It’s that season for McHenry adventurers to go offroad

Are you and your vehicle prepared for the challenge?

Warmer weather is settling over the McHenry area while the soil is retaining enough moisture to promise ample splattered evidence that brings a sparkle to the eye of the dyed-in-the-wool offroader who considers dirt on the fenders a badge of honor. Yes, it’s time to hit the road, and then leave the road, with your off-road monster of choice.

Of course, this is not the territory for the bashful or the unattended amateur. You need to know what you’re doing. You need to understand ground clearance. You need to think before you leap into that approaching ‘puddle.’ You also want to make sure that your Jeep, Land Rover, Ram, 4Runner or, uhm, Prius, is ready for the occasion.

In the case of the Prius, the best way to prepare for offroading is to stay on the road. But those other mountain masters are made for the ‘dusty trails.’ It’s in their DNA. Still, maintenance and thorough inspections are critical before you head out.

Knowing your vehicle’s limitations is important. With that in mind, would you head offroad with your Wrangler and not a clue if everything is in condition to handle the off-road challenge you’re throwing its way? Of course not.

Maintenance is critical. You need to get your off-roader up on hoist. You need to check out the shocks and struts, the u-joints, tie-rods, ball joints, steering arms and knuckles, axle bearings, leaf springs, bushings, brake lines, etcetera, etcetera. You need to check the tires, the lights, the transmission and change the engine oil.

You want to make sure the cooling system and coolant are up to par and all the fluids are topped off. You want to be off-road ready. And you want to know it.

This doesn’t mean that something won’t break; going offroad can cause brand-spanking new parts to snap under pressure. But going offroad with confidence that your vehicle is in the best possible condition is the best place to start. After all, if there’s a weak link in your Road Ranger, off-road trails will find it.

Once you’ve got your ride prepared for the adventure, there are, of course, some other measures you want to take to ensure that you come home from the ride safely. These include bringing:

A map and a reliable GPS
Drinking water and some energy snacks
A jacket so you’re prepared if the temperature drops
Basic tools
Reliable communications, possibly including a CB or Ham radio

Before you head out from your McHenry home, let someone know where you’re going and follow smart off-roader procedures. And have fun.

Comments

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

You still have time to have it checked Well, there’s no denying it – winter tends to get chilly here in Richmond. We have to deal with snow and ice on the roads, scraping the same off our windows and windshield, and staying warm while we drive. Of course, you had your antifreeze checked before winter rolled into town. What?! You didn’t have your antifreeze checked before winter clamped down on Richmond? So, how’s your antifreeze doing? If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing, is there? This car has overheated in the middle of a Richmond winter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the antifreeze can also freeze if it's not up to its job. Hopefully, you haven’t had a serious problem with your antifreeze already. If you did, you’d probably know. When antifreeze fails, it’s a potentially catastrophic condition for your vehicle’s engine. You could have hoses that have burst because of freezing antifreeze. Worse than that, your engine block may have crac...

Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry . Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right? Don’t count on it. Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs . They’re often more like boulders. Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic. In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too. You need...

Get out to McHenry Music Festival for a good time and music near to home

Some folks here in McHenry will load up the car and head out to Red Rock Amphitheater near Denver to see a show. Some will go to the MSG Sphere near Las Vegas. Some will go to the Bonaroo Festival Concert to see a show. That’s quite a bit of driving and you’d better make sure your vehicle is up to the trip. What happens, however, if something goes wrong – if your vehicle breaks down while driving there or back? What happens if the show is canceled, as happened this year with the Bonaroo Festival? We’re talking about some serious inconvenience, aren’t we? Wherever you go, whether your driving to Colorado, Nevada, Tennessee or anywhere else in this continent, you want to perform your due diligence and make sure the vehicle is up for the trip before you go. And it doesn’t really matter if you’re driving somewhere to see some live music or for any other purpose. A breakdown can be costly and may put you at the mercy of weather conditions or nefarious characters that come across you while y...

Performance Unlimited Blog

Search This Blog