Got stuck, I really need new shoes for the Runner!!!

[omaguz]

Went with my dad to look at a property for a possible housing development and got stuck for about 4 hours because my OEM wheels and tires couldn't handle the terrain. I really need a new set-up because, needless to say, I don't want to get stuck again while doing some mild wheeling!!!

 

[DEKA3]

Getting new tires is the best mod you can do to your truck. I have the Goodyear Silent Armors. A lot of people on here swear by the Goodyear Duratracs

 

[K0nfusion]

That sucks! Did you try the A-TRAC? Mine is stock as well, so I'm just curious how it played out...

 

[Canazes9]

Did you air down? Difficult to be certain looking at pictures, but you don't appear to be aired down. Dropping the tire pressure down to 15-20psi can make a huge difference in off road traction. Again, difficult to be certain looking at the pictures, but you don't appear to have been badly stuck. Had the tires been aired down you may not have gotten stuck.

Absolutely I would want more aggressive AT/MT tires, I would consider going to a 17" rim for increased off road performance as well as upgrading the tires. But tires/rims would be my second purchase. My first purchase would be a high quality air pump that would reliably allow me to air down and re-inflate.

David

 

[omaguz]

I did tried it but in the really thick stuff the tires just couldn't get a grip.

 

[omaguz]

No David I didn't aired down the tires because I don't own an air compressor yet. I wasn't supposed to be there in the first place to begging with so I didn't have any tools with me, and to tell you the truth it was my first time going off road with the runner. But since I will be visiting other properties very soon I need to start thinking of modding the truck for some mild to moderate off roading, nothing to fancy!!! Thanks buddy!!!

 

[Titanpat57]

I'm not sure how much better any tire would've performed by the looks of the depth of the mud..airing down would certainly help, as a bit more aggressive tire, but I think you better get out and check the lay of the land prior to going nuts deep. Some other options would be a "sand ladder" /traction board, but that only works if you have a way to jack the truck up and get them under the tires.

I think if you and Pop are going to be checking out real estate on a regular basis...you need a TE..

 

[1engineer]

I concur with [MENTION=47340]Titanpat57[/MENTION]. There are conditions where airing down helps tremendously and there are conditions where airing down is no help whatsoever. Really wet muddy conditions (unfortunately common in my neck of the woods) require a deep cleated tire that easily cleans itself due to wider spacing between cleats. Sand, hard packed loose rock and dirt are good conditions to air down. Wet stick mud needs a better tire. I agree too with going with 17" wheels if you are going off the road much. Will allow larger selection of tires and leave a larger "footprint" if you have to air down.

 

[philsey]

Good story.

"Hey Papi, let's take my "rig", it's got got all that 4wd shit man". Sure sounds like something I'd have done.
[MENTION=93850]omaguz[/MENTION] It'd be cheaper to hire that kid that rescued you for those trips into the wilderness.... keep that pretty LE for collectin' rent.

 

[Canazes9]

There are conditions where airing down helps tremendously and there are conditions where airing down is no help whatsoever.

hmmm

Seems we have found another area where your experience is vastly different than mine (assuming you are referring to off-road conditions). I have yet to find a situation that airing down a tire did not offer significantly better traction off-road than the same tire at street pressure. Airing down always helps - sometimes it helps more than others, but it always helps.

David

 

[K0nfusion]

[mention=93850]omaguz[/mention] it'd be cheaper to hire that kid that rescued you for those trips into the wilderness.... Keep that pretty le for collectin' rent.

oh snap!!

 

[Titanpat57]

hmmm

Seems we have found another area where your experience is vastly different than mine (assuming you are referring to off-road conditions). I have yet to find a situation that airing down a tire did not offer significantly better traction off-road than the same tire at street pressure. Airing down always helps - sometimes it helps more than others, but it always helps.

David

once the street tire "lugs" fill with mud..riding on the rims wont help

 

[SigSense]

Looks like El Yunque stopped the T4R!

 

[Canazes9]

once the street tire "lugs" fill with mud..riding on the rims wont help

As I stated initally, I'm all in favor of putting more aggressive tires on any vehicle that is going to be driven off road - this is not a question of whether or not I think a more aggressive tire would be a tremendous help in muddy conditions (I most certainly do!). Having spent the last 45 years of my life in some of the nastiest muddy conditions available (South Louisiana, Southeast Texas), I've had ample time to test these theories for myself. When you lower the tire pressure you lower dramatically increase the contact patch surface area and decrease the surface area loading. Regardless of the tread pattern and the conditions at hand that's a recipe for improving grip in off road conditions.

Would it have been enough in this particular situation? I have no idea, maybe. Would it have afforded more traction? No question about it. I've seen many a full blown MT tire completely filled with mud, completely unable to self clean. I've ridden ATV's with folks w/ seemingly identical set-ups that weren't able to go through the same slop I was because they insist on inflating their tires till "they feel kinda hard", instead of putting the recommended 2-5psi in them.

I've "been there, done that". I've gotten vehicles stuck in conditions similar to those in the pics, stopped aired down and gotten out. Please note: I did not say that I went through the deepest nastiest slop with aired down street tires - I said I've gotten a 4wd with P-Metric street tires stuck in similar mild, muddy conditions, aired down and gotten out. They were 265/70R17's on my '07 Dodge Ram 1500, so they aired down a little better than the OP's 20" tires.

David

 

[JB.]

hmmm
I have yet to find a situation that airing down a tire did not offer significantly better traction off-road than the same tire at street pressure. Airing down always helps - sometimes it helps more than others, but it always helps.

Admittedly not a common scenario, but it's presented itself a few times. A dirt road with icy tracks and snow in the middle that periodically scrapes the undercarriage. Theoretically, the higher pressure helps traction but, ignoring that, the extra half an inch of ground clearance definitely does.

 

[Canazes9]

hmmm

expSeems we have found another area where your erience is vastly different than mine (assuming you are referring to off-road conditions). I have yet to find a situation that airing down a tire did not offer significantly better traction off-road than the same tire at street pressure. Airing down always helps - sometimes it helps more than others, but it always helps.

David

Admittedly not a common scenario, but it's presented itself a few times. A dirt road with icy tracks and snow in the middle that periodically scrapes the undercarriage. Theoretically, the higher pressure helps traction but, ignoring that, the extra half an inch of ground clearance definitely does.

Agreed. When you have a firm road bed underneath, it's an entirely different situation.

David

 

[1engineer]

hmmm

Seems we have found another area where your experience is vastly different than mine (assuming you are referring to off-road conditions). I have yet to find a situation that airing down a tire did not offer significantly better traction off-road than the same tire at street pressure. Airing down always helps - sometimes it helps more than others, but it always helps.

David

once the street tire "lugs" fill with mud..riding on the rims wont help

This. Anytime your tread is in a material that will not "clean" from the tread block (wet mud and wet snow primarily) airing down is pretty much useless as is anything else except getting a tire with a larger tread block and lots of sipes. Again, dirt (not clay), rocks and gravel, loose or packed sand and drier snow are surfaces where less ground pressure is better. Actually the best tire for wet snow and clay based mud is a thin tire with deep lugs. Think tractor tires.

 

[Canazes9]

This. Anytime your tread is in a material that will not "clean" from the tread block (wet mud and wet snow primarily) airing down is pretty much useless as is anything else except getting a tire with a larger tread block and lots of sipes. Again, dirt (not clay), rocks and gravel, loose or packed sand and drier snow are surfaces where less ground pressure is better. Actually the best tire for wet snow and clay based mud is a thin tire with deep lugs. Think tractor tires.

You are once again speaking completely outside of your knowledge base. Off roaders have been airing down so long for muddy conditions it's considered step 1, just like rock crawling, just like sand. Your insistence that airing down tires won't improve traction in muddy conditions is just wrong. Your insistence that lugs filling w/ mud automatically result in a stuck vehicle is comical.

I've seen more than one tractor buried up the axle, some worse than that because their operators believed that keeping the tires turning and clearing the lugs was a recipe to freedom as they dug a hole to China. Its interesting that all the ATV's on the market come w/ very wide tires designed to operate at low pressure - these ATV's perform amazingly well in mud, even with the lugs completly caked w/ mud. I wonder why?????

I hope no one is foolish enough to follow your advice to not air down their tires because the trail conditions are muddy.

David

 

[omaguz]

It definitely was close to El Yunke, please next time you visit gime me a call!!!!

 

[omaguz]

I was trying to post more pics of the situation but they are to big. But the real advice I need from you guys is if I decided to buy new tires and wheels, what is the best set-up I could fit without investing in a new suspension. I love the Konig Countersteer Wheels and nitto terras!!! Any suggestions???