Going Mudding? Essentials For Your Next Off-Road Adventure
Customizing your off-road truck or SUV with top-of-the-line mudding gear helps you sling more mud when you head out for a weekend event, to hang out with your buddies, or for a private 1-on-1 with nature. There are mud accessories to help you get dirtier, stay cleaner, plow through deeper obstacles, and pull yourself out when the obstacles run a little too deep. For new off-road enthusiasts, finding the right place to start your custom build can be difficult. With a little planning, however, you can customize your truck and be the hardcore mudder trucker you’re meant to be.
A Different Kind Of Off-Roading
Sure. Overlanders, rock crawlers, and trail runners might have to navigate a couple of mud patches on the way to their destination during any given outing, but when mud IS the destination, you need mudding gear on your truck that is meant to handle harsh conditions all day long. Wet fields, lakeshores, creeks, rivers, bogs, and swampland all present unique challenges to traverse, and those challenges can put your build’s power, resiliency, and down-right durability to the ultimate test. Before you push yourself and your vehicle in the wild, you need to make sure it’s ready with the right parts to handle the pressure.
Rise Above The Mud
ReadyLIFT 18-22 Wrangler JL Coil Spring Leveling Kit 2.5 in. Front Lift 2 in. Rear Lift Black Spring w/Shock Extensions - 69-6827
$699.95
ReadyLIFT Coil Spring Leveling Kit – 69-6827 Features:Coil Spring Leveling Kit… read more
Lift kits and leveling kits are necessary if you want to challenge deep, uneven patches of mud. Leveling kits, like this ReadyLift Spring Kit, raise the front of your truck up even with the often higher rear-end. This improves your angle of attack entering the mud.
Daystar Ram 1500 Lift Kit 4 Inch 4.0 Series Tactical 2019 RAM 1500 4WD Non Air Ride Trucks - 4003108
$584.00
Daystar 4.0 Series Tactical Lift Kits is a 4 inch lift and leveling system designed by enthusiast engineers for consumers who want just enough lift...… read more
Lift kits, in contrast, raise the entire chassis, providing additional clearance for larger tires and traversing larger obstacles when mudding. This Daystar 4” Lift Kit for the Ford F-150 gives one of the most popular models on or off the road an extra four inches of room to run bigger rubber and keep the running boards dry.
Get A Better Angle
Mud accessories won’t do you a lot of good if you can only play in the shallowest of puddles, so making sure your front-end doesn’t get in the way of your fun is important. An aftermarket bumper can give you more front-end clearance or a better angle of attack entering mud, forging creeks, and navigating obstacles in the field. As an example, the ADD Pro Bolt-On Bumper from Addictive Desert Designs on the Ford Raptor gives you a trim, durable bumper for aggressive entry while still protecting your stock intercooler. For even more extreme angles, kits that let you relocate components, such as your intercooler, create the space you need to really trim out the bumper area for steep entries and exits.
Protect The Goods
Skid plates may not get a lot of attention after they’re bolted onto the underside of your chassis, but they’re an important part of protecting the time, money, and busted knuckles you’ve put into customizing your mudding truck or SUV. The skid plates on a 4x4 need to be able to brush off the hard hits for the terrain, which is especially important when you can’t be 100% sure of what the terrain is under that mud and water. Skid plates are available in a variety of styles and materials for almost every off-road vehicle. The best way to find the top options for your mudder is to enter your make and model at the top of the page before searching out parts selection. We’ll help pre-filter results, so you get a tailored list from the top brands in mud accessories.
Ease Up On The Pressure
ARB Twin Air Compressor Kit, 24V - CKMTA24
$868.75
ARB Twin Air Compressor Kit, 24VThe ARB High Performance 24-Volt On-Board Twin Air Compressor Kit (CKMTA24) is just what you've been looking for! This twin...… read more
Even mudding tires can benefit from a lower pressure once you get off the road and are ready to get dirty. Lowering the psi for runs is a practice popular across off-roading motorsports as it allows the tire to have more surface area in contact with the ground while making it slightly softer when managing whoops, bumps, and drops. If you go too low, however, you may be flirting with danger and a flat. Even without catastrophe, having an onboard ARB twin air compressor means you can get your tires ready for the road again after a hard day mudding. Its powerful motor makes re-inflation quick and easy on or off the trail.
Push Your Vehicle But Be Ready To Pull
While you’re customizing your vehicle with the top mud accessories, your skills will evolve and improve as you tackle tougher terrain, but when you push a little too far or fast, even the best mudder can find themselves bogged down. Adding an off-road winch to your rig is a great way to have the power on hand to pull yourself free of errors in judgment. Don’t forget to load up with shackles, blocks, extensions, tree huggers, and the other winch accessories that make sure you can pull big and pull successfully, whatever the mudding conditions. Consider a package deal, like the ARB Premium Recovery Kit that ticks off a lot of those preparedness boxes for one reasonable price.
Keep In Touch
You should never go mudding alone. The presence of a spotter, an extra pair of hands for pushing, or just someone else in the case of an emergency, should never be underestimated. Make sure you’re ready for clear communications with your team, whether they’re a buddy who got out of the cab to scout the next obstacle and spot for you, or another vehicle you’re running with. An ICOM 2-Way Radio can keep your whole team on the same page and it provides a way to get help if there’s an emergency that happens far from good cellphone reception.
Get Dirty But Keep Your Truck Clean
Ok. We know that isn’t happening. You can, however, keep mud from penetrating your floor’s carpet with Husky Floor Liners. Durable and covered by a lifetime guarantee, these custom-fit liners use cleats to hold firmly in place, while the top side of the liner helps trap mud, dirt, and moisture to keep it from traveling around your cab. No bolts, screws, or adhesives are required, so they can be easily removed for cleaning and don’t alter your vehicle, potentially affecting its resale value.
Get Dirtier With Us
We’re proud to offer quality parts backed by old-school customer service from experienced off-road enthusiasts who want to help you off-road better. We have a pro available anytime, day or night, to talk to you about products, help you find the right part, or run through an installation problem with you. Just pick up the phone, and we’re here to help. Get your truck ready for deeper mudding with mud accessories from Offroad Alliance.
