Top 5 ATV Mud Modifications
Because Mud Pits are More Fun than Money Pits
by Jason Giacchino
We know times are tough but let’s face it, taking your ATV through a festering pool of ooze is a sensation like no other. ATV manufacturers are really starting to take the mudding scene seriously, as indicated by the recent surge in OEM stock quads designed specifically for the task, but what about those of us who wish to take our stock utility ATVs and make them more mud worthy? Surely there must be options for the weekend warrior who wishes to conquer the mud banks without breaking the piggy bank.
The following are our pick for the top 5 modifications to turn your ATV from a trail cruiser to a mud-devouring monster. Of course the selections can be picked and chosen from as your budget and dedication to mudding will allow. Without further ado:
Number Five: Winch
Regardless of how many modifications you perform on your machine, there will always be a situation where you are in over your head—literally. When that happens (and it’s not if, but when) you typically have two options: To rely upon the charity of others who hopefully have the capability of towing you to dry ground, or to use a winch to yank yourself out of trouble. Considering that some of the best ATV riding in the world often happens alone and miles and miles from civilization, we’re big supporters of the latter. As a bonus it’s impossible to put a price tag on the added security of simply knowing you have a winch up front, should you need to bring it into the equation.
Number Four: Radiator Relocation
For a radiator to do its job, it absolutely must be allowed to flow air through its orifices. The bad news about plowing one’s way through a pool of mud is that radiator blockage is almost a given.
Fortunately, there are kits that allow the radiator to be relocated (usually) from below the front faring to atop the front rack, where it is much less susceptible to mud-packing. The price is typically ranges from 0 to 0 and includes all of the necessary hardware to make the transition.
Number Three: Lift Kits
Successful mud bogging is all about ground clearance, and while stock ATV clearance numbers are constantly improving, there is really no such thing as too much of the stuff. Extending the ATV’s ground clearance (or “lifting” the machine) can be accomplished through a wide variety of methods, from simple 2-inch spacer jobs that retail anywhere from to 0, to all out 6-inch lifts that include new axles and cost thousands.
The benefit of lifting an ATV isn’t only more precious space between the machine’s frame and the clogging muck below; it’s also a requisite for allowing you to add oversized mud-specific tires.
Number Two: Snorkels
An engine, in its simplest form, operates like an air pump. Take away its ability to breathe and all of the other mods you’ve performed on your mud dream machine suddenly mean nothing. What’s interesting is that there are actually 3 specific areas of your ATV that can use the added air-suction height: The airbox (naturally), the CVT, and the muffler. To keep water and mud from entering these three areas, simple plastic tubes that extend skyward can make all the difference between cleanly reaching the far side of the pit and destroying your machine’s engine. Exhaust snorkels are constructed of metal of course, and of the three, are perhaps the least critical (but still extremely useful).
Snorkel kits can range anywhere from a hundred dollars on up to several hundred depending on material selection and number of snorkels included.
Number One: Mud Tires
Regardless of whether you opt to go all out and lift the machine to include massive oversized rubber or wish to stick entirely with the quad’s stock tire dimensions, the number 1 modification to getting across the muck is to replace all-purpose tires with mud-specific units.
Most all tire manufacturers offer mud tires these days (some brands carry many, in fact), each designed to find traction where there ought to be none and to fling away accumulation that could potentially compromise the tire’s ability to do its job (while adding unwanted weight in the process).
Mud tires can go from anywhere from apiece on up to several hundred each. Just remember that if you go bigger here, clutching will be affected and hence our bonus mod:
Bonus Mod!: Belts/ Clutches
Holding it wide to cross a highly resistant mud bog is a serious strain on a CVT so belts less apt to burn up are a huge plus. Additionally they are literally a requirement if you’ve gone and added oversized tires to your ATV. Like most of the mods here, there is a wide variation in pricing, from around for a heavier duty CVT belt on up to complete kits that include both the transmission and clutch components, which can cost hundreds.
