hey fellas, quick question. im new to off-roading and all the good terrain trackin' but as i got nice and stuck in a little 3ft mud puddle w/ my stock 2003 xlt fx4 5.4 i noticed that when i was sittin there spinning them in 4 high, only one tire in the front and one in the back was moving, i know limited slip did that, but i thought if you are getting no traction at all, they all would spin???

so basically my question is, why dont they all spin when im knee deep in mud?

any info on a rim and tire for a guy who drives road alot but occaisionally loves to get muddy.

any help would greatly be appreciated guys.

 

Don't know but it sounds like you have an Open Rear End and not a Limited Slip or your LS is worn out. That's probably not likely on a truck this new though not impossible. It's normal on the front end no Limited Slip up there.

 

First thing make sure that you actually have a limited slip. One failing of them is when you get into deep gooey mud theres too much resistance and the clutchs slip causing only one wheel to spin. Your front will only ever have one wheel powered since you don't have a limited slip up front from the factory and nobody makes one for the 8.8 IFS. The clutchs slipping is the reason I don't and will never have a LS in my trail truck. I don't wanna have to wonder if I'll have both wheels spinning or not. For offroad true lockers are the only way to go.

 

I don't completely agree with the previous post. Though I agree that lockers are great in certain circumstances they aren't the end all answer for all types of off roading. Nothing will drive you down faster than a locker on a slick side hill. They're great on dry terrain or going straight up hill but suck on wet side hills.

 

I have yet to have a problem with my lockers while on wet side hills. A friend of mine I used to wheel with had a similar truck but it was setup with a LS front/rear and I had lockers front/rear and I was just walking over and through everything and he was struggling in some of it. One place happened to be on a wet side hill. I do agree though that they are not completely perfect, but they are heads and shoulders above limited slips. I can't count how many times my friends LS let him down offroad. The biggest place the lockers suck is their street ability and the binding they create when turning.

 

Yeah, I've owned both though I've never had a LS front end. I have had a locker up front. My experience is the exact opposite of yours. I had a couple in different Mach I's with locker's also. Worst thing I can imagine to drive in the winter. Sorry quagmeyer, didn't mean to hi-jack your thread.

 

quagmeyer,

Sometimes putting some resistance to the rear end will get the other tire turning. I have always used the old "apply the parking brake" a little at a time until the other wheel starts turning. I gotta tell you though, sitting in knee deep mud, the other tire turning is probably just going to bury you deeper. A good rule of thumb that has helped me many times is this. Always check the depth of a mudhole first, with a stick, or something. If it seems ok, and you see tracks coming out the other side, hit it. If it is a hole I feel good about, I'll use 4-hi and try to keep the rpm's up a little. You gotta clean the tires! As soon as forward progress stops I get off the gas. I throw it in reverse and back out in the same ruts I came in on. Once out, I try to regroup and maybe hit it again. Especially if I have another truck with me. The buddy rule is a good rule to follow off-road.
Anyway, sorry for the dissertation. I get carried away. Happy wheelin!
Rich

 

hey fellas, thanx for the 411, im new to the game and my truck (only 1300 miles) so no problem, im just trying to absorb as much information as i possibly can. i appreciate all you guys giving an opinion, cuz your the pros im just trying to catch up. gotta start some where right?


well fellas keep trearin it up
oh and i TOWED a '87 chevy backwards
through 2 miles of mud trails.
he sucked up some water while muddin
i talked sh*t the whole way
BUILT FOR TOUGH

 

My truck did the same thing, I was high-centered, and the only wheel that was touching on the back (would have pushed me right out if it had turned) was just hanging out, not spinning. The one that was up off the ground spun like crazy. What is the point of even having limited slip?