Mudding harmful to Jeep?

[Xenephobe]

The second Jeep I ever owned was a 93 YJ. After I got it home I went over it really good and noticed a crack in the frame at the rear near the bumper. Upon further inspection, I found that all four corners of the frame were filled with dirt and causing the frame to rust out badly. After the time I spent cutting out that rust and welding in new metal, I'll never purposely my JT mudding.

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[PyrPatriot]

So steam was coming out the front FOREVER (ok like half an hour) after I took her to the touchless car wash. Would only go when engine was running. Freaked me out. Stopped by the Jeep dealership and the tech (good ol’ country boy type) is was impressed with the amount of mud and where I got it. Said the steam is fine, from the water still trapped behind radiator. We crawled underneath and there was mud behind it (covering about the bottom quarter). Told me to take a hose and wash everything out. No need to pressure wash the bay but I could as long as I didnt get too close. Said back home he’s seen Jeeps 3ft deep in mud and do fine. No need for checking or changing diff fluid, transfer case, or transmission fluid. Those are 100k mile services and that the JL/JTs are alot better sealed than the JKs. What a relief

 

[PyrPatriot]

It looks like the OP was playing in a muddy field and now some keyboard commandos on FB are screwing with him. From the looks of his Jeep a good spraying off is all that’s needed

Washed her today. Everything came off without pressure washing. The normal stream from a car wash hose made it slide right off, didnt have to get close or anything.

 

[hjdca]

Don't worry, It is just common sense. I have owned lots of 4WD, and I have never been afraid of mud doing anything to them...... however, I am always mudding into areas I know I will not get stuck in or sink the whole truck into. Mostly tire mud and only 3 or 4 inches of sinking. I am usually more concerned about sliding sideways into a rock or tree than I am about the mud hurting the truck. Just clean it well with a hose. I took my Gladiator into the mud the first chance I got because I wanted to really test the lockers, the mud tires, and it's overall capability. Just be careful, only take calculated risks, and you will have a blast.

 

[BajaDrifter]

I suppose it's your money and your Jeep to do as you please, which is fine. If mudding is your thing, have at it and enjoy! I see plenty who wear mud on their trucks like a badge, the more of it, the better their truck and more of a wheeler they are. And there are others, like myself, who will drive around a mud hole if possible to get where I want to go. The less work cleaning up after, the better says I. Of course, there are some in our group who will drive straight through the mud hole just to see how much water and mud they can sling up into the air. I like to watch this and cheer them on. They are usually younger drivers with bodies that don't ache or get get sore later from all the mud washing. Same for rock climbing, I usually drive around and take the easy way, if there is an easy way, but it's fun to watch the others that make it. Those that don't, well I help them out best I can. 4 wheeling! It's about getting to your destination and enjoying getting there.

 

[Combolc]

Posting in General because there is both a Cosmetic/Protection question and a general maintenance question

Saw folks saying that mud is bad for the Jeep. From the clear coat erroding to mud forever causing mechanical interference with moving components and getting into the radiator, brakes, diff, etc.

I pressure washed the undercarriage briefly (but thoroughly on hands and knees) and rinsed the grill/radiator with a gentle spray.

how bad is mud like this bad for the Jeep?

will I really be “paying” for the outing of fun a “decade” from now?

enjoy the mud and powerwash when your done..

Short story - I was mudding in my JK and washed the Jeep quickly before going home, not thoroughly. On the way home it got very hot outside so we put the top up, and A\C on. Soon the wheel was rattling like crazy and entire Jeep was shaking. I had no idea what was happening and it was incredibly scary to drive but then it stopped, and started again. sigh, did i finally get death wobble??... So, I pulled over into a motel lot to investigate and let it run - when the fans kicked on with the A\C running the entire Jeep rattles and shaked like crazy. When I turned off the Jeep i discovered giant dried mud chunks stuck to the fan blades.. =( asked the Hotel owner if I could use a hose to get the mud off, and then the Jeep was back to normal. I guess the mud was so heavy it created an in balance in the blades.

 

[WXman]

Mudding will destroy bearings and seals more quickly, can cause overheating, can promote rust, and generally is terrible for the clearcoat finish on the body. It also will piss off your mechanic the first time you have to get it worked on.

I used to mud the crap out of all my stuff. I took a truck that was brand new into the worst area of our favorite off road park one day and nearly sunk it. Had to pull the door covers off when I got home to wash the mud out of the doors. Ended up killing the starter motor with mud and water.

Yes, it sure is a BLAST to drop into 4-high and lay it on the mat. Fun fun fun. But these days in my wiser years, I leave my $47k truck out of the mud holes and let my $14k UTV handle the mud chores.

 

[PyrPatriot]

enjoy the mud and powerwash when your done..

Short story - I was mudding in my JK and washed the Jeep quickly before going home, not thoroughly. On the way home it got very hot outside so we put the top up, and A\C on. Soon the wheel was rattling like crazy and entire Jeep was shaking. I had no idea what was happening and it was incredibly scary to drive but then it stopped, and started again. sigh, did i finally get death wobble??... So, I pulled over into a motel lot to investigate and let it run - when the fans kicked on with the A\C running the entire Jeep rattles and shaked like crazy. When I turned off the Jeep i discovered giant dried mud chunks stuck to the fan blades.. =( asked the Hotel owner if I could use a hose to get the mud off, and then the Jeep was back to normal. I guess the mud was so heavy i,t created an in balance in the blades.

I power washed the undercarriage, and rinsed off the grill/radiator for a short time about an hour after I got done mudding. Then power washed the outside and undercarriage, followed by a touch-free wash. And after climbing underneath and looking in the engine bay, finding more dried mud, I put it on ramps and pressure washed the undercarriage better, and rinsed off the engine compartment, getting MOST of the dried mud off. Still need to get a low pressure hose and wash off the mud that’s on the BACK side of the radiator

 

[RealMcCoy]

Posting in General because there is both a Cosmetic/Protection question and a general maintenance question

Saw folks saying that mud is bad for the Jeep. From the clear coat erroding to mud forever causing mechanical interference with moving components and getting into the radiator, brakes, diff, etc.

I pressure washed the undercarriage briefly (but thoroughly on hands and knees) and rinsed the grill/radiator with a gentle spray.

how bad is mud like this bad for the Jeep?

will I really be “paying” for the outing of fun a “decade” from now?

Just clean the undercarriage good. Keep in mind if using a pressure washer to use caution due to high pressure Hose can force H20 in places it should not be allowed.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Just clean the undercarriage good. Keep in mind if using a pressure washer to use caution due to high pressure Hose can force H20 in places it should not be allowed.

I had thought of that. But 3 things addressed those concerns. 1. The pressure washer at a self-wash place is no higher than the pressure washers used in auto washes that offer undercarriage cleaning. 2. I didnt pressure wash parts with the nozzle close to any part that wasnt solid metal (ie frame). 3 Jeep dealership mechanic said pressure washing is fine, they do it all the time, even on the engine bay. The problems of water getting where it isn’t supposed to is when you point the nozzel at point blank range at connectors/electronics, otherwise the new Jeeps are sealed up really well, both in seals, hoses, and electronics. Considering the mud wasnt caked on too long, it all washed off with a single pass over of the hose, rarely did I even need to use the pressure setting unless it was to get at far-to-reach spots (ie hitting a spot in the middle of the vehicle from under the front end).

edit: I did use the pressure setting generously on the inside of the wheels to get the mud off of brakes and such. Truck handled MUCH better and drove easier (acceleration and such) after the cleaning where I drove it up on ramps

 

[PapaChop83]

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[Jeeper1]

While the outer surfaces need attention due to cosmetic issues,along with the brakes, cooling system, etc. for obvious reasons, what's more important is if your Gladiator's differentials, transfer case, and transmission were submerged in water and / or mud. The seals in this items are meant to keep fluids in; not prevent fluids from getting inside. I'd strongly suggest draining and replacing these fluids ASAP if the vehicle was submerged.

 

[Incommando]

As long as your breathers remained above liquid you are fine.

Do people really think these are that fragile?

 

[PyrPatriot]

While the outer surfaces need attention due to cosmetic issues,along with the brakes, cooling system, etc. for obvious reasons, what's more important is if your Gladiator's differentials, transfer case, and transmission were submerged in water and / or mud. The seals in this items are meant to keep fluids in; not prevent fluids from getting inside. I'd strongly suggest draining and replacing these fluids ASAP if the vehicle was submerged.

I asked the Jeep dealership mechanic about this. He said that isnt true unless the vehicle was left for days in mud/water.

 

[HorneyBadger]

We just went out into Ocatillo and a couple guys hit the deeper mud troughs. 30 mins later one of the JK's died. Swapped batteries until we got them home. It killed the alternator. Slow and steady fording mud and water otherwise you risk getting things where the sun dont shine which can lead to problems.

To add, the mud was NOT puddles but small lakes. The last one they went thru ripped the front fenders off(aftermarket and removable).

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