[Lmart96]

So I've heard just about everything about how mudding can mess up stuff but how bad really is it if you wash most of it off within 2 days or right after you do it? Are the rumors really true that it can ruin your jeep?

 

[Spud100]

Too much of anything is not good. No problems if you get in and out of the mud. If you get stuck get it out as quickly as you can. Too much time sitting stuck can seep into hubs and u joints as well as seep into the t case, transmission and diffs. This week I had my front drive shaft replaced. The U joint went out because of mudding... But it's 18 years old and has 150,000 miles on it too.
I found the best thing to break loose the mud after off roading is a prompt trip to the self car wash and a pocket full of quarters. Those pressure wands have the right amount of power to break loose everything on and under the jeep.
Don't be afraid of the mud, just be a little smart about it.

 

[BWrangler89]

Got to get dirty every once in a while.

 

[NotARubicon!]

Where I go (Salton Sea in California) I bring home a unique kind of mud that turns to cement when it dries.. I just bought a power-washer and it's great at getting it all off (before it dries)..
Today I tried to sweep-off all of the mud that had accumilated on the driveway after washing it off the Jeep last week, and I was a bit upset that it really is like cement, and won't come off.. may try soaking it and power washing it off..
The moral of the story is get the mud off your Jeep AND your driveway before it dries!

 

[mooney201]

I drove through mud one time.... Took me two weeks to clean it up. I will not be driving in mud on purpose again.

 

[kappaknight]

Not all mud is created equal. Florida is sandy, Georgia is mostly clay; and it stains.

No matter where you go, it's gonna get dirty though.

 

[NineseveN]

Mud is fine, Jeeps are made for the mud. Just don't get too deep, don't mud alone, don't get stuck unless you and/or your companion vehicle have recovery gear and watch for deep mud holes that will swallow your rig (so test the perimeter of any prospective mud hole or better yet, get some waders and walk it first). Always know what you're getting into and don't park your jeep in the mud, drive through it.

Washing it off immediately isn't necessarily a huge deal, it's the wet stuff that can seep into places you don't wan't it to go (so again, don't park in puddles)...once mud is dry, it's just a pain in the arse, it won't generally hurt your Jeep.

 

[getoffmyleg]

Go enjoy your Jeep.
Any type of off road use will put added stress on components and if they are weak they may fail. The same applies to on road driving, if you drive through enough potholes you will see weaker parts fail.
Use your head, do simple mods like extending axle breathers and keep up on maintenance. Remember to leave some time after playing for cleanup. Some mud on the Jeep looks good but giant chunks of dried grassy mud falling off while going down the road tends to piss off other drivers.

 

[john dear]

the more stress you bring to your truck the more it is prone to breaking, whether it is mudding ,towing,racing etc.

the higher the RPM goes the more it'll cost ya, first fuel then maint., parts and also repairs.

 

[keviper1]

Washing it off immediately isn't necessarily a huge deal, it's the wet stuff that can seep into places you don't wan't it to go (so again, don't park in puddles)...once mud is dry, it's just a pain in the arse, it won't generally hurt your Jeep.

Actually, quite the opposite. The sooner you get mud off your vehicle, the less time it has to do damage to parts. I would suggest asking a Jeep mechanic what does the most amount of damage on trails when it's not slamming down on a rock. The answer will be mud...especially guys that go 'muddin' and leave the mud on their vehicle for a week or two.

When I go off-roading, I either bring my Jeep to a power wash place, or take a sprinkler and leave it under the Jeep for 15-20 minutes to get most of the mud off.

 

[kjeeper10]

I find it easiest to let it dry. A light tap with a mallet and a vacuum cleaner works the best.

 

[spinlock]

As you can tell there is no consensus but just use your common sense. Your Jeep is a machine just like a bicycle, a compressor, winch or a lawnmower. Would you bury any of them in mud and just leave it there and then rationalize "it's probably not that bad, I;ll leave like that until next weekend or maybe the next time I hit the mud, it will just wash off"; assuming you care about your gear. :nonono:

One thing to notice is that power washers are not the best thing for joints that require lubrication.

 

[WatchThis!]

I will literally drive over a mountain to avoid a big mud hole. The reason why is because I have owned a few mud trucks before and and well aware of how it affects the parts.


Playing in the mud every now and again is not going to kill your jeep but doing it all the time is rough on it.

*The front axle tubes fill up with silt and crud over time and can actually eat the seals away.

*The bouncing affect you get from spinning the tires wears ball joints, bearings and rod ends if you are in the habbit of doing it all the time.

*Brake rotators really hate constant exposure to the mud, almost as much as the pads do.

*If you don not have a good habbit of greasing everything then water can easly get in past boots and reak havoc on rod ends, ball joints and such

*And the already mentioned problems of water seeping into stuff and what not.



Not trying to be all doom and gloom but just pointing out a few well know things. Take two Jeeps built with the exact same parts, use one every weekend to trail ride and crawl then take the other one and play in the mud every weekend for two years. The one used to trail ride and crawl might have a few more parts break while the one that played in the mud every weekend will be in a lot worse shape and cost way more to maintain.

But lets be honest, hardly anyone plays in the mud that much and it is not that big of an issue as long as you dont get into the habbit of sinking it.

 

[BigSkyJeep]

I avoid it like the plague. Whether it's my Jeep, truck, or ATV, I hate going through mud and only do so if necessary. Frankly, I don't understand the fascination some have with purposely burying a vehicle in mud. It's impossible to clean off completely, and it will unquestionably cause mechanical issues and/or shorten component lifespan if done frequently.