]'Off roading is an incredibly fun motor sport which basically involves driving a vehicle over un-surfaced areas such as mud, sand, ice, gravel or even rocks. There are a number of different types of off roading and just as many vehicles that are specifically designed for this kind of activity. Due to its increase in popularity however there have been a number of myths flying around that simply aren't true. Here we aim to debunk these myths and finally get down to the truth.
Autos Are Not As Good As Manuals
This may have been true back in the good old days but it is no longer the case. Automatics are much easier to drive slowly and just as powerful as their manual counterparts making them perfect for off road activities. Most automatics now come with excellent disc brakes and great gear reduction ratios so they are perfect for hilly terrains and perform much better than manuals.
Filling Your Tyres With Nitrogen Is A Good idea
Nitrogen may be the air of choice for race car drivers but there are hardly any benefits to filling the tyres on an off road vehicle with the same gas. Not only is it more expensive but the speeds that an off road vehicle travels at are not high enough to see any notable differences.The theory that nitrogen tyres are less prone to punctures is also not true. The best thing you can do is to have your tyres serviced every couple of months and watch out for any cracks - there's no point in using nitrogen.
Diesels Are Slow
This is another myth that was true a few decades ago but now an off road vehicle that uses diesel is as fast as a vehicle that uses petrol. Furthermore most diesel cars come complete with a high number of gear ratios and they have a lot more torque - petrol may not be the best fuel of choice any more.
Braking Downhill Is The Worst Decision Ever
Okay so whilst it's not the worst decision ever if you do find that you are travelling too fast on a downhill slope there is no harm in braking so long as you do it gently. This myth is actually there to protect drivers but when done safely, and in the lowest gear there is no reason why you shouldn't brake whilst travelling downhill.
Traction Control Is No Good In Sand
The myth here is that traction control actually ends up slowing a vehicle down when it travels over sand but this is not true. You may think it sounds weird as the traction controls are actually linked up to the brake system but almost all of the new off road vehicles are quick to react and can do so before the momentum of the vehicle is lost. One thing you may want to make sure you do when driving through sand however is to lock the centre differential (if you have one) on sand - this can prevent the wheels from digging in which can cause your wheels to stick.
Autos Are Not As Good As Manuals
This may have been true back in the good old days but it is no longer the case. Automatics are much easier to drive slowly and just as powerful as their manual counterparts making them perfect for off road activities. Most automatics now come with excellent disc brakes and great gear reduction ratios so they are perfect for hilly terrains and perform much better than manuals.
Filling Your Tyres With Nitrogen Is A Good idea
Nitrogen may be the air of choice for race car drivers but there are hardly any benefits to filling the tyres on an off road vehicle with the same gas. Not only is it more expensive but the speeds that an off road vehicle travels at are not high enough to see any notable differences.The theory that nitrogen tyres are less prone to punctures is also not true. The best thing you can do is to have your tyres serviced every couple of months and watch out for any cracks - there's no point in using nitrogen.
Diesels Are Slow
This is another myth that was true a few decades ago but now an off road vehicle that uses diesel is as fast as a vehicle that uses petrol. Furthermore most diesel cars come complete with a high number of gear ratios and they have a lot more torque - petrol may not be the best fuel of choice any more.
Braking Downhill Is The Worst Decision Ever
Okay so whilst it's not the worst decision ever if you do find that you are travelling too fast on a downhill slope there is no harm in braking so long as you do it gently. This myth is actually there to protect drivers but when done safely, and in the lowest gear there is no reason why you shouldn't brake whilst travelling downhill.
Traction Control Is No Good In Sand
The myth here is that traction control actually ends up slowing a vehicle down when it travels over sand but this is not true. You may think it sounds weird as the traction controls are actually linked up to the brake system but almost all of the new off road vehicles are quick to react and can do so before the momentum of the vehicle is lost. One thing you may want to make sure you do when driving through sand however is to lock the centre differential (if you have one) on sand - this can prevent the wheels from digging in which can cause your wheels to stick.
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