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Off-Road Driving

Tips from a veteran Baja racer

Going off-road in a four-wheel-drive vehicle can be a wonderful adventure, a relatively easy way to experience remote destinations and spectacular scenery. Nobody would ever confuse it, though, with the simplicity of heading to your local convenience store. Driving off the pavement demands some careful preparation and unique driving skills. If you get stranded out there, calling for a tow truck makes about as much sense as trying to order a pizza for delivery.

To get an idea of just how demanding the off-road environment can be, along with some tips on how to handle the challenges you may encounter, we spent some time with off-road racer Ari Kreiss. In '97 and '98, he won class A championships in some of the toughest terrain in the world: Baja Sur, Mexico. He's also placed third in class in the Baja 1000, a 26-hour run from Ensenada to La Paz. So you can imagine he's learned a few tricks about how to keep your vehicle running in harsh environments, something that just might help you get your own vehicle back home.

"I started out in off-road racing like a lot of people," Ari related. "I saw races in town (he now lives in Cabo San Lucas, where he owns a boatyard), and decided to buy a Ford pickup and fix it up for going off-road."

Today, he drives a race-prepped 1996 Ford Bronco 4x4 with reinforced frame rails and a chromoly roll cage by Enduro Racing. The suspension has 18 inches of travel in the front, and 22 inches in the rear, and features dual coil-over shocks at all four corners. Under the hood is a 351W block, punched out to 400 cubes and producing 650 horses—not exactly your typical hay-hauler.

Essentials

Ari's first recommendation for would-be off-road runners? "Never underestimate the roughness of the desert," he advises. "There's no short, safe trip in the desert. Be prepared for anything: breakage, collisions, whatever. Bring spares and tools, along with water for both you and your vehicle. You'll need at least a gallon for two people on a day trip, and two gallons for the truck."

Ari also stashes at least four quarts of engine oil and transmission fluid each, enough to get home should a leak develop. He's found one item in particular that's essential to have in his toolbox: "A hose clamp is probably one of the greatest things for out there—you need metal to hold things together. A lot of little stuff, body parts and all, tend to fall off, and you need to a way to put them back on." For example, one time a steering tie rod snapped in two. After patching it back together by using hose clamps to secure a box wrench to the rod and nut on the steering knuckle, he was able to drive 50 miles to the next checkpoint.

Cheap Tricks?

A stop-leak fluid for the radiator is a must as well: "You get a lot of radiator problems in the desert," he says. "During one night race I had to plug a leak on the side of the radiator with a chunk of a scuba fin I found in a spectators' truck. I paid him for it, but it was the most expensive fin I ever bought."

Another trick he learned out in the desert is to stuff a leaky radiator with dried-out cow dung. "When it gets wet it expands and plugs the hole. And it's easy to find cow manure in the desert." (Not only that, it's free.) Another time he used some raw eggs from a chicken farmer. The yolk congeals in the hot radiator fluid and flows to the leak.

One thing he doesn't bring along is a tire inflator. "It's just not needed. If a tire goes, you usually rip it. You have to bring along a spare, and preferably two."

Even after stocking your vehicle with tools, fluids and spares, however, there's still the possibility of getting stranded for a time, so you have to be prepared for a long walk home. "It gets cold in the desert at night, so make sure you have some warm clothing," Ari adds. "I also bring along a can of peanuts. They're a good source of nutrition, and they don't spoil in the heat."

Driving Tips

Maneuver through the Image Gallery for some off-road handling tips.