2wd in the sand?

X2! Very ballsy move there.

 

going in was not a problem at all, even the sugary stuff was packed... the issue arised after a day of fuckers in ginormous domestics going 25+ tore it up... on suburban kept going back and forth and then he brought an f250 just balling up and down the beach

oh i had a frickin blast and was grinning from ear to ear on the way in

 

I was out at the sand dunes this weekend, I always bury the rear tires to make the bed closer to the ground to load/unload my quad easier...so I buried it, loaded the quad, clicked it into 4H and it wouldn't engage, tried a few things and it still wouldn't engage, so I'm thinking its stuck...well I figured I was already buried so why not just try it in 2wd...hit the gas and it climbed right out I was totally surprised.

I'm going to start driving it in 2wd out there just to see how it will do!

 

I was down in Mexico this past weekend for an off road race. The area we were at was a LARGE dry lake bed (Laguna salada) and my buddies and I went in my truck (Sport, 2wd, 4door)... Lots of sand but i obviously stayed on the already packed in sand and did pretty good. I have some cheapo street tires that came with my truck when i bought it used. There were areas of pretty deep loose sand where people were getting stuck left and right but i just kept away from those areas I know my limitations with 2wd and street tires.

If you have 2wd and go into sand, i think you're eventually going to get stuck regardless. It's all good though!

 

hey i was 4x4ing on some mud/packed dirt and got a flat with my dunlop at20s. i went to kal tire where they patched my old tire and put it back on for free, and was asking about how to keep 4x4ing and not get a flat again. they said i need to get a tire with more ply and recommended me a BF goodrich "something i cant remember" which had 9 ply or something like that. brings me to my question:

"what is the max ply i can get without upgrading the suspension/lift/etc so that it doesnt rub anywhere on my truck?"

"what is the ideal psi for mud, uneven dirt 4x4ing?"

i felt like a celebrity driving expensive tacoma while everyone else drove a shit engineered domestic..

 

Thanks, but I tried that..still wouldn't engage...tried reverse, rocking it, turning it from 2wd back to 4wd. When I got it out it still took some work to get it to engage, so I drove it around some while switching it back and forth and it worked immediately every time. Seems it has trouble engaging when I'm stopped more often than when I'm moving. I think I need to put it in 4wd more often.

 

With my tires set at 5PSI I was cruising along soft sand like it was nothing!!

 

....well it is sand season and our to-do list is growing instead of shrinking
and I just reached 30k so the Tacoma needs some loving, going to learn to do it all myself....
but it seems it will be in 4x4 out at the dunes pretty often this season .

 

Used to live in Kill Devil hills many years ago; before the 4x4 popularity, peeps would air down to the max w/ wide slick tires and do it, BUT...there was not nearly as much traffic on the beach then. The ramps in Hatteras can be tricky even w/ 4x4, as the sand is often real soft and chewed up, and if peeps don't fill in the ruts where they got stuck, a sure bet you'll get hung in one. The Point ramp is flat. Oregon Inlet ramp is decent, but could get tricky in traffic in 4x2. I think it can be done, but I'd be careful. You can park at Coquina Beach above Oregon Inlet at cross over there if you can't make it out onto the beach. O.I. also has an air station across from the ramp. Most probs occur from lack of attention/experience. Seen some bizzare stuff over the years for sure...make sure and check the bird/turtle closure areas; lotta beach has been taken away...

*Somehow I missed a couple pages...

 

Last time I took the Taco in deep soft sand, I seemed to be getting a lot of axle wrap, made it out, but damn! Didn't air down though,

Locker + momentum = win

 

WHAT KIND OF SAND?

River, Arroyo, Desert, Dunes, Beach (flat), Beach (slope), fine sand, coarse sand, sand and sea shell mix... wet sand vs. dry sand... even humidity will affect sand driving!

2WD or 4WD can try it... either one can become stuck... IF they do, then AIR PRESSURE alone will be the greatest aid to getting unstuck or to drive with ease on sand. IF you get stuck, DON'T spin the tires. Clear away the sand from tires and differentials (if in contact), and let the air out (have a good gauge, and a good pump to refill later)... down to 10 psi will get you out... 2WD even... all 4 tires.

Tire type? The least aggressive tread (smoothest) works best and mud/ snow 'digger' tires are worst. 3 ply sidewalls are worse than regular 2 ply, because they are stiff and don't buldge well when deflated. Horse power... rear locker... low range are not of much help and may be worse than the action of creating floatation by the tires.

I have had all types of tires over the years... and the above is not just my observations but others as well.

On the standard Tacoma TRD OR tire (Rugged Trails)... airing down to 20 or 15 psi will provide good floatation in most situations. A mud terrain 3 ply sidewall tire (Cooper STT) will not even come close to floating on sand until you are down to 10 psi.

I don't have time right now to go into more details (just saw this thread, but am leaving for dinner)... But, took my new 2010 Tacoma to Baja (San Felipe south (Gulf of California) and was blown away that the new TRAC limited slip system worked great in the dry deep sand that ALWAYS required airing down for in previous Tacoma 4WDs and other 4WDs.

Here is the truck in H4, 32 psi in the Rugged Trails, driving, stopping and driving again without digging in!







OH, WHAT A FEELING!

 

Sand is the devil...especially that soft deep stuff! It swallows 2wd whole!! Thank god i've gotta locker now!

 

You can do it... Bring a decent tire gauge and air your tires down between 10 and 12 psi for starters. Don't bother trying at full psi. Bring a cig-lighter powered inflator for when you're done. It's like deep snow with snow showshoes on (aired down) or deep snow with no shoes on (aired up).

Second: Once aired down you'll be ok on flat or downhill sections, with any incline you'll need momentum; there is no way you can power up anything with the stock tires, wouldn't even be much better off with super swampers on your truck if you don't have momentum. I'm talking like 15+ mph. If you are trying to get up the side of a dune go for like 35+ mph.

Think light! Park on a decline whenever possible. Never try to go up an incline from a dead stop. If you are sinking and losing momentum, STOP before you bury the rearend and go back the way you came.

Watch your tire speed to: whenever they are spinning they are digging... down. Stay on top!
Good luck!

 

just my 2 pennies. but would it be better to air down the rear only? keeping the front aired up will keep a smaller contact patch (less rolling resistance)

 

Nope... but go ahead and try that and report back! You can't 'roll' on sand.

Seriously, in deep sand you want to 'float on top' like a boat in the water... I had a VW buggy and it was much better with the front tires deflated. For 4WD trucks (or 2WD), the weight from the engine is over the front axle, and that is where you need to not 'knife in' to the sand.

 

Screw Pismo and Oceana dunes. I was given a DUI while driving a freaking John Deere Gator XUV on sand highway.

They pulled me over for having no tail lights. "Mr. Officer, why would the state of CA let me register this as an offroad vehicle in order to be accepted at State Parks...etc....if I only had reflective tape?" "Well ya see there sonny, we're all giant asshats sitting on massive totem poles, punching ya in the face with the book of the LAW...intent on making money off your poor 25 yr. old a**!"

Yeah...was going 4mph...driving calmly up to our beach campsite...got pulled over while making the turn from the highway up into the camping area...20ft. from our trailer. I blew a .10 % and was taken to county jail.

 

From the little off road experience I have had I've noticed three HUGE factors when it comes to driving through sand.

1. The most important is a smart/experienced driver.
2. PSI
3. Tires

An experienced/smart driver will automatically know that he needs to air down when driving through deep/soft sand. A knowledgable driver will also know how much throttle he must apply. Also, the type of tires you have will greatly influence your chances of getting through the sand without getting stuck. If you add weight in the back, your chances are also better through some types of sand.

I was just in Baja, Mexico this past weekend for some off road races and we went through different terrain which some of it was sand. I've been eaten up by sand before with my 2wd sport and cheapo tires with full psi. I now have Nitto TG which I had aired down to 25psi. I also had my quad in the back and firewood. A friend of ours that went took his 1500 dodge ram with pro comp mud terrain tires. He doesn't have much experience driving off road and you could tell right away. He got stuck close to 8 times!!!!!! I didn't get stuck once! Well I was just about stuck once because I was trying to pull him out and dug in. I got out of my truck took the strap off, aired down a bit more, removed the sand from around my rear tires, gave it a little bit of gas and eventually made it out by myself.

I think first and foremost, a good experienced driver is the best tool. Of course experience only comes with time and learning from ones/other peoples mistakes.
Airing down will GREATLY improve traction on any terrain and especially sand. Get a good set of AT tires and have at it!

 

I was truly amazed at how much better my truck performed in the sand this time versus the last time I was down there with cheapo tires and full psi.

I can't really tell what I should credit for the improvement though. The new tires, the off road experience ive gained in the past year, or the weight in the back of my truck. For me not to get stuck once through the sand we went through on 2wd and an LSD, my guess is they all played a factor in my success.

I even had the privilege of uprighting a class 1 unlimited buggy after it crashed right in front of us and landed on its side. It was sandy all around so I was worried that I wouldn't have enough traction to upright it, but Rocco & his Taco did it

 

Sounds like you had fun at the 250... How about some details over on the 250 thread (unless you already did, and I haven't see it yet)? We didn't get out of town, sadly!

 

i usually dont put my truck in 4wd when in sand but it can be helpful.