2014 Dodge Durango Owner Manual - Page 435

STARTING AND OPERATING 433 by turning the front wheels slowly. This may provide a always a good idea to check for damage. That way you fresh "bite" into the surface and will usually provide can get any problems taken care of right away and have your vehicle ready when you need it. traction to complete the climb. • Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle. Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and Shift the transmission into a low gear, and the transfer exhaust system for damage. case into LOW range. Let the vehicle go slowly down the hill with all four wheels turning against engine compres- • Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as sion drag. This will permit you to control the vehicle required. speed and direction. • Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on When descending mountains or hills, repeated braking the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and suscan cause brake fade with loss of braking control. Avoid pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the repeated heavy braking by downshifting the transmisvalues specified in the Service Manual. sion whenever possible. • Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These After Driving Off-Road things could be a fire hazard. They might hide damage to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than propeller shafts. does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it is Traction Downhill 5