Tackling the trails

They are the anomalies of the backcountry:

An over-the-hill family sedan with thin tires and a low-hanging tailpipe reaches the far end of the gnarly four-wheel-drive road in southern Colorado's Hall Valley, a route littered with boulders and overhung by pine trees. Or a compact car that somehow navigates the legendary Black Bear Trail in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, a route described even by off-road veterans as "terrifying."

It's difficult for drivers to resist that unpaved road that snakes off from the pavement, promising unseen adventure and thrills. But how do drivers know if their vehicles are ready for such an adventure?

Chuck Wells of Monument, Colo., a longtime four-wheeler and author of Funtreks, a popular four-wheeling trail guide series, has encountered many clueless drivers. He recalls a particular meeting on Black Bear, which boasts some of the tightest switchbacks in Colorado. "When a Jeep has to make a turn, the front is hanging over a 1,000-foot cliff," he says. "We were up there one day, patting ourselves on the back, when we turned around to see a Honda Civic slowly making its way up."

No one advocates bushwhacking in a Civic, in that it's just not made for steep and rocky terrain. Wells is quick to point out that taking inappropriate vehicles, even those equipped with four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive systems, on roads or trails designated for four-wheeling is never a good idea and can have tragic consequences.

The rise of the sport-utility vehicle as family transportation means that many drivers use the same vehicles for trips to the grocery store and to the forests of the Rocky Mountains, the slick rocks of Moab and other four-wheel-drive meccas.

Wells, who drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Wrangler, has grown accustomed to seeing a wider variety of vehicles on the trails in the Southwest. Hummer H3s, Toyota FJ Cruisers, Volkswagen Touaregs and even pricey luxury Land Rovers are now joining the classic Ford Broncos and tricked-out Jeep Wranglers on gnarly trails.

With industry-wide sales slumping, drivers are holding onto their four-wheel-drive vehicles for longer periods of ownership these days, but they haven't held off on purchasing specialty off-road equipment. The number of new products entered into the Best New Off-Road/4-Wheel Drive Product category at the Specialty Equipment Market Association showcase grew 72 percent from 2005 to 2007.

In 2007, respondents to a SEMA survey said they spent an average of $4,257 in the previous 12 months on custom parts for their vehicles, with the most popular improvements being bigger wheels and performance intakes or exhausts.

For SUV owners who aren't sure whether their vehicles are suitable for four-wheel-drive roads, Wells offers these guidelines:

� Vehicles that can handle off-road terrain have a substantial ground clearance and plenty of wheel articulation (how far the wheels can travel and stay in contact with uneven terrain), he says. The 2009 Jeep Wrangler has nearly nine inches of clearance, the '09 Taurus sedan only five inches.

� Gearing "still separates the men from the boys," Wells says. If a vehicle has what's called "low range" four-wheel drive gearing (which most all-wheel-drive cars and crossovers don't have), it can move very slowly through uneven or rough terrain.

� Larger tires offer better rough-road handling. "Your owner's manual will tell you how big a tire you can put on your vehicle," he says. "Typically, you can use a slightly larger tire, maybe only a half-inch or an inch larger, without adding a lift kit."

� Planning is important. Experts advise consulting a vehicle's owner's manual to determine how its four-wheel-drive system and related features work and to try everything at home before heading off of the highway. For example, motorists should know when and how to use a vehicle's low-range gearing properly.

� Consult a good trail guide before heading off road. Most guides rate trails as being easy, moderate or difficult. Easy trails or roads consist of gravel, dirt, clay, sand or rock with gentle grades. Some may be suitable for two-wheel-drive vehicles. Moderate routes are those with rutted dirt or rock that may require careful tire placement. Four-wheel-drive, low-range gearing and high ground clearance are often necessary here. Most difficult routes require equipment modifications - lifts, locking differentials, aggressive articulation and/or winches to successfully traverse. Skid plates (which protect under-body components) and tow hooks are important.

Wells likes to tell of his first off-road adventure. His brand-new Jeep Grand Cherokee slid into a big drainage ditch. "Right then, I knew there was more to this than what you see on TV."