Questions for experienced beach drivers

[PaulLR3]

nwoods, I completely understand your point. I see that you are taking your LR3 to dunes but we're going to a flat beach like Todd. I will give my wife a lesson on airing down so she knows how if the conditions get difficult.

 

[Houm_WA]

I almost always put my LR3 in 4-LO when I leave the pavement.

...unless it's just some stupid gravel or slush or something. It's mostly for purposes of controlling the vehicle.

 

[toddjb122]

I almost always put my LR3 in 4-LO when I leave the pavement.

...unless it's just some stupid gravel or slush or something. It's mostly for purposes of controlling the vehicle.

Could you provide more detail behind that?

I don't do any serious off roading but have never put a vehicle in 4 LOW unless I'm pulling something heavy in or out of the water or sand, stuck, or approaching some technical offroad terrain (steep, rock crawl, etc). If I'm just going offroad, I just put it in 4WD (on previous trucks) and set the terrain mode (on the LR3).

What does it buy me and when would I want to use it?

I can see doing this when I'm going for a specific off road adventure, but when I'm just going off pavement to get somewhere and have to travel through snow/sand/mud/dirt isn't 4 high sufficient? Maybe most of my off road driving falls in the "stupid gravel or slush" category.

In short, I want to make sure I'm not missing out on anything. LOL Thanks!

 

[Houm_WA]

I think most likely your off-road driving falls into the "stupid gravel or slush" category. If I'm gonna pull my truck onto my buddy's lawn for more parking space I'm not dialing down to 4-lo, but any time I'm on a trail and don't completely know when it's going to change either in terms of slope or terrain, I want to have the maximum control of my rig as possible, so I put it in Low. Even if it's relatively easy, I do this when I first get onto the trail, in case something changes. I don't want to have to find a safe place to stop so I can shift into nuetral and then hit the toggle. I do it when I first hit the beginning of the trail.

Does that help at all? It's all part of "preparing the vehicle" and it's what they teach you at any of the LR Experience Driving Schools. I used to (like in High School) not put my vehicle in Lo until I needed to. ...but that's when the goal was to slide as much as possible and throw as much mud around as possible. Now that I actually traverse a trail and try not to slip tires, I do it this way.

 

[toddjb122]

If you drive for an extended time in 4 Low does the engine rev a lot higher? If you're cruising along at 35 is the truck working a lot harder for that speed? (i.e. loud) From a control standpoint I understand why 4 Low will get me over an obstacle better, but why does it help me in soft sand, for instance. (I think it does as I have used it when stuck...I just know why)

Does it all come down to more torque with lower tire RPM?

Thanks. This is all very educational.

-todd
(often still drive like i'm in high school)

 

[Houm_WA]

I believe it does come down to more torque with lower tire RPM.

Certainly, when you're on rocks you can go a lot slower and it just makes everything more sensitive...a lot of throttle input will not make you go very fast, for instance. In addition, when going downhills, putting the transmission in 1st gear will allow you to roll down the slope without gaining much momentum...therefore no brakes required and no slides incurred.

It will cause the engine to rev higher....it's pretty rare that I'm ever really cruising along at 35 when I'm off-road.

 

[nwoods]

I don't want to have to find a safe place to stop so I can shift into nuetral and then hit the toggle. I do it when I first hit the beginning of the trail.

Grasshopper, have you not learned the way of the Running Shift? Study this principle in your manual, the knowledge will enlighten you and free your bounds. Only then can you find the path of true 4x4xfullfillment


Todd, yes Low Range increases RPM for a given speed and gear, but you've got command shift, just choose a taller gear and it will seem relatively normal. The difference with Low Range is that throttle response and available power are FAR more immediate, and as Houm point out, you will have much great speed control on descents, without having to engage your brakes as much.

However, most people that own LR3's just leave it in Drive, whether they are in low range or high, and the car is intelligent enough (and torquey enough) to let them get away it, and chooses the right gear for them most of the time. You will find that the initial starts are a bit more abrupt, until the car senses that you don't want to crawl, and then it upshifts as tall as it needs to, and does so quite smoothly.

 

[Houm_WA]

Nathan, I've done a few running shifts, but since you have to go from Drive to Nuetral, hit the toggle, then shift back into Drive....I don't find it particularly convenient. I do that if I have to, but prefer to do all that beforehand and not worry about it. I appreciate the humor in your comment though...I'm just barely old enough to remember the original Kung Fu.

Todd, I'll add to Nathan's comments about Drive vs. picking a gear....and this is maybe the easiest way to approach it instead of trying to learn the right gear: 1st gear downhills, Drive any other time. The LR3 will pick the right gear on hill climbs or on level ground.

...next chapter: Left-foot-braking.

 

[clydon]

I live on an island and drive my discovery on the beach almost every day during the spring,summer and fall. Due to the fact that i am so close to the beach and have no highway to drive on i leave my tires around 25psi throughout the summer months. I always lock my diff. when i go onto the sand but only put it into four low if i am anticipating really deep soft sand, most beach driving is fine in four high. If i could give one piece of advice it would be air down. Some people swear by airing down as low as 18psi or so but i have found that even as much as 22-25psi is enough and makes a huge difference from full pressuse. Also take it easy on the beach, slow and steady is the way to go. Give too much gas and you will only spin the tires.

 

[PicnSav]

I live on an island and drive my discovery on the beach almost every day during the spring,summer and fall. Due to the fact that i am so close to the beach and have no highway to drive on i leave my tires around 25psi throughout the summer months. I always lock my diff. when i go onto the sand but only put it into four low if i am anticipating really deep soft sand, most beach driving is fine in four high. If i could give one piece of advice it would be air down. Some people swear by airing down as low as 18psi or so but i have found that even as much as 22-25psi is enough and makes a huge difference from full pressuse. Also take it easy on the beach, slow and steady is the way to go. Give too much gas and you will only spin the tires.

Could the type of tires make a bigger difference? For instance, the stock Good Years versus Cooper Zeons. I was able to drive through deep sand up an incline without airing down the tires on Zeon Ltz.