Equipment and Techniques

Driving in mud is one of the most fun things you can do behind the steering wheel! It’s all about maintaining the required momentum to get yourself across. Read on to know more about the do’s and dont’s of Mud Driving!

Tyres

The very first thing you should do, is to equip your vehicle with the correct kind of tyres. Although muddies are the way to go, you can get across just fine with All – Terrains as well, depending on the kind of mud you’re on! The deeper treads of these tyres help your vehicle in gaining much needed traction on muddy tracks. To know more about the advantages and disadvantages of these tyres click here

Underbody Protection

Due to the nature of driving in this terrain, it is crucial that you have good underbody protection. Since momentum is key here, there will be situations where you bottom out your vehicle on multiple occasions on unseen obstacles. Not having underbody protection may result in serious damage to your vehicle. To know more about the products available in store click here

Pick your line correctly

Mud driving requires accurate picking of the line you wish to drive on. Try and pick a line with the least amount of ruts, where possible. If you’re unable to do so, walk to track ahead of you first, and then decide. Incorrect line choice may result in you getting bogged (which is pretty easy in this terrain) or worse, damage to your beloved 4x4!

Pre – Planning

So you come across a tempting looking bog hole ahead of you, and you’re almost certain you are going to give it a shot. Pre – attach one end of a snatch strap and keep the other end inside the vehicle. This way, if you get bogged, you won’t have to go digging in the mud trying to find the recovery points on your vehicle. There is also a possibility of there being an abundance of water in these situations, this way you will avoid opening the door and letting all the water in! Also make sure to try and check the depth of any mud hole with any near by sticks before entering any bog hole.

I'm Stuck, I don't know what to do!

Firstly, don’t panic! Try and determine whether your vehicle is bottomed out or not. If it’s not bottomed out, keep spinning the tyres at a consistent rate (don’t be Hercules with the accelerator, but keep the tyres spinning!). This will enable the tyres to self – clean their tread and hopefully get you enough traction to drive out of the situation. If this does not work, stop and get someone to pull you out! If your vehicle has already bottomed out, there is absolutely no use of spinning the tyres. Call a mate, buy him beer and ask for a snatch!

General vehicle behaviour

Given the low traction available to your vehicle in this terrain, it will behave in a very unpredictable manner. Turning your steering to the left, may not necessarily mean your vehicle will go to the left. Similar rules apply to the braking of your vehicle. Your tyres may stop moving with your brakes, but there is a high possibility of your vehicle taking much longer to actually come to a complete stop! Know your surroundings, and try and understand the kind of situation your vehicle is in. This will enable you to think ahead and be safe!

Recovery Gear

Goes without saying, recovery gear is an important factor for any kind of off – road driving! Do not attempt to enter any bog holes without the correct recovery gear on board! In fact, always have at least two vehicles in your convoy. This way, if either one you gets stuck, you have another vehicle to pull you out! To see the latest deals on Ironman 4x4 recovery gear in our store click here

High Range or Low Range

Low range works best in these situations. By staying in low range, your vehicle will ensure a good amount of power is being sent to your tyres without really revving the engine too hard. Also, since your tyres will keep spinning at a consistent rate, mud will be cleaned out of them at the same time, resulting in higher traction.

Being kind to the tracks!

First things first, “take nothing but photos, leave nothing but foot prints!” (Or in our case, tyre marks!). These tracks are for everyone to enjoy, so please keep them clean! Also, try and avoid any unnecessary wheel spin in this terrain. The mud is normally very soft and you will get nowhere by doing so. Keep up a good momentum and it should be enough to get you across. Unnecessary wheel spin will cause damage to your vehicle and to the tracks! If the tracks gets too torn up, it’ll be that much harder for other vehicles to pass through!

Stay tuned for more!

Sujay Vasist, All Four x 4 Spares Researcher & Content Writer

Image sources
https://www.tirebuyer.com
https://www.bridgestonetyres.com.au
https://www.ironman4x4.com
https://westcoastoffroad.co.uk
http://www.ironman4x4.com