Sand Driving and Aftercare for beginner

[swooshdave]

There was one year on Padre Island the tide brought in a ton of seaweed that piled up at the edge of the surf. High tide would come in and the seaweed would get buried by the sand but leave a squishy cavity underneath. Low tide, the sand would dry up, and it was just as smooth and indistinguishable as everywhere else. It was impossible to see where these pockets were and a lot of locals who had been going up and down the beach to fish for years would sink to the framerails on vehicles that did great in the sand otherwise, and most of them were close enough to be submerged at high tide. It was like playing minesweeper with a truck. Only way to safely traverse the beach was to stay high up by the dunes where the seaweed never got buried. I travelled the entire 70 miles of beach pulling people out that weekend before the park issued a warning about it. I doubt stuff like that happens very often on any beach, but it sucks when it does.

Very interesting. As always there are inherent risks anytime you travel off road. Remember that your best friend in the world is a buddy with a winch.

Actually in the list of recovery gear I should have added my hard and soft shackles and a strap. Unfortunately when I was in the park there weren't any Jeeps and I don't know if even the big side by sides could have pulled me out.

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[Salt Shaker]

If there's a beach you can drive on, chances are there's going to be a car wash that has a beach/sand/salt/undercarriage wash option that basically just hoses down your undercarriage, no soap or wax. Drive through it twice and you'll still find sand weeks later, but the salt will be very diluted and mostly gone, and that's what you're really after. The sooner you do this, the less chance the salt has to eat your Bronco. Clean the sand off your windshield wipers too, nothing like seeing scratches on a brand new window because sand was caked in the little channels of the wiper.

A 2dr Bronco with 35's, you don't even need to air down or use 4WD in the sand for the most part unless you're getting in deep ruts or climbing a dune. I drove 140 miles on PINS and decided that normal mode was perfectly acceptable, sport mode was fine too, all the other modes just seemed excessive. Hold the traction control button down until you get a message that advancetrac is off too, it reduces the amount of nanny crap hampering your fun. Ran 36psi on the way down, aired down to 14psi on the way back, both were fine. I probably have an extra 400lbs or more bolted on my Bronco and I doubt I'll air down again on the next trip, it's just not necessary.

Recovery boards, shovel, and a hi-lift is always a good idea. A winch anchor will get you out of virtually anything sand related if you have a winch (though a hi-lift could technically function as a winch if you're determined). If you don't have a winch anchor, hook the winch line up to your spare instead and dig a huge hole to bury it in some distance away, this should be all you need...if it pops out it wasn't deep enough. Instead of digging it back out when you're done, just keep winching yourself toward it until it lifts out on its own. If you have a winch anchor and you're buried to the frame, sometimes it helps to position the spare tire vertically underneath the winch line close to the vehicle, this gives you some upward pull to the winch to lift you out of the hole you're in. Kinetic rope is helpful if you encounter anyone that's stuck in the sand. Grab some soft shackles for the winch and/or kinetic rope. Winch line and kinetic rope should be washed well after being used on the beach, as sand will abrade the strands internally and shorten its lifespan.

X2

We hit PINS as well. The Badlands SAS loves sand. If you are topless you will have it everywhere if it is soft sand. I avoid anything wet or damp. I run it through the car wash twice and bring it home and run a sprinkler under it in the driveway, and still have sand under it. One thing I am looking at on the back frame ends are the tow hooks, they have a guide in them, several days after a beach run I was messing around and unbolted one side, and it was holding water 2 days after a wash out. I pulled the guide/ plug out of one and left the other one in. Next time I run the beach and wash it I will see if it is still holding water. If salt water is getting in there it will smoke the frame in no time.

Salt

 

[Tex]

Very interesting. As always there are inherent risks anytime you travel off road. Remember that your best friend in the world is a buddy with a winch.

Actually in the list of recovery gear I should have added my hard and soft shackles and a strap. Unfortunately when I was in the park there weren't any Jeeps and I don't know if even the big side by sides could have pulled me out.

I'm screwed, I only know one person hardcore enough to have a winch that might go to the beach with me LOL Winch anchors work really well in the sand...I've used them in the dunes of West Texas many times in the past, they'd probably work even better at the beach. Just sucks having to carry the big ass thing around.

X2

We hit PINS as well. The Badlands SAS loves sand. If you are topless you will have it everywhere if it is soft sand. I avoid anything wet or damp. I run it through the car wash twice and bring it home and run a sprinkler under it in the driveway, and still have sand under it. One thing I am looking at on the back frame ends are the tow hooks, they have a guide in them, several days after a beach run I was messing around and unbolted one side, and it was holding water 2 days after a wash out. I pulled the guide/ plug out of one and left the other one in. Next time I run the beach and wash it I will see if it is still holding water. If salt water is getting in there it will smoke the frame in no time.

Salt

Haha, not a chance. I couldn't imagine going down PINS without a top, all it takes is for the wind to shift just a bit and you've got sand raining down on you from the dunes and that's just miserable. The last 15 miles to the cut were like that and I was grateful for my top every step of the way. Some hardcore dudes were camping out by the cut and clouds of sand were blowing on their tent, we opened the doors to get out and I still have sand in there. It's great when the wind is coming from the ocean if you don't mind the barrage of salt spray on your vehicle. The Bronco got sticky going down to the cut and covered in sand when we got there, so driving back we were sporting antimatter sandpaper.

I think I know what you mean, it's like a huge plastic christmas tree thing normally used for interior panels. I took my tow hooks off when I bolted up my bumper, and the frame ends are pretty well open at this point. I doubt it was sea water that you drained out, but it's probably inevitable that some salt makes its way into the frame rails as there's a lot of through holes and whatnot running the length of them. Could be where the water came in from with the sprinkler, maybe it's not a bad thing to go ahead and dilute whatever bits of salt floated in there anyway. Maybe park on a steep incline, or a wedge shaped hybrid car if a hill is not available, to let the frame rails drain out.

 

[gerby151]

The bronco doesn't require airing down with the sasquatch package to maneuver in the sand but it will keep the trans temps in check. Also check the local ordinance as some areas (like Corolla NC) require it and can ticket you if you don't. I tries Baja mode on my badlands but did't like the higher shift points so in the end I left it in normal mode and just put it in 4 wheel high, turned traction control off and left the lockers off as well. Went anywhere I wanted in some pretty deep sand. I air down to around 20-25psi for safe measures. Enjoy and have fun!

 

[mikes781]

Air down and stay above the high tide line until you gain some more experience beach driving. I‘m waiting on SAS Badlands so I can’t say how those tires will do for sure but I expect them to be fine. I have been driving on beaches up and down the east coast for many years. Airing down is required in most locations although no one will check unless you get stuck. It will be easier on your vehicle if you air down. Beaches also vary in how difficult the are to drive on. There are some that my truck could handle at close to street pressure and others that have deep sugar sand that require low pressure to maximize the tire footprint, I can think of one beach on Martha’s Vineyard that I need to drop to 12 and it’s still a challenge in spots. Some of the ramps on Hatteras north of the lighthouse are tough also Take your time , carry the new nescessary equipment mentioned above and use some common sense and you’ll do fine. Respect the rules as there some that would like to see our beach access taken away,

You’ll be amazed at the amount of sand you can rinse out from your skid plates and frame after a few days of driving on the beach lol. Bring some paper towels and glass cleaner for cleaning off the inside of your windows every few days, The salt film that forms can be a pita when driving at night.

 

[Salt Shaker]

I think I know what you mean, it's like a huge plastic christmas tree thing normally used for interior panels. I took my tow hooks off when I bolted up my bumper, and the frame ends are pretty well open at this point. I doubt it was sea water that you drained out, but it's probably inevitable that some salt makes its way into the frame rails as there's a lot of through holes and whatnot running the length of them. Could be where the water came in from with the sprinkler, maybe it's not a bad thing to go ahead and dilute whatever bits of salt floated in there anyway. Maybe park on a steep incline, or a wedge shaped hybrid car if a hill is not available, to let the frame rails drain out.
[/QUOTE]

That's them. It wasn't salt water. I live about 1/4 mile from Bob Hall Pier on the Island. It took 4 years to rust the frontier replacement bumpers and steps on my 2500. Salt never sleeps. I keep the Bronco in the garage and that makes a huge difference. In the rear the frame is boxed by the bottom in a bend up. When I pulled the alignment plug there was no doubt water was being held there. I've been slammed at work and haven't had time to mess with it. I will pull the top and doors off for short runs but hitting the land cut topless is inviting the rust gods in any winds are coming off the gulf.

 

[captaincrunch]

I've had my BD SAS on the beach more times than I can count at this point. I only aired down for the maiden trip onto the sand, after that I kept it at the normal PSI. Never once have I had an issue.

If I were you I would err on the side of caution and air down until you get more comfortable driving on the sand. Also be aware of what the weather has been like in your area for the last few weeks or so. No precipitation can cause "sugar sand" to be prevalent which will make things WAAAAAY more difficult.

Lastly, be aware that Sand mode defaults to 4HI. If you are in the sand and are pulling out from a dead stop, you'll want 4L to get out and get to firmer stuff.

Ah that makes sense, thanks for the insight!

 

[captaincrunch]

There was one year on Padre Island the tide brought in a ton of seaweed that piled up at the edge of the surf. High tide would come in and the seaweed would get buried by the sand but leave a squishy cavity underneath. Low tide, the sand would dry up, and it was just as smooth and indistinguishable as everywhere else. It was impossible to see where these pockets were and a lot of locals who had been going up and down the beach to fish for years would sink to the framerails on vehicles that did great in the sand otherwise, and most of them were close enough to be submerged at high tide. It was like playing minesweeper with a truck. Only way to safely traverse the beach was to stay high up by the dunes where the seaweed never got buried. I travelled the entire 70 miles of beach pulling people out that weekend before the park issued a warning about it. I doubt stuff like that happens very often on any beach, but it sucks when it does.

New fear unlocked haha, thankfully not enough seaweed out here

 

[Tex]

New fear unlocked haha, thankfully not enough seaweed out here

Yeah.....that you know of

 

[swooshdave]

The bronco doesn't require airing down with the sasquatch package to maneuver in the sand but it will keep the trans temps in check. Also check the local ordinance as some areas (like Corolla NC) require it and can ticket you if you don't. I tries Baja mode on my badlands but did't like the higher shift points so in the end I left it in normal mode and just put it in 4 wheel high, turned traction control off and left the lockers off as well. Went anywhere I wanted in some pretty deep sand. I air down to around 20-25psi for safe measures. Enjoy and have fun!

If you watch my video you’ll see a sprint down the beach in Baja mode. Let’s just say it’s spirited although I’d never exceed the 25mph limit on that beach. Never.

Baja is best for full rips but not fun for putting around.

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