Ruts are part of 4X4ing. Whether they’ve been carved into a muddy forest track, washed out by heavy rain or dug deeper by years of eager explorers poking their spotlights down a track, sooner or later you’ll have to deal with them.
The mistake is thinking every rut should be driven the same way. Sometimes the safest line is directly inside it. Other times you want your tyres sitting on either side. Get it wrong and you can quickly end up hung on the diffs, leaning into a bank or digging the rut even deeper.
Read the rut before you drive it
Before committing, work out what you’re actually dealing with. If the rut disappears beneath the vehicle or you can’t see the bottom, get out and have a look. That thirty-second inspection can save a lot of digging later.
Depth matters, but so does what’s underneath. A shallow rut with a hard base might be easy. A deep muddy rut can have soft edges that collapse as soon as you put weight on them. Look for exposed rocks, tree roots and steps that could catch a diff, control arm or sidewall.
You also need to think about where your lowest points are. On most solid-axle 4X4s, the differential housings are the obvious concern. Independent suspension vehicles can have different vulnerable points underneath. Knowing roughly where they sit in relation to the driver’s seat makes accurate wheel placement much easier.
In the rut or out of it?
There are two basic ways of attacking ruts: drive your wheels through them or try to straddle them.
If the ruts are shallow enough to provide adequate clearance, dropping your tyres into them is often the easiest option. They effectively become rails that guide the vehicle along the track. Keep the steering relaxed and let the vehicle follow the natural line rather than constantly fighting the wheel.
Deep ruts are different. Once they’re approaching diff height, driving straight down the middle can end with the vehicle sitting firmly on its chassis while the tyres spin uselessly below.
That’s when straddling the rut may become the better option. Put one tyre on each side and keep the vehicle balanced on the higher ground. The challenge is staying there. Wet or crumbly edges can pull a tyre into the rut suddenly, so use slow, deliberate steering inputs rather than trying to balance right on the edge at speed.
Sometimes the best line uses both techniques. You might enter the rut, climb one side to clear an obstacle, then drop back in once the track improves. There’s no rule saying you need to follow the same wheel line for the entire obstacle.
Keep the throttle boring
Ruts reward smooth driving. Once the tyres start spinning aggressively, you usually stop moving forward and start digging.
Select low range early if the terrain warrants it. The extra control lets you maintain a steady crawl without relying on momentum or excessive throttle. If your 4X4 has a rear or front differential lock, engaging it before you lose traction can also help keep things controlled.
Use enough throttle to maintain movement, but resist the temptation to bury the accelerator the moment the vehicle slows. A tyre spinning inside a rut can quickly dig itself deeper, while a tyre spinning on the edge can kick the vehicle sideways into it.
Momentum still has a place, particularly in soft mud, but there’s a big difference between controlled momentum and attacking the obstacle flat out. Build enough speed before the difficult section to keep the vehicle moving, then stay smooth.
Steering inputs should be just as measured. If a wheel drops unexpectedly, don’t automatically wrench the steering wheel towards the high side. Look where you want the vehicle to go and make small corrections while maintaining traction.
Know when to stop
The best rut-driving technique is sometimes reversing out.
If the diffs are starting to drag heavily, the vehicle is leaning uncomfortably or the tyres are digging without moving you forward, stop before things get worse. A small problem is normally much easier to recover from than a 4X4 sitting on its belly with four holes dug around the tyres.
Reversing a metre and trying a different line can completely change the obstacle. You might need to place one wheel higher, pack a hole with rocks, use traction boards or clear loose material before having another attempt.
Tyre pressures also make a major difference. Dropping pressure increases the tyre’s footprint and allows it to conform around rocks and uneven surfaces. It can also improve stability when you’re balancing along the side of a rut. Just remember that lower pressures increase the risk of sidewall damage if you start scraping against exposed roots or rocks.
Most importantly, don’t follow someone else’s line simply because they made it through. Their vehicle may have bigger tyres, different suspension, more clearance or lockers that your 4X4 doesn’t have.
Good rut driving is rarely spectacular. It’s slow, deliberate and sometimes involves getting out of the vehicle for another look. Choose the right wheel placement, protect your clearance and keep the throttle under control, and most rutted tracks become far less intimidating.
