Off-Road Recommended Formula

Best advice I can give you is turn all that electronic shit off except for lockers and When in doubt Throttle out.

 

Well yeah, there's that.

But I know I've been humbled a few times. We're out, walking our way through a trail, touching a slider, picking lines. Get to to the top and there's some old dude sitting there in his VW having lunch. There's no alternative, he had to come the same way as us.

 

Definitely been there. One time we were out on some fairly technical FS roads, loose, steep, rocky. Get to the top and there's a civic, albeit a completely shot up and burned down civic. But it's a civic nonetheless, it still made it there somehow, lol...

 

I mean, yeah, if you like having to replace CVs all the time, that's great advice.

 

I don't mind replacing one, I keep a spare and it only takes like 30 mins. I have only broke one cv in 8 years on my tacoma and it was popping before I went off road
I'm pretty sure if he's asking when he needs to use electronic aids he doesn't have a front locker

Yes all these work the same Snow driving, rain, sand, inclines, mud. If you feel like your going to get stuck give it more gas. Only execption would be if you start sliding sideways on inclines

Rocks are a little different, you usually have all the traction in the world but sometimes a little wheel spin is needed.
It's learn as you go. best way to know is get some experience

 

No front locker. '18 TRD OR 4x4. Came from my 06' F250 4x4.

 

There isn't a set formula per se because it varies so much by what conditions you are driving in as well as what vehicle you have.
Because I have a manual, I keep mine in 4 lo as soon as I get to actual trails and flip on ATRAC when I am climbing anything so I'm not destroying my clutch. If I had an automatic, I would probably keep it in 4 hi most of the time.
The best way to know what "formula" to use is to read and understand what each of these systems do and what their pros/cons are and then go out with some friends and practice. I am by no means an expert but I have gotten by just fine by learning what my truck has been designed to do as well as going around or avoiding anything that I am not comfortable doing. Blasting through a huge mud pit might be fun, but if you are by yourself and don't know what your tires/truck are capable of, it can make for a really bad day.

 

I've never had to replace a CV - maybe because I'm lucky, but I've definitely seen more people with the "when in doubt throttle out" mentality break more CVs than the guy who's more cautious.

There are definitely times where copious use of the skinny pedal is unavoidable, but it's not something I'd recommend as SOP for a beginner unless they don't mind breaking shit.

It's a little more nuanced than just giving it the beans. In the loose stuff, it's about keeping up your momentum. Keep on the gas as long as you're moving forward, but that doesn't mean bouncing it off the rev limiter. ONly use just enough gas to keep you moving. No more, no less. Once you stop though, more throttle will just dig you in deeper and doesn't help.

100% the only way to really learn is to get out there and drive.