How to get unstuck in mud?

Definitely was, a buddy advised me to hook up a tow rope first and leave it in my bed, so I did. He jumped into the bed from the bank, and threw the line back. Fortunately not much water got into my cab. I actually thought I had decent speed here but looking back, you're right. Honestly, if I had gone full out, do you think I'd be more stuck, or have a chance getting through?

 

Saw a friend nearly do this to his 2nd gen a few years ago, after removing the inner fender liners to clear 35s. Left the stock air intake completely exposed --- bombed through a huge water pit on the trail, truck stalled almost immediately after and wouldn't start. Pulled his air filter out and it was drenched, but he got lucky because it saved his engine. It started after removing the drenched air filter.

He has a snorkel now lol

 

The passenger does not look amused.

 

Haha, she was surprisingly cool with it. There's another picture of her sitting in the window with me but I try not to post her face without her permission.

For Christmas I got her some rubber Uggs so we can keep off roading together!

 

I'm sure @TomHGZ has excellent suggestions for getting unstuck.

 

Oof, I feel like there's a story here...

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/that-8-000-lb-winch-is-a-waste-of-money.682105/

 

With 800 feet of rope and about 32 shackles and pulleys you can pull that bitch out by hand.

 

Those heavy trucks just sink deeper and are not the best option for mud.

Where I live if you're not on pavement, you're probably in mud. Staying out of mud isn't an option.

Stay out of low range. That is the opposite approach. You don't finesse your way through mud, you muscle your way though with enough wheel speed to sling mud out of the tires. Basically you're going for broke, "He who hesitates is stuck". Either you muscle your way through or you bury yourself up to the frame. The key is experience. Knowing what you can reasonably get through and what you have no chance to get through is the key. If you have no chance, then go around or go home.

Of course experience is something you get right after you need it. I'd advise going out with some friends, hopefully one with a winch, and get that experience. When you get stuck then you'll know what the limitations of you and the truck are.

And skinny tires are better in mud than wide tires.

I love this old video.

"Oilfield Dodge" Promotional Film 1920s Dodge Brothers Wild Ride - YouTube

 

up at the ol mud bog big trucks are king

 

Oh Goddamnit, I never knew OP's name. I assume we still never got a video?

That's exactly the shit I would love to do

 

The very first question is, what kind of mud? Every extraction is different.

 

Are you a soil scientist or something? Every extraction might be different but all mud is sticky, slippery, suctiony crap. It's like asking what's the difference between Coors Light and Bud Light. The answer doesn't matter because they both suck. lol

 

Full. send mode bouncing off rev limiter and staying close to the edge of the pit . Once you start losing momentum start turning the steering wheel side side and if still no forward progress stop and wait to be pulled out

The idea is to get ontop of the mud by using wheel speed but once you start plowing you're done

 

Same holds for pretty much any low traction situation.

Don't. Loose. Momentum.

Steering side to side is often the best method to get a little bit more grab from the tires, but if you're still running the stock crap tires, they won't help you much. A good all terrain or better yet the aptly named mud terrain is your friend.

But as others said, once you stop, don't just sit there and spin your tires. Once you come to a complete stop, let off the gas.

First thing to try is to back up and try again. But if all you're doing is spinning the tires (forward or backward), stop. You're stuck.

Time for a shovel, traction aides if you have them, or get a tug.

 

I'll offer I lost a 2000 Tundra three years ago by drowning.

My son had a 1st gen Tacoma and tempted me to cross a large creek/small river. We both got stuck but he was able to use the starter to winch out in 4L man transmission, while I sat and drowned in my auto. Among lessons, if you let your truck sit in even a moderately moving stream, the current will scour around tires and dig the truck in deeper and deeper. It started with water in the cab, when rescued water was at the bottom of the steering wheel.

I got it winched out the next day. We changed all the fluids in the wild, then had to go back to change the starter (under intake manifold). I got it 20 miles to the highway then suddenly I lost oil pressure with a plume of oil smoke. Towed it home and sold it for $1800.

 

Jesus man, I'm sorry! I got stuck in water once and it started coming in through my doors, but it wasn't moving. Which meant dirty, stagnant water... Fortunately it was only an inch or two in my cab, and a buddy was able to yank me out. And I did it twice in the same day...

Ever since then I am super hesitant to go through water. This past weekend I got out and measured a water crossing that was like 6" deep, but I couldn't just go in without being sure

 

A little trick we used when making an iffy water crossing it to connect the winch to aft receiver and then proceed across or connect another vehicles winch.
The cable plays out as you go If you get stuck just get winched back. You are already rigged.

Most importantly even on easy crossings. One vehicle at a time.

 

Thank goodness I have smart friends, the first big puddle I was going through, he suggested hooking up a strap and leaving it in my bed. I drove in, got stuck, so he jumped into my bed and flung it backwards, where we hooked to another truck