Bump it!!
As a new off-roader, you'll likely hear the phrase 'bump it' or 'give it a bump.' Understanding this advice is crucial when dealing with small obstacles where traction is an issue, and you can't quite get your tire(s) up and over.
You'll hear this when someone, maybe you, is having an issue with a usually small obstacle where traction is lacking and holding them back. A typical example is a wet, snowy, muddy, or simply slick rock or rocks you need to climb over, but you just keep spinning your tires against. (This is a common occurrence on the rock-strewn trails in my area.)
In this case, a trail buddy may offer advice, telling you to "bump it." Whether they say so or not, they mean to back up a little (think a foot or so (sometimes a little more, sometimes a bit less) and use some momentum to help you climb the obstacle.
This page is directed more to the "daily driver/lightly modified" type of 4x4 off-roader. This means we probably shouldn't floor it or see how hard we can slam into an obstacle. Remember, you probably need to drive it home after the trail ride.
Don't get me wrong, doing that in a stock-ish Jeep, Bronco, or Tacoma (...etc.) will likely offer the new off-roader another learning opportunity, but about trail recoveries and towing options. Learning opportunity or not, I don't recommend it. That might be a costly mistake you don't want to make. Also, don't confuse what someone in a highly modified 4x4, custom rock bouncer, or tube buggy, yelling "JUST SEND IT!!" might do as something you should emulate. Well, until you are driving one of those too.
The simple idea here is, should a small obstacle impede your progress in this way, back up a little, giving you room to build a little momentum gently, and then bump your tire over said obstacle. While we are not flooring it, we do, more often than not, want to stay lightly on the go-pedal until the tire(s) are fully on top of or past the top of the offending obstacle. This technique is about finesse, not raw power. Start slow and maybe a little faster the next time. If you think you need to go really fast and "send it" to get over it, you should probably consider other, less damaging options (i.e., stacking rocks, winching, traction aids, etc.) instead.
Common mistakes I see new off-roaders make when trying this little trick are: 1. Letting off the gas or even hitting the brakes as soon as the tire(s) contact the obstacle. 2. Moving up to the obstacle too slowly to create the required momentum, then slamming the throttle as soon as contact is made. 3. Building up too much speed and slamming into and over the obstacle. Remember...this is about finesse. Yes, all your so-so friends with a YouTube channel will want you to "send it," but you may find the trade-off of driving your rig home for getting lots of video views might not work out so well in the long run. While backing up and giving it a little faster try is OK and a good thing, try to keep it reasonable. Simply put, excessive speed or wheel spin is seldom going to be the right answer to this kind of obstacle for a daily-driver-type 4x4, and it dramatically increases your chance of breaking things. Of course, there will be places where a little tire spin is a good thing, this is just not likely to be one of them.
Now you know that "bump it" translates to "use a little momentum and a lot of finesse" to get going again. A lot of off-roading is about finesse if you don't want to break things.
Don't let the "just send it" crowd convince you to make their next YouTube video the most popular one they ever had. There is a time for everything, even hitting the gas, but unless you are driving a rock-bouncer, slow and easy wins the day more often than not.
Wheel Safe!!
© 2024 Richard Hiltz