Driving in sand

[stephenertelt]

Hello,
I'll be taking my 2011 Land Rover LR4 on the beach this summer and have seen conflicting info out there about the settings to use and how much to air down. I have heard you should air down to 22 psi, and some people say not at all. I have Yokahoma Geolander tires on it, which are not low profile.

Any suggestions on the settings would be appreciated, sand mode, in low, 2nd gear, etc. I also have never done the undercoating so wondering if I should do that as well.

Thanks,
Stephen

 

[ftillier]

Just make sure you wash it well when you get home to get rid of any salty sand up in the frame/wheel wells.

 

[powershift]

I've been stuck in the sand (but not near salt water) and the right way to do it is to avoid sand that is too soft. If you are in soft sand and still have momentum, keep the pedal down because you'll never get started again. You'll feel more resistance and need more throttle when the sand gets deep and soft.

Sand mode turns the cooling fan on sooner, remaps the throttle and disables cruise control (maybe not limited to that).

 

[itsaguything]

Plenty of driving on sand experience from the army... you may not need to reduce the pressure in the tires. But -15 - 20% is what I might do. 22lbs is pretty low. Might ruin the sidewall.
EASY on the pedals while stopping or starting. The LR's sand setting employs that effect..
As stated by @powershift, stick to the firmer sand (marginally damp works) and keep the momentum up.

 

[stephenertelt]

Thank you all, appreciate the feedback and advice!

 

[mm3846]

Where at? With stock size tires I’ve gone down to 18. Start around 25. Should go without saying you should drive extra easy that low on stock size tires and make sure you air up right after. Auto mode is fine, if you want to be fancy turn off traction control. I like to use low range to keep trans temps under control it it isn’t necessary.

Old pic attached, I’m on the beach at least once every other week.

 

[david cook]

I drove it in outer banks a few years ago . Followed the beach guidelines (I believe it said 20PSI) and it was a nice smooth ride and saw a bunch of horses too

 

[chakadog]

Outer Banks driver here - you can definitely do it without airing down but reducing pressure to 20 or even 18 makes for a much more pleasant experience. At full pressure I drive with anxiety. And have indeed gotten stuck at road pressures in soft sand—but not that hard to dig out if that happens. At 18 I fear no sand anywhere, ever. I generally avoid sand mode because of the increased engine rpm, but do turn of DSC. I hear and read that low range if you have it is better in really soft sand but I've never used low range on the beach.
Agree - get some SaltAway or at least spray off the accumulated sand from the undercarriage.

 

[Jopzieg]

Air down to 20 psi just before the beach. Soft sand will be easy at that level. You can drive on tarmac at that level but keep below 30-35mph and don't go too far that way. But a few miles won't hurt. On the beach raise up the suspension of you can. Biggest issue is bottoming out. Stay in the ruts if there are any and keep a steady speed. Stay steady and easy on the gas - don't coast. Air back up as soon as you can.

One heads up - clear any clumps of sand from your rims after you air up. One or two clumps can mess up the weighting of your tires and make you think there is something really wrong.