anybody know of sites that show you recovery techniqies? i have no idea how a farm jak is used to recover.

 

Don't use A/T's in wet muddy GA clay or you may slide into a tree. Mud will turn A/T's into slicks and make you slide. I've been there.

 

In your snow situation a jack wouldnt do much.But here in florida when you really really get stuck.You need a jack.
Once you get stuck in loose sand your tires some times dig them so deep that you have asoulutly no wieght in the back and and your suspension is stretched youll need the jack!! What you do is lift up the truck by the axle, then put the 2x6s or 2x8s under the wheels and lower it on to the boards and drive out.How deep is that puddle next to your truck in that pic?unless it was really deep you should have been able to get out going forward with momentum.but i could be wrong.

Straps still can help even if you dont have any one else espescially in snow you can crank it give it some gas etc and get it out extremely slowly.

 

1) Beefy tires (ie not those stock POS ones) and LS will be the difference from making it and getting stuck
2) pick out your line and stick with it, experience will help here but common sense will do wonders
3) momentum
4) if you are going to be out in the dunes/sand and will not be traveling at high speeds air down to 10-15psi
5) Im usually at 35psi for normal dirt trails
6) experience: learn from your mistakes, you'll learn quick what your truck is capable of: keep that in mind and base your lines off of that, etc etc

2wd off-roading can be fun in the sense of a challenge vs those easy going 4x4s but keep in mind our 2wds do have limits... much lower then our 4wd buddies

 

In south florida, there is basically no bottom to the mud. In my experience, if you don't get out in a reasonable amount of time you start to actually sink.

If you start to dig, get out of the gas...it makes it worse.

Ask me how I know

And don't back up down a water crossing you can't see, you might sink your truck (ask me how I knwo)...it cost me 2200 (new tranny)

 

Thank you for reminding me! Every time I went out wheeling I aired down to 12 psi. It gave me enough sidewall grab and flex without making me have to stop before hitting pavement!

If you ever get stuck in a 2wd, the first thing you should do is air down the drive wheel tires.

 

So for a fairly capable 2WD would I be ok with lockers, winch, and bigger tires that are aired down(where it would benefit of course)? That seems about the consensus here along with common sense and momentum lol.

 

Locker, winch, and big meats are the key to 2wd

and momentum

 

definitely momentum... dont come off the gas. youll need more ground clearance than stock (at least n a ranger). better tires, locked/ls rear end. definitely dont wanna go alone. dont fall into ruts.

 

I hadn't thought of this, but it seems like a good trick. I'll try to remember it, thanks.

ehh...about 8-12", but in any case, the depth of the puddle wasn't my problem: both tires eventually lowered into a perfectly fit run over in hardpack snow/ice...I wasn't going forward or backwards

Although your tip might've been able to help me in any case: if I could jack up the axle, I could at least get the tires OUT of the ice and onto a surface with more grip...

 

I've wheel'd 2wd Rangers for about 9 years now, and the best advice I can give you is to be aware of where your front wheels are going when wheelin' slowly down trails and such. If one or both or your front wheels goes into a hole or rut, many times you will not be able to go forward or back out. These types of situations essentially "chock" the tire(s) and will render your truck stuck. I've had this happen a number of times, and I needed to be assisted by another vehicle, even when my rear tires were on firm ground.

Other than that, pretty much everythinghas been pointed out. In deep mud/sand, just drop the hammer and point the wheels for better ground and pray the momentum doesn't stop before you get there.

I have found that if I am going to be in lots of sand for a long period of time, airing down the front tires as well as the rear tires can be beneficial. Do anything to keep from sinking more than necessary. When stopping in sand, try not to make big piles of sand in front of your tires- go easy on the brakes or you may not get going again without a strap.

If you are starting off in wet ground, it might be wise to try and get going without hammering the throttle from the get go. Sometimes if you break the turf, there is no bottom and you'll be down to the axle before you know it. Other times, you just push it to the floor and let 'er eat. (mud tires are your friend in this situation especially)

I've learned a lot about the nature of wheeling by going out in my 2wd. You really get "in-tune" with your vehicle and the terrain. You'll begin to see lines through obstacles: some you can make, some that will require you to probably back down from, and some that will leave you stuck or broken.

And I haven't even brought up traction aiding differentials...

 

i wish i had known the l/s trick when i got high centered, one front one rear was spinning, i know it wouldnt have effected the front one.. but still

i have a 4wd, but all the wheeling stuff i have, is general wheeling crap, about 30ft of chain, hi lift, hi lift base (home made), tools, sprays, i need a strap, winch, shovel!

the hi lift has been the most indispensables part of my arsenal, its saved my *** 3 times when i was alone, and high centered lol

 

my hi lift as i said has saved my ***, once was on this hill

on the back side, i tried to get ontop, tire slid

long story short, the unloaded rear tire and one front tire spun, and did nothing, i jacked up the front from a tow hook, and just backed up, and i was able to get far enough outa the rut i fell into to back down before the supporting jack fell outa place..

the other time was high centered on some rocks, jacked up from the tow hook, stuck rocks under the tires, drove away.. lol


beyond that, if u get all the accessories, the hi-lift can be used as a winch/come along.. just put a chain to the truck or tree, not sure what order ( or if it matters) wrap that chain around the hook of the jack, the other chain/strap around the loop in the end of the jack, and start crankin, wha-la u have a come along lol...

 

I got Terra trax, haven't used them yet but good to have.

www.terra-trax.com

Tires
Locker
Tow points

 

Sprays what do you mean by sprays?
And the shovel is definently a good one! I was thinkin about getting the foldable one that way i can keep it in a tool box 24 hours a day.

 

When u use them let me know how they work.Id think they work pretty good in dry areas but i think if it started to rain or if it iced in cold areas all youll do is spin.

 

the best thing for a 2wd truck is go have fun get stuck dont worry bout buying the other stuff just go wth some one that has 4wd and u will be fine

 

id agrea but also disagre it sucks when your constantly getting stuck id rather be driving threw the mud then sitting in it untli someone else pulls me out.i find getting stuck frustrating.

 

oops double post.

 

True, although getting stuck could be a bummer if you end up breaking stuff trying to get out as so often happens if you don't have the right equipment.

 

Can of wet start or WD40 can be very usefull!

 

hehe...I am afraid to go out on wet grass or mine gets nearly stuck. You guys with the 2wd trucks that are lifted and have big all terrains on them must have fun. Oh well, mine is mainly a pavement pounder anyway, I have no need to go off road.

 

It's hard to break stuff on 2wd...

You can't get deep enough to break your stuff.


Only REAL damage I have done is my transmission, and that was because I backed into basically a lake. I couldn't see.

Other than that, I have only done minor stuff.

Griggs has jumped his truck He broke a spindle shaft and a few other odds and ends.

My opinion, it's so much easier on the truck getting stuck in 2wd. Unless your slamming the transmission or revving to the sky.

If your burried in 4wd, your screwed, your probably burried to the frame and you can't move. If your in 2wd stuck, you just burried the rear end most likely...a lot less damage can occur. Especially when you're only spinning 2 wheels at the most!

 

Don't ask me I get stuck in a two foot snow bank in 4x4



^ Yes I am Stuck there!

 

wait , i forgot the #1 thing needed for mudding in 2wd trucks.

you need 2 coolers full of beer. so when u get stuck if u are by your self, you have something to do to wait for your buddy in a bigger truck to come get you.

plus its easyer to pop a top that try to dig your self out.

also gettting stuck is the most fun part of going out. like how u see on trucks gone wild they purposely go into the biggest holes to see who can come close to getting out