Go Muddin'
Do you have a Four by Four that looks really pretty in the driveway? Or even a two-wheel drive... perhaps a rental? Want to get some mud on it? There are a few steps and precautions when going mudding'.
Contents
Steps
- Get into a vehicle that you want muddy. Take with you a shovel, jack and a tow strap to help in case you get stuck.
- Find another person in another vehicle to go on the journey with you for help in case you or the other person gets stuck.
- Find a remote area that is open and muddy with dry areas is the best.
- Lock your vehicle in four wheel drive high, once you get there, depending on your vehicle.
- Drive through the mud!
- Go home, show off your new paint job and don't wash it for at least a week. This is your trophy.
Tips
- Never stop in the middle of a mud hole, keep going.
- Going out after it rains is best. Do not go while it is still raining because the rain will wash all of the mud off of your vehicle before you get back into town. That's no fun.
- If you do get stuck (likely) have the other vehicle get as close to yours as possible on dry land and hook up with the tow strap. Be sure to work together when pulling. Both vehicles should be in the same drive gear and accelerate and stop at the same time.
- HAVE FUN!!!!!!
- Once you have gone through a mud hole and know you can get through do it again in reverse to get the most mud on your truck.
- If you go mudding after it rains and encounter big puddles (this doesn't apply if you have an airbox/snorkel), don't hit them fast. Water can easily get sucked into your intake, just like a straw, and cause major engine damage.
- Make sure not to oversteer while riding through the mud. Once you get to a dry spot, the vehicle will turn sharply, and if trees are close by, you could hit them, or worse.
- Go fast or you'll get stuck.
- It is recommended to buy a portable air compressor, because if you get stuck and don't have a winch/buddy, a way to get yourself out is to let about a third of the air out of your tires, therein widening the tread and improving traction. It is not safe to drive on even partially deflated tires for extended periods of time, if not at all.
- Be sure that your vehicle can get through the mud patch before entering. It is usually deeper than it looks. (use a long stick to poke the worry-some mud hole to find out how deep it is)
- Many believe that following ruts like pathways is fun. This is a good way to get bottomed out/high centered if you don't have ground clearance. This is a good way to get dirty though; sticky mud hangs out in ruts.
Warnings
- Stay away from "No Trespassing" areas. There are rangers out there and will ticket you. Especially if you are stuck at the time and can't just leave.
- Watch out for ruts from previous mudder'. You could get high centered, which means the undercarriage is resting on the mud instead of the tires. This occurs when your ground clearance is too low and as the ride height decreases, risks bottoming out. This can cause expensive damage.
- If you get stuck in four wheel drive high do not shift into Four wheel drive low and try to get out. When you are stuck your tires are most likely spinning. In four low your tires may spin too fast and it will not help and may damage the transfer case and other vital drive train parts.
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