i went off roading for the first time today... my 2wd DEF could not handle the mud. needless to say i got stuck... very stuck. i was planning to raise my car and add bigger tires, but i wanna know if it is worth it, as in, if i do this, will i end up getting stuck still with my 2wd??

 

a lift can't hurt, but more important than clearance for playing with a 2wd in mud is traction. if you don't have those front wheels pulling, you need to give those rear wheels everything you can. besides a good amount of momentum helping, i'd go with some nice mud tires and a rear locker.
mud tires have wide gaps in them so the mud won't cake so easily which would result in a slick tire surface. those lugs on mud tires better deal with the mud and can keep cleaner to ensure better gripping. i think i've read arguments for wider tires are better in mud (more flotation) and narrower (sink down to firmer surface). i actually just googled it and found this http://www.offroaders.com/info/tech-...eading/mud.htm on that very issue, search and you'll find even more helpful mud driving tips.
a locker will help because if you only have one rear tire spinning, well 1wd can't be good for anything. a locker will lock both rear wheels so they both spin, which should help you get through mud.

i can't speak from experience of wheelin a 2wd around in mud, but some of the 4wd stuff is applicable here. oh and of course, if you're wheelin a 2wd to its limits, you're asking to get stuck, as well as with a 4wd. so that means wheel with some buddies to help you out if necessary.

 

When you hit mud in a 2wd you better take some recovery gear I think. I doesn't take much to get stuck in mud, even in 4wd.

 

i have heard that a locked 2wd with a good driver can get just about anywhere a open diff 4wd with a un-expirenced driver. but then again mud is a different ball game...

 

For sure, some sort of traction aiding diff will help. I put a limited slip on my VW pickup (FWD) and that made a huge difference in where it could go. I took it on a 4x4 run once when my 4Runner was down and was able to make it up one muddy, icy hill that some of the 4x4s could not make it up. Granted, I had to park the thing anytime we got into large rocks (high enough to hit the oil pan), but other than that, 2WD + limited slip did as good as 4WD.

 

i have never been stuck in my 4x2, even in mud that broke a scouts axle (carnegie a couple months ago)

i drive HARD..... by hard i meaning i will rev the hell out of my truck and run hard..... i have never been stuck with my 4x2....

a lot of opinion on 4x4 or 4x2 is just that opinion... but a lot of people have witnessed firsthand that with the right driver/skills, a 4x2 can get into and out of pretty much any similarly equipped 4x4 can.....

 

Did you try opening the tailgate and pointing them speakers out the back?

Seriously though, you don't mention what tires you now have so I'll have to assume they're stock 225/15's. First thing you should do is avoid mud. You never know what you're getting into until you're in too deep. Also mud cakes up and rusts metal like salt...because various salts leach out of the minerals in the sand, silt and clay that make up mud. The muddy water also gets sucked into your differential through the breather unless you've extended it. Then your bearings all get trashed and you get an expensive repair bill.

Second, you probably ought to get a lunchbox locker...like the Aussie locker (do a search). I did a lot in my old 2wd pickup but the things I always wanted more of were traction, lower gears and clearance. The clearance and lower gears aren't cheap, so throw a locker in it and enjoy it. You'll replace your gear oil at the same time and you might as well extend your breather while you're at it to protect those bearings.

And stay outa the mud.

 

Read some techniques for driving in mud and it all apllies to 2wd as well. If you drive it right you should be just fine. If you have highway tread on your tires, you really are begging to get stuck. I had 33x12.5 MTs on a 4cyl 2wd auto and never got stuck. One road was a full mile of just mud. 6" deep mud. It's really easy once you get the hang of it.

 

Honestly when I'm out I find that I only put it in 4WD for peace of mind. I can do pretty much everything my 4x4 friends do with just my locked rear.

I find that for my weight and lack of gusto (22RE) I actually do need the front axles help for san and mud. (More so on sand, I don't like really deep mud)

Of course crawling ledges and rocks with a rear wheel drive vehichle is challenging. Don't get too excited about what 4cralwer said about his 2wd climbing what 4x4 could do. Keep in mind that VW is front wheel drive. I could be wrong but I think rear wheel 2wd would have had a harder time.

2wd is very capable, but in tough situations you will need to use momentum to make up for the lack of a front axle.

How gnarly do you want to get? Describe the extremes of your 4 wheeling. A locker will do a lot for you, my Aussie locker is the best money I've spent so far.

 

thanks a lot guys... yes, the tires are regular 225/15s, but am hoping to get those exchanged VERY soon... maybe 265's? ill definitely have to check out these rear lockers, sound very beneficial!

it hadnt rained very much before we went out there so i didnt expect a LOT of mud... and i told my friend to pick the easiest routes to head through so i wouldnt get stuck, but he accidentally hit some mud, and i got stuck...

thanks for all the input guys