gazelle Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 A story for all of those of you using AT2s. I have been digging out the front garden to 10 inches deep to make a hard standing area for the cars. This has been a bit of a long slow dig due to the clay setting like concrete, and recently SWMBO almost put her car down the hole. So last week I thought lets put the truck in the hole to keep her away from it. In it went backwards with no problem, and came out again no problem. Great I thought it will keep her pride and joy in one piece. Now what happened last night but an almighty downpour. Went to get the truck out today to do some five minute errands. Or so I thought. I tried a few times to get out the way I had before, but to no avail. TC light was on but the truck was going nowhere. Maybe a better line would be coming out one wheel at a time on a diagonal? Turn the steering to left lock from right, and the front comes around 15 degrees and no more. Tried again, and again. A bit more welly. Still no joy. I got out to have a look and the back end had dug its way in up to the tow hitch which was now acting as a plough! It was up to the wheel hubs. The wheels were now completely clogged. I was driving on slicks. So out with the highlift on the front. Given that it is a bit wet underfoot it started to move and sink, so out with the highlift base. What a useless piece of ....... that is. It caused more problems because the highlift slipped on it. Eventually with digging carefully placed holes for the foot of the highlift I managed to lift and drop the front of the truck onto the hard stuff on the drive. I dug out the clay in front of the wheels and managed to drive out with a lot of loud pedal, TC, low range and locked centre diff. 5 minute job - 2 hours. Now the moral of this story is: no matter how good we think the AT2s are, they do have limits and are definitely not mud tyres! They will clog in sticky stuff. The ground was a bit wet... Getting stuck off road - annoying Getting stuck in your own front garden - priceless. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outdoor_ian Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Wait until your miss's sees the drive I bet you'll be in for it then !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Nice one Martin AT2s or not though you got it out on your own in the end so you must have learnt a thing or two from the experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M&S Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Yup, best learn there than on a muddy campsite with everyone watching Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outdoor_ian Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 just had a thought, did you let any wind out of the tyres ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazelle Posted September 8, 2010 Author Share Posted September 8, 2010 just had a thought, did you let any wind out of the tyres ? No I did not. I did not think about it to be honest. The rears had dug themselves in a deep trench with a step at each end, so airing down the back where the main problems was would have only settled the tow hitch in deeper. The front tyres were about 1m higher than the back. The big issue was having enough traction to get the rears out of the trench and the fronts up a 10in step. Getting the fronts up out of the hole and clearing the step in front of the rears worked a treat - although not without pain and a little blood (thanks to the high lift)! I thought about changing to the Muds, but could not bring myself to do so given the deep wet mud. Now ........... off to order the aggregates! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazelle Posted September 8, 2010 Author Share Posted September 8, 2010 you must have learnt a thing or two from the experience. Not least - Don't leave the truck on wet clay in a 10 inch deep hole when heavy rain is forecast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hiatt Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 I use the AT2 in the British Cross Country Championship and have been surprised at how much grip they give. Having previously raced on diamonds and Fedimas I was dreading using AT tyres but it really hasn't been a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazelle Posted September 8, 2010 Author Share Posted September 8, 2010 Don't get me wrong - these are excellent tyres. So good in fact that I forgot that they may have problems in some deep clag! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 The only thing that's going to let you drive out of a hole filled with wet clay is some very very aggresive mud tyres, Simex and the like. Anything else will just clog and turn to a slick as you've found. Wet clay has to be one of the slipperiest surfaces known to man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M&S Posted September 8, 2010 Share Posted September 8, 2010 As you've described the situation further...didn't you have CDL engaged? TC needs the wheels to spin a bit to engage, spinning in that situation will dig a hole. Continuing to spin will dig a deeper hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazelle Posted September 8, 2010 Author Share Posted September 8, 2010 As you've described the situation further...didn't you have CDL engaged? Yes it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Not least - Don't leave the truck on wet clay in a 10 inch deep hole when heavy rain is forecast! When you put it that way.... :lol: As an aside, the tyres look slick but that's not necessarily a bad thing. When they're pressed on the floor, the mud doesn't know whether it's 'tread mud' or native mud, so you'll be getting the most traction that the tyres can offer in the gloopy stuff. I think I've have broken the winch out to avoid filling in the hole that you've presumably spent time digging out - but that's not such a good option if you don't have a winch, of course... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazelle Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 I think I've have broken the winch out to avoid filling in the hole that you've presumably spent time digging out - but that's not such a good option if you don't have a winch, of course... I did think about that but had four limiting factors - no winch, no trees, no ground anchor and the nearest point to lay a ground anchor is across the road at about windscreen height! If it had not come out I think I would have had to ask a neighbour with a Pathfinder to pull me out. I don't know if I could have lived with the shame....... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 its a well presented point, the AT2 isn't a mud tyre and doesn't pretend to be. on the other side I reckon BFG MT would of got you out. alot go to immediate choice of INSAs or similar tread pattern and i don't believe you need it unless your competing. MTs work very well on the clay parts of the Bampton DRDs we run. Surprised the front was 1m above the rear mind, thats a big step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlechorus Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Couldn't you have just got some waffle boards out to either get the front wheels up the step or the rears out the holes? We have founds our to be the best bit of kit that we have ever brought and that 4 waffles can get you nearly anywhere on a british lane or drive in this case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazelle Posted September 10, 2010 Author Share Posted September 10, 2010 its a well presented point, the AT2 isn't a mud tyre and doesn't pretend to be. on the other side I reckon BFG MT would of got you out. alot go to immediate choice of INSAs or similar tread pattern and i don't believe you need it unless your competing. MTs work very well on the clay parts of the Bampton DRDs we run. Surprised the front was 1m above the rear mind, thats a big step. The BFG muds were in a pile elsewhere, not on the truck, and once I noticed how deep the rears had got, I could not get the high lift in to change the tyres. But I think you are right, they would have pulled the truck out with no problem. erm that is what I bought them for....... The AT2 have generally been extremely capable, so much so that I have not had to use the muds so far this year! This is the first time they have not coped with a situation that I have got into. It is this air of invincibility that they give which lead me to be overconfident in the front garden. I think 3/4 m would probably be more accurate. Up a 20cm step out of the hole is where the fronts were, and the rears down to the hub (about 50cm ish?) within my 3.5x5m hole! Couldn't you have just got some waffle boards out to either get the front wheels up the step or the rears out the holes? We have founds our to be the best bit of kit that we have ever brought and that 4 waffles can get you nearly anywhere on a british lane or drive in this case I tried lumps of wood in front of the wheels to no avail, but once again I don't have waffle boards. One more thing for the shopping list I suppose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M&S Posted September 10, 2010 Share Posted September 10, 2010 Waffle boards only seem to be any good (and they are very useful) if you can get them under the wheels. I've yet to have sucess from them by jaming them up to the wheel when stuck. I never get onto them. Great if you can lift a wheel and get them right under though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlechorus Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 M&S - I find you need to get the waffles in at an angle if you cannot drive onto them if you see what I mean and sometimes that requires a bit of digging and swearing to shove the waffle in there as well as rocking the car if you can as in this case. Take a look on youtube for some desert footage and you can get a good idea of how sand ladders which are the same principle as used. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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