Finesse 

Think finesse when driving off road.  The best off road vehicle is an over-weight underpowered vehicle.   You are limited by how much traction is available in relation to torque, not by horsepower.  I negotiated the Rubicon Trail in a 1966 Toyota Land Cruiser with a straight six-cylinder engine with no shortage of power.

Mechanical Sympathy

Mechanical Sympathy means you should treat your equipment with respect and it will serve you well.  This also means you need to finesse your way over obstacles instead of trying to muscle your way through.  If you are hung up on something, STOP.  Get out and find out what is causing the problem.  Continuing to try to power through the situation will only lead to breakage.

Do Not Steer Stopped 

Do not steer when you are not moving.  Power steering is a wonderful invention, but it can also break things.  You may not know your front wheels are pushing against something and unable to move.  Steering while stopped, especially in rocks, can break parts.

 Front End Swing / Rear Wheel Cheat

When backing up, turning the wheel will cause the front end to swing out to one side.  If you were in a parking lot parked between two other vehicles, what would happen if you immediately turned the wheel when backing out?  You would collide with the vehicle next to you.  This is called “front end swing.” 

When driving forward, the rear wheels track inside the front wheels.  Have you ever seen someone drive into their driveway where the front wheels go up the ramp, but the rear wheel drives over the curb?  This is rear wheel cheat.  In off road situations, be careful not to steer around an obstacle with the front wheels only to scrape the rear sidewalls or quarter panel.

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