1994 Chevrolet Suburban Owner's Manual - Page 179

Driving Across an lncline Sooner orlater, an off-road trail will probably go across the incline of a hill. If this happens, you have todecide whether to try to drive across the incline. Here are some things to consider: 0 A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be too steep to drive across. When you go straight up or downa hill, the length of the wheel base (the distance from the front wheels to the rear wheels) reduces the likelihood the vehicle will tumble end over end. But when you drive across an incline, the much more narrowtrack width (the distance between the left and right wheels) may not prevent thevehicle from tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across an incline puts more weight on the downhill wheels. This could cause adownhill slide or a rollover. Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive across a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet grass can cause your tires to slip sideways, downhill. If the vehicle slips sideways, itcan hit something that will trip it (a rock, a rut, etc.) and roll over. 0 Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the incline even worse. If you drive across a rockwith the uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into a rut or depression,your vehicle can tilt even more. For reasons like these, you need to decide carefully whether to try to drive across an incline. Just because the trail goes across the incline doesn't mean you have to drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over. Q: What if I'm driving across an incline that's not too steep, but I hit some loose gravel and start to slide downhill. What should I do? A: If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways, turn downhill. This should help straighten out the vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However, a much better way to prevent this is to get out and "walk the course" so you know what the surface is like before you drive it. 4-20