Tips to Keep you Moving While Mudding

If you love trucks as much we do, then you've probably toyed around with the idea of taking your rig through some serious mud.  Mudding can be serious fun, and serious trouble if you don't know what you are doing.  

It doesn't matter if you are the most experienced mudder around, or it's your first time bogging through the mud.  

You need these tips to help keep you moving through the mud and prevent you from getting stuck. 

Slow and Steady

Just go slow, when you see a muddy road make sure to take it easy.  No need to rush through mud for a variety of reasons.  Mud is slippery and you might loose control.  You don't want to hit any nearby trees or rocks.  

Maintain Control

Keep the wheels straight as you enter the muck and for as long as your momentum continues. Racking the wheel back and forth can be useful when you start to bog down, as it helps the tread on the edge of your tires grab. However, as long as you are moving forward at a steady speed, turning the wheels will only slow momentum and increase your odds of getting stuck.

Lock In The Four-Wheel Drive

If you have four-wheel drive, lock it in before entering the mud. If you wait until you need it, it may be too late. More tires turning with power through soil will improve your chances of making it through and will also reduce tire spin, which merely digs deep ruts in the road.

Walk It First

In the case of deep mud or water holes, get out and walk the ground before driving through it, poking the bottom with a stick to make sure it isn’t too deep for your vehicle.

Avoid Ruts

It’s better to blaze your own path in a deep mud situation, as ruts caused by other drivers can reduce steering ability and can be next to impossible to pull out of. They also tend to hold the softest, wettest portion of mud and reduce the amount of clearance between the ground and bottom of the vehicle, increasing the likelihood of getting seriously stuck.

Let Some Air Out

If necessary in mud and almost always when driving on sand, reduce the amount of air pressure in tires to allow more tread to make contact with driving surface. Offroaders.com suggests that for “most four-wheeling purposes, a tire pressure of 18 to 20 (pounds per square inch) will be adequate.”

Sometimes the best way to avoid getting stuck is knowing when to simply turn around and go another way. Remember to always drive within your abilities, and whenever possible, only tackle mud, sand or other non-pavement driving situations in the company of someone in another vehicle—just in case you need them to pull you out.

If you are looking for off-roading accessories or equipment make sure you check out EZWheeler.com, to see all the mudding gear we have to offer.