Our local Jeep club is holding a Mud Bog this weekend as a fund raiser for the local fire department. The fire department will be on hand to provide water to make mud pits and hose off vehicles afterwards. I’m planning on going to have a little fun time with my stepdaughter. My one concern is my tires - I have stock Michelin LT road tires on the Jeep right now. I’ve taken it off road on trails and had no issues, but that was always in the dry. More aggressive tires are in the works but won’t be available in time for the event. So I guess I’m looking for a little sanity check from anyone with off-roading experience. My plan is to air down the tires to about 25 psi (normal pressure is 36), carry a tow rope, and not try anything too crazy or deep. My understanding is that they will have several mud pits to play in, as well as normal dry trail rides. Am I crazy to think that I can handle light to medium mud pits with road tires as long as I drop the pressure and take it slow? Is 4H or 4L the best way to go? Or should I just stick to the dry trails until I can get some beefier tread? The event sounds like a lot of fun, but I’m not looking to embarrass myself - I’m sure most of the other folks in attendance are going to be experienced mudders with more appropriate tires. I’m sure I can find someone to pull me out if I get stuck, but ideally I’d prefer not to.
I know nothing about this, but what would happen with chains on yer tires? Are chains even still available?
In my experience chains are intended for snow on pavement and not much help in mud.
Without aggressive treads you’ll get nowhere in the mud. Do the dry trails first. Still feeling it after getting pummeled about? Then try an easy mud pit. Don’t be afraid to ask more experienced drivers for advice. Fellowship is part of the off road community.
That’s what I’m hoping for. My stepdaughter is a new driver and has little experience with a manual - I’m hoping to get her to try the dry trails too. And maybe some light mud if she feels confident enough.
The rule I ALWAYS follow when going off road for ANY reason is this: stay in 2WD mode until you become stuck, THEN and ONLY THEN, switch to 4WD to unstick yourself. Immediately after getting unstuck, switch back to 2WD. If you are already in 4WD before becoming stuck, at that point you are WELL and TRULY STUCK.
short answer: NO
longer answer: NO, don’t do it …
unless you have a dedicated trail vehicle with huge ground clearance.
it will be NO fun, you will be stuck immediately with a non-dedicated off-road-vehicle, your vehicle will be EXTREMELY dirty - inside and out … to a degree that mud will deteriorate the mechanics of your car very efficiently (e.g. rolling your windows down while covered in sediment-heavy mud will permanently scratch them, clogging brake calipers with mud, rear difs being cooled down and hence suck water in…).
If your car is more like a SUV, the suction-effect will bog you down instantly and make any rescue effort quite risky (you should be OK with ripping a fender or bumper off your vehicle if you plan to do this). Also the pair of shoes you are wearing will likely go to waste. Airing down, will do squat as your tires will clog up instantly - and your 4x4 will sit even lower.
My personal take (many years off-road experience): it is SO much funnier when a bumper gets twisted off on another person’s 4x4 than on your own - same for water seeping in when you go off-keel.
case in point: it can go from “wow that was a fun afternoon” to … “damn - that is at least 4k in damage” within 5 seconds.
That’s actually the kind of honesty I was looking for. A couple things to keep in mind though.
1. My vehicle is a manual Jeep Wrangler with excellent ground clearance, not a car or SUV
2. I’m not a mechanic, but I do have some mechanical ability and experience. Something like draining a diff or doing transfer case maintenance doesn’t intimidate me.
3. Getting dirty doesn’t really bother me. I daily drive it, but it’s still a Jeep - I don’t expect it to look like it just drove off the showroom floor.
Moreover, this is a charity event being held in a field that is usually used as a drive-in movie theater (movie season ends tonight so they don’t mind tearing things up a bit for the winter). As off-road events go, this one is about as much of a controlled environment as anyone can expect. I’m sure I won’t be the only person attending with road tires, and there will be lots of volunteers providing guidance and assistance. I also have off-road trail experience, just not in mud much bigger than a puddle. I’m very aware of my own limits and capabilities (which is why I posted this in the first place). I like trying new things, and I like exposing my stepdaughter to new experiences. We are both approaching this with a due amount of caution to counter our excitement.
ok, if you are “mentally committed”, then go for it …
a few pieces of advice: Set up you jeep to be rescued before you take the dive - stuff like shackles and slings already being put in place (safely!) … and bring a good pair of rubber boots with you … and lots of old clothing…
IOW: prepare for the FALL and not the RIDE … and have fun!!!
other piecees of advice: drive more on the tail end of drivers, so you can learn from other’s mistakes while still being dry
don’t air down - your tire won’t have anything to bite into, anyway … and a (slightly) taller tire might actually HELP you with dragging a bit less of undercarrige through the mud
Thanks! That was a point of uncertainty. I do have tow ropes and shackles to set up on my front tow hooks. All good advice that makes sense!
In my experience (3 Jeep Wranglers), stock Jeeps are good rock climbers, but not so hot in sand and mud. I took on some pretty rough trails without much problem, but when I went on a cross-country trip in Saharan sand, it was a bit of touch and go in some places.
If you go in the mud pits, take hi-top sneakers and duct tape them to you legs, or you will never see them again.
I have a lot of experience jeeping in the Colorado mountains. So not too much mud.
DO stick to the dry trails at first, and as long as you are not going very fast (10 mph) stick it in 4x low range. Stuck, and not moving in 2xhigh range does not mean that 4xlow range is gonna pull you out now. Your already stuck. Shouldn’t be there in the first place.
Never go jeeping/4-wheeling alone. You will be walking eventually.
I’m not sure how well this link to Google Maps will work, but this should show the location of the drive-in where the event is being held:
Google Maps
I’m guessing the biggest mud pit is going to be on the trail in front of the rightmost movie screen. The owners also own the farms and woods around the drive-in, so probably the dry trails will be in the woods and maybe fields. I’m expecting a lot of support volunteers and a couple tow vehicles to be on hand as well. I’m also assuming that if they decide my vehicle isn’t equipped to handle a mud pit I won’t be allowed through. We’ll both be wearing helmets (it’s a requirement for passengers, optional for drivers), and old sneakers. I also have a couple pairs of knee high mud boots if needed. I have a 30 foot tow strap rated for 18000 lbs with hooks and a shackle. JLs have tow hooks on both sides on the front and a D ring on the back left side. I think we should be in decent shape. At worst, we won’t be allowed to try the mud, but we’ll have fun tooling around on the trails.
Also, here is a photo from a previous event.
Yes. Go with other Jeep owners, so you won’t have to walk alone. 
Thumper, it sounds like you have a pretty good grasp of reality and should do fine. Airing down isn’t effective in mud. Sand, yes.
Mud is all about horsepower and momentum. (well, aside from the tires… but you’ve covered that) Somewhat hard on your rig if its a daily driver. Don’t fall for the “save 4wd for when you get stuck” move. You stop moving in (serious) mud, you are pretty much done. The only winning move is to not get stopped. To your advantage, man-made mudholes are only going to so deep, so you can fart around and have some fun. Plenty of folks to help tow you out.
Wear shoes and clothes you are okay with throwing away. Have fun!
That’s about what I was thinking. My strategy was going to be 4H and steady progress relying on momentum and ground clearance. Unless of course someone in front of me demonstrates that to be a bad idea I’m also planning on being there at the earlier part of the event before things get too torn up.
Smart Man! Deep ruts are the quickest way to get stuck.
I’d watch what everybody else is driving and what they’re doing before I even began to make my decision.
If apparently talented drivers with well-prepared vehicles in obviously gnarly conditions are struggling and/or breaking shit … I’d be very likely to stay clean, stay dry, stay out of the mud, and live to drive another day.
You and your stepdaughter can have a helluva good time from the sidelines … if that’s where wisdom points you.
Ironically, I just got an email saying that the BF Goodrich Trail Terrains I ordered last month will be delivered next weekend. Still not exactly suited for mud but far more aggressive than the stock Michelins. I ordered them thinking they’d be better for snow and still get decent gas mileage on dry pavement.
I am also prepared for that eventuality. I’m adventurous, but not necessarily reckless.