Ok, so i just purchased my 1997 Ford Explorer Sport 2Dr. 4x4 and all is well. I have a few friends that want me to go mudding with them, but my tires are not up to standard. So my question would be if i were to buy new tires to go mudding with, (I am thinking Firestone Destinations) would i need to buy the m/t (Max Terrain), or would i be fine with the a/t (All Terrain)?
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Mudding is generally done with vehicles equipped with Mud Terrain (M/T) tires, as they give the most traction in the deep gooey stuff...or at least they're supposed to.
Really tires don't matter as much as vehicle height and how much stuff is between the tires. A stock height vehicle will generally get stuck in deep mud pretty quick just because it will all pack up in front of the bumper, or at least in front of the drivetrain and low-hanging undercarriage. Lifted vehicles made for mudding will have tons of space between the tires, and will be able to go through very deep mud.
You could get M/T tires just for mudding, but some All-Terrains (A/T) do okay as well, and are generally better for a vehicle that sees more street use than mud use.
You might even just try it with the tires you have now.
Even more than mud tires, key equipment for mudding is recovery gear, such as tow hooks on your vehicle, recovery straps, etc. Plan on getting stuck and be sure the people you go with will be able to pull you out, and vise versa.
Really tires don't matter as much as vehicle height and how much stuff is between the tires. A stock height vehicle will generally get stuck in deep mud pretty quick just because it will all pack up in front of the bumper, or at least in front of the drivetrain and low-hanging undercarriage. Lifted vehicles made for mudding will have tons of space between the tires, and will be able to go through very deep mud.
You could get M/T tires just for mudding, but some All-Terrains (A/T) do okay as well, and are generally better for a vehicle that sees more street use than mud use.
You might even just try it with the tires you have now.
Even more than mud tires, key equipment for mudding is recovery gear, such as tow hooks on your vehicle, recovery straps, etc. Plan on getting stuck and be sure the people you go with will be able to pull you out, and vise versa.
Schobanger
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m/t stands for max terrain not mud terrain, and you are saying it is totally not necessary to use m/ts?? because a/ts are much cheaper, and it would benefit me more because i normally use my car as a daily driver, but would like to get some mudding in over the summer
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M/T is Mud Terrain and A/T is All Terrain, standard industry designation for tire types. Firestone may brand their Mud Terrain as 'Max Terrain' but that's just for advertising, or possibly to get across that you can use it for more than mud. Lots of dedicated off-road rides use mud terrains for everything from rock crawling to baja racing.
You should equip your vehicle based on the use it normally sees. There's no point in dumping money into a daily driver to make it better at mud bogging if you will just do that once in a great while, and the rest of the time use it as your daily driver with almost all paved road use. Mud tires will waste gas and are usually pretty noisy, too.
The Explorer is pretty capable off road, especially the short-wheelbase Sport, and with 4 wheel drive. All-terrains will give you the best of both worlds, both the off-road traction when you need it, and the smooth, safe pavement manners on-road.
You can still do mild mudding in a stock Explorer with all-terrains, just don't try to go through thick mud that's higher than the bottom of the bumper, or through water much higher than the tires. Really its best not to go into water deeper than the bottom of the body or doors if you want to stay dry and not have to air out the carpet or put up with a nasty smell.
Whatever tires you use, you should still invest in some recovery gear. It'd suck to get stuck, then have no way to get it out. Even worse, having to go get the gear or a tow...and come back to find your ride stripped, or that someone has pulled it out for you..all the way to wherever they took it. Sucks but it does happen.
You should equip your vehicle based on the use it normally sees. There's no point in dumping money into a daily driver to make it better at mud bogging if you will just do that once in a great while, and the rest of the time use it as your daily driver with almost all paved road use. Mud tires will waste gas and are usually pretty noisy, too.
The Explorer is pretty capable off road, especially the short-wheelbase Sport, and with 4 wheel drive. All-terrains will give you the best of both worlds, both the off-road traction when you need it, and the smooth, safe pavement manners on-road.
You can still do mild mudding in a stock Explorer with all-terrains, just don't try to go through thick mud that's higher than the bottom of the bumper, or through water much higher than the tires. Really its best not to go into water deeper than the bottom of the body or doors if you want to stay dry and not have to air out the carpet or put up with a nasty smell.
Whatever tires you use, you should still invest in some recovery gear. It'd suck to get stuck, then have no way to get it out. Even worse, having to go get the gear or a tow...and come back to find your ride stripped, or that someone has pulled it out for you..all the way to wherever they took it. Sucks but it does happen.
unclemeat
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If you are going to do any serious mudding, extend the breather hoses on the differentials, transmission and transfer case. The air intake is behind the right headlight, and is a very weak point because it will suck water at a shallow depth and destroy your engine.
Recovery equipment is a must. Knowledge is very important. Wheel with experienced people. Dont go first. Mudding is fun, but it can kill you vehicle if you are careless or ignorant.
Recovery equipment is a must. Knowledge is very important. Wheel with experienced people. Dont go first. Mudding is fun, but it can kill you vehicle if you are careless or ignorant.
Schobanger
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so, since this truck is my daily driver, i have decided to go with some a/t tires, save on some gas, smooth ride, etc. I am also most likely going to get some recovery equipment for the few times i will be mudding. any suggestions?
StryctNy9e
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Yea I would definetly get some recovery gear. A coulpe 20ft tow straps, and a comealong. I went mudding a month ago and ended up getting stuck. You can check out the thread. Learning the hard way
Anyways learn from my mistakes and go with friends(I was with friends but not another vehical or any recovery gear) and take it easy.It is very easy to get all amped up and say hell yea im gonna take that F**kin hole right there and next thing you know your taking on water and spending the day trying to get your EX out with no equiptment. But always remember if something does go wrong just go with it and have fun!!! Take in the experience and gain some knowlege out of it.
p.s. As you can see I had street radials on my Exploder in the pic ans still went through some pretty heavy $h*t before I got stuck.
Anyways learn from my mistakes and go with friends(I was with friends but not another vehical or any recovery gear) and take it easy.It is very easy to get all amped up and say hell yea im gonna take that F**kin hole right there and next thing you know your taking on water and spending the day trying to get your EX out with no equiptment. But always remember if something does go wrong just go with it and have fun!!! Take in the experience and gain some knowlege out of it.
p.s. As you can see I had street radials on my Exploder in the pic ans still went through some pretty heavy $h*t before I got stuck.
Schobanger
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comealong meaning?
StryctNy9e
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it is a tool that is basically a portable hand cranked winch. You can hook one side to a tree or any other kind of ancor and the other to your vehical and pull yourslel out of mud or ditch. Get a 8000k comealong from harbor freight tool they are only like $26 and will come in handy. They will not save you in every situation. Oh yea bring them shovels.
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