Limitations of a stock X

[Philosopher]

Originally posted by Schludwiller

When people get stuck they often make the mistake of going for the lowest gear.

Start with higher gears and stay off the gas.

And how would you do this if you are not moving to begin with ... i.e. when you are stuck ?


:bonghitte

[Schludwiller]

Originally posted by Philosopher



And how would you do this if you are not moving to begin with ... i.e. when you are stuck ?


:bonghitte

Just because you are stuck doesn't mean you have to start in 1st gear LO. I've seen people all the time spin in 1st gear. We tell them to stop, but the truck in 2nd or 3rd LO and they drive right out.

So what was your question?

[swampwrecker]

Any professional mud bogger will tell you, driving in mud is all about wheel spin and momentum. A spinning tire keeps them clean and as long as you have forward movement keep them spinning. The less aggressive your tire, the more wheel spin you'll need to keep them clean.

Once you begin to slow down in mud, it's all over. It doesn't matter whether you're in 4hi or 4lo or what gear the tranny is in. If the tires aren't moving you foward, you're not getting out without a tug.

Now anyone that has wheeled with me in the mud knows this is the exact opposite of what I do. Unless the mud hole is new to me, I drive into it in 2WD and go until I get stuck or know I'm about to get stuck and then put it in 4WD. As long as my front diff isn't hung up I can usually crawl right out, but sometimes I can't and I get stuck. It adds a little more challenge and fun to it. In my opinion, driving through a mud puddle at 40mph so you can make it through isn't much of a challenge.

[Schludwiller]

Keep in mind that mud is different everywhere. In the PNW we tend to get either shallow mud (recent rain has turned the ground slick), or deep pools of dirty water that have a slick bottom. In the first case speed will just send your rear end into a nearby tree and you'll get nowhere. Factor in that our mud is usually on the side of a mountain and you'll realise that often times control is more important. In the second case it's up to the driver to determine what he's getting into (a long standing mud bog, or recent runoff) to decide if speed or traction is better.

Now not having driven in the mud back east or down south I have heard it tends to be much thicker and has more suction like properties. Then speed and momentum are your friend. Which is why I mentioned both techniques.

Offroading in your area is not the same everywhere.

[Philosopher]

Originally posted by Schludwiller


Just because you are stuck doesn't mean you have to start in 1st gear LO. I've seen people all the time spin in 1st gear. We tell them to stop, but the truck in 2nd or 3rd LO and they drive right out.

So what was your question?

My point was that if you are REALLY STUCK, 2nd or 3rd gear ain't gonna get you out. If you parked in a puddle, sure ... but then you're not really stuck.

[Schludwiller]

Originally posted by Philosopher


My point was that if you are REALLY STUCK, 2nd or 3rd gear ain't gonna get you out. If you parked in a puddle, sure ... but then you're not really stuck.

Well if you're REALLY STUCK then 1st isn't either. We're discussing ways to get out of mud. There are different ways to get out. Just flooring your Mud Terrains in 1st LO isn't necessarily the best or first thing you should try.

I guess it would be more helpful if I just posted "Duh, you're STUCK. Get a tow strap out."

[Xlax]

Originally posted by Philosopher


My point was that if you are REALLY STUCK, 2nd or 3rd gear ain't gonna get you out. If you parked in a puddle, sure ... but then you're not really stuck.

Hey Schlud, are we finally going to meet you on the 20th of Oct???

Claus

[warmonger]

Schlud is right, mud is VERY different depending on where you are at. If you want some of the nastiest, stickiest mud, shoot for the clay found in GA and TN. Here in Florida we have what we call gumbo mud. It sucks you down like black hole. The bad thing about mud is that most of the time lockers mean little and it can vary for what type of vehicle can run it. Sometimes the short wheel base trucks have an advantage, others the short wheel base trucks get buried and the long wheel bases make it. You just never know. But in all cases, hp is what makes the tires spin. As long as the truck is moving and the tires are spinning, you will do as good as anyone else. Once forward motion is stopped, you are in trouble. I have seen some cases where trucks have backed out. But then I have also seen others where trying to back out only gets you stuck worse.

Running the mud is just a matter of choice. If you hit it slow and it is deep, odds are you will wind up stuck. If you hit it fast and there is water in it, odds are you will experience hydrolock like one of the Jeeps in an outing did (he was running dual lockers). You just have to fly by the seat of your pants and determine your modus operandi on a hole-by-hole basis.

[Goliath the X]

Really STUCK in thick gumbo mud. :smoker2:

[Schludwiller]

Originally posted by Goliath the X
Really STUCK in thick gumbo mud. :smoker2:

Yikes! Yes, that would be stuck.

[OffroadX]

Now THAT'S a doozy! Pine Barrens?

How the heck did you even find yourself in that?

Brent

[Goliath the X]

I had cooling problems for a month after that little mud bath.

[rednec]

Originally posted by Goliath the X
I had cooling problems for a month after that little mud bath.

I take it you had a little mud caked up in the radiator. I did that a while back on mine to. Took me alittle bit to figure out why it was overheating. It was acting like a stuck T-stat. Finally looked behind the fan schroud and saw it full of mud. I'm now running an electric fan set-up.

[Kerensky97]

Originally posted by Goliath the X
Really STUCK in thick gumbo mud. :smoker2:

Thats another thing about mud, once you're stuck those big mud terrains or swampers can become a liability and dig you in further.
Looks like you drove straight into a pond on that one.

[swampwrecker]

Originally posted by OffroadX
Now THAT'S a doozy! Pine Barrens?

How the heck did you even find yourself in that?

Brent

Unfortunately I wasn't there on that trip, but apparently Dave was just trying to turn around when that happened and didn't even know the mud was there. Normally the lake covers that area, but we had a really dry summer.