Do Mud Tires make your truck shake?

Ever noticed your steering wheel shaking after a muddy adventure? The culprit might be right under your truck: mud tires. Dive in to discover if these rugged tires really cause that unnerving wobble and how to address it.

Do Mud Tires Make Your Truck Shake?

Mud tires will cause a truck to shake when they are unevenly packed with mud and debris. This is because the weight of mud unbalances the tires. To test if the mud tires are causing a truck to shake, the driver should clean out the mud and pressure wash the wheel wells.

If this works, the tires should stop shaking and you should have a smooth ride in your truck. 

For more information on how to solve this problem, keep reading!

Suggested Reading: Be sure to check out our article, Do Mud Tires Cause Vibration? Why And How To Fix It!

Will Mud Tires Cause Vibration?

Mud tires unevenly packed with mud can make your truck shake or vibrate.

Don’t blame the tires unless they’re warped or oddly worn. However, they can collect mud and debris, leading to problems later.

Why Do My Tires Make My Truck Shake?

A shaking truck can upset anyone. No one likes cleaning mud when upset, but it’s necessary.

Uneven mud, snow, dirt, and debris on your tires can unbalance them, making the truck shake.

The unbalance pulls the tire off-center during driving, giving you and your truck a rough ride.You don’t want an off-roading feeling while on a paved street.

While off-roading, even mud on tires keeps them balanced. A full mud coat shakes less than a single dirt piece stuck in the wheel.

It’s odd, right? Tough off-roading gear can struggle with just a dry mud clump.

That dirt piece causes noise and vibrations, shaking the entire truck. Uneven dirt on all tires can make your truck shake like a jittery dog.

The good news is that this is an easy and cheap problem to fix. You just need to clean out the tires!

How Do I Clean My Mud Tires?

Cleaning your mud tires is a cheap and easy solution to your truck’s shaking issue.

The question now is just how best to clean them!

If you dislike mud, consider paying a neighborhood kid to clean your tires, like your parents might have done. Just ensure the kid won’t scratch your car.

Soak The Mud

This easy step will simplify the rest of the cleaning process and save your truck some stress.

Soaking your car’s bottom and tires, like soaking dirty dishes, helps remove thick mud.

If you’re lucky, a lot of that mud might start falling off right away! If not, you can soak it with automotive soap to get things moving.

Manually Remove Excess Dirt

Get a scrub brush and start carefully knocking off some of those big dirt clumps.

It will make a nasty mess on your driveway, but that’s easy enough to clean off. With soap and proper soaking, you can easily clean the dirt.

Make sure to get all around the wheel to make sure it can properly balance again. 

Check inside the wheel well, rim, and every small space. Always be safe when checking these areas. Avoid pinching your hands.

Hose Irrigation

To clean a hard-to-reach wheel well, start by soaking it with a hose. This will make the mud easier to clean out and manage.

After soaking the tough spot, move the car forward to clean it better. That might free it up enough that you can clean it out more thoroughly.

Pressure Washing

If you have access to a pressure washer, congratulations on making it to the speedrun of car cleaning. 

While pressure washing is technically the opposite of mudding, it can be just as much fun and even more satisfying.

Follow all safety rules when using the pressure washer! Wear full-length pants and close-toed shoes that offer full protection, and never put a body part in the stream.

Avoid paint chips in your truck because the pressure washer will remove the paint if it catches it.

Pressure wash in all the corners, through the whole wheel well, in the tire tread, and anywhere else a clump of mud could be hiding that needs to be cleaned out

The pressure washer should handle it without any problem and will leave your truck cleaner than ever.

However, you should never pressure wash your car. 

The water will remove the paint from your car and can cause dents to form in the metal. 

Use a regular hose instead of a pressure washer to clean your car.

Finishing With a Carwash

Don’t take a fully mud-covered truck to the carwash. First, the wash won’t be effective. Second, you risk getting banned unless the carwash can handle such dirt.

However, a carwash can be a good place for finishing touches.

If you’ve removed most of the mud and cleaned your tires well, a carwash can restore the shine and clean tough spots. Get a good wash and enjoy your smooth ride.

If I Cleaned Out My Mud Tires, Why Is My Truck Still Shaking?

If your truck shakes after cleaning the mud tires, see a mechanic. You could have issues like loose bolts, unbalanced tires, a damaged axle, or steering problems that a professional should fix. Don’t delay addressing this.