All mud is not the same. No, this is not some great maxim uttered by a wise sage with a long white beard, but in the universe of mud tires, it is everything.

Mud is as variable and changeable as the off-road vehicles trying their best to work through it. Mud is earth and water, sandy soil, topsoil, clay, ice and snow, bogs and peat moss, rocks and gravel. Suspension andtraction-aid devices are key, but mud tires are vital. So, as your tires try to find traction through mud terrain, how can you assess mud and choose the best equipment and approach?

Narrow mud tires, for example are best when you find yourself in mud with a hard bottom layer, as they can cut through the top layer to find traction on the hard surface below. Wide mud terrain tires in this situation tend to float or "hydroplane" on the slick top layer, unable to penetrate the surface.

Wider mud tires do better in thicker, cement-like mud, particularly with variable terrain below the surface. These tiresoffer some flotation, almost like driving in sand. Wider tires too benefit from lowered tire pressure, and give a larger contact patch overuneven terrain. Tire size and sidewall stiffness determine how much you reduce your tire pressure, or'air down'. Common air-down recommendations for average mud tires is roughly 15 to 20 PSI. Airing downgets you added traction when mud seems bottomless and traction is hard to find.

Mud tire tread pattern is vital. Mud tires by definition are tires that have a larger lug and wider, deeper space (voids) between lugs. These voids are designed to channel mud out of the tread and self-clean the lugs. Mud tires grab onto anything it can hook one of its lug edges around, especially when aired down and channellingmud away from the center. Tread design varies widelymakes or breaks a mud tire. A poorly designed mud tire will become clogged and packed with mud in the voids,giving them next to zero traction.

Understanding differences inmud tires will help you negotiate the toughest situation. In the end a good set of mud tires with self-cleaning lugs are key, but always have a backup plan with good recovery equipment.