Newbie 4x4 Driving Question

[zukracer]

First let me say that this is the first 4x4 I have owned...so I really do not have any prior experience to judge from.

I have a Z71, 4.10 gears, stock tires, no lift

I have been in two different places now, both fairly flat but also muddy (1-3" deep stuff). I have noticed that even after I have switched to 4Hi or 4Lo the back end of my truck slides to the right....kinda like I used to do with my camaro, only no tire smoke Ultimately I have made it out of the spots, but I was surprised at how much the back end moved to the right.

Is this normal behavior for these trucks? Do I need to have the dealer take a look at it? Or is this a ESO issue? (equipment smarter than operator )

 

[steelheadchaser]

Was the road sloped from right to left in both instances? Positraction and locker type rear ends have a tendency to walk downhill.

 

[Chasman]

Do you have a tendancy to turn the wheel slightly to the left when you're in the mud? I notice I do that, particularly on ice, and that will send the rear end to the right even in 4 wheel. If I hold it straight the AV stays straight.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Two forces called action and reaction are the subject of Newton's third law of motion. Formally stated, Newton's third law is:

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

The statement means that in every interaction, there is a pair of forces acting on the two interacting objects. The size of the forces on the first object equals the size of the force on the second object. The direction of the force on the first object is opposite to the direction of the force on the second object. Forces always come in pairs - equal and opposite action-reaction force pairs.

What this means is if your vehicle is losing traction then the power to the tires will go somewhere. When your tires lose traction then the tires will spin but lighten the rear of the vehicle so that any input, whether from your turning the steering wheel or the vehicle being on a slope of any kind, will cause your vehicle to move (that's the "reaction" part of the equation).

 

[Crexis]

It's all been stated pretty well by others here, but (since I've also done the "walk" in a Camaro ) I'll toss in my $.02.

Even on a G80 (auto-locking) rear axle, the two back tires must be more than 100 rpm apart (see Eaton's web site) before the locker engages fully. What this means is that which ever back tire has the least weight on it (due to slope, cargo, angle of the front wheels, etc) and/or the least traction (deeper mud, more water, etc) will start to spin first. Even though the locker kicks in and spins both tires eventually, that initial spin is enough to start the sideways walk.

It's my opinion that there's nothing mechanically wrong with your truck... just make sure there are no big rocks nearby and have fun with it!!

 

[zukracer]

Thanks for all the quick replies and information Good to hear that this is accepted behavior from the truck.

I am heading down to the outter banks this weekend for some beach driving There are several miles of wide open beach that 4x4's are allow to drive on at the northern end (Carova Beach).

Aside from stay outta the surf, any tips/tricks for sandy travel?

 

[Chief]

Thanks for all the quick replies and information ? ?Good to hear that this is accepted behavior from the truck. ?

I am heading down to the outter banks this weekend for some beach driving ? ?There are several miles of wide open beach that 4x4's are allow to drive on at the northern end (Carova Beach).

Aside from stay outta the surf, any tips/tricks for sandy travel?

Oh ya! First off - bring an air compressor with you. Out on the sand you need to air down your tires. 18 to 22 psi will really help in the traction department.

Make sure you bring a shovel and some cribbing. If you get two 2 X 4 planks at 52" (please measure to confirm) you can use them to load a second cargo tier in your Avalanche, or stick them under a stuck tire. Hopefully you won't have to use the shovel.

You should bring a recovery strap with you in case you need to get pulled. Oh ya, the most important advice, DON'T GO OUT ALONE!

Finally the best place to drive is above the surf line where the sand is packed down. Stay out of sugar sand or soft sand. Driving in sand is a lot like driving in snow. Momentum is critical so don't come to a dead stop in soft stuff. However there is one critical difference between snow and sand. With snow if you start to dig down eventually you'll hit earth. In sand if you start to dig down you'll get stuck. So if you do come to a stand still and the wheels spin - STOP! 4-Lo in reverse is good for getting out of trouble spots. If you're cruising in soft sand 30 to 40 MPH will generally keep you on the surface.

One final thing - if you see water along the shoreline (say water flowing down into the ocean) cross it with CAUTION. There are plenty of pictures on the web of 4X4 owners who went to charge across what they though was a shallow puddle of fresh or sea water only to find out that it's a ten foot deep hole. When in doubt scout it out.

The last thing to keep in mind is immediately after you get off the beach find a "do it yourself" car wash and hose down your Avalanche. Pay close attention to the wheel wells, the under carriage as best as you can and your exhaust components. You should get a good car wash with an under carriage spray as soon as possible, no longer than 24 hours.

Have FUN!

 

[zukracer]

thanks for the advice Chief!

Just got back from the beach....ohhh it was fun

I have some video, will try to get it encoded in the next few days. I have to say, there were a couple of times that we got into some pretty deep stuff...and we did some puddle jumping...well ok, small river crossings on the back roads but we made it out ok. LOTS of people driving on that section of the beach. Its the northern most end of the NC Outter Banks. Free access, fairly wide beach at low tide, lotsa fun

We made the tour of the various light houses, dropped down on the beach in a few other spots and had a blast. Its the seriously dead season down there now, so most places were closed but that also meant very little traffic/crowds.

If anyone wants to make a trip down there sometime, please let me know.