I dont know if this is the best place to post this, but the generic automotive section seems to be kind of dead lately.

I never done this but my ex was into this and got the idea in my head.

I wanted to ask what should someone who is new to this know?

Like wise I would be using my 82 F150 but I wont be lifting it but I do have 31x10.50-15 LT M&S tires on the truck. It is also 2wd but will be getting some form of posi traction installed in the 8.8 rear end. I have seen videos of this and seen the kind of action that happens. What I dont know is typically do they have a area set up at theses events for stock like trucks so they can be used as well and not be as abusive to the vehicle but still fun for the driver?

If anyone can provide some general information that someone new to this hobby should know as well as some break down on what the events cator to I would greatly appreciate it.

 

I'd lock the rear and get a set of decent mud tires for the rear. Make sure you have front and rear tow points and bring a strap along... and some friends. I've never been to a mud event or dedicated mud park, so I can't say how they're setup. There are a ton of parks in Texas though, so I'd search for a few and call up the park to see.

 

i really can't help either. i only owned 1 2 wheel drive, and i cut it up for parts. never even drove it on the road besides loading it on the trailer and backing off then pulling into the shop.

 

I need to do my research but I was going to install a detroit trutrak in my Mercury`s 9" rear. I need to see if they are worth installing for offroad use as well. If they are then I can pick up one for the 8.8 thats in the truck.

I currently dont have a tow attachment point at the front of the truck but I am looking for a bar to mount up front, ive seen a few that uses the front bumper mount to the frame to mount it. I would mount a tow point on that, in the rear I have a class IV hitch that I will be picking up a 2" 5 ton pintle hook for a tow strap attachment point out back.

 

The Tru-Trac is a great diff, but it's no locker. An open diff gives the same torque to both tires, so if one tire will spin with zero torque, so will the other. A Tru-Trac on the other hand gives 3.5 times as much torque to the tire that has traction, so if it takes zero torque to spin one tire it gives 3.5 times zero (= zero) to the other.

Of course in most situations it takes a significant amount of torque to spin the first tire, so a Tru-Trac does help a lot in most situations. And it does it while having better on-road manners than any other limited slip (and way better than any locker). But a locker won't let either tire turn slower than the ring gear. So if you know you're going to have zero torque with a tire fairly frequently it's definitely the best option.

That said, a Tru-Trac is still a really good limited slip, and it does have really good road manners. And a locker will be more squirrelly than a Tru-Trac in mud (you'll be spinning both back tires more frequently instead of just one). So there are good reasons to put a Tru-Trac in an off-road vehicle. But personally I'd go with a locker.

 

I will consider that. I just dont know how much off roading I will do with the truck. it might be one of those once in a blue moon type things and Id hate to build the truck for mudding/offroading and not using it much for that application.

I would like to just play around some in the mudding/offroading scene and have a good time but not going crazy like some of theses people that are putting up to $300,000 in their mudding trucks.

 

At our pits its 4wd only, but it's a mud "race" if it's your DD I'd suggest finding a old 4wd beater that you don't have to depend on to get to work on Monday.

 

X2
If where you are is anything like up here in Michigan every so often someone will host something in their back yard and charge a small cover and you can run whatever you want.

To tell you like it is, you can put all the money and throw all the parts you want at a 2wd and at the end of the day you're gonna be the ******* in everyone's way. No matter what you do it's still a 2wd and you're gonna get stuck and I doubt it will be much fun. So do yourself a favor keep the 2wd for a DD and get a 4wd beater. This way you may actually enjoy the sport and the good times that come with it instead of being "that guy". It's only fun when you made it past the point where you thought you would get stuck... or even to it. Not when you sitting there stuck and a stock everything truck drives past you with ease laughing because it's 4wd while you're redlining your engine causing stupid amounts of heat and break something. Then rely on someone like me to yank your *** outta there and make a show out of your stupidity (we've all seen it done at least once)

Sorry for the long drug out post... Hope I got my point across though.

 

X2 or 3 or whatever it is now for finding a 4x4. They can be had very cheap around where I am at. Usually for a grand in okay condition. Look for something with a solid front axle, 3/4 or one ton trucks are a bonus. Buy one, lock the diffs and wheel the **** out of it.


You can spend a ton of money on a 2wd, but at the end of the day you are only spinning 2 wheels.