1979 Chevrolet Blazer (BlueKnight)

Mud is a way of life in many portions of the country, and your local mud matrix may be different than that of the next county over. Different consistencies of mud call for different styles of driving. Some mud responds to fast driving with a lot of wheelspin, while others may do better with a slower gate with just enough spin to clean out the tires. Like in snow, skinny tires can dig down to the hard stuff, while wide flotation tires can keep you on top of the goo. Regardless of what the mud is like, a steady forward progress is needed. In other words, keep your momentum up. If you get off the gas, you can risk losing the momentum needed to traverse the slop. Be aware that spinning the tires while stopped may get you going, but quite often you?ll simply dig down and get stuck to the gills. It?s always easier to extricate your 4x4 from deep mud before it?s resting on the framerails. So if the rig?s not moving forward as you spin tires, it?s probably going down. Don?t be afraid to back out of a sticky situation either; the ruts are already there and you may escape without getting stuck.

Tires with open, gnarly tread are what you want here. The more open the tread is, the more the tire will clean itself of sticky mud as it rotates. Obviously, you want horsepower because without that you won?t be able to keep your big ol? tires rotating in deep, sticky mud—and if they don?t rotate, they won?t self-clean. Also, you want the tallest tire you can get under your rig?s fenders. Depending on the weight of your rig and the consistency of the mud in which you run, you may want to watch going too wide on a tire because (when the mud hole you?re addressing isn?t too deep and the mud not too gooey) it is helpful to let the tire sink so that it can get a grip on the mudhole?s bottom. Mud is heavy, so bulling through it requires horsepower. That extra weight and horsepower also require a driveline healthy enough to turn those big ol? mud tires. The other thing you want to do in mud is maintain momentum. Oftentimes, to stop is to get stuck.

When that happens, the single most important piece of mechanical equipment that will save your butt is a winch. If you don?t have a winch to get yourself out of a jam, locking or limited-slip differentials may be your only salvation next to your buddy?s tow-strap. Try a Detroit Locker or ARB Air Locker in the rear, a Truetrac or Auburn limited slip in the front, and you?ll be surprised how well you?ll do in the mud. But effective tires are the place to start. Many experienced ?wheelers believe that the best all around hard-core mud tires are Boggers and Super Swampers.

Driving in snow and ice can be extremely dangerous. Check the snow-belt news during the winter months. However, those situations usually entail speed and highway driving, while we?re concerned with trail-type driving. Our number one rule for snow: Pay attention. Out on the trail the snow-covered ruts can be treacherous to traverse since the trail may look smooth with a fresh white blanket on it. Underneath the snow deep ruts, holes, logs, and rocks may snag your underside, so going slow is a benefit here. Plus a snow/icy mix gets slippery, especially when traversing rocky terrain. Fresh powder snow that isn?t too deep can often be plowed through, while the wet crusty stuff requires traction and some momentum. Two schools of thought exist on tires and pressure for snow. One theory is to have skinny tires at max pressure which can break through the snow to get traction on the ground, while the other theory is to have flotation tires at low pressure which allows you to stay on top of the snow.

Speed and momentum can help to bust through snow, and spinning tires can also keep you going forward. Remember that the amount of traction available is reduced, so stopping may be a problem if your momentum is too high. Watch out for off-camber side hills as well as going downhill?spinning the tires in these situations can cause a slide which gravity will want to reinforce. Go easy on the brakes to minimize sliding, as a rolling tire can give more steering and braking control than those that are locked up by a heavy foot on the brake.

The first thing we noticed about the rigs over there was the huge tires they were using. Because they ?wheel over very deep snow, new as well as old daily drivers were outfitted with 35- to 44-inch tires. For on-road use, narrow snow tires that cut through the snow down to a hard surface might be the ticket. But the key to successful off-highway snow driving, our Icelandic experts told us, is maintaining flotation and a low center of gravity. For this, the Icelanders have developed a relatively simple method of applying huge tires without lifting their vehicles much at all. Instead, they cut out the fenderwells and install huge custom-made fender flares.

A good idea for travelling in extremely cold conditions is having selectable fully-locked lockers at both ends. It?s also helpful to have an onboard inflation system for your tires. The one we saw in Iceland could be automatically controlled from inside the vehicle, enabling the driver to adjust his rig?s tire pressure on demand. To the best of our knowledge, this one-of-a-kind version from Arctic Trucks in Iceland is not available anywhere else, so if onboard inflation sounds like a good idea, you?ll have to engineer it yourself. Otherwise bring a compact air compressor.

As always, power is critical in the snow, so apply it carefully. Traction is easy to lose and, once lost, difficult to regain. Use low revs, a light foot on the gas pedal, and when possible, a higher gear than you ordinarily would select. Be equally careful with brake applications and steering inputs.

Mud ,Snow, & Ice

Mud:

Snow & Ice:


Go Home Mud, Snow, Ice Sand & Rocks Dirt Roads & Hills Water Crossings		Mud ,Snow, & Ice These are tips that I have gathered through the years from magazines and other 4 wheelers. As I find more info I will post it. Some of this info is quite helpful and will aid you in getting further on the trail.Enjoy Mud: Mud is a way of life in many portions of the country, and your local mud matrix may be different than that of the next county over. Different consistencies of mud call for different styles of driving. Some mud responds to fast driving with a lot of wheelspin, while others may do better with a slower gate with just enough spin to clean out the tires. Like in snow, skinny tires can dig down to the hard stuff, while wide flotation tires can keep you on top of the goo. Regardless of what the mud is like, a steady forward progress is needed. In other words, keep your momentum up. If you get off the gas, you can risk losing the momentum needed to traverse the slop. Be aware that spinning the tires while stopped may get you going, but quite often you?ll simply dig down and get stuck to the gills. It?s always easier to extricate your 4x4 from deep mud before it?s resting on the framerails. So if the rig?s not moving forward as you spin tires, it?s probably going down. Don?t be afraid to back out of a sticky situation either; the ruts are already there and you may escape without getting stuck. How To build a Rig and Survive It Tires with open, gnarly tread are what you want here. The more open the tread is, the more the tire will clean itself of sticky mud as it rotates. Obviously, you want horsepower because without that you won?t be able to keep your big ol? tires rotating in deep, sticky mud—and if they don?t rotate, they won?t self-clean. Also, you want the tallest tire you can get under your rig?s fenders. Depending on the weight of your rig and the consistency of the mud in which you run, you may want to watch going too wide on a tire because (when the mud hole you?re addressing isn?t too deep and the mud not too gooey) it is helpful to let the tire sink so that it can get a grip on the mudhole?s bottom. Mud is heavy, so bulling through it requires horsepower. That extra weight and horsepower also require a driveline healthy enough to turn those big ol? mud tires. The other thing you want to do in mud is maintain momentum. Oftentimes, to stop is to get stuck. When that happens, the single most important piece of mechanical equipment that will save your butt is a winch. If you don?t have a winch to get yourself out of a jam, locking or limited-slip differentials may be your only salvation next to your buddy?s tow-strap. Try a Detroit Locker or ARB Air Locker in the rear, a Truetrac or Auburn limited slip in the front, and you?ll be surprised how well you?ll do in the mud. But effective tires are the place to start. Many experienced ?wheelers believe that the best all around hard-core mud tires are Boggers and Super Swampers. Snow & Ice: Driving in snow and ice can be extremely dangerous. Check the snow-belt news during the winter months. However, those situations usually entail speed and highway driving, while we?re concerned with trail-type driving. Our number one rule for snow: Pay attention. Out on the trail the snow-covered ruts can be treacherous to traverse since the trail may look smooth with a fresh white blanket on it. Underneath the snow deep ruts, holes, logs, and rocks may snag your underside, so going slow is a benefit here. Plus a snow/icy mix gets slippery, especially when traversing rocky terrain. Fresh powder snow that isn?t too deep can often be plowed through, while the wet crusty stuff requires traction and some momentum. Two schools of thought exist on tires and pressure for snow. One theory is to have skinny tires at max pressure which can break through the snow to get traction on the ground, while the other theory is to have flotation tires at low pressure which allows you to stay on top of the snow. Speed and momentum can help to bust through snow, and spinning tires can also keep you going forward. Remember that the amount of traction available is reduced, so stopping may be a problem if your momentum is too high. Watch out for off-camber side hills as well as going downhill?spinning the tires in these situations can cause a slide which gravity will want to reinforce. Go easy on the brakes to minimize sliding, as a rolling tire can give more steering and braking control than those that are locked up by a heavy foot on the brake. Building & Surviving It The first thing we noticed about the rigs over there was the huge tires they were using. Because they ?wheel over very deep snow, new as well as old daily drivers were outfitted with 35- to 44-inch tires. For on-road use, narrow snow tires that cut through the snow down to a hard surface might be the ticket. But the key to successful off-highway snow driving, our Icelandic experts told us, is maintaining flotation and a low center of gravity. For this, the Icelanders have developed a relatively simple method of applying huge tires without lifting their vehicles much at all. Instead, they cut out the fenderwells and install huge custom-made fender flares. A good idea for travelling in extremely cold conditions is having selectable fully-locked lockers at both ends. It?s also helpful to have an onboard inflation system for your tires. The one we saw in Iceland could be automatically controlled from inside the vehicle, enabling the driver to adjust his rig?s tire pressure on demand. To the best of our knowledge, this one-of-a-kind version from Arctic Trucks in Iceland is not available anywhere else, so if onboard inflation sounds like a good idea, you?ll have to engineer it yourself. Otherwise bring a compact air compressor. As always, power is critical in the snow, so apply it carefully. Traction is easy to lose and, once lost, difficult to regain. Use low revs, a light foot on the gas pedal, and when possible, a higher gear than you ordinarily would select. Be equally careful with brake applications and steering inputs.