Off-roading
As a mountain state, people in Colorado like to see themselves as rugged adventurers ready for the next outdoor thrill. One of the plethora of activities Coloradans enjoy is 4-wheeling, a colloquial term for off-roading. Colorado has many off-the-beaten path routes, so to speak, that you can drive any 4 by 4 vehicle across. But there are a few things that are important to understand before you embark on your quest across unpaved America, and if you don’t consider them, you might be finding yourself at a collision repair center before you know it.
1- Consider the type of car you will take. In reality, not all cars are created equally, and some cars are made exclusively to be driven on asphalt and occasionally unpaved roads. But if you were to take that tiny sedan across the desert, you’d be finding yourself stuck faster than you can say I need a tow truck. You need to be mindful of your car’s capabilities. If it lacks 4-wheel drive, then you can stop right there with your ambitions of taking your car out into the wilderness. 4-wheel drive is a must because it will give your car better traction control on all the uneven surfaces.
2- Make sure your car clears the ground. If your car isn’t a good amount above the ground relative to most cars, it probably won’t survive the trek. The high clearance protects its undercarriage from being damaged by all sorts of hazards that off-roading may present, like hard rocks, and sand. This is also why you generally need a truck to off-road, since their frames are typically relatively high.
3- Purchase off-road tires. Most tires you purchase for your car aren’t going to cut it for an off-roading adventure. The reason for this is most tires are built to support a car on asphalt, making it thickest on the tread and thinnest on the sidewall. The problem with that is when you are off-roading; a whole slew of objects can poke into the tire or compress it in ways it wasn’t designed to be compressed. Off-road tires are specially built to be very thick and sturdy to make off-roading more feasible. Just remember to take those off-roading tires off when you’re not using them; they make it very difficult to drive on normal roads.
4- Know the terrain. This could end up being the most vital component of off-roading. As much fun as exploring can be, being completely ignorant of the terrain can lead to many unforeseen obstacles to your adventure. You can easily go from a rocky area to a muddier one and before you know it; your car has driven head-first into quicksand. For this reason, many off-roading routes have been designated for that express purpose. You know that the off-roading conditions are relatively safe, and that the environment is controlled and monitored. If you really consider yourself an expert though, just make sure you survey the land via a hike or map before setting out in your car.
How To Use This Information
Off-roading can really get the blood pumping, but you really want to make sure you know what you’re doing. Fortunately, outside of buying the right car, there are measures you can take and modifications you can make that can make your car off-road ready. If you need to make some of the modifications to your car required for the trip, or just have general questions about how it might affect your car, then consider Accurate Auto Body today, one of the Denver area’s best collision repair centers. Contact us by calling us at 303-344-2212, or visit our website here.
Tell us about some of your off-roading experiences.
