I was thinking about trying my Rancher out in the mud. With some good mud tires, how does the 2X4 perform?

 

get good mud tires, performance exhaust,filter, and rejet, then you can go through just as much muck as a stock 4by4. you just need momentem.

 

I would also suggest a "armordillo" skid plate ($67 u.s.) to help you get through and protect the undercarriage-Stock Ranchers have almost no underbody protection. I would also suggest you get a winch-I can almost guarantee you will get stuck (even if you had a 4x4) and it really gets old trying to enlist 2 or 3 buddies to help get you out. I even had a winch on my 300ex!

 

Keep the front end light, get your front wheels off the ground a little if possible....Gun the throttle and keep rocking forward and back (if your front wheels hit) and side to side.....momentum is definitely the key...luckily the rancher is pretty light and has good GC so its a good mudder for a 2 by....

 

you'll be amazed at what that 4x2 can go through. Especially with a good set of mud tires. The major disadvatage to the 4x2 is reversing up slippery hills is next to impossible and getting out of mud holes with steep exits. But other than that you can go most anywhere the 4x4 go. I am consistently amazed at how well it does in the mud. But listen to the rest of these guys, momentum is the key, also rocking side to side is very effective. Also a winch was still probably my best "mind-easing" purchase, although I dont use it that often since I got my 26x12 mudrunners. (except to pull out my friends

00' rancher 4x2es, 26"x12" mudrunners on the rear, 1500lb winch w/ 50ft cable, rhinolined rack