Driving though mud sand and river rock would chains help ?

im checking on this job that I might be doing hauling farm stuff . I will be driving across some mud But mostly sandy spots and areas of baseball and smaller size river rock areas.

This is a tri axle dump truck with axle locker and double deep Reduction trans.

Wonder if chains would help to keep from getting stuck ?

 

Well, on a farm implies you have tractors big enough to get you out of that waller way down in yonder hollar.

Don't impose so much physical work on yourself. Crack a cold one, lean back with some tunes and watch the world go by. If you did get stuck, Mr Tractor will be along shortly. After all, this is a farm. It's not quitting time until the sun goes down and Dinah is demanding you'all come in and set for grub.

That talk about lockers, reduction and so on motivates me. IF you wont drive it, I'll do it.

 

The only chains in mud that will help you, is a 12 foot logging chain wrapped around the steer axle,,,(if you can see it)and something with tracks to pull you out.

 

I wouldn't tug on the steer axle except as an absolute last resort. Use the proper loops/shackles/etc that are designed to be used for that purpose...MUCH stronger, and less likely to cause damage. If your truck doesn't have some pretty stout attachment points (usually directly mounted to the frame), then your truck probably wasn't built to go to those sorts of places.

 

I have shackles always mounted on my Freightliner FLD, mostly I actually use the freightliner to pull the forklift off of a low boy hydraulic tail trailer, but once I had to pull the truck itself from a bad spot.

 

If you are able to at all, get two Compound Pulley Blocks and Tackle. Two of these with 4 reels each to run a hella lot of cable through and hook onto Mr Stuck will multiply so much force, easy out.

 

Chains do help in the mud. Oil patch uses them all the time.
Some farms have remote yards, the tractor could be 20 miles away.

 

Is it full lock diff or interlock diff or do you have both options? Do you have ATC? Can you turn the ATC off? Not sure make model you have. I currently have a PB 367 485 p/10s Eaton ultrashift. Very tempermental off road, too much computer control. Also exp. with earlier model Mack autos and manuals. I would stick with interlocked first then use full lock if needed or full if that's all u have. Turn off ATC if equipped or if u can. This will keep power from decreasing to a hub in a slip situation...which we all know happens in mud. Its all about momentum. When I haul in mud I'm well over 80k. Never used chains or seen em. Only on steel mill yard loaders. And of course for recovery, a basic item.

 

I completely agree with his shutting off traction control and hill assist if it’s a automatic ..