file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Claus/Desktop/clausfarting.jpg


So !. I finally had a chance to take my baby into the mud and test it out I must say that I was more than amazed what this truck can do. We drove it through mud only using 2 wheel-drive adn it pulled through, I removed the rear sway bar 2 weeks ago and the result is evident in the picture.

Bring it on !, I have driven several 4x4 in my time but this baby takes the price !......

Thanks to Jens for showing me the Coquitlam mudpit.....

Claus

I can't see a pic. :(

I assume it's a rear tire way drooped? ;)

I think what Claus was trying to show you guys was this pic of his truck, front wheel up on a little bump, right rear in a little hole. What a fun ride that was, I must have washed about 20 pounds of mud off the bottom of my truck that afternoon.

http://www.superjens.com/junk/claus-flex4.jpg

Good Save! :)

Thanks for the pic!

:D

It can't be much of a mud hole if there isn't any mud on the truck ;-)

Quick save, part 2!

http://www.superjens.com/junk/mudclaus.jpg

I see some mud, but I don't see an Xterra going through it, just around it :eek:

Hey...yeah!

Did you accidentally slip into that mud on the way back from the car wash?

;)

you guys really FUNNY !!:finger:


I think i get more offroad use of my X than on Road !


And mud, hell yeah there was mud, The whole exersize with posting a pic of my droopy tire was to show you gearheads how far it extends once the swaybar comes off. I guess most of you know that allready, SO rejoice for me !


C:smoka:

Hal A Lou Yah!

:monkeypis

Truthfully, there wasn't as much mud there as we hoped, but we tried our hardest to get stuck. Even in pockets like this, eventually we dropped into 4x2 and still, even with our crappy stock Long Trails we managed to eventually get out. Of course, it's not a bad feeling to be almost stuck when you know you have the insurance of dropping it back into 4x4 to get out!!

My name is Mud (http://www.superjens.com/pictures/New/mud.htm)

I agree the stock X is great even in long trails.

When I was in mud I never got stuck, even in the deep holes.

One thing I knoticed was that I got more control in 4HI rather than 4LO. The mud I was in at the time wasn't as deep as yor pics, but it was really thin and slimy. Kind of like 4inch deep pudding on glass.
In 4Lo the X had a tendancy to slide side ways but in 4Hi I had full control.

???

Physics on mud are strange.:)

Originally posted by Kerensky97
I agree the stock X is great even in long trails.

When I was in mud I never got stuck, even in the deep holes.

One thing I knoticed was that I got more control in 4HI rather than 4LO. The mud I was in at the time wasn't as deep as yor pics, but it was really thin and slimy. Kind of like 4inch deep pudding on glass.
In 4Lo the X had a tendancy to slide side ways but in 4Hi I had full control.

???

Physics on mud are strange.:)

I could be totally talking out of my a$$ here but you are generating a lot more torque at your wheels when you are in 4LO. In slippery situations, this is worse as you can generate too much power to hold traction (in my simple layman's understanding).

-Harbones
(Xodus)

Well take it from the master....Hi or Low, it all depends on how heavy you are on the pedal....AND what crappy tires you get with your purchase..

Happy Friday !

C

Originally posted by Harbones


I could be totally talking out of my a$$ here but you are generating a lot more torque at your wheels when you are in 4LO. In slippery situations, this is worse as you can generate too much power to hold traction (in my simple layman's understanding).

-Harbones
(Xodus)

Yup. When people get stuck they often make the mistake of going for the lowest gear. This tends to break the tires loose and you just spin. Start with higher gears and stay off the gas. Also engaging your e-brake (about halfway) can kick your Limited Slip in and help you get going again.

On the flip side, if you have good mud tires, sometimes having high RPM's can help. One to clean the lugs and keep the tires spinning, the other to dig through the mud down to better traction.

It all depends on your situation, and much of the time you just learn from experience which is the best technique to pursue.

Another tip if you're going to be in the mud a lot is hook up your towstrap ahead of time so you don't have to dig/slosh your way under the truck to hook it up when you get stuck.

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

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? :bloated:

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.

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. :D

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? :bloated:

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.

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."

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

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.

Really STUCK in thick gumbo mud. :smoker2:

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


Yikes! Yes, that would be stuck. :eek:

Now THAT'S a doozy! Pine Barrens?

How the heck did you even find yourself in that?

Brent

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

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

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.

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.:D

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.

http://www.superjens.com/pictures/3Harrison/TN_Downhill-Claus.JPG

Its all downhill from here !.....Almost every weekend I am amazed how much this truck can do !


Claus

Schlud chugging up a trail in April this year. This was my first outing with PNWX!

This stuff was ooey and gooey and I was barely able to saty with the group with my stock (crappy) Grabbers. The only thing working for me that day was speed!!! Schlud has his SSR's and was just a slip-n-sliding, having way to much fun!