I got a 02' 4 x 4 Supercab F150...............when i am going mudding should it be in 4 High or 4 Low ?? or what?? im new to the whole mudding and dont know what to do ..please help

 

4 high and keep 'em turning! Wheel speed will alow the tread to clear itself and get another bite. Enjoy! As I get older, I get less enjoyment out of cleaning up afterwards lol!
Bill

 

I am a firm believer in only using 4x4 when you need it. When I go muddin' I go in 2WD until I get stuck-then determine whether I need high or low. Most people can get through what they need or want to in 2WD. It usually works better for me like that. Can I get a

 

yeah, you can hit it in 2wd, but down here in red clay , once you stop ur toast (so trying in 2wd and switching to 4wd when stuck isnt an option) but that will work. either way 4lo wont spin the tires fast enough to churn the mud.

btw i found a new site www.misfits4x4.net

 

4 high man also know the limits of ur truck and know when is a bad or good time for muddin check ur area and know it pretty well incase u get in deep i live in corpus christi texas plenty of mudd here haha last of all enjoy it and stay safe

 

thanks for the help.............yeah up here in D/FW area theres lots of red clay and stuff so high will be the best bet. thanks everyone ffor the replies

 

Apparently turning the wheels at 65mph isn't fast enough to get you stuck, huh?

Low range, on a stock truck, at red-line will run you between 60 and 65mph depending on what size tires you're running. Additionally, it'll take a lot of the strain off the transmission and keep the engine up in the power band so it doesn't bog at under 2500 rpms.

Oh, and as for the high/low debate, there is no right answer for every situation. Sometimes low doesn't get you going fast enough, sometimes high bogs the drivetrain and doesn't have the power to let the wheels spin through the gumbo.... every mud pit is different every day. You have to see what works for the conditions.

-Joe

 

I have finally realized that if you put the truck in 4 lo when you know you are going to need 4 wheel drive will get you through it without incident. If you go into a hole in 4 hi and get stuck there is less of a chance of getting out in 4 lo - if 4 lo would have been engaged to begin with you probably would've gone right through it. BUT - theres nothing like puutin her in 4 hi and lettin the chunks fly.

 

I just came back from some mud and I am extremely impressed with my truck and its capability. I went through some stuff that I never thought it could do. It gave me a new confidence in the vehicles capacity. I usually stayed in 2wd until I was going through some deeper mud then I went to 4hi. I never placed it in 4LO, i believe that the lower gear is for additional torque to climb and get out of being stuck or deep deep stuff where you need to go slow and have plenty of grunt to get through it. I have read that one of the tricks is not to stop in the middle, and to turn your steering from side to side as you're going through to keep good traction. Have fun and good luck. Use common sense. And take it easy, she should get you out.

 

a lot of times i hit the mud in 2wd. sometimes even if i dont think ill need it put it in 4 hi just to see some mud fly and i save 4 low for the deep stuff or when i get stuck. keep turning ur wheel from side to side to keep a good biting edge. if u think ur stuck keep sawin the wheel and try reverse. if you get stuck in 4 low tho ur screwed.

 

When I off-road, I use 2wd. I only use 4wd when I'm stuck.

 

got any pictures of your truck? I am living in Corpus right now, just want to keep an eye out for ya. Where do you go mudding at around these parts. I've only been down the national sea shore about 35 miles(way past the 4wheel drive sign) and didnt even have to put it in 4 wheel drive. dont really know anymore places around here

 

I have an automatic tranny and 4Lo is not a good gear to drive in unless you're driving slow. The shifting of the auto tranny causes a lot of jerking. Sometimes, the jerking might cause you to lose control. Worse yet is when you hit the rev limiter. That's kind of dramatic and will probably scare the s--t outta ya the first time you experience it. I suppose you could hold it in second, but why not just drive in first gear in 4Hi?

Too much torque, especially when in 4Lo, can get you into trouble. If you ever have a chance to take a Land Rover driving class, you'll learn that the less torque you use to ascend a hill, the better. Too much torque, as when driving in Low Range, can get you stuck, especially if the hill you're ascending is muddy and bumpy.

People with stick shifts can drive in low range at higher speeds than we can with our auto trannies. The auto tranny can downshift when you least expect it and that burst of torque will often get you into trouble. When driving in mud and sand, you want smooth power. Hard to do that when an auto tranny shifts when you don't want it to. In 4Hi, the shift up and down is smooth when compared to shifting in 4Lo.

So, sand, mud, and any low traction situation, I'm always in 4Hi. The only time I use 4Lo is when I need more control at slow speeds, such as when ascending or descending a rocky hill or climbing over rocks.