Plant the skinny pedal to the floor and make that rev limiter scream like there's no tomorrow! Never mind the gallons of fresh mud engulfing your rig, just keep working that wheel side to side until the muddy projectiles have reached their final destination and you have conquered yet another bottomless pit. For many of us this was the setting of our early 4x years as we mercilessly dropped our stock rigs into the biggest mud hole we could find, thus teaching us one of the most important wheeling lessons to date: Trucks don't float. Always test the waters before you take a dive! Even if it means getting a little wet now, it will save you from getting hosed later.Always test the waters before you take a dive! Even if it means getting a little wet now, Compared to building a rockcrawler or a high-zoot trail rig, mud bogging is traditionally one of the most inexpensive facets that off-roading has to offer. For the average guy, an entry-level lift kit with an aggressive set of tires is usually enough to satisfy his terra cravings, and as long as you keep the maintenance up on your rig (grease people, grease!), you should have years of goo-slinging fun ahead. Although we've seen plenty of mud-stomping rigs throwing down more power than a stock car, we've found that even horsepower-challenged rigs can make the cut when matched with the proper gear and tire ratio. Though common sense is king when tackling the deep stuff, here are a few tips and tricks that we've learned along the way that will help your bogger battle the muddy reaper for as long as possible. As a rule we like to keep our vehicle's center of gravity as low as possible, but when you're driving through 6-foot-deep mud holes it's easy to see why tall is good. In the suspension department your options are wide open, but for most big mudders, leaf springs seem to do the trick. And since articulation isn't as important, a beefy spring pack with a tall arch won't impede your rig like it would if you were in the rocks. Aggressive mud tires work the best in the sticky stuff as they allow the mud to release easier from between the tread voids, equaling more traction. When it comes to height, the bigger the better and the wider the rubber the more terra you can use to propel yourself through the muck.Aggressive mud tires work the best in the sticky stuff as they allow the mud to release ea To prevent electronic gremlins from invading your rig it's best to seal your electrical connections as well as you can. RTV silicone will be your friend here. The idea is to keep the muddy stuff from destroying your ECM, distributor, and the rest of your vehicle's essential electronic controls.To prevent electronic gremlins from invading your rig it's best to seal your electrical co If your rig yearns for a tire bigger than what the highway will allow, then you might want to check out a set of 2.5-ton Rockwells. Fitted with 6.72 gears from the factory and with a host of aftermarket support, these massive assemblies can usually be picked up for less than what you'd pay for a new set of Swampers, and will probably last a whole lot longer.If your rig yearns for a tire bigger than what the highway will allow, then you might want The biggest kryptonite to any wheeler is water. Usually mixed with a healthy dose of muddy particles, introducing water into your engine's combustion cycle is a surefire way to learn exactly what hydrolocking means. Depending on the elevation of your rig, a snorkel or other type of intake relocation device that pulls air from a more secure location, like inside your cab, may be useful.The biggest kryptonite to any wheeler is water. Usually mixed with a healthy dose of muddy Probably the single best improvement that you can do to your rig is fit it with a set of lockers. Though a wide variety of aftermarket traction aids is available, we think going with a set of full-time lockers for your mud rig will work just fine. And since tight turning and dry terrain aren't really a concern, spools and mini-spools are some of the easiest to install and most cost-effective.Probably the single best improvement that you can do to your rig is fit it with a set of l Hard charging and bottomless pits are all part of the mud game, so it's important to keep your rig's radiator protected. Many of the dedicated mud rig owners relocated the radiator to the rear of their rigs and fit them with an electric-fan setup. This will prevent your fan from pulling itself into the radiator when you hit a deep hole, and it will save you big cabbage in the repair department.Hard charging and bottomless pits are all part of the mud game, so it's important to keep Proper gearing is essential to maximize the performance of both your engine and tires. Remember, if the differential gear is numerically too high, it may prevent you from achieving the appropriate wheel speed, thereby keeping you from building momentum and clearing the tire voids, both essential to wheeling in the mud.Proper gearing is essential to maximize the performance of both your engine and tires. Rem When your rig packs on a fresh coat of mud it's also putting on the pounds. An easy way to keep the slime from bogging down your rig is by placing the tires as far outside the rig as possible. This not only keeps the mud from weighing you down, but helps with the overall stability of the rig.When your rig packs on a fresh coat of mud it's also putting on the pounds. An easy way to Building a hard-core mud rig usually means swapping in big American muscle. Whether you wheel a lightweight Wrangler or a 1-ton pickup, increasing your cubic inches is always a solid upgrade that will help you turn those monster mudders. When the mud bogs you down, you can always try to power out.Building a hard-core mud rig usually means swapping in big American muscle. Whether you wh By Ali Mansour Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
