Off road Dually gets stuck
Question:
You can improve the ability to dig in by removing the outer wheels when not towing. Works great if you need to drive on winter roads but are not towing. Works OK on relatively flat ground but as others have noted, not a good off-roader. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Rita, > Yep. There are a lot of duallys on farms and ranches around here for > pulling stock trailers. A better tow vehicle has never been made. But > when they have to go take tools and parts to a tractor over a mile of > wet spring mud, it’s usually done with some old ’70’s 3/4 ton 4WD > pickup with the bed rusted off so they had to make it into a flat bed! > With a good set of MTs, they almost as good as a tractor. We call them > farm trucks here and most aren’t even registered as they never leave > the farm. > Dean > > Consider an "all-terrain" tire as a compromise: considerably more > aggressive > > than most factory tires, great traction in the wet and decent > mud/horse-poo > > performance (*), and decent tread life to boot. For instance, the > > BFG > AT-KO is > > a hell of a tire. > I would be a little leery of putting any "All Terrain" tires on that > beast. > While they may improve his traction minimally in the mud, I wouldn’t > want to > destroy a fully loaded horse trailer with the horses in it. Dean > had > mentioned a great tire with a greater load rating that would be a > compromise > and be safer than "All Terrains". > Tires aren’t your only issue with this truck; you have a much > stiffer rear > suspension with a heavy-duty rear anti-sway bar that shortens > suspension > travel under light loads. Plus the larger tire/road contact patch > makes > traction poor in wet and loose terrain. > This is a super nice truck with a specific purpose in life, and it > isn’t > mudding. Good luck just the same and I hope you get many years of > safe fun > out of it. > Rita > > (*) I have no first hand experience driving in horse dung. I got > > the hell > out > > of farm country some years back, had my fill of dairy smell 
> > HTH. > > — A > > — > > matching his-n-hers Isuzu’s (2001 Rodeo Sport/Amigo & 2000 Rodeo) > > Sunday driver 1993 Nissan 300ZX Long-term project 1965 VW Notch > > Big girl 1990 V/2500 Suburban Topless girl 1974 Blazer > > Camping trucks 1977 Blazer Chalet #1060 1977 Chalet insert #1383 > > …oh and the 1992 Saturn waiting for her driver to become of age
Response:
> I have an 02 GMC 3500 Sierra SLT Dually, and I got it with the off road > option. The stupid truck has gotten close to stuck on at least a half dozen > occasions already in the 8 months I have had it. Why would GM put street > tires on a truck with the off road option? I need to get some tires with > traction in the mud (well, horse poop, hay, and rain mixed together - > that’s mud in my book). What is a good tire for mud use such as that, but > still usable on the street (which is 95% of the driving)?
I asked an old grizzled Montana rancher (those folks know something about working in snow and mud) why I didn’t see many duallies on the job. He said "No damn good, they’ll get stuck as soon as you get in any sloppy stuff. Too light in the ass end with all those tires. Driving one on icy roads is a fast trip to the hospital or morgue …" Cheers, VLJ — If it has tits or tires, its trouble …
Response:
Thanks Sean. Anything has to be better than the treads I have now! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I’m not sure how they would sound on a 3500 series Dually but a friend of > mine runs BF Mud Terrains on his 3/4ton 4×4 year-round and despite the very > aggressive tread, they aren’t that loud on the street (meaning not annoying) > and the treadwear has been great. > I have an 02 GMC 3500 Sierra SLT Dually, and I got it with the off road > option. The stupid truck has gotten close to stuck on at least a half > dozen > occasions already in the 8 months I have had it. Why would GM put street > tires on a truck with the off road option? I need to get some tires with > traction in the mud (well, horse poop, hay, and rain mixed together - > that’s mud in my book). What is a good tire for mud use such as that, > but > still usable on the street (which is 95% of the driving)?
Response:
www.tirerack.com has, I believe, load range "E" Mud-Terrain tires that will help. They are going to be noisy, ride a little rough, and wear poorly on the highway. Don’t forget the front tires, they are just as important for low traction situations. Dean – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I have an 02 GMC 3500 Sierra SLT Dually, and I got it with the off road >option. The stupid truck has gotten close to stuck on at least a half dozen >occasions already in the 8 months I have had it. Why would GM put street >tires on a truck with the off road option? I need to get some tires with >traction in the mud (well, horse poop, hay, and rain mixed together - >that’s mud in my book). What is a good tire for mud use such as that, but >still usable on the street (which is 95% of the driving)?
Response:
I have an 02 GMC 3500 Sierra SLT Dually, and I got it with the off road option. The stupid truck has gotten close to stuck on at least a half dozen occasions already in the 8 months I have had it. Why would GM put street tires on a truck with the off road option? I need to get some tires with traction in the mud (well, horse poop, hay, and rain mixed together - that’s mud in my book). What is a good tire for mud use such as that, but still usable on the street (which is 95% of the driving)?
Response:
> I have an 02 GMC 3500 Sierra SLT Dually, and I got it with the off road > option. The stupid truck has gotten close to stuck on at least a half dozen > occasions already in the 8 months I have had it. Why would GM put street > tires on a truck with the off road option? I need to get some tires with > traction in the mud (well, horse poop, hay, and rain mixed together - > that’s mud in my book). What is a good tire for mud use such as that, but > still usable on the street (which is 95% of the driving)?
Well, for starters, the truck wasn’t designed to go off road, per say. If you are in an area that gets snow, look out as the festival is just beginning for you. The truck is light in the ass and with the wider contact patch in the rear you will be floating. Your truck is more designed for towing heavy trailers and loads. Your will have maximum traction when you are carrying a load. Don’t screw around with different tires if you tow, as you will find out that you will be worse off than you are now. As for your question, "Why would GM put street tires on a truck with the off road option"? Because they get to charge you more for the fancy "4X4 Off Road" decal!!! You bought a truck that is at it’s best towing since that is what it was designed for and is marginal as an off roader. Look at it this way; you wouldn’t want to tow a fully loaded 5th wheel with 33" mudders on your truck, would you? Rita
