Best gear setup to get out of the deep mud: H.... HL...... D.... 2.... 1......

[Tiwaz]

I am sure this has been hammered more than a century old anvil
but when I ask I get discrepant views, does anyone know the official setting...?
also what is the trick with pressing the brake pedal as you rev up the engine (I herd of this but don't know the specifics)

 

[Coug]

I believe you mean BTM: Brake Throttle Modulation.

Have the transfer case in either HL or L

Gently apply the brakes, just enough that the truck doesn't move at idle in any drive position of the shifter.

Apply the throttle enough to overcome the resistance of the brakes.

This causes stress in the torsion differentials, which makes them bind up, and they lock up.


EDIT: This is for any loose traction situation. While the HMMWV is pretty good, you'll likely still need a winch or other type of recovery if you are stuck in deep mud.

 

[Tiwaz]

I believe you mean BTM: Brake Throttle Modulation.

Have the transfer case in either HL or L

Gently apply the brakes, just enough that the truck doesn't move at idle in any drive position of the shifter.

Apply the throttle enough to overcome the resistance of the brakes.

This causes stress in the torsion differentials, which makes them bind up, and they lock up.


EDIT: This is for any loose traction situation. While the HMMWV is pretty good, you'll likely still need a winch or other type of recovery if you are stuck in deep mud.

That's the thing, some ppl swear by the HL some for L... there has to be a preferable setup, and what about the gear though.... "D".... "2"..... "1"..... ?

furthermore there is who says keep on steering slightly left to right and right to left as you try to come out of the mud.
In other words, coming out of the deep mud is a technique that has to do with gears... throttle.... steering.... and that is what I'd like to learn.

 

[canadacountry]

I could be wrong but I would suspect that using higher gears is more of an ice thing aka low-friction but grip-depleted condition that is, the rationale being that lower torque would induce less "overpower" slipping. even then some cars with selectable automatic transmission modes seem to follow a bit of a similar kind of thinking with for example the volvo 850 having winter toggle switch adjacent to the eco/sport button next to the transmission gateplate and this was supposed to try initially start off the car in second gear instead of first

 

[NDT]

Every time I have been in the slop it’s the exact opposite of rock climbing: maximum possible wheel speed to sling the mud from the tread and keep momentum up.

 

[98G]

That's the thing, some ppl swear by the HL some for L... there has to be a preferable setup, and what about the gear though.... "D".... "2"..... "1"..... ?

furthermore there is who says keep on steering slightly left to right and right to left as you try to come out of the mud.
In other words, coming out of the deep mud is a technique that has to do with gears... throttle.... steering.... and that is what I'd like to learn.

Low range in the Tcase. 1 on the transmission. BTM as described. Don't spin. Don't apply more power than you have traction to support, unless you're making progress. If you're making progress, all bets are off.

A little left to right can allow side lugs on aggressive tires to get a bite and get you up and out of a hole.

I got an M818 that was buried to the axles out, under its own power, with G272 (not aggressive) tires.

Like a lot of things, this is something that is best learned through direct experience under controlled conditions. Find some mud, bring a buddy with a winch.

 

[98G]

Every time I have been in the slop it’s the exact opposite of rock climbing: maximum possible wheel speed to sling the mud from the tread and keep momentum up.

Interesting. I've always avoided spinning and digging.

 

[TOBASH]

Spinning and digging can snap your half shafts when they finally engage the ground. I’m not saying it doesn’t work and I am not passing judgment.

Also, never go from reverse to drive to reverse to drive without letting all the wheels completely stop. You will crack your half shafts otherwise.

I always start off a low gear with the transfer case in low. If that doesn’t work, I stay in low gear and move the transfer case to high and if that doesn’t work, I move the transfer case to high L.

This is all in addition to always using BTM.

That seems to work for me however every individual circumstance will have differing requirements and that is why you will get so many answers where everyone is correct. It just proves that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[canadacountry]

bit offtopic but even then snapping halfshafts reminds me of the volkswagen/bombardier iltis, I don't have a good cite for this but I've heard a bit of that it was generally to be left in 4wd mode all the times except if you were on dry surface and needed to make very tight turns, as otherwise the 2wd-only halfshaft itself was prone to snapping which is somewhat a little bit of a surprise given that its a relatively small engine with not that much curb weight either altogether