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CREDITS: John Shumway (roughtx)
Sand can be a real problem for some. Others seem to thrive off of the ability to go where no one has gone before. No matter how one tries to conqour the task of driving in sand, one thing you must always do: be on guard and conserve momentum.
Preparation
It is not always possible to walk and check the path that you are taking. This is simply because you are about to drive the desert! This is why you need to practice extra caution.
Be safe inside the vehicle as well. All occupants should be wearing seatbelts and helmets. Just kidding about the helmets. All loose items in the Rover should be secured and windows shut.
The first thing to do before driving on sand is to lower your tire pressures. This is done to provide better flotation by increasing the size of your "footprint" and thus improving your traction. The better the traction, the less work your vehicle does and thus decreases wear and tear on the tires.
The optimum tire pressure depends on your vehicle, the type of tires fitted and the terrain. The following technique provides a good starting point to find the optimum pressure and is best performed before leaving the bitumen.
Park your loaded vehicle on a level surface and place a brick 1 cm away from the sidewall of your rear tire. Deflate that tire until the sidewall just touches the brick and then measure the tire pressure. Use this pressure as your starting point when initially lowering your tire pressure for sand driving. As you become more familiar with sand driving, you con alter this pressure as the terrain dictates.
If you haven't performed the above technique before you reach the sand, don't fret. A good rule of thumb is to use a pressure of 15 psi.
As you lower tire pressure, the tire becomes more vulnerable to damage by stoking the sidewall or rolling the tire off the rim. The lower the pressure, the higher the risk. However the gain in traction can be remarkable and may make the difference between becoming hopelessly bogged or simply driving away. The "correct" tire pressure becomes a decision between better traction versus increased risk of tire damage.
Remember though, if you are going to lower your tire pressures, ensure you have a pressure gauge and some means of pumping your tires back up. Cheap inflatable air pumps do not do the trick. Even the ARB compressors struggle to fill tires. Try buying a CO2 tank to fill up quick.
Sand Driving
Now to the driving. The most important thing is to conserve momentum. Traction fluctuates, so avoid harsh braking, acceleration, and cornering can cause the tires to dig into the sand. AVOID RAPID CHANGES. Also, any change in momentum will lead to a loss of momentum. Remember that.
Engage the diff lock before take-off. This will deliver power equally to the front and rear axles critical in sand driving. Starting should be performed as smoothly as possible with gear changes done at fairly high revs. Sand driving requires plenty of engine power to get your vehicle "planing" on the sand. It is advisable to use low range as this multiplies the amount of engine torque available and will provide that extra gear if you encounter a particularly soft patch of sand. Check that your tires are pointing straight ahead when taking off to reduce the takeoff effort required.
When traveling on sand, you should endeavor to follow in the tire tracks of the vehicle in front as they have already compressed the sand to form a firmer surface than un-traversed ground.
When stopping on sand allow the vehicle to coast to a stop. This will minimize any sand build-up in front of the wheels. If the terrain permits, coast to a stop, rather than braking, with the vehicle pointing downhill as this will aid take-off. Avoid the soft sand at the base of most dunes and gullies when stopping.
When turning, make the turn as wide as possible to reduce the chance of bogging. Your front wheels act more like a rudder in sand and turning too sharp has a similar effect to applying the brakes.
Steep sand dunes can be traversed only straight up or down. If you drive even on a slight angle, the weight transfer is to the downhill side wheels. If the vehicle starts to slip, the downhill wheels tend to dig in and make the angle of the dune even worse, leading to a potential rollover.
If you are traveling straight down a steep dune and the back end starts to slip sideways, it is best to accelerate slightly to try and straighten the vehicle. Never use the brake, as this will cause weight transfer to the front wheels and can increase the back end movement.
If traveling up a dune and you do not get to the top, reverse down the dune in gear, NEVER coast down the dune and NEVER attempt a U turn.
When you return home after a beach trip, it is important to hose down your vehicle to remove all traces of sand and salt. Pay special attention to areas like the mudguards where sand is sprayed around and tends to get trapped. Thoroughly hose underneath your vehicle as well, as there are many nooks and crannies where sand con also get trapped.
Recovery in Sand
As soon as you become bogged, avoid the temptation to simply floor the accelerator as this will just make vehicle recovery more difficult. Put the vehicle in reverse and gently try to back along your tracks as they provide a compacted path. When you have reversed a sufficient distance, try going forward again while being careful not dig yourself in. Hopefully you will travel further each time you repeat this technique and eventually be able to slowly pass through a particularly soft section.
If you cannot reverse out of trouble, get out of the vehicle and let your tires down further. A rule of thumb is to drop them by a further 12 psi. Before trying to reverse out, remove the build-up of sand from behind the tires. See if any part of the underside is touching. If it is, clear the sand away to allow the vehicle to reverse out. You may need to try this several times.
If necessary, continue to drop the tire pressures to 10 psi. Also, never underestimate the assistance of your passengers giving a push. As mentioned earlier, tires can be lowered to 6psi in extreme cases, but this should be avoided if other means of vehicle recovery are available.
If you are still stuck and your tires are down to the minimum pressure, you will have to resort to a ****** strap, winching or jacking to extricate yourself. The easiest method is usually by ****** strap, but this relies on another vehicle being present. If you are by yourself you will have to resort to winching or jacking.
Summary
* lower tire pressures to greatly improve traction and reduce track erosion
* drive smoothly with gear changes at high revs
* ensure wheels are pointing straight ahead when taking off
* avoid the soft sand at the base of dunes and gullies
* make turns as wide as possible
* ONLY travel straight up or down dunes
* ollow in others tire tracks to drive on compressed ground
* avoid braking by coasting to a stop
* do not floor the accelerator if you are bogging down
* when bogged, try to reverse on your own tracks
* thoroughly hose down your vehicle after a beach trip
Sand can be a real problem for some. Others seem to thrive off of the ability to go where no one has gone before. No matter how one tries to conqour the task of driving in sand, one thing you must always do: be on guard and conserve momentum.
Preparation
It is not always possible to walk and check the path that you are taking. This is simply because you are about to drive the desert! This is why you need to practice extra caution.
Be safe inside the vehicle as well. All occupants should be wearing seatbelts and helmets. Just kidding about the helmets. All loose items in the Rover should be secured and windows shut.
The first thing to do before driving on sand is to lower your tire pressures. This is done to provide better flotation by increasing the size of your "footprint" and thus improving your traction. The better the traction, the less work your vehicle does and thus decreases wear and tear on the tires.
The optimum tire pressure depends on your vehicle, the type of tires fitted and the terrain. The following technique provides a good starting point to find the optimum pressure and is best performed before leaving the bitumen.
Park your loaded vehicle on a level surface and place a brick 1 cm away from the sidewall of your rear tire. Deflate that tire until the sidewall just touches the brick and then measure the tire pressure. Use this pressure as your starting point when initially lowering your tire pressure for sand driving. As you become more familiar with sand driving, you con alter this pressure as the terrain dictates.
If you haven't performed the above technique before you reach the sand, don't fret. A good rule of thumb is to use a pressure of 15 psi.
As you lower tire pressure, the tire becomes more vulnerable to damage by stoking the sidewall or rolling the tire off the rim. The lower the pressure, the higher the risk. However the gain in traction can be remarkable and may make the difference between becoming hopelessly bogged or simply driving away. The "correct" tire pressure becomes a decision between better traction versus increased risk of tire damage.
Remember though, if you are going to lower your tire pressures, ensure you have a pressure gauge and some means of pumping your tires back up. Cheap inflatable air pumps do not do the trick. Even the ARB compressors struggle to fill tires. Try buying a CO2 tank to fill up quick.
Sand Driving
Now to the driving. The most important thing is to conserve momentum. Traction fluctuates, so avoid harsh braking, acceleration, and cornering can cause the tires to dig into the sand. AVOID RAPID CHANGES. Also, any change in momentum will lead to a loss of momentum. Remember that.
Engage the diff lock before take-off. This will deliver power equally to the front and rear axles critical in sand driving. Starting should be performed as smoothly as possible with gear changes done at fairly high revs. Sand driving requires plenty of engine power to get your vehicle "planing" on the sand. It is advisable to use low range as this multiplies the amount of engine torque available and will provide that extra gear if you encounter a particularly soft patch of sand. Check that your tires are pointing straight ahead when taking off to reduce the takeoff effort required.
When traveling on sand, you should endeavor to follow in the tire tracks of the vehicle in front as they have already compressed the sand to form a firmer surface than un-traversed ground.
When stopping on sand allow the vehicle to coast to a stop. This will minimize any sand build-up in front of the wheels. If the terrain permits, coast to a stop, rather than braking, with the vehicle pointing downhill as this will aid take-off. Avoid the soft sand at the base of most dunes and gullies when stopping.
When turning, make the turn as wide as possible to reduce the chance of bogging. Your front wheels act more like a rudder in sand and turning too sharp has a similar effect to applying the brakes.
Steep sand dunes can be traversed only straight up or down. If you drive even on a slight angle, the weight transfer is to the downhill side wheels. If the vehicle starts to slip, the downhill wheels tend to dig in and make the angle of the dune even worse, leading to a potential rollover.
If you are traveling straight down a steep dune and the back end starts to slip sideways, it is best to accelerate slightly to try and straighten the vehicle. Never use the brake, as this will cause weight transfer to the front wheels and can increase the back end movement.
If traveling up a dune and you do not get to the top, reverse down the dune in gear, NEVER coast down the dune and NEVER attempt a U turn.
When you return home after a beach trip, it is important to hose down your vehicle to remove all traces of sand and salt. Pay special attention to areas like the mudguards where sand is sprayed around and tends to get trapped. Thoroughly hose underneath your vehicle as well, as there are many nooks and crannies where sand con also get trapped.
Recovery in Sand
As soon as you become bogged, avoid the temptation to simply floor the accelerator as this will just make vehicle recovery more difficult. Put the vehicle in reverse and gently try to back along your tracks as they provide a compacted path. When you have reversed a sufficient distance, try going forward again while being careful not dig yourself in. Hopefully you will travel further each time you repeat this technique and eventually be able to slowly pass through a particularly soft section.
If you cannot reverse out of trouble, get out of the vehicle and let your tires down further. A rule of thumb is to drop them by a further 12 psi. Before trying to reverse out, remove the build-up of sand from behind the tires. See if any part of the underside is touching. If it is, clear the sand away to allow the vehicle to reverse out. You may need to try this several times.
If necessary, continue to drop the tire pressures to 10 psi. Also, never underestimate the assistance of your passengers giving a push. As mentioned earlier, tires can be lowered to 6psi in extreme cases, but this should be avoided if other means of vehicle recovery are available.
If you are still stuck and your tires are down to the minimum pressure, you will have to resort to a ****** strap, winching or jacking to extricate yourself. The easiest method is usually by ****** strap, but this relies on another vehicle being present. If you are by yourself you will have to resort to winching or jacking.
Summary
* lower tire pressures to greatly improve traction and reduce track erosion
* drive smoothly with gear changes at high revs
* ensure wheels are pointing straight ahead when taking off
* avoid the soft sand at the base of dunes and gullies
* make turns as wide as possible
* ONLY travel straight up or down dunes
* ollow in others tire tracks to drive on compressed ground
* avoid braking by coasting to a stop
* do not floor the accelerator if you are bogging down
* when bogged, try to reverse on your own tracks
* thoroughly hose down your vehicle after a beach trip
