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need tips for first time mud bogger

ciffer

ciffer

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I am entering a mud bog saturday in street stock (8cyl, street legal, upto 35s). I am running an 88 suburban 350/700r4/208/10b.

tires are 31x10.5x15. i currently have old mud tires in the front (baja widetrack m/t) with decent tread, the backs are BFG all-terrain t/a with full tread. both pairs are aired to 40psi.

should I leave the tires where they are or switch them? what should i run for air pressure?

Any general tips would also be helpful. I am not planning to win, or even clear the pit, just looking to have fun.
 
The only tip I have is get 4 MT's on that. Those AT's are a nice tire, but will turn to gooey slicks within the first three feet.

Rene
 
the key is wheel speed here. To get wheel speed you need RPMs, to get rpms you need to be in 4lo and in 1. Maybe 2 if the engine has enough power. The auto will constantly try to up shift and your engine won't have enough power to push through and you lose your momentum. If you have a tach try to shoot for 4500rpm and dont let off until either you have no foward movement or you make it.
 
Other than the advice to have a very powerful hose and lots of water for it afterwards, here's mine:

1. Lock the front hubs BEFORE you start.
2. Shift into 4wd BEFORE you start
3. If the tires ever stop spinning, you're stuck so make sure they spin fast.
4. AT tires will be like slicks.

I failed at all four of those my first couple of tries. :)
 
when you start slowing down and losing momentum, saw your tires back and forth left and right to try and grab some new traction.

also if its really really nasty, seal up your dist cap. and if youve got an open air filter, get rid of that. factoty snorkel type is good and route the intake into the cab or something.


keep the radiator clean, mud gets all up in that and doesnt cool for nothin. if youve got ac still on the truck, clean the rad from the engine bay. just spraying water through the big ac thing in the front doesnt get any mud off the radiator.
 
obijuan said:
when you start slowing down and losing momentum, saw your tires back and forth left and right to try and grab some new traction.

also if its really really nasty, seal up your dist cap. and if youve got an open air filter, get rid of that. factoty snorkel type is good and route the intake into the cab or something.


keep the radiator clean, mud gets all up in that and doesnt cool for nothin. if youve got ac still on the truck, clean the rad from the engine bay. just spraying water through the big ac thing in the front doesnt get any mud off the radiator.
Click to expand...

Speaking of washing a radiator, dont use a power washer, it will blow the fins right off of the tubes... ask me how I know :doah:
 
why 4wlow ? you max out at 30-35mph.

i go 4whigh and man shift from first to 2nd and mabye 3rd . just find the sweet spot and keep it wound up with tires spinnin.
 
it doesn't seem like 4low in 1st or 2nd will get me much for wheel speed, lots of rpms, but not much wheel speed.

should i put the shifter in drive (OD off), 2nd, or something else? should i go WOT and try to stay out of the ruts or do i need to pedal it more.

this suburban is going to get parted out eventually (i have another suburban) so i am not worried about being hard on it, but first goal is have fun, second goal is to try and not grenade anyting important.
 
I'd go with 4 High and 2nd on your tranny that way it will start out in first gear and change to second and rev out there where you can use and wheel speed matched with some good torque. Bring some big water guns and use them to clean out your rad while your out there :D
 
George_Pimpdaddy said:
I'd go with 4 High and 2nd on your tranny that way it will start out in first gear and change to second and rev out there where you can use and wheel speed matched with some good torque. Bring some big water guns and use them to clean out your rad while your out there :D
Click to expand...

There is a hose for cleaning the trucks.

Is there enough of a rev limiter to keep the engine safe WOT in 2nd?
 
weld a bolt to the back of the gas pedal. you should be able to tell when the truck screams through the mud and then when it gets to where its hurtin.
do a couple practice runs somewhere to get the feel of it.
 
should I put the full tread all terrains in the back or the half tread muds?

what about air pressure?
 
I would say the M/T's but it may not matter too much.

I'd air down to about 20. Maybe a little lower if there aren't hard ruts. You want to widen the footprint some, but a hard rut at speed can pop the bead off if you go to low.

I agree with the 4 Low 1st or 2nd as well. I imagine you have 3.08 or 3.73 gears so even with the reduction you'll get some wheel speed.
 
mtblazer89 said:
i would say the m/t's but it may not matter too much.

I'd air down to about 20. Maybe a little lower if there aren't hard ruts. You want to widen the footprint some, but a hard rut at speed can pop the bead off if you go to low.

I agree with the 4 low 1st or 2nd as well. I imagine you have 3.08 or 3.73 gears so even with the reduction you'll get some wheel speed.
Click to expand...

3.42:1
 
definitely 4lo first gear. You can shift the trans if you think it will but most stock motors won't pull second in a decent mud pit.

Alot depends on the mud pit, if guys in your class are blasting right through then just put it in drive in lo range and hammer down. If guys in your class are getting stuck 1st gear 4lo and wait till the valves get out and do a dance on the hood.




then shift:D
 
Don't forget to get someone to take a video or pictures as well!! I'm excited for you but also worried about your set-up (having nightmares about the 700R4...)
 
When i race mud bogs and i do almost every weekend wheel speed is the key as well as tires. i run 4lo 1st gear in my auto trans and peg it to the floor i let the msd rev limiter keep it at 7000 rps all the way through the pits never change gears just hammer down.
 
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