so as I sit at the tire store....hopefuly getting my tire put back on the rim......I have to say.....the first ever Michigan Blazer forum off road meet whent especialy well.....members in attendance......me...and tommyd.....2 blazers....one with some nice heavy mud tires.....off to the wilderness to get a little muddy....

we made it a ways...when this huge..realy huge....puddle came across the path....I wasn't going to go through it..no way...I know my limitations....well we hopped out of our trucks..and took some sticks and tested the depth of the water....didn't seem too deep......one brave soul decided to run it......it was beautiful...the red blazer splashing throught the puddle.....until....

the truck stopped moving...it almost got out backwards....but alas...it was finaly stuck on a hunk of mud.....a nice piece of plastic skid plate floating in the water....(only one tire conecting with ground) well I was the rescue vehicle..attempted to pull the red blazer out forwards.....so such luck....so to the back I went......the tow strap was a little short..so I crept my truck up just to the edge....and hooked the strap on...pulled and pulled..and pulled....no such luck...well in an attempt to pull the strap off...I had to inch forward just a little bit....and that's when my truck got stuck....both tires barely in the water....I got my stupid frame stuck on the middle of the rut.....meanwhile the red blazer is slowly filling up with water....luckily he's got friends with trucks...and we get pulled out...(not to say we didn't try just about everything to try and get un stuck)

so off again we go....deciding that mud puddles are out for the day.....we have to go back to get the strap....in the back tracking....we go through this realy nasty bumpy muddly wierd rutted up hill track (that I went down just fine)..well on the way out you can hear the air rushing out of the tire.....I was just glad it was the tire....*phew*..one tire changed..and we decide on dinner.......out we go and the food was yummy!!!

** so this might be the last misadventure with the blazer for a while...I need to get my oil changed....and am going to have them check to make sure I didn't blow my differential seal...



It was a very very very fun day!! I am so glad I got to get dirty..and meet a realy cool guy!!!!


Pictures to follow later tonight.....they are great I promise....just gotta get them developed......





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I have a few pics from my cell phone check my gallery and you can see them. Pretty funny acctually. Had about 2 inches of water in the passenger side of my truck. Funniest thing was paddle_grl getting in the hole trying to push her truck off the frame haha that lasted about 30 seconds! All in all it was a good day. The next day sucked because now my truck smells of muddy water. Oh well could be worse.

Those pics are awesome. Looks like you guys had fun, despite the tire mishap and gettin' stuck. Can't wait to see your pics, Paddle!

here are the pics!


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i will have to make it up there once. where in michigan are yall? i need to feel superior, guess the only way to is to go with stock rigs. lol the cheros i ride with always show me up, but i pull them out. :)

We are both from Grand Rapids but this we went riding up in Bitely about 1.5 hours north of grand rapids. We only got to see a tiny portion of whats up there. everything from sand hills to swamps it's tons of fun up there so many trails to ride. Your 31" tires wouldn't have got you through this hole. There was a good foot and a half between the bottom of my tire and the bottom of the rut.

Looks like you guys had some real fun. Sorry to say Paddle girl, but there is no way you where going to pull him out.

Say I don't supose you got some new mud tires when you were at the tire shop? lol

Yeah how did the tire thing turn out? Did you just break the bead? Hopfully you didn't tear the tire or anything. Luckily my buddies were near by and came to pull us out. I gotta get a wench or a couple of snatch blocks and some rope. Something to prevent my dumbass from getting stuck again!

When you said hugh puddle i was thinking alright this decent size puddle going accross the road. Not no 2 feet deep hole. Pretty sweet looking.. I could have gotten out. hehe Not sure tho. I have always told my friends give me anything with 4 wheels and atleast 2 wheels that move and I can get a vehicle any where. managed to get a car that got stuck at my cabin on a 90 degree turn on an up hill run on ice up to the top of the hill with bald tires. But I don't even think I would have attempted that with my stock suspension and my SS tires. I would have thrown some nice mud and that would have been about it I think. Not without any suspension lift and possibly a locker in the rear would I have tried that. Well with a suspension lift and a winch so I could get my arse out. Just wish I lived closer looks like it would have been hella fun! Was hoping for more pics.

You would need about 35-38" tires at least there was about a foot and a half between the bottom of my tire and the bottom of the rut at the end. I probably could have backed out the first time it stopped moving (it was pretty much backed out) but hell I wanted to go through that damn thing!

haha. I know how that is. Almost had myself ina similar perdictamit(sp) And I took the shallow part of the hole. got about halfway through and it was muddier on the side than I though. And of course only 4x4 on the trail. haha Luckly powered through it by slamming it in reverse then back in drive when I started slowing down while backing up. Did this about 3 times and managed to pull through with out getting stuck thank god.

yea....i think u guys are crazy......with fairly stock equipment trying to tackle that deep of a mudhole, i definitly wouldnt advise it....you guys got a deathwish for your blazers? [sm=badidea.gif]

That is why there isn't a payment on it any more. :) that way if something goes bad, I can go take a loan out on it and fix it up with aftermarket stuff if available. Just my wife don't know this yet. :)

ORIGINAL: tommyd

I gotta get a wench or a couple of snatch blocks and some rope. Something to prevent my dumbass from getting stuck again!


Having the equipment to pull your dumbass out won't prevent you from getting stuck agian. :D

Mud tires, and a rear locker will make a huge difference.

Paddlegirl,
I highly recommend that you get a rear tow point and pull from the back of the truck from now on. The weight over the front tires helps tremendously with traction, plus the weight of the towee on the back axle helps that axle with traction. The way you were set up, behind him, pulling from the front bumper took all the weight off the back axle and loaded up the front, which was in the muck. Just a little tip for next time.

I agree with hanr it will prevent me from getting stuck so bad I have to call someone to pull us both out. I was also very nervous while pulling paddle_grl out, we had to pull her out using the ball and I've seen balls break before, not good very dangerous.

As for the mud tires and rear locker already got the tires just need a locker.

And for flowmasta, these things can handle alot more than you might think, I've taken water up to the windsheild and as long as you go through it quick enough to not suck too much into the air cleaner your fine. We decided to call it quits before I could show paddle_grl the fun parts of the trails, aka the sand and the swamp that I was planning on driving through, well at least part way through.

definately is fun. taken these off-road. Someone needs to work on a snorkle fab for the blazer. hehe.

i been thinking up a snorkel, just dont want to cut up my fenders or hood yet. and hell, i still got 2 years of payments left.

also on the towpoints, the factory front hooks on these vehicles are weak, i have broken 3 of them off. i am working on making a 2 inch receiver tube that can slide into the framerails where the hooks mount, that way i can hang d-rings from there, and have a STRONG tow point. also i have heard of people breaking front axle parts by pulling with the front end, all the weight pulling down on the ifs, just snaps it.

wow I missed a lot of conversation on this topic....first of all.....I was never going to go through that puddle....(I was supposed to be the safe one) and second of all....it was just the bead...17 dollars and I am driving around.....I am going to have my oil change guy look at the underneath.....maybe I am just being wierd...but it just dosen't feel right yet....(you get nervous when you have already replaced one ass end)........I agree 100% with you Tim....I do need a rear tow hook....this was the first time I have ever gotten that stuck...I tend to be more careful...but I didn't intend to rest my front axle on the mud pile...ha ha ha ha....lessons learned right??? I think my new plan of action is to get this truck through to next year...(I will have my loan down enough to make some money on it) possibly thinking spring...and then get possible a zr2..or other suck "stock off roaders" get myself a 4 inch lift..and some tires...(maybe just tires....who knows) make sure I have excellent tow hooks on the front and back and then get a little more serious with my off roading capabilities...and just stick with the little mud puddles until then!!! ha ha ha!! yes we were lucky enough to have Tom's friends to pull us out...(I still had a few tricks up my sleeve of how to get myself out) and I would do it again in a heart beat!! it was the most fun I had had in a while....and I wish I could have messed around more.....but I didn't feel so comfortable continuing on with no spare tire....when I was in the Upper Peninsula....I used to carry an extra spare with me....as the slate rock and nature of the terrain warranted it....I had actualy gone through two tires before...you guys all should have been there....


gota a call gotta go

I'm not sure. I've seen some zr2's and as i'm driving by/them driving by my blazer seems to sit about the same height if not exactly the same. only difference I have seen is the one i happened to peer in had the auto 4x4 button. That mine doesn't have. I'm hoping this spring possibly over the winter I will have a new vehicle for the wife. And the project blazer will be underway. :)