Mud Tires on the rear of a 2wd?

[uncle_handsome]

I was wondering if there are any disadvantages to having a/t tires on the front and mud tires on the rear of a 2wd truck, besides not being able to do a normal tire rotation pattern. (same tire size though)

I might be buying a truck, I don't think I can afford a 4x4 and since I live in a snowy/icy area I don't think I want a locker in the rear, mostly because a "softer" locker (like powertraxx no-slip) and a 2wd truck is about the same price as a 4x4. I have seen a few trucks around here with more aggresive rear tires but have never driven or been riding in one.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Americanrider]

I've driven many a 2wd truck w/ winter tires in the rear only. The only issue was not getting steering traction from the fronts when trying to corner on ice. It would be wiser to run all four the same tread, if you can save up for a winter set of rubber and put them on old steel rims if your in a salty area. With proper roation/inflation and changing to your summer tire set you can run for years before you would have to replace any.
Is this a newer truck your looking at?

Best advice I can give is to "buy off-season". If you want winter items buy them in the summer and vice-versa. Horses & motorcycles are cheap in the winter because the are not needed/used. Same for buying snow tires & chains at summer yard sales!

[uncle_handsome]

I've driven a vehicle with snow tires all around it was awesome in the snow. But I live with my parents and if I got a truck we wouldn't have anywhere to put the winter wheels in summer and vice versa. I also want aggresive tread in the summer because I'd like to drive off the road. Most of the soil here is heavy, oily clay. (when wet) I just want something that I can drive through a farmers field or traction conditions like that and not get stuck, maybe even be able to play in it too.

The main reason I don't want a locker for a daily driver up here is because I live in a city and there are some VERY tight parking spaces sometimes. I heard that a locker in the rear can reduce your turning circle and I probably need as tight a circle I can get. (so a 4x4'd be nice, yet prolly out of my price range)

The main reason I'm thinking about mud tires is because I hear a/t's are almost as good as a mud tire offroad except that a/t's can load up with mud easier making them become like glazed donuts and almost useless.

[Apache]

Main disadvantage is not being able to rotate them. Just have to buy 2 different kind of tires each time they wear out. My grandpa has regular tires on the front of his 76 2wd with mud tires on the back. His truck rides pretty good (just as good as it would with all same type of tires). He has never had to be pulled to get unstuck. Keep in mind he dont go serious offroading or anything lol..but you get what I mean.

If it snows he can get out of the yard and to town and back with no problem, pull a car & trailer on wet swompy ground, that kinda of thing without getting stuck.

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

In your first thread you said "that 4x4s and 2wds are almost priced the same" so why don't you just get a 4x4 and not have to worry about it. Yeah I had a set of A/Ts on the front of my Blazer for awhile and they get pretty damn full of mud once your into some good mud.
-Later

[uncle_handsome]

Well for one thing, I eventually want to move out of my parents' house. (and possibly move somewhere A LOT warmer) I live in a big city and housing is expensive, I might not want to live in the city making long commutes a must.

Also being of only Canadian citizenship it's very hard to find work and move to an area warmer than Toronto. I know southern B.C. is pretty mild, but the mild coastal Pacific areas don't get summer. I like warm humid summers (80's and 90's F) and the warmest summers in Canada are no hotter than Detroit's and that area is in a sad economic state.

A 4x4'd be awesome, and I might get one, but one of my goals in life is to save up enough to be able to spend as much time as I can at Cedar Point, (for the 95 and 120 mph coasters) in the Southern states and other warm places.

[1FaastC10]

with the heavy oily clay you're talking about, you need more drive wheels.

off topic, there's only one coaster at Cedar Point that tops 95, and that's Top Thrill Dragster. to spend "as much time there as you can", should be able to knock that out in a weekend. we hit all the big coasters last fall, took us just over 5 hours to ride every coaster in the park.

[krue]

Heck around here I have seen Crown Vics with mud grips on the back. Some of those red
clay dirt roads are slicker than owl crap on ice when they are wet.

[uncle_handsome]

Originally Posted by krue

Heck around here I have seen Crown Vics with mud grips on the back. Some of those red
clay dirt roads are slicker than owl crap on ice when they are wet.

I thought about that too, maybe buyin' a fullsize rear drive car (ie. Caprice) and put offroad tires on them. I hear those V-8 cars weigh about the same, have almost the same mileage, are faster (at least in the 1/4 mile) and get better gas mileage than a half-ton truck.

So "mud grips" are mud-tires right? I heard about mud grips from the Trace Adkins song "Rough and Ready."

[uncle_handsome]

Originally Posted by 1FaastC10

with the heavy oily clay you're talking about, you need more drive wheels.

off topic, there's only one coaster at Cedar Point that tops 95, and that's Top Thrill Dragster. to spend "as much time there as you can", should be able to knock that out in a weekend. we hit all the big coasters last fall, took us just over 5 hours to ride every coaster in the park.

What is the Millenium Force? I've been on it. Is that 93 mph not 95?

[benwantland]

I run mud tires on the back of my 4x2 with highway tires on the front... no real disadvantages that I've found, and I can mess around in the pasture or field, although freshly rained-on dirt roads do present a bit too much of a challenge.

[uncle_handsome]

Originally Posted by benwantland

I run mud tires on the back of my 4x2 with highway tires on the front... no real disadvantages that I've found, and I can mess around in the pasture or field, although freshly rained-on dirt roads do present a bit too much of a challenge.

Do mud tires make it harder to drive on freshly rained-on dirt roads, or do you mean that all tires suck on them and don't expect much (or any) improvement in those conditions by switching to muds?

[1FaastC10]

Mil Force is 92, i was confusing it with the Magnum, which is only 72.

[uncle_handsome]

Originally Posted by 1FaastC10

Mil Force is 92, i was confusing it with the Magnum, which is only 72.

Okay, I like going 92 then. What's 3 mph? I probably wouldn't notice any difference. But I would notice Top Thrill at 120 mph!