Mud is my Enemy

I thought I had read all the post about tires and what other people were doing to their trucks but I must have failed !
I have a '99 Suzuki with a 4" lift I installed and 6x12 ag tires, all was well in early summer while there was a small amount of mud and not much rain but now I'm in trouble.... BIG TROUBLE we have had the most rain in late summer and fall on the coast of South Carolina. I have been getting stuck about every weekend and have started looking for options to change my truck. I called Crossroads and purchased a set of spacers to install a larger set of tires and wheels and a bracket to mount a front winch (which I haven't put on yet) but maybe some of you with these widebody trucks can help... I think the tires I have are too skinny and when it spins the truck goes straight down, the third thing I need to do is add diff lock front and rear.
How about some of you in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or Georgia can relate to this sloppy mud.... what do you think I need to do first and how wide of a tire should I install (if I had the money I would look at the Track Kit for Mini Trucks but this is out of the budget) I guess my question is will the wider flotation tires help with the truck going to the frame.
Also the water is so deep in places that I'm pushing two to three foot of water on the front bumper but it does still go.
Any thoughts on this issue will be helpful.

 

with the little 23" tires the lower control arms and rack and pinion are only a few inches off the ground, then when you spin the tires the trucks starts digging and you are pushing dirt and you are dead.

 

Most mudders' stick with a narrower tire, I think it has to do with less tread to clean out while running through the mud. The taller tire should help to keep from bulldozing mud and dirt in front of you and the diffs would be the most effective upgrade...

 

in the mud i have found two things:

wide tires give you floatation but not necessarily traction.

narrow tires let you sink but will hit the bottom (hopefully before any steering components or axles) and if they are tall enough will get you some traction.

i actually had really good luck with my stock 145/12's... not the best traction but they would get to the bottom of the mud and get me rolling along. with the wider (street) tires i still do ok but seem to slip and slide a little more.

 

I am in Louisiana and we run 26x9.50x12 Interco Vampires on our wheelers. They also make a 25 tall tire. These will pull when nothing else will.
http://www.intercotire.com/tires.php?id=29&g=3

 

Thanks Barneyrb,
I'm the General Manager for a group of Tire and Automotive stores and I know those tires..... I don't know if they will be too wide or not.... people just don't know about GUMBO MUD do they... God you have to love it to play in it.... or hunt in it!!!!!!!!!

Archeric

 

archeric,

contact "allan" another member here who has created a differential kit to help out those who have open diff issues. or search the threads for (limited slip kit) I have his kits in my mitsubishi's and it makes a noticeable difference.

sand is my enemy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ_nD-diLMY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=locWAUEcxOQ

 

I will and I have read the post........ Thanks Dan

 

I have the Nanco Ag Lug tires and wouldnt substitute them for anything.... Of course I do alot of hauling firewood, so I need something that has a load rating to it....

Im not sure that wider tires will solve the problem.... a diff. locker will help though.

They have the Ag Lugs in 25 inch also....

 

mud and guts

the boys in soggy bottom use itp 30" mud lites on 14"wheels and they work providing you keep motor at6000 rpm.i use 8 inch lift with 23" carlisle 4 wheeler tires only have problems with sandy creek bottoms,also the 30 " tires are a really rough ride ,here are some before and after of my truck it goes better like this because it is up out of the mud and my motor does not have to work as hard always stay in 4 low anyway ,i do not have diff lock or axle lock

 

sorry ,here are the pics

 

Thanks everone....... I know I need and want diff-locks front and rear thats on the wish list.... Ace cutter great pictures but the first picture looks like 30" tires and the rest of the pics look like 23' tires..... I made another reply but don't know where it went so if this is a double post sorry. if they are 30's I think I might try 27's on mine.

Archeric

 

When going in gumbo mud in these trucks, is there a need to tear down the drivetrain and replace and/or re-grease and repack your bearings?

 

the 30" tires were on it 1st,but i had no power .and had to stay in 1st and 2nd gear so i went down tothe 23" tires now i have my power back and runs thru mud great ,super swamper makes a 27' tire in the tsl series they go good but they are heavy,

 

where did you get the 8 inch lift?