrucks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Tn
    Posts
    1,511
    Rep Power
    106
    Quote Originally Posted by ATL ZJ View Post
    Where do I find this god traction
    Moab
    Thank you to those that serve our country.
     

  23. #23 Re: TOTM: driving styles, techniques and tips. 
    Senior Member Grand Slam West Planner K2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Posts
    964
    Rep Power
    98
    Quote Originally Posted by ATL ZJ View Post
    Where do I find this god traction
    Same place they keep punctuation.
    02 WJ, Lift, dents, noise and smoke.
     

Thread Information
Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions
  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •