Sand Driving - Experiences/Technique/Equipment

[iSurfvilano]

Wanted to start a thread dedicated to the sand troopers out there. I'm always curious as to what type of sand people are taking there LR4 in and how they are getting out of a bind. Please feel free to post your experiences, technique and the equipment you are using.

 

[Surfrider77]

Lazy rip from the other thread:

I am your resident sand expert here in the desert. You need to first identify what surface you are most frequently driving on. Sand and Mud patterns are pretty much exact opposite, so if you are good in one you are typically bad in the other. Mud, you need wide blocks to eject packed mud out of the treads. These tires dig for traction, as designed. Sand tires are all about float and digging is the last thing you want. More surface area, the better. With that said, you want as much surface area as possible so the wider 285s are going to be your best option.

In regards to airing down, 20 psi is really conservative. I typically run 16-18 myself and I know others running down 12-15 (typically on lighter trucks). If you had beadlocks you can go down further! The whole issue with rolling the tire off the rim is 95% down to driver error. You simply can't take corners at speed! It's all about learning new driving habits for the sand. I can't stress this enough. There are a lot of YouTube videos out there to get you started with some great information.

Good overall post! As you said, conditions will vary results massively. This also goes for low range. I am literally in the desert scaling 100-150ft sand dunes. That extra torque grunt makes life a hell of a lot easier when you are trying to maintain momentum. While doable without low gearing, I personally would be looking for HD pack on the newer trucks to have it.

However, I do realize 99% of the posters on this forum will never see this kind of terrain, let alone try and wheel their LR4s on it! I do love the community experience on this forum though. Lots of great tips!

We should make a sand driving thread and stop hijacking this one!

I am from Florida and know exactly what sugar sand is. Stuff is no joke. Here it can vary greatly in certain spots, which you try and avoid. I am contracting in Qatar in the Middle East, hence the crazy sand dunes. US coastal "dune" hills are quite different. Tons of YouTube vids out there if you just search Qatar dune bashing, etc. The biggest issue I deal with is some crazy tidal flooding. We tend to get pretty far off the beaten path to an area called "Inland Sea" and in the right conditions can completely swap vehicles overnight. Some of the flat areas can be deceiving and look relatively firm but are actually a muddy soup. As you said.. only time behind the wheel can prepare you for this. (or any 4 wheeling)

 

[Surfrider77]

MaxTrax should be priority #1 to make life easier for you!

https://maxtrax.com.au/

Since airing down each trip out in the sand (and I deflate my full sized spare to fit under in the stock location), I also carry an air compressor. I use the ARB that comes in what looks like a plastic toolbox. I can then fit my air hose, inflation gauge, D-Shackles, and a few basic tools inside. Mileage varies greatly on compressors!! There are far cheaper units out there, but do your homework. The two most important factors to look for are Air Flow (cfm fill rate) and Duty Cycle. Air flow is self explanatory.. faster the fill rate, faster you are airing up. Duty Cycle is often overlooked. Air compressors overheat quite quickly Duty Cycle is essentially the run time vs cool down time ratio. Ie: Can run a max of 10 minutes before you need to shut it down to allow it to cool or risk premature pump damage.

Compressor Integrated to Case
http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-Portable-High-Performance-12-Volt-Air-Compressor-CKMP12-P3573C9.aspx

Inflator + Gauge
http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-TIRE-INFLATOR-WITH-GAUGE-ARB605-P21342C9.aspx

Easy Deflator (pulls the needle out of the stem and allows far quicker and accurate deflation)
https://www.amazon.com/ARB-ARB505-E-Z-Deflator/dp/B004LQCDOA

D-Shackles (x2)
https://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-13047B-Black-D-Ring/dp/B001CF1A6U

Recovery Strap
https://www.amazon.com/ARB-ARB705-2-3-Recovery-Strap/dp/B004P9DQLC

 

[Surfrider77]

It should go without saying, but there is a huge difference between a tow strap and a recovery ("******") strap. The recovery strap is somewhat elastic and is meant to use some vehicle momentum to add potential energy to the recovery strap. A big rubber band effect, essentially. Fix the recovery strap to your LR4 with a D Shackle to the recovery point on the front or rear of the truck. If the other vehicle has a solid ring recovery system, use another D Shackle for it. If it's an open hook recovery, just slide the looped end of the recovery strap over it.

Here's the warning!!!

That elasticity can **** people if misused! I have seen people trying to use tow straps with metal hooks or D shackling a recovery strap to an open hook on a truck. If those slip, you have a few pound massive steel object hurtling torwards you or the recovery vehicle! Massive injury can result!

Go watch some YouTube videos on how to properly execute a recovery. Watch what NOT to do!

If you want to go an extra step for safety, you can use a recovery damper. It's essentially a heavy weighted bag folded over the center of the recovery strap in case something comes loose. The bag's weight will minimize the loose end's recoil and potential damage.

http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-Recovery-Damper-ARB220-P3595.aspx

 

[iSurfvilano]

@Surfrider77
Sounds like you have a proper sand setup, very badass. What distances are you traveling?

 

[iSurfvilano]

Really the only items I take with me are my MAXTRAX (one set, thinking about a second with the ties) and a tire deflator/gauge (which I barely use) --- Been really wanting a compressor but haven't had time to research, looks like based on your experience the ARB one is the way to go. Appreciate the input. What tires have you found works best? I am running 255/55/19 GY wrangler duratracs due to the majority of the sand I cross to be coquina opposed to sugar sand, they are phenomenal in the gritty thick shell based sand. These tires leave much to be desired in the sugar sand.

 

[Surfrider77]

I used to run Nitto Dune Grapplers, tho I really didn't care much for the look of the treads. That said, they were excellent in the sand. They were pretty much great for dry pavement and sand, which is this country's environment 99% of the time. They performed average to bad on anything else. (Avg in wet roads, bad in mud). Nitto stopped making the Dune Grapplers in most sizes, including ours so I went with the KO2s.

Nearly all locals in their Land Cruisers run on dedicated sand tires out here, which are technically illegal on the road. They often call them "balloon tires". They are very rounded and meant to be aired down significantly.. as in single digit pressures! They have a high nylon / polyeurethane content.

This is the best pic of the balloon tires the locals use:

Here's a somewhat blurry depiction of what is happening when you air down your tire pressures:

As you can see, you gain a ton of contact distributing pressure giving more "float" to stay on top of the sand. The same technique is useful on rock crawling, but not quite as low pressures. Here's a quick guide on recommended pressures:

 

[iSurfvilano]

Purchased 2 sets of treds pro from lucky 8 and ditched my maxtrax. These things are far superior. The grip is better, the material is better and they have a decent weight to them. Very impressed. Great for getting out of sand.

 

[jptruck]

The importance of tire pressure can't be stressed enough. I've driven my LR4 in some of the toughest beach sand I can find (with standard Michelin road tires) with no issue. As long as you are sub-20 PSI and in sand mode, you probably are not going to need a recovery strap (but you'd better have them).

It amazes me what types of vehicles you'll see in sand, as long as the tires are right. You don't need an LR4, Land Cruiser, Jeep, Raptor, whatever. You just need clearance, 4wd and correct tire pressure.

 

[Surfrider77]

Ironically, street tread isn't bad for sand at all. I'd guess best in order are balloon tires, dedicated sand tires, well worn street tires, normal street tires. You want a lot of contact area for float. The only problem with the stock 19" wheels is you have damn near no sidewall when you air down. Best hope not to hit buried rocks!