Know Your Vehicle

• Understand Your Angles

• Transmissions

• Four Wheel Drive Systems

• Differentials

• Vehicle Modifications

Turns out your 17-year-old self was onto something, that geometry class actually comes in handy. Out on the trail, knowing your vehicle’s key angles helps you spot obstacles you can clear and avoid the ones you can’t. It’s the kind of knowledge that keeps you moving forward instead of getting stuck.

Pro Tip:

Test your angles in the real world. Park your vehicle near a rock or ledge and get out. Look at it from outside the cab. The more you compare what you see to what your vehicle can do, the better your trail-eye gets.

After-Market Mods Affect Your Off-Road Angles

Lifting your rig? Bigger tires? Custom bumpers? Every modification impacts your vehicle’s geometry. Know your numbers before you hit the trail.

There are two common types of transmissions: automatic and manual. In many parts of North America, driving a manual has become a lost art. But in much of the world, it remains the norm. Each type offers different advantages when off-road. Learn how to get the most out of yours.

Automatic

It may sound basic, but first make sure you know how to get your vehicle in gear. Locate the gear selector. In older models, it could be on the steering column. In newer vehicles, it’s usually found near the center console. You might see two shifters on the floor, the second one is the transfer case, used to engage four-wheel drive. Automatics are typically easier to handle off-road because the transmission handles most of the work. Don’t rush. Let the vehicle do what it’s built for.

• Engine braking is more limited with automatics. Apply enough brake and throttle as your speed changes.

• Shift to D1 or D2 and use 4WD Low to crawl over obstacles with little or no throttle.

• Use higher gears for climbing. Use the lowest gears when descending.

• The overdrive button locks out the top gear. This helps when navigating steep hills or towing on-road.

If you haven’t driven a manual before, don’t make the trail your first lesson. Know the basics before leaving the road. You need to be able to manage three pedals and shift gears without thinking, so your full attention stays on the trail ahead.

Using Your Manual Transmission

• Keep your foot off the clutch as much as you can. Riding the clutch causes loss of momentum and can lead to clutch burnout.

• Only press the clutch when you need to shift. The rest of the time, your left foot should be on the floor.

• Don’t rest your foot on the clutch pedal, even lightly. On rough terrain, your foot could bounce and accidentally engage it.

• Stick with first or second gear on tough terrain.

• Avoid shifting while climbing or descending hills or obstacles. You could lose traction uphill or gain unwanted speed going down.

• If your vehicle stalls on an obstacle and it’s designed for it, try restarting the engine in gear without using the clutch. The starter motor may help push you forward over the obstacle.

Starting Without the Clutch

Most modern manuals won’t start unless the clutch is pressed, which can be tricky on uneven ground. Some vehicles built for off-roading come with a clutch bypass switch so you can start in gear, keeping one foot on the brake and the other on the throttle. In some cases, the starter alone can move the vehicle just enough to get out of trouble. Check your owner’s manual for full details.

Stall-Start Recovery

If a hill is too steep to climb, your vehicle may stall. Stall-start recovery is a proven technique for manual drivers to back out of a bad spot without losing control.

Always Use Your Parking Brake on Slopes

Even in gear, a vehicle can move on steep grades. Set your parking brake before letting off the clutch. That way, the brake holds the weight, the gear acts as backup. When parking uphill, leave it in first. When parking downhill, use reverse.

If you’re into off-roading, it’s not a matter of if you’ll need four-wheel drive, but when. Engaging four-wheel drive sends torque to all four wheels, helping prevent your vehicle from getting stuck when traction gets tricky. Not all systems work the same, so before the trail gets serious, make sure you know how your setup works.

Part-Time 4WD

Part-time, or on-demand, 4WD lets you engage four-wheel drive only when you need it. When it’s off, the vehicle drives like a two-wheel drive, usually sending power to the rear wheels. This gives you better fuel economy on highways and regular roads.

Only use part-time 4WD in off-road conditions. Driving in 4WD on pavement can cause transmission wind-up because there's no center differential to allow the front and rear axles to spin at different speeds.

Part-time systems typically offer three modes: 2WD, 4WD High, and 4WD Low.

Full-Time 4WD

Full-time, or permanent, 4WD powers all four wheels at all times. It uses a center differential in the transfer case to allow the front and rear driveshafts to turn at different speeds, preventing transmission wind-up.

This comes in handy during turns, where the inside tire needs to rotate more slowly than the outside tire. Many full-time 4WD vehicles include a center differential lock, either controlled electronically or with a manual switch.

These systems typically support 4WD High and 4WD Low modes for different off-road needs.

Putting It in Four-Wheel Drive

Engaging 4WD is handled by the transfer case, which sends power to both the front and rear axles. In older vehicles, you may need to come to a full stop and shift into neutral or park before manually engaging 4WD using a lever or gear stick.

Modern vehicles often make the process easier with electronic systems that let you engage 4WD at the push of a button. Since there are many types of 4WD systems, each with its own features and limitations, it’s important to check your owner’s manual to understand exactly how yours works.

All-Wheel Drive

Like full-time 4WD systems, AWD uses a center differential to deliver power to all four wheels. However, most AWD vehicles don’t have a transfer case that splits and locks power equally between the front and rear. Instead, they operate mostly in front-wheel drive, only sending torque to the rear wheels when sensors detect a loss of traction.

AWD is mainly intended for on-road use. While it can handle some mild off-road conditions, it should not be confused with a true 4WD system designed for rough terrain.

Traction Control

Many newer vehicles include traction control systems. These systems help maintain grip by detecting wheel slip and applying braking force where needed to keep the vehicle moving forward.

Some systems have a simple on/off switch, while others offer multiple driving modes. Always refer to your owner’s manual to understand how your system works and when to use it.

Without differentials, driving would be much harder. Differentials let the wheels on the same axle rotate at different speeds, which is critical when turning. The outside wheels need to travel farther and therefore spin faster than the inside wheels.

Without this function, the inside tires would lose traction and could cause the vehicle to skid. That creates wear on your tires and drivetrain, and makes cornering less predictable and harder to control.

Open Differentials

Open differentials work great on roads, but off-road they can be a liability. Torque always follows the path of least resistance. So if one wheel is planted and the other is stuck in mud or lifted off the ground, all the torque flows to the wheel with no traction, exactly what you don’t want.

Fortunately, there are solutions. Many vehicles now come with traction aids like limited-slip differentials, locking differentials, or electronic systems to help get power where it's needed.

Four-Wheel Drive, Locked Front and Rear Differential

When you engage 4WD in a part-time system with lockers on both axles, power goes to all four tires, no matter the terrain. This is when it’s all systems go.

Four-Wheel Drive, Locked Rear Differential

Locking the rear differential forces equal power to both rear wheels, regardless of traction. So if even one rear tire has grip, you can work your way out of deep mud, sand, or snow.

Locking Differentials

For off-roaders who don’t mess around, locking differentials are game changers. When engaged, a locker delivers equal power to both wheels on an axle, no matter how much traction each one has. That way, if one wheel finds even a little grip, it can help pull the vehicle forward.

Lockers come in two forms: automatic or driver-controlled. Depending on your setup, you might have a locking diff in just the rear or in both the front and rear. Lockers on both axles give you consistent torque to all four tires, whether one is deep in a rut, two are airborne, or all four are buried in the mud.

Limited-Slip Differential

A limited-slip differential works similarly to an open diff, with one key difference. Instead of sending all the torque to the wheel with the least resistance, it automatically redirects some power to the wheels with traction. That extra push can be the difference between staying stuck and getting out.

Vehicle Modifications

It’s easy to spot a poser in a decked-out rig that never sees dirt. Sure, vehicles reflect pride and personality, but it’s also easy to throw money at mods that don’t serve your needs.

Before you upgrade anything major, take your vehicle out on a few trails. That’s the only way to figure out what really needs attention. A rock crawler won’t need the same setup as an overlanding build.

Before you spend, talk to experienced drivers or check out forums where people share honest advice about what works in the real world.

Warning: Lifting your vehicle changes its geometry. The higher the lift, the more expensive the adjustments needed to keep everything running safely and properly.