The Official Publication of the Toyota Land Cruiser Association. Since 1976 and Still Going Strong.

March/April 2008

Movin’ On Up—
The Smart Way to Hill Climb

by Will Bobbitt
Lead Driver, East Coast
FJ Cruiser Trail Team

Going up hills is an essential part of off-road driving. As we all know, hills can have many different surfaces, from high traction rock to slick mud. While fun and exciting, ascents can prove to be dangerous even when the upmost care is taken, so be sure to stay safe and pay attention to your surroundings.

Before You Start Your Ascent
Safety is the top priority in off-roading, and there are a few things you need to do before you get started. Go over your vehicle and make sure that all loose items are secured and that your battery is not going anywhere. Nobody wants to have a spare tire bouncing around inside, or a battery playing pinball underneath the hood. Check to see that all fluids are at their proper levels, and that all brakes (including the parking brake) are in good working condition. Having the ability to stop and secure your vehicle on an incline is huge! If you are with a group, make sure you have an established form of communication between all of the vehicles. While there are many other things that should be checked before any off-roading trip, these are the key points for driving up a hill.

After you have prepared your vehicle, it is time to do a little walking. If you are going up a hill, be sure to know what is on top and on the other side. Look for a potential drop off at the top, or any place that you could become high centered once the top is reached. On your walk, try to identify anything that might prove to be an obstacle. The big things to look out for are people, animals, trees, stumps, rocks, holes, ditches and ruts, just to name a few. Only move those things that are easily moved and replaced. If moving an object or driving up the hill could cause potential damage to the land, find a better non-damaging route. Also be sure to check out the fall line of the hill and make sure your route is going to be following it. You do not want your vehicle to become off-camber during the climb, as this could lead to a nasty rollover.

Once you are finished with surveying the route, it is time to hop into your vehicle. Before you start moving, put your seatbelt on and make sure all passengers have theirs on too. If you are following behind another vehicle, wait for their go-ahead to start driving. You want to have plenty of space between vehicles, so that each one can react as needed without endangering others.

Getting the Gearing
At this point, all the pre-checks should be complete and if following others, you have the go-ahead to start the ascent. Selecting the proper gear is a key factor in successfully completing the ascent. This should go without saying, but your transfer case needs to be in low-range at this point if it is not already.

Out on the trails, I often see drivers attempting to go up hills in first gear in both manual and automatic transmission vehicles. Unless it is a short, slow ascent, I would recommend using a higher gear, such as second or third. This is mainly done to have a lower RPM level, thus reducing the amount of torque that the engine is producing. Too much torque being transmitted from the engine to the tires can cause the tires to break traction with the surface you are driving on. Thus, you are much better off running in second or third gear with lower RPM’s than first gear with higher RPM’s. Before starting the hill climb, you should already be moving in your selected gear. Never shift gears in a manual transmission while going up a hill, as you will lose a considerable amount of momentum and could potentially start rolling backwards before the gear change is complete.

Going Up
On the way up the hill, the weight of the vehicle will transfer more towards the rear, and it will be much easier for the front tires to break traction. Maintain a steady throttle, and any increased throttle should be done gradually, as hard stabs on the gas pedal will cause your tires to lose traction. As you are moving, if you feel yourself losing traction rapidly, turn the steering wheel quarter turns from side to side. This will hopefully let the tire’s side lugs grab onto the terrain and regain traction, keeping you moving forward. If you are in a vehicle with a traction control system (such as the FJ Cruiser, with an A-Trac system), you will hear it working to slow down the spinning wheel(s) and transmit power to those wheel(s) with grip. With or without a traction control system, once the vehicle stops moving forward for a few seconds, you should release the throttle to stop the tires from spinning. Sitting still and spinning your tires will only chew up the ground and make it harder for you and others to make the ascent in the future.

Securing Your Vehicle on an Incline
Once you have released the gas pedal, you need to secure the vehicle’s position on the incline. With an automatic transmission, this is done by pressing firmly on the brake pedal, engaging the parking brake and keeping the vehicle in a forward gear. For a manual transmission, you should press firmly on the brake pedal and let the engine stall out and then engage the parking brake. I know it is instinct for most manual transmission drivers to depress the clutch pedal before pushing the brake pedal, but doing this could be very dangerous, as the vehicle could start rolling backwards and gain speed before you are able to apply the brake. At this point with either transmission, you will have three things helping you to hold the vehicle in place: the foot brake, the parking brake, and the engine.

Backing Down
Never try to turn your vehicle around on a steep incline! This puts the vehicle in a potentially dangerous off-camber position that could result in a rollover. Always back down the hill to get the vehicle off of the incline.

If you have another vehicle behind you, let them know that you are about to back down and try to let any others around know what you are about to do. Check all of your mirrors and look at your surroundings—and make sure your path down is clear.

If you have a manual transmission, with the brake pedal still depressed, select your reverse gear. Do not depress the clutch pedal unless your transmission will not allow you to change gears without doing so. With the wheels pointing straight, place your left hand on the top center of the steering wheel and slowly release the parking brake. Having your left hand in this position allows you to know what direction the wheels are pointed at all times. Do another look around and let others know that you are about to start moving. With both feet flat on the floor crank the vehicle in reverse gear to start moving backwards. If needed, press the clutch start cancel button to get the vehicle to crank in gear. Try to use your mirrors to back down, but if you cannot, look behind you and place your right hand on the back of the passenger side seat, securing your position. Do not press the clutch pedal at any point during the descent! If you need to stop, just press the brake pedal and let the vehicle stall out again.

With an automatic transmission, keep your foot on the brake pedal and select reverse. With the wheels pointing straight, place your left hand on the top center of the steering wheel and slowly release the parking brake. Again, having your hand in that position allows you to know what direction the wheels are pointed at all times. Do another look around and let others know you are about to start moving. Try to use your mirrors to back down, but if you cannot, look behind you and place your right hand on the back of the passenger side seat, securing your position. Slowly release the brake pedal and start moving backwards. On the way down, you may need to slow yourself down a bit. Do not continuously push on the brake pedal, but instead give it short smooth pushes to help slow the vehicle. This helps to prevent the wheels from locking up, and gives you the ability to easily steer. As before, the front of the vehicle still has little weight on it, and on loose surfaces it may start to fish-tail on you. If you do feel your front end start to slide around, do not hit the brakes. Instead, turn the steering wheel in the direction the front is sliding and give a short blip on the gas pedal. This will help correct the slide and should get you going back in the right direction.

Summing It Up
Hill climbs are great challenges and a lot of fun, but be respectful of others and the land that you are on. If you think you are going to cause damage to the land, do not attempt the climb. As a general rule, after three unsuccessful attempts, give it up and find a better route. I hope this helps to answer some questions and I look forward to seeing everybody out on the trails this year!