Towed a Cadillac off a beach and my truck wobbled

I recently went to go have some fun on the beach in Oregon, drove on it and did some donuts etc. on my way out I saw a lady in a newer caddy SUV spinning her wheels and getting more stuck so I decided to try and help because the tide was coming in and I was one of the last to leave. After pushing and using scrap lumber I had in my bed I decided it was time to try and pull her out. I hooked up my tow rope to my hitch and then to her frame and pulled her while she was in 1st gear spinning her tires.

my truck was almost hopping for the first 10secs and then I got her out. I was also aired down to 25psi. I don’t know if it matters or if I did damage (there were no bad smells and my truck drives the same) but is there a proper way to pull someone out of the sand?

 

Call Matt Winder and see if he'll come up from Utah. https://tinyurl.com/qky58ms Real answer: snatch.

 

You get a win for this thread title alone.

 

Lol gotta get the taco gurus to answer somehow

 

Nice of you to help the person out.

I'm definitely not a guru in anything but always happy to offer my questionably accurate advise, It sounds like you did just fine. Your truck hopping was just from your wheels trying to get traction... I have learned A little momentum goes a long ways when pulling someone out but its not always advisable, especially if you do not have proper equipment, and if you're not aware of the risks.

 

I don’t know anything about sand.
But I doubt you hurt anything.

I’ve pulled a 2001 F250 w/7.3 out of hole.
I was in 4WD and the tires would spin.
I had to give it a yank before it came out.

I’m guessing that Caddy wasn’t much work for your truck.

BTW, I’m not bragging. I didn’t want to pull that truck out.
But, I’ll do about anything to help family. And it was my brother.

 

If you didnt hear and big loud pops and griding you are fine. Prob just wheel hopping

 

Wheel hopping is bad, m’kay. It f*cks up your drive train.

Sand can usually be conquered with a shovel, something like scrap lumber for traction (god please, no one say max tracks in this thread) and a snatch strap.

Read the sticky on recovery...some good info there.

 

I take it you are not a fan of max tracks

 

make sure to use a Kinetic rope instead of a tow strap. It's easier on your truck and will pull people out with minimum effort.

 

watch hill towing on you tube for a real how its done

 

Lol, my buddy was fucking around at a mudpit with another buddy and one rear ended the other (abs on dirt vs no abs) it was close enough to a road that someone saw and called the cops so my buddy split

I get a frantic call saying my buddies buddy will get a tow bill if me in my camry doesn't go over and help

Cops show up

I go over in my camry and it may have been close to the road but there was a long trail to get there I make my way over bottoming out scraping loosing traction, hook up to this mangled xtera and pull the son of a bitch home

the car was fine

I doubt you did anything to your truck

 

Sounds like you’ll be fine although my rule of thumb, if you have any thought that something may ruin your truck, call AAA to help the other person instead. It’s not worth it in the long run, and you’re still helping the other person. But I’ve seen way to many people mess up their trucks jump starting someone else, or towing someone else. Yes I understand good will and helping others but you shouldn’t risk damage to yourself in the process.

 

Wheel hopping in 4wd on hard surfaces is bad. Very bad from what I've read, because the wheels can't turn at different rates when needed putting extra load on the drive train. Driving straight is no problem. Only when turning the wheel does it become an issue.

That was nice of you to help out.

Last time I pulled someone out of a ditch was in CT coming home from foxywoods during a snowstorm. She didn't make the turn for the on ramp and slid off the road.
Charger, Camaro... One of the 2. Scoped things out, hooked up and told her, " put it in neutral, keep the wheels straight and don't do anything. When I flash my high beams, put it in park and shut it off."
As soon as I started pulling, she put it in reverse and gunned it! Here we go... I put it in neutral and let her pull me until she stopped. I got out and said WTF DID I TELL YOU? I am NOT breaking my truck 2 hours away from home because someone fucked up and can't follow directions! If I see those back up lights again, I will cut you loose. She went so pale, she contrasted the snow.
After waiting for some traffic to pass, we tried again. I pulled her up and out, disconnected, and gave her directions to a hotel a few miles away.
Rented car, Florida plates. Definitely not prepared for a New England snow storm.

Drove home for close to 3 hours in 4-wheel drive on route 95. It was snowing so bad that most of those miles were driven with just my running lights. If I turn the headlights on all I can see is snow. Fun times...

 

Drove from philly to New Hampshire one night in what I call the Star Wars drive.

 

If you're gonna pull somebody in 4wd it's best you do it in 4lo and with a kinetic rope/strap. I hope you didnt hook up to the hitch ball cuz thats asking for trouble.

 

In sand its almost always easier to pull somebody out backwards if possible. Dig out behind the rears and pull em out that way. Check their tire pressure and air them down if necessary. If they are dumb enough to get stuck, they probably didn’t air down. And check for a beach driving permit if one is required. If they don’t have one, I leave ‘em for the cops and the tow company.

 

rear axle wrap. Common on these trucks for sure. you are fine.

also 15-20psi is good for the sand depending on how dry n soft the sand is.

 

Lololol this was a lady from the east coast in a rental from Florida hahahaha