Getting tires to clear sticky mud?

Last weekend I made a trip up to Bodie, and got caught in a storm on the Bodie Masonic dirt road. Parts of this were gravel, so no problem, but some parts seemed to be more like a sticky clay.

This was fine to drive dry, but once it got wet, it was sticking to my tires in a layer about 1.5 inches thick! I had to crawl along a flat stretch in 4-lo road because the rear end was slipping around so much.

At the time I attributed this to my stock Toyo tires - I have a TRD Sport, so they aren't all-terrain. Thinking about it some more, I wonder if my driving technique (novice) made things worse.

What's the best way to drive this kind of sticky mud on a relatively flat and smooth dirt road?

 

You'd need a tire that can clear the mud from between the treads more easily. But with that said the treads won't clear in sticky mud if you are crawling along, you need a bit of wheel spin to help throw the mud out of the treads. Not sure if it's actually the proper way to do it but I've always done small bursts of throttle to spin the wheels and clean out the tires but stay a manageable speed for the terrain, if it's flat smooth road speed can be your friend.

 

I guess it kind of depends on what you mean by "sticky" mud. I've seen mud that is essentially like thick glue, and sticks to *everything*, super cool high tech mud tires be damned.

I've also had to get out and take a shovel or stick and clear the mud away because it was filling up the wheel wells.

Not really sure there is a "best" method for dealing with mud, except just getting *really* dirty...

 

Some types of clay (maybe all, but my wet clay driving experiences are limited to southern Utah, I had MT tires both times in wet clay) will stick no matter your tire tread. As far as I know the only way to clear it is to spin the tires once you get out of the clay. As you experienced, when the clay sticks to the tire they turn into donuts and you start to fish tail. A lot if clay roads to Utah/Arizona have a sign that says "impassable when wet"

Pro tip: wet clay shelf roads are suicidal

 

Best pro tip ever.

Like others have said. Spinning the tires is the only way to clear mud out of the tread.

When I drive in clay like that I just keep a steady momentum. if I start to slip or slow down up a hill I give it some gas. if that don't work give it more gas.

Pro tip. When in doubt power out

 

Thanks everyone! I think spinning the wheels to clear everything would definitely have helped. I pussied out once I fishtailed and slowed right down

 

Here's my Pro Tip:

"When in doubt, throttle out."

Maybe avoid that on the shelf roads, though.

 

It wasn't a "shelf" road, but if I had slid off then I would have needed pulling out by a wrecker. I would have taken a picture if I hadn't been so busy trying not to soil myself

 

You're not kidding.

I just took a trip through Southern Utah. I was headed for Natural Bridges National Monument and stopped for the night off a gravel road on the road out to Bear Ears. Nice gravel road. Rained that night and I remembered the sign. Next morning, no problem. I side tripped and followed the road out to Bear Ears. Just after passing between the Bear Ears the gravel ended. It was like trying to chase the Zamboni around the ice rink. Tires loaded up with mud and I slid from one side of the road to the other.

I don't think I got 1/4 mile before I turned around. I wanted so much to get a pic but I needed to get out of there first so I didn't stop. "Impassable When Wet" was right.