What is the TRUTH about Mudding

[chud53]

Just wondering what you guys no about it, i mean besides its really fun, but what are the problems with mudding in trucks or vehicles? What should we know to watch out for and not get wet and all that stuff, just curious. Because i know my experience mudding i had to have my intake manifold replaced $350 because i got water in the intake manifold, which i found strange because the deepest i ever went in water/mudd was around the bottom of the wheel to the middle of the wheel, so i dont see how water reached the intake manifold...but any input, personal experiences or anything at all would be helpful to us noobs.

[GMSea97]

First thing is if you are in any water, it is every where. You are spinning your wheels and/or hitting it at speed, it splashes everywhere. You have vent tubes on your differentals so water can get in there, the end of plug wires unless siliconed can also get wet. Anything electrical can get shorted out by a drop of water. My little B2 has issues with getting water in the rotorcap. I found brake cleaner works well in removing moisture. Another good rule is if you leak any fluids (ie: that slow oil drip) water can get in those same spots. I have never seen this on the trail but have seen it at a car wash, cold water on a overheated engine block...instant crack. I like to take after I go offroading I cover any thing that water will penetrate with a plastic bag and duct tape and powerwash the engine compartment and total undercarriage. I use a can of brakekleen and paper towels to clean the covered areas. (of coarse after it is totally cooled) Check all fluids for milkyness. That is a sign of water. I take and pull my differental covers loose and drain all fluids and wipe it down the best I can, i have never not seen water in these. Gear Oil and RTV sealent is cheap so... Now this is all I can think of off the top of my head but there is a ton more and this is what I do on my trail rig (ford b2) lol. I have come to know that a daily driver is too expensive to run off-road, my main advise is get a cheap 4x4 and have fun, but for those of you on a budget and insist on useing your daily driver, just be modest don't be the first in the newly discovered water hole. Let the other guys lead and if it is deep water avoid it.

[chud53]

thanks dominick that is very very helpful, i dont offroad very much in my truck but when i do i try to steer clear of water, i just like doing trails, no rock crawling or anything like that but, yeah that helps like what i should do after i do get the truck a little wet. like the rear differential cover is that easy to take off and replace? or are parts going to come falling out when i take it loose???

[Wingnut]

Once you start off-roading regularly, you're going to break a part at least once per trip. It's a law.

 

It may be a $10 u-joint, or a $2000 transfer case...But you're going to break hard parts.

 

[ShakinLM7]

should have got a 3/4 ton

[GMSea97]

rear diff. cover is simple to pull loose nothing but fluid comes out. Differental fluids should be changed once in awhile anyway as regular maintance. I am not sure how you would flush the front diff on these IFS, I never have tried. On my B2 it is as easy as the rear, but that is a double wishbone setup. In my experience axles and U-joints (as stated before ) are always breaking, there is alot of torq being applied to these in off-road situations. If your are serious about getting into offroading start scanning back roads for old 4x4's. I got My B2 and a parts truck for $25 out of a farmers field, he was happy to see them go and I had it in the mud race that weekend with less then $50 in parts. I have had alot of fun for less then $100. Oh yeah, make sure when you wash your truck after muddin to look behind your wheels, like in where the brakes are. This area collects mud which make the tire unbalanced, it doesn't take long on the road to ruin a good tire like this....and ShakinLM7: why should he have gotten a 3/4 ton. My b2 is as small as they get and I run circles around alot of the bigger trucks and I still have the factory rear (welded) and the motor and transmission/transfer case are from a ranger 4.0L

[ShakinLM7]

Before the Sierra all I have ever owned were pre 87 GM trucks, out of 4 four wheel drive truck's 2 were half ton's and I will never own another half ton 4x again! Once you put big heavy tires and a little more HP on the drive train Stuff constantly breaks! The 3/4 ton and the 1 ton 4x I owned gave me little problems. Beat the hell out of them for hours on end, wash them up and do it again next weekend! Thats just my .02

[chud53]

dang GMC lucky man, im sure you've added stuff on it though since you bought it right??? cuz thats what im thinking about doing now is because my dad has a 1976 GMC jimmy that has been sitting in our backyard since like 97' it doest run so im thinking about saving my money and fixing it up. It probly wont cost much to get it running but what do you think of that as an Off roader??? What are the main upgrades to make an offroading machine? besides a lift and tires, cuz i plan on putting a big lift on it like a 10 or 12'' lift...its gonna be sweet

[GMSea97]

Here is what I use for muddin...I really have nothing else in it. Everything was from the farm and the tires from a previous truck. First thing was a new battery then I just freshened up all the fluids and plugs. I sawzalled the fenders as far up as possible without cutting the inner fenders, then I used a piece of polyurethan block I had and made lift blocks for the rear axle and spacers for the front coil springs. Total lift 3 inches: tires are 36" swampers. Really they are to big. The 4.0 engine was already in the b2, the guy I got it from said it was a ranger engine/tansmission/transfer case. A jimmy would make a perfect toy, stay small with it though if you are going to run the factory engine, no more then like 33's. You would be surprised where you can go with a light truck and knobby tires. Another thing is if it is going to be for off-roading only, screw a locker weld the rear differental up...you will now have posi-trac. Only thing is it doesn't help with turning. lol Also with the jimmy they sell small block v8 conversion kits cheap... that thing would be nasty with a v8 and 33's.

 

[chud53]

well it is a 76' jimmy so it has a 350 im sure but i think it could cost some money to get her running again but im going to look into it seriously i think the first thing i have to do is get her running, New radiator, gas tank, some engine work and it should run, i know they sell ridiculous lifts for the gmc/chevy jimmy and k5 blazer's like 10'' and 12'' lifts but that would throw my center off and make it susceptible to rolling over, but would look sweet nonetheless

[ShakinLM7]

That jimmy might have a 305 to but you wont know till you check the numbers on the block. If its a 350 that's not to worn out you should be able to get some decent power out of her for cheap. There are a TON of used parts for cheap floating around. I had a nine inch lift I had on my 86 half ton silverado than I swapped it to my 87 3/4 ton Custom deluxe. 9 inches of lift with 40's was pretty stable off road. You just have to slow down a little on corners starting out, once you get used to it you can just powerslid through them On my last truck 81 GMC 1 ton I lifted it 12 inches and put 44's on it. there was no stopping that thing!!! 1 of the 2 times I buried it I had to have a big semi tow truck pull me out. But I couldn't tell much of a difference between driving the one ton or the 3/4. Both of the lifts I had were all suspension lifts all 9 & 12 inches out of leaf springs. I think I paid 500 for the 9 inch lift. that came with everything I needed. The 12 inch I bought new and I think that was close to a thousand. I recomend using all leaf spring and not using big lift blocks you'll be replacing your leaf springs quite often depending on how much and how hard your going to drive it. I guess a body lift and suspension lift combo would work but why when you can get a suspension lift for so cheap.

 

Good luck on the truck

[Schmids5.3l]

Find something to shield your fan, because when water/mud hit that, it sprays ALL OVER the d**n place...I mudded my old Ford all the time. The motor would be brown...everything under the hood was brown. Im sure a skid plate would help.

[GMSea97]

oh my bad, I seen 97 and it stuck in my head as a 97. sorry

[chud53]

oh hhahah, yeah it was going to be my first truck but my dad and I are pretty anal and if we are going to fix her up were going to drop like 10,000 into her to make her look new. But my dad bought it new back in 1975 and said he made sure to pick the 350 because its a real strong engine but im going to weigh my options because to take out the old engine and install a new one a shop close by said they would do it for 600 so im thinking about just gettin a new or remanufactured engine, but im gonna take some pics of the old jimmy and put em up here