Mud Wrestling

IN THIS FIRST INSTALMENT OF 4X4 AUSTRALIA’S HOW TO OFF-ROAD DRIVING SERIES, WE’RE GOING TO EXAMINE MUD, AND HOW TO BEST DEAL WITH THIS GLOOPY, STICKY, MESSY STUFF WHEN YOU’RE INEVITABLY TASKED WITH DRIVING THROUGH IT

- DEAN MELLOR

MUD wrestling might sound like fun, but it’s always a safe option to try to avoid the sticky, gloopy stuff if you can. Why? Because mud is no good for your 4x4; it can be damaging to paintwork, to mechanical components and to your vehicle’s interior.

And it’s not just your vehicle that can cop damage when driving through mud; aggressive mud-terrain tyres spinning furiously while trying to gain purchase in mud can cause severe damage to roads and tracks, making it more difficult for following vehicles to get through, even after everything has dried up.

As well as vehicle and track damage, if things really don’t go to plan in mud, you could end up stuck … and getting out of sticky, gloopy mud can sometimes be extremely difficult.

So, the next time you’re driving along a track and you’re tempted to drive through a big mud hole, a better option would be to look for a way around it. Of course, sometimes there won’t be an alternative route, or you just might not be able to help yourself, in which case here’s what you’ll need to do …

PREP YOUR VEHICLE