By bob on Friday, May 04, 2001 - 07:00 pm: Edit

I live in a place with little rain, but when it rains...it rains!!! Whenever I hit the mud in my 95' Disco I always lock the diff, should i do more? My Disco is mostly stock(no lockers, stock suspension, stock tires). Should i air down the tires and put it in low-range, with the center diff locked? What should my top speed be on low-range( i can't seem to go above 5mph)

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Friday, May 04, 2001 - 07:30 pm: Edit

roll up your windows

ha ha - think about replacing those stock tires with a good all terrain that can handle the mud, too (i.e. not BFG AT KO). Locking center diff will spread the power out between the axles, but all the power to each axle will just go to the spinning wheel(s). Axle diff lockers don't necessarily mean traction in slick mud since all wheels can be spinning. One geat approach - romp on the gas, hit the mud flyin, and enjoy the ride! Just be sure to have another truck or two and a long tow strap...

By Troy on Friday, May 04, 2001 - 11:18 pm: Edit

It depends on how deep the mud is. If it's around axle deep, you'll probably need to start out in 3rd gear, possibly 2nd (I'm speaking very general here -- you'll learn gear selection from experience). You'll also probably need some momentum if possible. When the tires start spinning, let off the accelerater some (to let your tires regain some traction - when they start to regain traction, give it some gas) and, with your hands at 10 and 2 (thumbs out), turn your steering wheel back forth aggressively (almost like you're wrestling with it) - this will help the outer lugs of your front tires to gain traction and keep you moving forward. And, as Bill said, bring someone with you that has a snatch strap or winch -- especially with you running stock tires. Have fun-
Troy

By hadaz on Saturday, May 05, 2001 - 02:08 am: Edit

Enjoy it!! here in the desert Southwest no mud

By nadim on Saturday, May 05, 2001 - 11:45 am: Edit

get 4 Interco boggers (anything that fits)
get 2 ARB lockers
underbody protection from hidden rocks
and a heavy right foot!

By Mike on Saturday, May 05, 2001 - 11:47 am: Edit

My advice: Don't use low range; you want to get those tires spinning to maintain momentum. Use the Diff lock- at least two tires will be spinning instead of one. Definitely upgrade tires- BFG mud-ta's are decent, super swampers are better. And like Bluegill says, stomp on the gas. Once the Disco bogs down and gets hung up, prepare for winching or towing.

By bob on Sunday, May 06, 2001 - 11:22 pm: Edit

thanks for all the advice guys...I hit the mud pretty hard this weekend. I locked the center diff, dropped it into 1st gear and dumped the clutch. I spun the crap out of those stock tires(aired down to 22), but i didn't get stuck(the Jeep TJ with me did however!!)

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Monday, May 07, 2001 - 11:46 am: Edit

Disco made it, Wrangler didn't...chalk another one up for the good guys!

Allen, I've heard that there IS mud here in AZ - you just have to search long and far!

By mrbieler on Monday, May 07, 2001 - 11:54 am: Edit

Bill, there is no mud in Arizona. The only mud you find is when someone knocks off a sprinkler head with a weed wacker and floods their front yard!

;-)

By Bill Gill (Bluegill) on Monday, May 07, 2001 - 12:03 pm: Edit

I've actually romped through a few of those yards in 4-hi! Doesn't it suck when you're 20 miles off-road on a favorite trail, and you know that fun mudhole is around the corner, and when you come up on it, there are dinosaur bones stuck in the hardened tire tracks? You drive over the crusty ruts and say, "Golly, that was a blast. Hey look, there's some sand, and some dust...let's hit it!"

By mrbieler on Monday, May 07, 2001 - 12:08 pm: Edit

The big chance to play in water is when the summer rains come and you get to pull some idiot out of the underpass they tried to navigate that has 3' of water in it...