Best approach for sand dune climbs?

Thanks for the feedback.

Just curious why you don't recommend the rear locker? Too much digging?

 

Shouldn't need it and you may have to turn, but if you have the any time mod why not or if you can't get enough speed turn it on....

 

how fast are y'all going in 4low?

 

4 gear, up to 45mph or so.....

 

Didn't even realize you could go that fast in 4low, always thought it was just for crawling

 

25 mph in 5th gear with my 92 22re. Was playing in the soft stuff all day yesterday.

 

in the dunes i would hit 5th in 4LO almost redlining sometimes, never had a problem.
i usually would be in 3rd or 4th. like said, 4hi does not have enough power in the dunes.

(at least glamis, the dunes that i go to.) i know pismo and places like that dont have the soft sand like glamis does.

 

Usually manual gear selection in auto goes a long way when offroading. You control when you want the vehicle to shift so you can keep a higher torque when necessary to keep momentum going. Airing down plays a critical role 10-15psi and always keep the truck moving in a situation like a dune. Momentum is key as previously stated.

 

I can't believe how fast you guys are saying you can go in 4LO, that's nuts. Beyond 20mph I stop and shift into 4HI.

I don't have any dune experience, I do on flat sand though, when aired down low like that, try and avoid making sharp turns (so you don't loose the bead on tire).

Good luck OP, and have fun!

 

pretty sure the manual says you can go 45mph in low.... (pretty sure)

but when duning it, sometimes, you just have to because 4hi just will not cut it....
unless you got a big engine.

 

Don't be afraid to go down to 10 psi to get more flotation. I always run in 4H. Momentum is key but with a light throttle. Too much gas and you'll dig in. If you start to bog down, ease up or else you'll just dig.

 

Just remember,
1: The Lord loves a workin' man.
2: Don't trust whitey.
3: See a doctor and get rid of it
You'll do just fine

 

Dont use the brakes, roll to a slow

 

Hey guys, I'm back from my sand dune trip with a few updates and questions. I did quite a bit of experimentation and learned a ton.

I initially started with 14 psi in the tires, and was underwhelmed with my traction. The truck would dig in quickly, even with a locked rear. And the speed didn't matter. I couldn't crawl or cruise up any grade steeper than 75% without digging in. I then decided to drop down to 10 psi in the tires. What a difference! The truck felt like a tank. I was easily crawling up 75% grades, and 100% grades were possible with a little momentum. Tire pressure is huge! That was my biggest lesson.




I also played with both 4HI and 4LO. There was no comparison. It was 4LO all day for me. In 4HI, the truck felt burdened all the time. The deep, sloppy sand was just swallowing up the truck. In 4LO, I had lots more control, and the truck felt effortless when crawling and cruising around. I had it up to 40mph without issue or red lines. I think my tach only hit 4k a couple times.

Last but not least were the giant dune hills that I attempted to climb a couple times. And here lies my question. In short, these giant hills were close to a 150% grade near the top. Momentum was definitely required, and easy to achieve as the layout of the land allowed for a "running start" from an opposing (yet much smaller) hill at the starting line.

The problem everyone had was at the base of these giant hills were lots and lots of moguls/bumps/whoops/etc. When I cruised over them fast enough to actually make it over the giant hill, my truck's rear suspension lost its mind. I must of looked like a complete idiot. My buddies told me that the entire rear end of the truck was coming completely off the ground, and my passengers hit their heads on my roof several times. Now my front suspension (6112s) sucked up the bumps easily (very happy), but my rear suspension was a complete joke. So the question is what can I do about it? It is possible to tame that wild bouncing? I'd really like to keep the damn wheels on the ground!

Thanks again for all advice. Between the initial feedback and my experimenting, I feel like I understand the capability of my truck much, much better than I did a week ago.

 

What do you have in the rear? stock?

 

Yep. The rear still has whatever comes on a '15 TRD OR. I know it is the 4-pack leaf spring.

 

You my friend have discovered the need for long travel good luck! haha if you dont want to go chopping into your truck or go full long travel, the next best thing will be replacement leaf pack (deavers or probably all pro) and a nicer shock in the rear, some people even make a shock hoop to allow for a 12" shock in the rear instead of a 10" stock replacement shock. It wont be close to what a long travel set up can do but if you plan on occasional light offroading it might do the trick. All depends on what you want to do with the truck.

and I know a lot of guys with the mid travel set ups will chime in, I know they do great in low speed/crawling stuff but Im talking about high speed hitting whoops and what not.

 

Great report!