How to drive a 4WD on sealed and unsealed roads

Cars today handle and perform much better than they ever have. Even some relatively bland suburb-munching hatchbacks can feel like Formula 1 cars compared to similar cars of 20 years ago.

No matter how much 4WD technology might have also improved over the decades, no standard run-of-the-mill 4x4 wagon or ute will match a well-sorted hatch in handling – or performance, in many cases.

When driving a 4WD, you need to think about dynamics and performance in a different light compared with passenger cars. Four-wheel drives are taller, heavier, slower.

You might think that some of the pointers we give below apply to any vehicle you drive. Maybe so. But they become even more relevant when driving a 4WD.

The type of 4WD we’re talking about here is not an SUV, but rather the traditional 4x4 with dual-range, typically built on a separate chassis, usually with at least one live axle and plenty of ground clearance.

Despite some high-tech safety electronics fitted into such 4WDs these days, the fact is that these big, bluff and heavy utes and wagons simply do not have the same traction and speed that cars have.

The beauty of such 4WDs is, of course, that unlike your humble hatchback they are so versatile that you can drive them almost anywhere.

Drive to the local shops and then on to Cape York. Try that in your hatchback…

There are always exceptions to any rule, and so of course there are some highly-tuned 4WD wagons (and a couple of utes) that are so good on the road that they can easily out-corner and out-perform many passenger cars.

Such 4WDs are a testament to clever suspension engineers and the wonders of sticky, low-profile tyres. But when 2.5 tonnes or so of tall 4WD loses traction, it happens in a blink of an eye and it’ll be hard to avoid a big lose, no matter how good a driver you are.

These sports 4WDs are fun, but even with the safety net of stability control, you can’t become over-confident in them.

The dynamics of any four-wheel drive can take some getting used to. Those who’ve jumped behind the wheel of a medium or large 4WD for the first time say how imposing they feel to drive – they can seem very wide and very tall.

The truth is most 4WDs are not much, if any, wider than many cars, but as you are sitting much higher in a 4WD they can seem wider. Parked cars don’t seem to be next to you as you drive along as they do in a car, but ‘down there’ somewhere.

This raises a problem that many 4x4s have (and, increasingly, many cars): blind spots. You need to be more conscious of what is in the immediate vicinity in a 4WD, as you won’t be able to see it. The 360-degree cameras in newer 4WDs can be very helpful.

The other thing that becomes apparent is how heavy a 4WD feels. That’s because these vehicles tend to carry a lot more weight than a car.

As a result, they often lack performance and grip that you might expect.

Driving a 4WD on sealed and unsealed roads – Quick reference do’s and don’ts

Some of these limitations can be a positive when driving a 4WD. Because cars now generally tend to provide such high levels of traction, driving a 4x4 wagon or ute with lower adhesion limits doesn’t give you the false confidence driving a car can.

Quite simply, if you lose traction, you’re going to do it sooner and slower in a 4WD so should have more time to correct the problem.

That doesn’t mean you can afford to be complacent and too trusting of your 4WD’s (or your own) ability to avoid a crash.

It is very easy to become an unwilling participant in a big off when driving a 4WD.

This is especially the case with a 4WD that’s been modified for off-road touring. All-Terrain (A/T) or Mud-Terrain (M/T) tyres will not grip the road as well as Highway Terrain (H/T) tyres, especially in the wet.

The suspension lift on such a 4WD is great for better clearance when off-roading, but it also increases the vehicle’s centre of gravity, and is likely to increase body roll when cornering – not a great recipe if you want to avoid a rollover.

You will compound the issue if loading up roof racks (or fitting a roof-top tent), which will raise the centre of gravity. Add a lot of gear onto the top of your 4WD and you’ll even feel the difference when driving around suburban corners.

It goes without saying that before going anywhere in a 4x4, you should always do the basic safety and mechanical checks.

Regular tyre pressure checks (see the tyre placard on the vehicle for manufacturer’s recommendations) and under-bonnet fluid levels checks are vital here just as with any vehicle.

Even though autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is becoming commonplace in 4WDs, you can’t necessarily rely on it. It doesn’t take much to end up in a rear-end shunt, especially in a modified 4WD that has less tyre grip and more weight on board than standard.

In city traffic, try to allow more braking distance than you would in a car, anticipating when the traffic stops. While a 4WD’s high seating position helps you to see over most of the traffic, it won’t do any favours for the driver in a car behind you.

Try to remember that drivers behind you won’t have such a view – thanks to you – so do not brake sharply. Also see if you can track slightly to the left to allow the car behind to see past you.

In faster traffic, to minimise the chance of running up the back of another vehicle, allow a three-second gap behind the car travelling in front of you. The easiest way to do this is note as the car in front passes a landmark and aim to pass the landmark three seconds after. In the wet, increase that gap.

The same applies for accelerating for gaps in the traffic: some 4WDs do not have the pick-up of a car or even SUV, especially when loaded up for touring.

In wet conditions, even though 4x4 vehicles with a permanent 4WD system can accelerate more quickly than some 2WD cars, all except high-performance models simply do not have the same level of tyre grip of cars for cornering or braking.

When you are on the highway or freeway, make sure you keep checking mirrors and keep to no less than a three-second gap.

Anticipate overtaking moves, as your 4WD is more likely than a car to be fighting its kerb weight, 4WD powertrain and bluff aerodynamics to accelerate, especially when laden with gear for a bush trip.

A tall, boxy 4WD wagon with laden roof racks, a lift kit and a bit of wear in the recirculating-ball steering can be handful to drive on a windy day. Be aware of crosswinds and how they affect a 4WD’s steering; if it starts to feel unstable, slow down.

When the freeway turns to secondary roads, the same rules apply; only some extra precautions are needed.

Don’t expect the cornering grip achievable by cars, and while constant 4x4 is a safety benefit in the wet, both constant and part-time 4x4s require prudent use of throttle in tight, wet corners.

If you wander off the road into gravel, try not to correct steering suddenly; just a gentle steering correction and slight reduction of throttle should be enough to get you back on track.

While it’s debatable whether cruise control should be activated for any vehicle on a curving, two-lane country road, it should be avoided at all costs with a laden 4WD.

You’ll simply have more chance of losing grip in corners if entry speed is a bit too fast, and a rollover can also be on the cards if you’re slow to react.

If you haven’t done much gravel road driving, they can seem daunting at first: your vehicle will feel like it is slipping much more than you’re used to on tarmac, but with practice gravel roads can be fun to drive on.

Pay attention to any surface changes – in particular, potholes, gravel berms and corrugations. You may have to slow down for potholes, so you can safely swerve to miss the worst of them and not damage your vehicle.

Corrugations are tricky. To avoid shaking your vehicle to bits on bad, unavoidable corrugations, you’ll have to find a speed ‘sweet spot’. Driving too slowly on corrugations can be just as bad as driving too fast.

Always remember that blind corners on a narrow dirt road can have another vehicle barrelling the other way. Be prepared for it by matching your speed to the corner, calculating how much width you have for evasive action and being aware of soft gravel berms and how driving on them (if they can’t be avoided given the oncoming vehicle) may affect your steering and cornering ability.

If in doubt, simply wash off more speed. After all, it’s not a race to see who can crash first.

Dirt roads do not usually have anything like the engineering input that’s applied to even a country tarmac back road, so there can be all sorts of cambers, holes and bumps and drops to make it more challenging than you might want.

A 4x4 wagon with well-tuned suspension will soak up bumps much better than a car but don’t assume you can just point it at anything and it will cope. You can end up doing a lot of damage to a 4WD’s steering, suspension and wheels going too fast at a big bump or pothole.

Sometimes it can be hard to get a ‘read’ of dirt roads, because it’s too dusty or too bright to see. There’s no shame in slowing down.

In fact, in most cases, you should not need to go more than 80km/h even in ideal conditions – it gives you a better chance of not doing damage because of a sudden, unseen surface change. It’s also helpful if you need to avoid a roo or stock on the road or if you get a tyre blow-out.

Armed with these basics and a cautious approach, you’ll soon find that driving a 4WD – anywhere from town traffic to touring dirt roads – can be safe and enjoyable.