In light of the rapid growth of interest in off-roading, we at Nepal Drives have compiled a short and sweet list of some basic yet important off-road terminologies. There are also pictorial representations (because everybody loves them) to help you better understand the art of off-roading.

 

Articulation

Articulation is how much vertical movement the axle and wheel has. It is often also referred to as wheel travel. Quite simply, the more articulation the vehicle has, the better it can climb over obstacles like rocks because the wheels have more up-and-down motion.

 

Ackerman angle

The turning angle of an inside wheel is different to the turning angle of the outside wheel, to account for the fact that the inside wheel travels a shorter path. This difference is called the Ackerman angle.

 

Lift kit

A set of components that raise the ride height of a vehicle. Lift kits range from complete ones with taller springs, shocks, and control arms, down to simpler components such as spacer blocks that simply bolster the height of existing springs, or increase the height of the body from its frame.

 

Approach angle

This is maximum angle of clearance a vehicle has when climbing a hill or approaching another obstacle; the steepest angle a vehicle can climb or descend before its front bumper, body, chassis, or equipment mounted there makes contact with the ground. Exceeding the approach angle will damage the front end. Approach angles can be improved for off-roading with the installation of various lift kits to increase ride height.

 

Departure angle

Like approach angle, this is maximum angle of clearance on a vehicle when exiting an obstacle or descending a hill. The steepest angle a vehicle can climb or descend before its rear bumper, body, chassis, or equipment mounted there make contact with the ground.

 

Breakover Angle

 This is the maximum angle a vehicle can drive over with one forward wheel and one rear wheel touching the ground without getting high-centered on an obstacle. The degree of slope that a vehicle can travel over without scraping its mid-section between front and rear wheels against the ground.

 

High-centered

When a vehicle is stuck because its mid-section has become lodged over obstacles or ground, with front and rear wheels too far off the ground to achieve sufficient breakaway grip.

 

Transfer case

The heart of a four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive system is the transfer case. It is often a box that simply transfers power from the transmission to the front and rear axles through the drive shafts when engaged. Essentially, when you put a vehicle into 4x4 or AWD, it is the transfer case you are utilizing to shift power to all four wheels.

 

Limited slip differential

Final-drive system where left and right axle shafts are mechanically connected via a series of pinion gears to prevent wheel spin on slippery surfaces and to ensure that the engine’s power is transmitted equally to both sides of the vehicle.

 

Ground clearance

Another important item when off-roading is the amount of ground clearance, or the ride height of a vehicle. This is defined as the amount of space between lowest part of the vehicle and the ground. Lifting a vehicle can improve ground clearance, as can fitting larger tires.

 

Under-axle clearance

Space between the ground and the lowest-lying part of a vehicle’s axle, which is usually a center differential housing.

 

Bead lock

A series of metal reinforcement rings that clamp a tire to a rim to provide greater resistance against the likelihood of the tire popping off the wheel under extreme off-road conditions, or when tire pressures have been lowered for rock crawling.

 

D-ring

A heavy-duty, D-shaped steel hook at the end of tow straps, chains, or cables used for pulling or winching a vehicle out of trouble.

 

Tow hooks

These are metal hooks attached to either the front or rear of a vehicle and generally anchored to the frame. Better tow hooks extend beyond the bumper to make hooking them up with a tow strap or chain easier than crawling underneath the vehicle. They are extremely useful for freeing or towing off-road vehicles that are prone to getting stuck.