Last year I drove off road for awhile then left and about 30 miles later I realized something was stuck under the car, turned out to be a huge branch lodged into the frame, glad it didn't do any damage. Bunch of great points in this video as always.
Small correction for Tip #2, On some vehicles with locking diffs, you are actually supposed to engage 4lo while the vehicle is rolling to allow the gears to mesh properly. I have an 04’ Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 242 Select Trac system I can affirm with experience it is much easier to engage while creeping along. It also advises this in the manual.
One objection, and it's the reason why I've seen this entire video for. Don't floor it when you're stuck, well the one exception I want to mention is when you have actual mud terrain tires. Those work by grabbing the dirt in order to pull you out, and while they're good at grabbing it, they also keep it stuck to them until they get full and can't grab anymore. Then they start slipping, and this actually happens pretty fast. You need to keep those sort of tires spinning so they keep clean if you want traction from them. I'm not saying floor it continuously like a madman, but those really need a spin every now and then when you get stuck
if you're doing what would be considered anything more than riding dirt roads you will have those tires or you will be stuck and afraid to push the gas. then then dreaded calling mom to ask her to come drive her mail jeep out of the hole.
friend of mine bought a new Chevy Camero...the powerful one. Well, thinking he is Mr.Badass Driver he told me he was keeping the traction control off at all times. I warned him not to do that since all that power makes the car hard to control if traction changes suddenly. Needless to say he took out a power pole when he hit a moist patch on a curve. All I could say was "I told you so."
***** he is actually a novice race car driver. He has been racing for twenty years and he also drives a gasoline truck for a living so you'd think he knows how to drive. His problem was overconfidence.
***** I bet you think you could do better? Turning off traction control is called Track mode in and its called that for a reason. Its for race tracks not public roads.
Overconfidence was pretty much what I meant when I said lack of maturity, assuming it was a public road. I actually don't need to be a better driver to comment because I think I have a fair idea of my own skill and choose not to drive a Chevy Camaro with traction control off.
In before "if you didn't know these five things, you're not a true wheeler" and "my cousin's Hyundai Accent could have handled that off road course!" Hope everyone's day is going well! :)
+Engineering Explained You channel is awesome. Two additional tips for next time: 4WD won't help you when you are skidding downhill and "all season tires" are crap in real Winter conditions.
+hossguitar The first one isn't right. having drive on all four wheels when going down hill will improve traction and will make it easier to control your vehicle.
Bravo11090 I know but that's a bit academic. I was talking about people who think a 4x4 will break better than a 2x4. ("It doesn't skid so it won't skid downhill, doesn't it?")
There is way more to this than meets the eye. You can't make a blanket statement saying don't apply more power to get unstuck. Standard street all season tires sure, but you can get stuck on wet grass with those. If you have a more open or a mud tread, you need the wheel speed to keep the tires from loading up with gunk. the higher rpm flexes the tire and the higher centrifugal force throws the trapped mud out. The blanket statement that SHOULD be made is if you are no longer making forward progress, quit spinning the tires!
+kleetus92 Yep, that's true and it is something to remember for beginners. EE should say about cleaning the tread from mud in this video. Sure, it's not a good idea to keep it floored for all the time, but in sticky mud there is no other option to drive thru it than step on it for time to time.
@@Mattyv7 4Auto is good for ice and snow on road and for slippery off-road conditions like a graded dirt rod after a hard rain but not for more than a few inches of mud. If you’re gonna hit a pit with the boys go 4H so it’s fully engaged. If you get really stuck sometimes 4low will help you get out but if you’re just screwing around and cutting doughnuts and slinging mud 4high is fine.
i remember commenting on your videos 4 years ago when i wanted to study engineering, now im going into my 3rd year of mech. eng. and specialising in automotive. And still learning from you :) Thanks buddy
+Junaid Mahomed Awesome to hear. Junior and senior year were most certainly the most challenging for me. Because math must always get harder. Best of luck to you!! It's worth it in the end. :)
+Engineering Explained it's not funny! I was driving through a small patch of woods in Iowa and as I got close to a corn field, WHAMM!! I almost didn't make it out alive. Friggin GMOs I know it... Anyways, they do exist.
Mudding is very specific and not really what he was talking about. If you have a purpose built mud truck then yes, wheel speed is your friend. If you have a slightly modified jeep on 31 inch all terrain tires, enjoy getting stuck when you try to throttle out of a mud puddle.
If you are buried up to the chassis, it won't matter if you have low range or not. A snatch strap from another vehicle, winching, traction boards, or just digging out are your options.
Great video. I like that you explained why a vehicle with full-time 4WD can operate without damaging the drivetrain. I have a 4Runner V8 with full-time 4WD and a lockable center differential and this video helped me better understand how it compares to a vehicle with a traditional part-time 4WD system. Now if I also had a lockable rear differential, I'd have the best of both worlds.
I worked at a landfill for 10 years and often took my 88 Toyota out on the haul roads for the off road trucks, these roads had wide deep ruts and often had lots of mud. The soil was a clay base so it got slick as snot when it was wet, one time in particular I took off out the haul road and noticed a water hole that I didn't want to get in. However I hit a rut that I couldn't see and it threw me into the water hole. I was in second gear with the skinny pedal on the floor mat, the truck did stop for a second then started inching it's way out, all the while I had foot hung in the throttle. If I had stopped I would have been stuck, instead I kept it on the floor and it worked it's way out of the hole. When I get to the end of the road I turned around and when back through, in second gear hung wide open, you couldn't tell what color the truck was because it was totally covered in mud. That is probably the thing I miss the most about working at the landfill, I got paid to play in the mud.
I had a 94 Toyota 4Runner that I used as a tow vehicle for my Yamaha Rhino and 5' x 10' ATV trailer. Out hunting one afternoon one of the guys says hey let's try that road....about 3/4 of a mile down the road the mud just kept getting deeper and deeper, I said well hang on because I can't stop otherwise we will get stuck and I can't stop to put it in 4WD. That damn 4Runner made it through a foot of mud in 2WD pulling a 2,000lb UTV/Trailer.
Also, when driving over mud, you want your tire to grip into the mud. By turning off traction control, you allow the wheel to spin and clean it of mud, allowing the wheel to grab into more mud, improving traction and maintaining your momentum. With traction control off, your wheels will have grip at first but eventually they might not go fast enough to clean off any mud in them and youll just have a slick tire. Of course, we do this when using all-terrain tired, because mud tires dont require that much "centrifugal" force to clean themselves.
dont know if its been said but i live in canada where we actually have snow, leaving traction control on in deep snow is ridiculous. i always turn traction control off for the same reason you mentioned for driving in mud or sand. in theory it might make sense but everyone here in snow covered canada knows to turn it off. cheers
Ahh you mean you want your vehicle to actually get out of its own way LOL. Traction control is nothing more than a nanny control for idiots who have no business driving period.
I was thinking the same thing about the traction control in the snow. Traction control is an excellent way to end up rolling backwards on a snowy hill.
this is one thing I learned in the Army when you have 4 WD. Drive with vehicle in 2 WD, if you get stuck THEN use 4 WD to get out. If you use 4WD then get stuck things usually go sideways unless you have a winch and something to anchor to (or a bunch of friends around to help out). It's also nice to have a block-n-tackle in your back pocket to double or triple your lifting force (depending on the number of pulleys are employed) using the same input. This will also save wear and tear if you have an electric wench. I don't know how wenches are set up these days but the deuce 1/2 we had back in the day had the wench connected directly to the engine via a short drive shaft.
Never floor it while trying to get un-stuck? This must be an american thing. Australian way is floor it until you get stuck, if you get stuck, floor it at a different angle. If that doesn't help, Tie someone else to you then floor it. That process has never failed me or anyone else
Great overview for beginners! Once wheeling you learn that you're spin in the mud is good. You learn that nearly every time you go out there is going to be damage. Once you are in tune with your vehicle you'll KNOW when something isn't right. Again, not bashing at all......... I think this is a great beginner tutorial
Actually in sticky mud wheel speed is key to getting unstuck it slings the mud out of the treads in order to bite into the rut . Without this you will never get out because your tires turn to slicks once they become caked in said mud
Owned aJeep, Durango, Subaru, and Escape. Everything you say is true in practice. I don’t have an engineering degree but I understand what you’re saying and it is true in the real world of driving. Thanks! 😃👍
Michael Sedgley I'm not talking about gravel drives or trails. I'm talking about true offroad. Street psi doesn't allow the tire to bite into the surface. Plus airing down allows the tire to have more surface area.
@J Thorsson It allows your tires to conform to the uneven surfaces giving you more traction, while spreading the points of the terrain across the rubber lessening the likelihood of puncture. And it can help your effective suspension up-down travel to keep your vehicle from bouncing around as much.
Smart man.... One thing, a person does not need a 4x4 to go a lot of places. I can take a two wheel drive (front or rear wheel drive)... where a lot of 4x4 can go!! It really comes down to the knowledge and experience of the vehicle being driven.
Checking underneath the vehicle was a very good point. I was wheeling out near Woodchute Mountain in AZ with my Frontier Pro 4X and found barbed wire wrapped around my front passenger side wheel. I have no clue how that happened and luckily there was no damage. There wasn't even any marks or scratches. Removing the wire was a pain in the ass though.
Fantastic video! One thing to point out about low range 4 wheel drive in regards to more engine power/torque and less wheel spin, is that some scenarios like snow/mud/wet sand, builds up in the tire tread, so you need wheel slippage to clear the tires of the debris and you progress.
In many cases, people who are stuck will increase the throttle when a small amount won't move the vehicle. And in some scenarios, it works! It's good to know the trick with backing up six inches or so and then making another attempt to go forward with the added momentum it creates. But maybe that would be a subject for a video on ways to get unstuck.
Every time I watch these videos, I pay so much attention and try to memorize everything you say, as if we have a test that I didn't study for and Im trying to get the answers from you at the last minute.
After off-roading you should also (briefly) wash the tires (especially if they're not specialized off-road tires), since mud and sand can make cornering/braking a bit risky, even with AWD.
After you go off roading you should never leave until you do a 101 point safety check of the underneath of the vehicle. Ain't nobody got time for that...
Thanks for doing this video. I used to rest my hand on the shifter all the time. Now I dont quite so much. Every once in a while I catch myself doing it and move my hand. But old habits are hard to break, but not impossible.
Good video, only thing I'd add is to check diff fluid or any other fluid of any component that has low hanging breathers. This is especially important if you go through deep water or mud. Never good to have water or dirt in fluids that are supposed to be lubricants.
This also makes for the most boring 4X4ing. What ya wanna do IS floor it, go sideways, get covered in mud and get stuck. Then get unstuck and try to get stuck again, Maybe not while rock crawling though... otherwise ya might as well be city driving
***** I suppose so, but I wouldnt be taking that '4WD'ing then. But they can still have more fun that this rubbish with out wrecking it. Ive had a few 4wd's with out taking any damage. Just need to know what you are doing and dont push it into dangerous territory.
Well today's version of "offroading" is driving over a curb at the mall....well with many of today's crossovers & SUV's...aka Station Wagons will just get high centered and get stuck LOL.
Hi there. Nice explanation! :-) I want to add something to the "not flooring while stuck"-part: another reason not to floor it is, that the compensating gears inside the differential usually are not fabricated to withstand high rpm, because they are made to just compensate the difference of rpm between left and right wheel in turns/curves. Therefore, they can easily be destroyed by giving to much revs while one wheel is stuck. BUT: in some situations, the model with static friction vs dynamic friction does not work. Especially in mud using M/T tires, some revs can get the tire clean of all the mud, and then the wheel can produce more friction than the static friction of a complete mudded wheel. Cheers.
I'm going to be that guy since I race offroad... 1. It's ok to drive on *dry* pavement with part-time 4WD, and you can drive on pavement with a locked differential. It's not going to break anything. It's fun to watch reactions when you make a right turn with a full spool. I can be dangerous in wet condtions though, see #4 below. 2. Read the manual. Some transfer cases allow shift-on-the-fly into 4 Lo below certain speeds. 3. If you're in mud, with mud tires, you need to "floor it" to fling mud from the tires; this will allow them to dig through the goopy stuff and reach the solid dirt below and provide traction. Also, regardless of uK and uS, sometimes in the real world if you floor it, you can generate enough forward momentum for the tires to grab dirt/sand at the front edge of the tread and pull your vehicle forward. 4. (not in your video) Never use a locked differential on snow or ice for normal driving. A locked axle can cause both tires to break static traction with too much gas, and you'll spin. Not a good thing on a mountain road. 5. (not in your video) Never coast with the clutch depressed and the transmission in gear. As you crest a hill in 4 Lo, you may feel like coasting down the other side by simply depressing the clutch. Since the clutch disk spins at the same speed as the transmission input shaft, if you are in low gear and/or 4 Lo, you can easily grenade the clutch (cause it to explode from excessive speed) even at speeds as low as 10 mph.
why there pretty self explanatory. weld the gears together in the dif for 50/50 traction. obviously don't take it on solid roads a lot or it will hop and sound horrible. like the dude above said keep it on the track or on the mud.
@@jannespor8178 Antilock Brake System. It will sense if a tire is rotating less or locked up using sensors and if it finds one is, it will apply and release the brakes on that one tire to give it more stopping ability. Because a tire in motion has more traction than a spinning/skidding tire.
@therockkkkher You shift to chosen gear after putting the transfer case in 4lo. You can drive in reverse in 4lo or 4hi with same considerations as driving forward.
I honestly thought this video was going to be a joke made by someone that just got his first 4 wheel drive. I have to say that everything in this video is very true and accurate, you gave good advice, good job. Nice video.
So we don't want our tires to spin in mud or sand because we'll get stuck but we need to turn off traction control in mud or sand so our tires can spin so we don't get stuck. Got it.
+Xterraforce lol, it's more about momentum than spinning. If you're already stuck, and have no forward momentum, you don't want to spin. If you're moving and have forward momentum, it's better to spin than slow down, so your momentum can carry you through.
+allen Henry except in snowy slick conditions, mainly just not on dry pavement. I have found if you are driving in the the snow on roads you might find you need 4wd and a lot of times it can be too late and you are already sliding into a ditch...
+allen Henry It has mainly to do with speed. Doing 120 kmh while your 4x4 is engaged is never a good idea even if you are off road. Your vehicle manual will probably say what the recommended top speed is when 4x4 is engaged. For my 1992 Feroza the recommended top speed is 80 kmh.
Great video but the only thing I would change is what you said about flooring the gas. That's true for soft ground like sand on a beach but in mud you want more throttle and wheel speed to clear the treads. But on both lower tire pressure and locking diff's will help.
Hi, as always, great video!!! An other thing you shoud mention is that should not be done in a 4x4 is that when you are about to cross a river, is better to get into the river slowly in 4L in 1st or 2nd gear (depending of the diferential relation, engine power, etc) and once that your tire is under water, go ahead and accelerate to 3000-4000 RPM, in that way the water wave inside the engine that crash against the firewall is going to be slower..... and other thing is good to mention is that some people think that if the car has snorkel, the car is almost a submarine...... and most of the times that not right, the only exception is old diesel car with mecanic inyection..... all the other has to be more careful with the deep of the water, same thing applys for mud swampos....
I guess this is an example of where the class room theory sometimes doesn't match reality. Points 1 & 2 I don't really disagree with. Point 3, for a lot of off road situations is completely wrong. Firstly, most off road biased Traction Control Systems (Land Rover/Jeep), will need wheel speed to actually work. And on some types of terrain you most certainly need wheelspin to generate additional grip. This is also going to be true of certain large lug tread pattern tyres. I can't explain the science/physics behind it, but any seasoned off roader will tell you they have experienced it first hand. For point 4, you did yourself a dis-justice. As you are sat in a 4x4, with images of 4x4's off roading, however you seemed to be talking about car based traction control systems. Off road biased traction control systems, such as those that you'd find on a Jeep or Land Rover do not cut the throttle. Unless you have also fitted locking axle differentials, there is almost no reason to never use the Traction Control, it will work on any off road terrain and always out perform an open diff without traction control. BTW - I like most of your other videos.
300bhpton the reason why wheelspin can be good is because it can clear out the tread on more aggressive tires. go slow your tread packs with mud, go fast you sling mud out from the tread via centrifugal force as well as allow the tires to hopefully continue digging forward.
Most 4X4s have normal TC for on road use that doesn't help off road Most Jeeps and Land Rovers don't have TC Can TC work if you have diff locks? Ether way diff locks will beat no diff lock
FuNot FuMe jeeps TC doesn't cut throttle like a normal car or truck. Jeeps apply brake pressure to the wheels which then also helps get the other tire in an open diff spinning and helps to get you unstuck.
I think he's talking about casual off-roaders or folks that didn't intend to go off road that might get stuck somewhere with street tires. Those aren't really gonna clear from wheel spin.
+1 Check for damage - I bought a POS Jeep Wagoneer once, owner thought the transmission was ruined since it only moved in 4WD & made loud clicking/banging noises. Turns out the *rear driveshaft was GONE, must have FELL OFF & they didn't even notice*. Banging was either the transfer case chain jumping (wouldn't hold oil) or the front diff falling apart. Only things still working on that was the brakes & engine covered in oil leaks & the transmission somehow
You gotta nail it young fellow. When you nail it the tyres get the debris thrown out of the tread. A clean tyre will always get a better grip that a blocked up tyre. You often can keep forward momentum better to get to the next bit of grip. Only down side is you have to be able to maintain directional control.
+Andy Brown I'm guessing you're British? I say that because I've noticed British media has this really bad tendency to mesh all of these terms into one when in fact they're mechanically very different. AWD is not the same thing as 4WD/4x4, regardless of brand or whether it is symmetrical or not. But anyway, if you drive a manual, Subaru AWD uses a viscous coupling, which allows the rear wheels to spin at a different speed than the front wheels. On an automatic, the rear wheels are electronically separated from the front. On top of that, AWD cars don't tend to have locking differentials. All that being said, 4WD is better for off-roading, AWD is better for bad weather conditions and speed.
RzVids First of all, irrelevant point. I was comparing AWD to 4WD. RWD has nothing to do with this. But secondly, no, RWD is not better for speed. The _only_ reason RWD can out-pace an AWD car is the reduced weight and moving parts. Otherwise, RWD is physically limited by only 2 wheels having power. You might point out "yeah well there are Corvettes in top of the Nurberg Ring" but that's because they have gigantic tires that are incredibly sticky and are pretty much only good for a couple uses. AWD is more sustainable and doesn't depend on special tires for decent acceleration traction. Watch any 0-60 tests with a RWD and an AWD car of similar weight and power, and you'll find the RWD is slower due to more wheel spin. Again, Corvettes with fresh sticky tires are the exception.
+francesseven Ahh very cool, thanks for the info! Checked out the Wrangler manual: "Shifting into or out of 4L is possible with the vehicle completely stopped; however, difficulty may occur due to the mating teeth not being properly aligned. Several attempts may be required for clutch teeth alignment and shift completion to occur. The preferred method is with the vehicle rolling at 2 to 3 mph (3 to 5 km/h). Avoid attempting to engage or disengage 4L with the vehicle moving faster than 2 to 3 mph (3 to 5 km/h)."
+Engineering Explained You sir are a gentleman and a scholar. I can't believe you actually went and checked it :) Keep up the good work I love your videos by the way.
I think that’s pretty good. I have a 99 Rav4. No traction control or ABS nearly bald tires and I have driven in the snow and on light muddy trails past people in new vehicles that are stuck. It’s all about knowing how to drive your car.
Sounds to me like you shouldn't be buying one of these modern highly strung prone to breaking vehicles full of driver's aids, and buy an old vehicle without them and learn to drive...
James Young I'm a thermodynamics engineers. For longevity, reliability, an durability, the older mechanically simpler designs are much better. The US DoD and most military branches still use carburetors on their large trucks and heavy haulers because they are more reliable than fuel injection.
***** "1. Large trucks and heavy haulers use diesel engines which do not have carburetors. " -The M35 series 2.5 ton trucks used Hercule's multi-fuel engines capable of using both diesel gasoline, or JP-8. Thats the ones I'm talking about. Try putting in bad or contaminated fuel in a fuel injection system. It will *immediately* fail. "2. Fuel injection is orders of magnitude more reliable than a carburetor. A carb will need rebuilding a couple of times in 100,000 miles, a well engineered fuel injection system will go 500,000 miles without servicing of any kind. I've been fixing my own cars and bikes since the '70s. I've rebuilt quite a few carbs, I've never had to fix a fuel injection system." -Depends on the carburetor system. A fuel vaporizing carburetor will never require maintenance. Ever. . . . . . . . Ever. Again, specifically that is the kind of carb I'm talking about. The M35 uses a fuel vaporizing carburetor when burning gasoline. "Very few if any '60s chevys could have done that, and certainly not a chevy 4x4 that was getting beat on. I actually had a '73 chevy C15 4x4, I couldn't get away from that piece of crap fast enough. It did have a carb though." -70's and up is when things started getting really bad. I have a 1966 one ton dump truck over 1.5 million miles on it and its the most reliable, cheapest to maintain and repair truck I can think of. I also tweaked it to get 58 MPG on the highway via a fuel vaporizing system and a custom turbocharger. Disappointed if you dont get 500k? Well then you're probably going to be very disappointed. Cars in the modern era are planned obsolescence. Nothing is designed to last longer than ten years. And if you need top fix something yourself, good luck finding reasonably priced parts and definitely good luck doing the job yourself. I can drive my 69 C10 to any transmission shop in the country and have it rebuilt from top to bottom for 800 bucks. Because its a manual transmission. "It's already got 70,000 on it and still drives like new" -And it will until the 200k mile mark or so. Then it will start falling apart faster than you could believe. And since you dont know what a thermodynamic engineer is, I'll post of a link to a description. study.com/articles/Thermodynamic_Engineer_Job_Description_and_Education_Requirements.html I design and develop plasma based detonation turbines, waste management and waste to energy systems, and a bunch of other stuff for a living. I then market the IP to company's that pay me big royalty for using my technology. I know engines very well. Its all about converting heat to energy. Then again, you probably dont know what causes the pistons in an engine, or the blades in a turbines, to work, do you? Hint: Its not pressure. Pressure is a side effect.
Are you proposing we should all drive old vehicles with horrible emissions? Why do you help with the latest and greatest of high efficiency turbines and clean waste management... I would expect an engineer such as yourself to have some respect for the work us other engineers integrate these days as much as I respect the work of engineers in other fields. I'm an electrical engineer myself and I have to say, I really hate working with engineers such as yourself. Good luck finding a woman that will put up with your stubborn ass.
@4:25 That's actually an EXCELLENT theoretical physics question with practical materials science implications--under any POSSIBLE circumstances DOES the kinetic coefficient of friction between two materials ever get HIGHER than the STATIC coefficient of friction? And if NOT, what is the underlying physical phenomena responsible--how does inertia and the laws of motion, conversation of energy/mass, momentum, together make up/explain the phenomena we experience.
Joseph. Realize that 100 years ago everyone learned how to drive their first time in vehicles with non synchronized transmissions requiring double clutching techniques, AND they didn't have traction control or ABS. In fact, they had to manually adjust the timing as they drove.
+SufferingAddict I hope you're joking even if you're a pro driver something can happen and all of those safety features in cars are for your own good makes driving easier and smooth
It's good, but credit where credit is due, the JK Rubicon is the most capable off-the-shelf consumer off roader on the market in North America. I'm not even a fan of Jeep (would never buy one again), but the front and rear locking diffs, remote disconnectable front anti-sway bar, beefy armor (including rock sliders), fantastic gearing, aggressive LT-rated tires from the factory, integrated rated recovery points, and fantastic geometry make it a far better off road vehicle than any of the Tacomas. This is especially true when you consider the Tacoma's horrible departure angle and funky Atkinson Cycle engine.
+Mr. Tbag It's not horrible, but it certainly isn't great by 4WD standards. I would certainly add an armored bumper to take the hits. Even only XTerra I've managed to slam the tail pretty hard on some of the more difficult trails - and that with 5" of lift and 285/75/16 tires.
I definitely agree with inspecting your truck after offroading. My 2001 Dodge Durango's right front tie rod came off the ball right before I left the trail heading towards the highway. I got a bit abusive offroad and was bouncing off rocks trying to climb a steep grade while going full throttle from a running start and throughout the day I was flying through shale bottom ponds full throttle frame banging on bolders on tierods and balljoints that had been squeeking for over a year. Needless to say my oil and trans pan didn't appreciate that but hey no leaks and It still runs and I've replaced the everything on the front end.
+Sayuj Raphael One time I was in my Dad's Ford Bronco and the brakes blew out at the top of a hill, he used the E-Brake to get it all the way back home. If the E-Brake doesn't work, try rubbing against the guard rails and turning as much as possible, or find some dirt on the side of the road to go on for a while.
+Sayuj Raphael I wouldn't try putting it in reverse for any reason unless you're looking for the fastest way to take your transmission out of your car. My suggestion would to use a combination of downshifting and the hand break to come to a stop.
There is an exception to the 'not flooring it' point you made. In soft mud, it is beneficial to keep the wheels spinning at a high enough rpm to allow the tyre thread to self clean, the clean thread allows for further bite and clearing of soft slush under the tyres. When the soft stuff gets thrown out, the tyres can find bite in the harder stuff below and move you forward. This is why you would typically see mud trucks giving it heaps of throttle when attacking deep mud trails..
traction control and snow never did mix well. you have momentum, traction control kicks in and takes away your moment causing you to get stuck more often then not.
+madmax2069 Especially if you are trying to climb an icy driveway. I had a rental Chevy Sonic that wouldn't let me turn off TCS. Had to park it on the side of the road by my house.
For deep snow, you are correct. For packed snow in town or on the highway, mixed snow and wet/dry pavement, or higher speeds then traction control can be a lifesaver.
Capt Mifune The only times I've slipped the road regularly was when I was fighting traction control. I got so stuck falling off the road in a blizzard. . . . . . What I decided to do was get off the freeway and lose control of the car on purpose where it was safe over and over and get myself out of it. When I realized my Saab 900 SE drove the same in snow as 300 hp fwd cars that would spin on Gran Tourismo 4 on dry pavement with too much throttle, I finally gained control. I solved every little slip with gentle steering wheel control and a little extra gas....just like the PlayStation 2. :) THEN and only then was I safer with traction control. I was very good without it because I had a lot of snow driving experience with no help.
I've found that cutting your Traction Control when you're in slick conditions can help with momentum. Sometimes, all you can ask your tires to do is dig.
+Rick Edmondson I don't mean to offend, but the first 2 are common knowledge and shouldalready be known if you have 4wd(like I said no offense intended, but its part of knowing how to drive). The 3rd point he made is misinformation and I stopped watching after that
Wow,spoken like a true engineer.Don't use full throttle unless you need full throttle because the coefficient of friction,,,blah blah blah. I've been building and off roading trucks since before this guy was born.For some reason I could never find a traction control button on my 1976 F 250 4x4 hiboy with the mighty 390 and New Process 4 speed w/creeper 1st.
Dont hate on him. He is explaining for newer trucks and for newer generations of people. These days people are reliant on all the traction control things and what nots...
point number 6 . If you're driving a vehicle with traction control take it back home and park it in the driveway for your wife girlfriend or mother . Then go get a real off road rig and learn how to drive it .
We'd sure have a lot fewer drivers on the road if that were the case, they couldn't put their damn phone down to drive a true offroad rig...yeah I mean the ones that have 3-4 shift levers.
- Goes mudding for 20 minutes
- Inspects filthy vehicle for 60 minutes to make sure it's okay
+O Canada .
You forgot a part: clean for 8-hours. 👈
+Secured Circus I always left my truck mud covered. enter field... take field home with me.
O Canada The struggle of taking a new vehicle off pavement
O Canada that is me haha
Don't floor it to get unstuck unless that will get you unstuck.
Hermen Marshall it works for me but I don't rev to high
Got to spin those mud tires to clean out those lugs.....
JD Mogol k
@@djredhareaus38 Which means you aren't flooring it lmao
@@zeallust8542 Unless you're just pumping it
Just pull a clarkson like i do use speed and power don't t stop and you wont get stuck
Amen brother!!
speed and power solves many thing
Clarkson himself learned that that doesn't always work. When they were in Africa.
Polar Bearon j
If in doubt...WRAP It Out vavavaroooom
powurr = not the solution.
Jezza won't be happy about it.
+Denny Rachmansyah Unless you're already moving, then POWERRR is most definitely the solution. :)
+Denny Rachmansyah When in doubt, throttle out.
Hahaha POOOOOWWWWWAAAA!!!!!
+Denny Rachmansyah Well if anything breaks, you can just fix it with a hammer!
POOOOWAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That diagram of the transfer case at 2:17 gave me a brain tumor.
Kiliab Gonzalez man, u crazy 😜
Then cars aren't for you.
too many colors lol
Dude's explanation skills match that diagram.
😂😂
Last year I drove off road for awhile then left and about 30 miles later I realized something was stuck under the car, turned out to be a huge branch lodged into the frame, glad it didn't do any damage. Bunch of great points in this video as always.
I feel like I need Engineering Explained Explained sometimes...
Engineering Explained Explained "Engineering Explained" Engineering
Small correction for Tip #2,
On some vehicles with locking diffs, you are actually supposed to engage 4lo while the vehicle is rolling to allow the gears to mesh properly.
I have an 04’ Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 242 Select Trac system I can affirm with experience it is much easier to engage while creeping along. It also advises this in the manual.
One objection, and it's the reason why I've seen this entire video for. Don't floor it when you're stuck, well the one exception I want to mention is when you have actual mud terrain tires. Those work by grabbing the dirt in order to pull you out, and while they're good at grabbing it, they also keep it stuck to them until they get full and can't grab anymore. Then they start slipping, and this actually happens pretty fast. You need to keep those sort of tires spinning so they keep clean if you want traction from them. I'm not saying floor it continuously like a madman, but those really need a spin every now and then when you get stuck
Most guys aren't gonna have those tires though.
if you're doing what would be considered anything more than riding dirt roads you will have those tires or you will be stuck and afraid to push the gas. then then dreaded calling mom to ask her to come drive her mail jeep out of the hole.
Things to check after off roading: EVERYTHING :D
the only thing you really gotta do is grease things again when you get home.
the check is drive down the road and see if it feels normal.
i wasa thinking that too. why not just pull out the engine and have a look inside it too.
🖕
friend of mine bought a new Chevy Camero...the powerful one. Well, thinking he is Mr.Badass Driver he told me he was keeping the traction control off at all times.
I warned him not to do that since all that power makes the car hard to control if traction changes suddenly.
Needless to say he took out a power pole when he hit a moist patch on a curve.
All I could say was "I told you so."
The problem is not the lack of traction control, it's the lack of his skill and maturity as a driver.
***** he is actually a novice race car driver. He has been racing for twenty years and he also drives a gasoline truck for a living so you'd think he knows how to drive.
His problem was overconfidence.
***** I bet you think you could do better?
Turning off traction control is called Track mode in and its called that for a reason.
Its for race tracks not public roads.
Overconfidence was pretty much what I meant when I said lack of maturity, assuming it was a public road. I actually don't need to be a better driver to comment because I think I have a fair idea of my own skill and choose not to drive a Chevy Camaro with traction control off.
***** exactly.
In before "if you didn't know these five things, you're not a true wheeler" and "my cousin's Hyundai Accent could have handled that off road course!" Hope everyone's day is going well! :)
haha! great video as always!
Especially the 3 cylinder diesel!
+Engineering Explained You channel is awesome. Two additional tips for next time: 4WD won't help you when you are skidding downhill and "all season tires" are crap in real Winter conditions.
+hossguitar The first one isn't right. having drive on all four wheels when going down hill will improve traction and will make it easier to control your vehicle.
Bravo11090 I know but that's a bit academic. I was talking about people who think a 4x4 will break better than a 2x4.
("It doesn't skid so it won't skid downhill, doesn't it?")
The lost dude at 3:10 lol😂😂
Thinks this guy is having a stroke because he’s sitting in the car alone waving hands around.
Right? I was going to say thanks EE for perpetuating the stereotype of the Asian photographer.
Bruh
That’s DENNIS FROM LINUS TECH TIPS
There is way more to this than meets the eye. You can't make a blanket statement saying don't apply more power to get unstuck.
Standard street all season tires sure, but you can get stuck on wet grass with those. If you have a more open or a mud tread, you need the wheel speed to keep the tires from loading up with gunk. the higher rpm flexes the tire and the higher centrifugal force throws the trapped mud out.
The blanket statement that SHOULD be made is if you are no longer making forward progress, quit spinning the tires!
thus is true . snow/mud will clogg your threads .flooring it will throw the mud/snow out and restore the grip
+kleetus92 Yep, that's true and it is something to remember for beginners. EE should say about cleaning the tread from mud in this video. Sure, it's not a good idea to keep it floored for all the time, but in sticky mud there is no other option to drive thru it than step on it for time to time.
in mud with mud tires, you want to spin the tires some to get the tread to clean itself out so you maintain bite.
I was about to bring this up.
Amrit Ramsubjag it's a mistake I've made myself before. Wondering why I couldn't get out lol.
Going muddying should I go 4 auto or 4 high or 4 low? 4 auto for ice and snow right?
@@Mattyv7 4Auto is good for ice and snow on road and for slippery off-road conditions like a graded dirt rod after a hard rain but not for more than a few inches of mud.
If you’re gonna hit a pit with the boys go 4H so it’s fully engaged.
If you get really stuck sometimes 4low will help you get out but if you’re just screwing around and cutting doughnuts and slinging mud 4high is fine.
@@gibsonwill18 what about towing a boat?
i remember commenting on your videos 4 years ago when i wanted to study engineering, now im going into my 3rd year of mech. eng. and specialising in automotive. And still learning from you :) Thanks buddy
+Junaid Mahomed Awesome to hear. Junior and senior year were most certainly the most challenging for me. Because math must always get harder. Best of luck to you!! It's worth it in the end. :)
+Junaid Mahomed Congrats on following through. Good luck in your final years. :)
Should be titled what not to do in a brand new 4x4
if you're not gonna take an SUV off road, you don't deserve an SUV.
right lol. but I don't think he was saying that you shouldn't
Tavit Kassardjian s
I wouldn't want to take a brand new $105, 000 Navigator off road, not to say it can't but some SUVs are more offroadable than others lol
Why drive a SUV when you aren't using it off road?
I never use neutral for going down hill, especially in low range. It allows engine braking, in most cases it will hold it from rolling.
one of the moments when flooring would be better to get unstuck is if you're stuck in an non-Newtonian fluid.
+Chris Weghorst Just in case you happen to be driving through a corn-starch swamp haha.
+Engineering Explained it's not funny! I was driving through a small patch of woods in Iowa and as I got close to a corn field, WHAMM!! I almost didn't make it out alive. Friggin GMOs I know it... Anyways, they do exist.
if your mudding you need to spin the wheels fast to keep the lugs clean...they fill up when tires move slow
Motley Crue Morris i was gonna say this, but only if your tires have self clearing lugs. If they don't then it wont help either
Mudding is very specific and not really what he was talking about. If you have a purpose built mud truck then yes, wheel speed is your friend. If you have a slightly modified jeep on 31 inch all terrain tires, enjoy getting stuck when you try to throttle out of a mud puddle.
I pull people out weekly for $50 a tow with my truck. I just hook them up, throw it 4 lo and floor it. I haven't gotten stuck yet
Anthony Haines I'm so sorry your Jeep sucks at wheeling you should get a samurai next time
TyTamTew I was just using a jeep for an example because everyone has one. Same applies to a samurai though.
omg you don't know how many people at surf beach near me get suck in a FWD mini van. we tow 1-2 a week in the summer in our hilux.
+deborah barry Haha I do know, I used to live at a beach you could drive on for a summer job. :)
#clickbait
if you have a low range gear in your car if you get stuck in sand,mud of any kind of terrain your car can easily come out.
If you are buried up to the chassis, it won't matter if you have low range or not. A snatch strap from another vehicle, winching, traction boards, or just digging out are your options.
all hail the long handled shovel
Great video. I like that you explained why a vehicle with full-time 4WD can operate without damaging the drivetrain. I have a 4Runner V8 with full-time 4WD and a lockable center differential and this video helped me better understand how it compares to a vehicle with a traditional part-time 4WD system. Now if I also had a lockable rear differential, I'd have the best of both worlds.
I worked at a landfill for 10 years and often took my 88 Toyota out on the haul roads for the off road trucks, these roads had wide deep ruts and often had lots of mud. The soil was a clay base so it got slick as snot when it was wet, one time in particular I took off out the haul road and noticed a water hole that I didn't want to get in. However I hit a rut that I couldn't see and it threw me into the water hole. I was in second gear with the skinny pedal on the floor mat, the truck did stop for a second then started inching it's way out, all the while I had foot hung in the throttle. If I had stopped I would have been stuck, instead I kept it on the floor and it worked it's way out of the hole. When I get to the end of the road I turned around and when back through, in second gear hung wide open, you couldn't tell what color the truck was because it was totally covered in mud. That is probably the thing I miss the most about working at the landfill, I got paid to play in the mud.
I had a 94 Toyota 4Runner that I used as a tow vehicle for my Yamaha Rhino and 5' x 10' ATV trailer. Out hunting one afternoon one of the guys says hey let's try that road....about 3/4 of a mile down the road the mud just kept getting deeper and deeper, I said well hang on because I can't stop otherwise we will get stuck and I can't stop to put it in 4WD. That damn 4Runner made it through a foot of mud in 2WD pulling a 2,000lb UTV/Trailer.
Also, when driving over mud, you want your tire to grip into the mud. By turning off traction control, you allow the wheel to spin and clean it of mud, allowing the wheel to grab into more mud, improving traction and maintaining your momentum. With traction control off, your wheels will have grip at first but eventually they might not go fast enough to clean off any mud in them and youll just have a slick tire. Of course, we do this when using all-terrain tired, because mud tires dont require that much "centrifugal" force to clean themselves.
dont know if its been said but i live in canada where we actually have snow, leaving traction control on in deep snow is ridiculous. i always turn traction control off for the same reason you mentioned for driving in mud or sand. in theory it might make sense but everyone here in snow covered canada knows to turn it off. cheers
Ahh you mean you want your vehicle to actually get out of its own way LOL. Traction control is nothing more than a nanny control for idiots who have no business driving period.
I was thinking the same thing about the traction control in the snow. Traction control is an excellent way to end up rolling backwards on a snowy hill.
this is one thing I learned in the Army when you have 4 WD. Drive with vehicle in 2 WD, if you get stuck THEN use 4 WD to get out. If you use 4WD then get stuck things usually go sideways unless you have a winch and something to anchor to (or a bunch of friends around to help out).
It's also nice to have a block-n-tackle in your back pocket to double or triple your lifting force (depending on the number of pulleys are employed) using the same input. This will also save wear and tear if you have an electric wench.
I don't know how wenches are set up these days but the deuce 1/2 we had back in the day had the wench connected directly to the engine via a short drive shaft.
Never floor it while trying to get un-stuck? This must be an american thing. Australian way is floor it until you get stuck, if you get stuck, floor it at a different angle. If that doesn't help, Tie someone else to you then floor it. That process has never failed me or anyone else
Yes.
Americans do it as well but I guess we're not supposed to
yeah, there are a lot of pussies here that have no clue how to drive and no business near the go pedal in the first place..
No the Australian way to get stuck is if you drive a patrol
+Brayden D Then you wait for the land cruiser to pull you out
Great overview for beginners! Once wheeling you learn that you're spin in the mud is good. You learn that nearly every time you go out there is going to be damage. Once you are in tune with your vehicle you'll KNOW when something isn't right. Again, not bashing at all......... I think this is a great beginner tutorial
Actually in sticky mud wheel speed is key to getting unstuck it slings the mud out of the treads in order to bite into the rut . Without this you will never get out because your tires turn to slicks once they become caked in said mud
Exactly. His explanation seems good in theory but just doesn't work in the real world.
Only works with mud terrain tires bud
Owned aJeep, Durango, Subaru, and Escape. Everything you say is true in practice. I don’t have an engineering degree but I understand what you’re saying and it is true in the real world of driving. Thanks! 😃👍
You forgot the most important thing. Never run your tires at street psi offroad...
Zach Novosad never? Your off-roading must be very spontaneous. Do you make a day of it and take a picnic?
Michael Sedgley I'm not talking about gravel drives or trails. I'm talking about true offroad. Street psi doesn't allow the tire to bite into the surface. Plus airing down allows the tire to have more surface area.
@J Thorsson
It allows your tires to conform to the uneven surfaces giving you more traction, while spreading the points of the terrain across the rubber lessening the likelihood of puncture. And it can help your effective suspension up-down travel to keep your vehicle from bouncing around as much.
Thats for rock crawl
@@znovosad555 what do you do when you are going back home on the pavement ? with low psi?
Smart man.... One thing, a person does not need a 4x4 to go a lot of places. I can take a two wheel drive (front or rear wheel drive)... where a lot of 4x4 can go!! It really comes down to the knowledge and experience of the vehicle being driven.
Where were you 25 years ago bro? My 4x4 experiences came by way of school of hard knocks. Gobbs of ouches. Great training thank you.
Playing with Legos! haha, thanks for watching!
Checking underneath the vehicle was a very good point. I was wheeling out near Woodchute Mountain in AZ with my Frontier Pro 4X and found barbed wire wrapped around my front passenger side wheel. I have no clue how that happened and luckily there was no damage. There wasn't even any marks or scratches. Removing the wire was a pain in the ass though.
You got lucky there then.
Barbed wire or S-wire can even disable tanks if used in decent quantity.
Awd is where it's at for track use
Except for drifting
+Borntokirune understeer
+Borntokirune Not really, so much more weight with a 4wd system. Audi's quattro system might be great but it does nothing but understeer on a track.
+SwordsMasterGallade For an inexperienced driver in an improperly tuned car, perhaps.
It's fairly easy to overcome understeer in AWD cars.
+Liquid Vision I think the fastest production cars on the Nurbur' is AWD.
Fantastic video! One thing to point out about low range 4 wheel drive in regards to more engine power/torque and less wheel spin, is that some scenarios like snow/mud/wet sand, builds up in the tire tread, so you need wheel slippage to clear the tires of the debris and you progress.
you're one of the persons in my life that makes me interest more in physics lol
+Levy Simanjuntak Humans have created some amazing things! It's definitely inspiring to see innovations within the engineering world.
+Engineering Explained yep definetely, wondering how vehicle engineerings had developed many years later :)
+Engineering Explained can you explain the Korres P4?
So where is the hack that'll "get you more interest in engrish"?
In many cases, people who are stuck will increase the throttle when a small amount won't move the vehicle. And in some scenarios, it works! It's good to know the trick with backing up six inches or so and then making another attempt to go forward with the added momentum it creates. But maybe that would be a subject for a video on ways to get unstuck.
Every time I watch these videos, I pay so much attention and try to memorize everything you say, as if we have a test that I didn't study for and Im trying to get the answers from you at the last minute.
+888TopGear888 Quick - if you're in the sand/mud should you have traction control on?!
+Engineering Explained - no then you can have full power ! test passed
+Engineering Explained African or European? ;D
rhkips I don't get it
LeNouveauWestern You must have been the smart kid in school.
thanks for putting it in the description! don't always have time to stick through the whole video
Traction control? ABS? Stability control? Bah! Power application, good tires and a good driver will get you just about anywheres.
After off-roading you should also (briefly) wash the tires (especially if they're not specialized off-road tires), since mud and sand can make cornering/braking a bit risky, even with AWD.
...
After you go off roading you should never leave until you do a 101 point safety check of the underneath of the vehicle. Ain't nobody got time for that...
Thanks for doing this video. I used to rest my hand on the shifter all the time. Now I dont quite so much. Every once in a while I catch myself doing it and move my hand. But old habits are hard to break, but not impossible.
Same here. I have stopped resting my foot on the clutch pedal and hand on the shifter now. This guy is great
In the UK driving on the pavement is seriously frowned upoin by the police.
AND pedestrians... ;)
Good video, only thing I'd add is to check diff fluid or any other fluid of any component that has low hanging breathers. This is especially important if you go through deep water or mud. Never good to have water or dirt in fluids that are supposed to be lubricants.
This also makes for the most boring 4X4ing. What ya wanna do IS floor it, go sideways, get covered in mud and get stuck. Then get unstuck and try to get stuck again, Maybe not while rock crawling though... otherwise ya might as well be city driving
***** I suppose so, but I wouldnt be taking that '4WD'ing then. But they can still have more fun that this rubbish with out wrecking it. Ive had a few 4wd's with out taking any damage. Just need to know what you are doing and dont push it into dangerous territory.
Also the post never mentioned how pricey a vehicle, was just more 'Dont do it' . Princesses and cotton wool driving .....
there is more than these vehicles out there, but I know what you are saying. Im not trying to be a dick about it
Well today's version of "offroading" is driving over a curb at the mall....well with many of today's crossovers & SUV's...aka Station Wagons will just get high centered and get stuck LOL.
Hi there. Nice explanation! :-)
I want to add something to the "not flooring while stuck"-part: another reason not to floor it is, that the compensating gears inside the differential usually are not fabricated to withstand high rpm, because they are made to just compensate the difference of rpm between left and right wheel in turns/curves. Therefore, they can easily be destroyed by giving to much revs while one wheel is stuck. BUT: in some situations, the model with static friction vs dynamic friction does not work. Especially in mud using M/T tires, some revs can get the tire clean of all the mud, and then the wheel can produce more friction than the static friction of a complete mudded wheel.
Cheers.
over-explaining like a boss
I'm going to be that guy since I race offroad... 1. It's ok to drive on *dry* pavement with part-time 4WD, and you can drive on pavement with a locked differential. It's not going to break anything. It's fun to watch reactions when you make a right turn with a full spool. I can be dangerous in wet condtions though, see #4 below. 2. Read the manual. Some transfer cases allow shift-on-the-fly into 4 Lo below certain speeds. 3. If you're in mud, with mud tires, you need to "floor it" to fling mud from the tires; this will allow them to dig through the goopy stuff and reach the solid dirt below and provide traction. Also, regardless of uK and uS, sometimes in the real world if you floor it, you can generate enough forward momentum for the tires to grab dirt/sand at the front edge of the tread and pull your vehicle forward. 4. (not in your video) Never use a locked differential on snow or ice for normal driving. A locked axle can cause both tires to break static traction with too much gas, and you'll spin. Not a good thing on a mountain road. 5. (not in your video) Never coast with the clutch depressed and the transmission in gear. As you crest a hill in 4 Lo, you may feel like coasting down the other side by simply depressing the clutch. Since the clutch disk spins at the same speed as the transmission input shaft, if you are in low gear and/or 4 Lo, you can easily grenade the clutch (cause it to explode from excessive speed) even at speeds as low as 10 mph.
Jeremy Clarkson will disagree with you. More Power will solve anything. And sometimes it does lol
I believe in S P E E D
OK. With the explanation and schematic of the transfer case, I tried to keep up. I really did. You out-geeked yourself.
+Rickyboy707 There's a video linked in the description for a full explanation of how it works.
Thanks. I just watched that video and understood much better.
Do a video about welded diffs
Welded diffs: Try to avoid them as much as possible, but if you must, keep it on the track.
+Braden Wuesthoff is that 240z or 260z yours ?
+Teedjay Gendron 280z
Braden Wuesthoff Nice!
why there pretty self explanatory. weld the gears together in the dif for 50/50 traction. obviously don't take it on solid roads a lot or it will hop and sound horrible. like the dude above said keep it on the track or on the mud.
That traction control tip is golden!
I don't have traction control PLOT TWIST
All I've got is abs lol
@@guy_incognito7538 What's ABS? I've got brakes.
@@jannespor8178 Antilock Brake System. It will sense if a tire is rotating less or locked up using sensors and if it finds one is, it will apply and release the brakes on that one tire to give it more stopping ability. Because a tire in motion has more traction than a spinning/skidding tire.
@@guy_incognito7538 In fact, I was joking. But thanks. :-)
@@jannespor8178 oh lol I'm a bit slow... an r/woosh for me :)
Thanks for telling me about being in neutral before shifting to 4wd, I always left it in 1st with clutch engaged to put it in
@therockkkkher You shift to chosen gear after putting the transfer case in 4lo. You can drive in reverse in 4lo or 4hi with same considerations as driving forward.
#6 never tow fulltime 4x4 car with only 2 wheels on the ground.
I honestly thought this video was going to be a joke made by someone that just got his first 4 wheel drive. I have to say that everything in this video is very true and accurate, you gave good advice, good job. Nice video.
6th thing you should never do is tattoo someone. top gear taught me that
+Nathan Soper And jackass
+JT4GM4K3R while in a hummer on a dirt course... lol
Like Steve-O
You're a very intelligent and well spoken young man. Kudos.
So we don't want our tires to spin in mud or sand because we'll get stuck but we need to turn off traction control in mud or sand so our tires can spin so we don't get stuck. Got it.
+Xterraforce Listen again, spinning in the mud/sand is fine, as mentioned...
+Xterraforce lol, it's more about momentum than spinning. If you're already stuck, and have no forward momentum, you don't want to spin. If you're moving and have forward momentum, it's better to spin than slow down, so your momentum can carry you through.
I've never gone off-roading in a truck in my life and possibly never will, but damn I love your videos.
I have an 1995 Cheyenne 4x4. so ur saying don't lock in 4x4 while on the road? but in the dirt or fire roads be ok to lock?
+allen Henry Yep!
+allen Henry Yes
+allen Henry except in snowy slick conditions, mainly just not on dry pavement. I have found if you are driving in the the snow on roads you might find you need 4wd and a lot of times it can be too late and you are already sliding into a ditch...
+allen Henry It has mainly to do with speed. Doing 120 kmh while your 4x4 is engaged is never a good idea even if you are off road. Your vehicle manual will probably say what the recommended top speed is when 4x4 is engaged. For my 1992 Feroza the recommended top speed is 80 kmh.
Great video but the only thing I would change is what you said about flooring the gas. That's true for soft ground like sand on a beach but in mud you want more throttle and wheel speed to clear the treads. But on both lower tire pressure and locking diff's will help.
floor it and work the wheels left to right..
Adam Harrington Very true!
sometimes flooring it is the answer.
Hi, as always, great video!!!
An other thing you shoud mention is that should not be done in a 4x4 is that when you are about to cross a river, is better to get into the river slowly in 4L in 1st or 2nd gear (depending of the diferential relation, engine power, etc) and once that your tire is under water, go ahead and accelerate to 3000-4000 RPM, in that way the water wave inside the engine that crash against the firewall is going to be slower..... and other thing is good to mention is that some people think that if the car has snorkel, the car is almost a submarine...... and most of the times that not right, the only exception is old diesel car with mecanic inyection..... all the other has to be more careful with the deep of the water, same thing applys for mud swampos....
I guess this is an example of where the class room theory sometimes doesn't match reality. Points 1 & 2 I don't really disagree with. Point 3, for a lot of off road situations is completely wrong. Firstly, most off road biased Traction Control Systems (Land Rover/Jeep), will need wheel speed to actually work. And on some types of terrain you most certainly need wheelspin to generate additional grip. This is also going to be true of certain large lug tread pattern tyres. I can't explain the science/physics behind it, but any seasoned off roader will tell you they have experienced it first hand.
For point 4, you did yourself a dis-justice. As you are sat in a 4x4, with images of 4x4's off roading, however you seemed to be talking about car based traction control systems. Off road biased traction control systems, such as those that you'd find on a Jeep or Land Rover do not cut the throttle. Unless you have also fitted locking axle differentials, there is almost no reason to never use the Traction Control, it will work on any off road terrain and always out perform an open diff without traction control.
BTW - I like most of your other videos.
300bhpton the reason why wheelspin can be good is because it can clear out the tread on more aggressive tires. go slow your tread packs with mud, go fast you sling mud out from the tread via centrifugal force as well as allow the tires to hopefully continue digging forward.
Most 4X4s have normal TC for on road use that doesn't help off road
Most Jeeps and Land Rovers don't have TC
Can TC work if you have diff locks? Ether way diff locks will beat no diff lock
FuNot FuMe jeeps TC doesn't cut throttle like a normal car or truck. Jeeps apply brake pressure to the wheels which then also helps get the other tire in an open diff spinning and helps to get you unstuck.
I think he's talking about casual off-roaders or folks that didn't intend to go off road that might get stuck somewhere with street tires. Those aren't really gonna clear from wheel spin.
even with decent tires after your high centered spinning them don't help.
+1 Check for damage - I bought a POS Jeep Wagoneer once, owner thought the transmission was ruined since it only moved in 4WD & made loud clicking/banging noises. Turns out the *rear driveshaft was GONE, must have FELL OFF & they didn't even notice*. Banging was either the transfer case chain jumping (wouldn't hold oil) or the front diff falling apart. Only things still working on that was the brakes & engine covered in oil leaks & the transmission somehow
Listening to this guy is like trying to stay awake during a boring sermon.
You gotta nail it young fellow. When you nail it the tyres get the debris thrown out of the tread. A clean tyre will always get a better grip that a blocked up tyre. You often can keep forward momentum better to get to the next bit of grip. Only down side is you have to be able to maintain directional control.
That RAM suspension looks like a bunch of problems waiting to happen...
Haha the transmission does too
Happened to my ram... Tire fell off lol
+TheExplosiveStunts hahahaha
Yeah my jeep has maybe half the bushings and tie rods lol
+johnny hirt half the bushings and tie rods?? that's something to brag about? lol jeep owners are scrubs
Thank you for the book and the Rich Dummy ways of describing how to get unstuck!
in regards to the pavement. please explain the Subaru symmetrical awd
+Andy Brown I'm guessing you're British? I say that because I've noticed British media has this really bad tendency to mesh all of these terms into one when in fact they're mechanically very different. AWD is not the same thing as 4WD/4x4, regardless of brand or whether it is symmetrical or not.
But anyway, if you drive a manual, Subaru AWD uses a viscous coupling, which allows the rear wheels to spin at a different speed than the front wheels. On an automatic, the rear wheels are electronically separated from the front. On top of that, AWD cars don't tend to have locking differentials. All that being said, 4WD is better for off-roading, AWD is better for bad weather conditions and speed.
#american
+Peter Schmidt RWD is better for speed
RzVids First of all, irrelevant point. I was comparing AWD to 4WD. RWD has nothing to do with this.
But secondly, no, RWD is not better for speed. The _only_ reason RWD can out-pace an AWD car is the reduced weight and moving parts. Otherwise, RWD is physically limited by only 2 wheels having power. You might point out "yeah well there are Corvettes in top of the Nurberg Ring" but that's because they have gigantic tires that are incredibly sticky and are pretty much only good for a couple uses. AWD is more sustainable and doesn't depend on special tires for decent acceleration traction.
Watch any 0-60 tests with a RWD and an AWD car of similar weight and power, and you'll find the RWD is slower due to more wheel spin. Again, Corvettes with fresh sticky tires are the exception.
+Peter Schmidt
"If you remove an advantage that something naturally has it won't be as good"
Thanks Captain Obvious
Excellent video. I don't know how this is done in one take - no edits. It's a lot of information!
when to use traction control: NEVER
Adam Wood on Hummer H3 it helps a lot
Love your videos. My biggest weak point is the 4-Wheel Lo; I got a better understanding of 4-Wheel Lo after seeing this video.
Actually Jeep recommends to engage 4LO while you're still going 2-3 mph.
+francesseven It's possible up to 2-3 mph, as mentioned in the video...
+Engineering Explained I meant it's not only possible it's actually recommended by the manufacturer
+francesseven Ahh very cool, thanks for the info! Checked out the Wrangler manual: "Shifting into or out of 4L is possible with the
vehicle completely stopped; however, difficulty may occur
due to the mating teeth not being properly aligned.
Several attempts may be required for clutch teeth alignment
and shift completion to occur. The preferred
method is with the vehicle rolling at 2 to 3 mph (3 to
5 km/h). Avoid attempting to engage or disengage 4L
with the vehicle moving faster than 2 to 3 mph (3 to
5 km/h)."
+Engineering Explained You sir are a gentleman and a scholar. I can't believe you actually went and checked it :) Keep up the good work I love your videos by the way.
Just try and engage it at a complete stop LOL, most times it won't engage.
Best thing about my Subaru transfer case - HI-LO selector worked like a gear - could be switched while driving no problem.
awd and 4x4 are 2 different things
K
@@zeallust8542 I mean he's not wrong.
@@caironerf5986 he's not, but it's not really like, idk. Relevant atm?
I think that’s pretty good. I have a 99 Rav4. No traction control or ABS nearly bald tires and I have driven in the snow and on light muddy trails past people in new vehicles that are stuck. It’s all about knowing how to drive your car.
You should never run over bagels
Sounds to me like you shouldn't be buying one of these modern highly strung prone to breaking vehicles full of driver's aids, and buy an old vehicle without them and learn to drive...
Exactly. 1966 Chevy 4 wheel drive truck will do better than any new vehicle.
+Brian the Brain that's just false lmao
James Young I'm a thermodynamics engineers. For longevity, reliability, an durability, the older mechanically simpler designs are much better. The US DoD and most military branches still use carburetors on their large trucks and heavy haulers because they are more reliable than fuel injection.
*****
"1. Large trucks and heavy haulers use diesel engines which do not have carburetors. "
-The M35 series 2.5 ton trucks used Hercule's multi-fuel engines capable of using both diesel gasoline, or JP-8. Thats the ones I'm talking about. Try putting in bad or contaminated fuel in a fuel injection system. It will *immediately* fail.
"2. Fuel injection is orders of magnitude more reliable than a carburetor. A carb will need rebuilding a couple of times in 100,000 miles, a well engineered fuel injection system will go 500,000 miles without servicing of any kind. I've been fixing my own cars and bikes since the '70s. I've rebuilt quite a few carbs, I've never had to fix a fuel injection system."
-Depends on the carburetor system. A fuel vaporizing carburetor will never require maintenance. Ever. . . . . . . . Ever. Again, specifically that is the kind of carb I'm talking about. The M35 uses a fuel vaporizing carburetor when burning gasoline.
"Very few if any '60s chevys could have done that, and certainly not a chevy 4x4 that was getting beat on. I actually had a '73 chevy C15 4x4, I couldn't get away from that piece of crap fast enough. It did have a carb though."
-70's and up is when things started getting really bad.
I have a 1966 one ton dump truck over 1.5 million miles on it and its the most reliable, cheapest to maintain and repair truck I can think of. I also tweaked it to get 58 MPG on the highway via a fuel vaporizing system and a custom turbocharger.
Disappointed if you dont get 500k? Well then you're probably going to be very disappointed. Cars in the modern era are planned obsolescence. Nothing is designed to last longer than ten years. And if you need top fix something yourself, good luck finding reasonably priced parts and definitely good luck doing the job yourself. I can drive my 69 C10 to any transmission shop in the country and have it rebuilt from top to bottom for 800 bucks. Because its a manual transmission.
"It's already got 70,000 on it and still drives like new"
-And it will until the 200k mile mark or so. Then it will start falling apart faster than you could believe.
And since you dont know what a thermodynamic engineer is, I'll post of a link to a description.
study.com/articles/Thermodynamic_Engineer_Job_Description_and_Education_Requirements.html
I design and develop plasma based detonation turbines, waste management and waste to energy systems, and a bunch of other stuff for a living. I then market the IP to company's that pay me big royalty for using my technology. I know engines very well. Its all about converting heat to energy. Then again, you probably dont know what causes the pistons in an engine, or the blades in a turbines, to work, do you?
Hint: Its not pressure. Pressure is a side effect.
Are you proposing we should all drive old vehicles with horrible emissions? Why do you help with the latest and greatest of high efficiency turbines and clean waste management... I would expect an engineer such as yourself to have some respect for the work us other engineers integrate these days as much as I respect the work of engineers in other fields. I'm an electrical engineer myself and I have to say, I really hate working with engineers such as yourself. Good luck finding a woman that will put up with your stubborn ass.
@4:25
That's actually an EXCELLENT theoretical physics question with practical materials science implications--under any POSSIBLE circumstances DOES the kinetic coefficient of friction between two materials ever get HIGHER than the STATIC coefficient of friction? And if NOT, what is the underlying physical phenomena responsible--how does inertia and the laws of motion, conversation of energy/mass, momentum, together make up/explain the phenomena we experience.
Traction control? An invention turned regulation aimed at making it so people don't have to learn the driving skills that are truly needed.
I think that if people who never driven vehicles without traction control tried them would just crash in a few days...
Joseph.
Realize that 100 years ago everyone learned how to drive their first time in vehicles with non synchronized transmissions requiring double clutching techniques, AND they didn't have traction control or ABS. In fact, they had to manually adjust the timing as they drove.
welcome to the future!
+SufferingAddict I hope you're joking even if you're a pro driver something can happen and all of those safety features in cars are for your own good makes driving easier and smooth
Brian the Brain on a scale of 1-10 how good is your driving
I've never had a 4x4 but now own the ram rebel thanks for the info
2016 Tacoma TRD OffRoad = best stock setup
2017 TRD Pro?
It's good, but credit where credit is due, the JK Rubicon is the most capable off-the-shelf consumer off roader on the market in North America. I'm not even a fan of Jeep (would never buy one again), but the front and rear locking diffs, remote disconnectable front anti-sway bar, beefy armor (including rock sliders), fantastic gearing, aggressive LT-rated tires from the factory, integrated rated recovery points, and fantastic geometry make it a far better off road vehicle than any of the Tacomas. This is especially true when you consider the Tacoma's horrible departure angle and funky Atkinson Cycle engine.
For being a truck though, the Taco has pretty good departure angle.
+Mr. Tbag It's not horrible, but it certainly isn't great by 4WD standards. I would certainly add an armored bumper to take the hits. Even only XTerra I've managed to slam the tail pretty hard on some of the more difficult trails - and that with 5" of lift and 285/75/16 tires.
BlindIo42 Can't argue with that.
I definitely agree with inspecting your truck after offroading. My 2001 Dodge Durango's right front tie rod came off the ball right before I left the trail heading towards the highway. I got a bit abusive offroad and was bouncing off rocks trying to climb a steep grade while going full throttle from a running start and throughout the day I was flying through shale bottom ponds full throttle frame banging on bolders on tierods and balljoints that had been squeeking for over a year. Needless to say my oil and trans pan didn't appreciate that but hey no leaks and It still runs and I've replaced the everything on the front end.
+cjhawk67 Happy to hear it's all working properly again!
#1 DON'T go off the road...
Stick to the road like every Range Rover owner!
You are one of the reasons RUclips rocks!
Well thank you!! :)
Make a video on what to do in case of a brake failure. Awesome video!
+Sayuj Raphael One time I was in my Dad's Ford Bronco and the brakes blew out at the top of a hill, he used the E-Brake to get it all the way back home. If the E-Brake doesn't work, try rubbing against the guard rails and turning as much as possible, or find some dirt on the side of the road to go on for a while.
I've heard stalling it in gear could help or just put it into reverse, might destroy the transmission though.
+Sayuj Raphael
I wouldn't try putting it in reverse for any reason unless you're looking for the fastest way to take your transmission out of your car. My suggestion would to use a combination of downshifting and the hand break to come to a stop.
if you are driving a manual transmission car. just downshift and let the clutch out quickly. it will slow down the car.
+parish 9483 u can downShift on auto too
There is an exception to the 'not flooring it' point you made. In soft mud, it is beneficial to keep the wheels spinning at a high enough rpm to allow the tyre thread to self clean, the clean thread allows for further bite and clearing of soft slush under the tyres. When the soft stuff gets thrown out, the tyres can find bite in the harder stuff below and move you forward. This is why you would typically see mud trucks giving it heaps of throttle when attacking deep mud trails..
traction control and snow never did mix well. you have momentum, traction control kicks in and takes away your moment causing you to get stuck more often then not.
*momentum
+Eric Fortune its low geared means less rpm to gear ratio
+madmax2069 Especially if you are trying to climb an icy driveway. I had a rental Chevy Sonic that wouldn't let me turn off TCS. Had to park it on the side of the road by my house.
I take traction control off in the snow so I can drift lel
For deep snow, you are correct. For packed snow in town or on the highway, mixed snow and wet/dry pavement, or higher speeds then traction control can be a lifesaver.
love how you explain it in terms of physics.
What, traction control on snow? Where is the fun in that?
+Lansdrow lol
+Lansdrow I have agreed with that thought all my life, but when you have 2 kids sitting in the back, that perception changes...
Capt Mifune The only times I've slipped the road regularly was when I was fighting traction control.
I got so stuck falling off the road in a blizzard. . .
. . . What I decided to do was get off the freeway and lose control of the car on purpose where it was safe over and over and get myself out of it.
When I realized my Saab 900 SE drove the same in snow as 300 hp fwd cars that would spin on Gran Tourismo 4 on dry pavement with too much throttle, I finally gained control.
I solved every little slip with gentle steering wheel control and a little extra gas....just like the PlayStation 2. :)
THEN and only then was I safer with traction control. I was very good without it because I had a lot of snow driving experience with no help.
Lansdrow Oh I for sure understand you both fully. I have kids, but except rare winter days, I've moved away from the snow.
+Capt Mifune that's why I don't have kids
I've found that cutting your Traction Control when you're in slick conditions can help with momentum. Sometimes, all you can ask your tires to do is dig.
Right when you think your a "car guy" you watch this and realize your still a rookie
+Rick Edmondson I don't mean to offend, but the first 2 are common knowledge and shouldalready be known if you have 4wd(like I said no offense intended, but its part of knowing how to drive). The 3rd point he made is misinformation and I stopped watching after that
+footbalr074 I think he has never seen super swampers, boggers, ground hawgs, etc.
+footbalr074 What was "misinformation" about not flooring it when you're just burying yourself?
Wow,spoken like a true engineer.Don't use full throttle unless you need full throttle because the coefficient of friction,,,blah blah blah. I've been building and off roading trucks since before this guy was born.For some reason I could never find a traction control button on my 1976 F 250 4x4 hiboy with the mighty 390 and New Process 4 speed w/creeper 1st.
Dont hate on him. He is explaining for newer trucks and for newer generations of people.
These days people are reliant on all the traction control things and what nots...
traction control in snow? really? no thx
right
+Bzx man But you want to carry momentum in turns LOL
Well if you have a car with no locking diffs. Letting the ESP (Stability Control) apply the brakes to the wheel that spins can give you more traction
Igor K
Longitudal yes but for example audis Torsen AWD Like 4B C5 A6 has no locking diffs for the axles itself
exactly
Good explanation brother
point number 6 . If you're driving a vehicle with traction control take it back home and park it in the driveway for your wife girlfriend or mother . Then go get a real off road rig and learn how to drive it .
Thank you, this guy is a damn city boy
We'd sure have a lot fewer drivers on the road if that were the case, they couldn't put their damn phone down to drive a true offroad rig...yeah I mean the ones that have 3-4 shift levers.