Sand wheeling advice

[Victorsen]

I was in the Outerbanks on the 4x4 carova beach trail pretty easy, but as you go north closer to the Virginia border the sand gets pretty deep. Got stuck for a few mins. I am new to off roading but learning. I was on 4H. Should I have switched to sand mode and locked the rear diff. But I can’t drive above 20 miles, engine revs high. Oil temp rose to about 221. Would it have been better to keep it in sand mode and switch off the rear diff.

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[Area51BS]

I’m not an expert. But 4L, locked and low gear and high rpms seems best for sand. I’m sure more experienced will chime in.

 

[Fortydegnorth]

Very low tire pressure is the biggest help.

 

[DrewBronc21]

Most importantly air down to 18 psi, possibly a bit lower, 4L, steady on gas, stay in others tracks. Lockers if you get stuck.

 

[RagnarKon]

• Drop the air pressure.
• Disable traction control
• 4x4 (High or low)
• Zoom zoom!! (hopefully)

I assume the Sand GOAT mode will automatically disable traction control and stick it into 4x4, but admittedly I never use the GOAT modes, so not sure.

Usually when people are struggling on sand it is almost always because traction control is getting in their way or because they didn’t lower the air pressures enough. The finer and warmer the sand is the lower you have to go. With standard wheels you should be able to get down to 12-15 PSI. And if you get beadlocks you can get down lower than that.

4x4 is important, but whether you are in High or Low is very situational. I will say that 90% of the time I’m on sand I’m in High.

Locked differentials are also very situational. If, for example, you see that the rear right wheel is spinning while the rear left wheel is not, then yes you should lock the diff. Typically I’ll only lock when necessary.

Wheel speed and higher RPMs are also good, as long as you are making forward progress. If you are not, and you are basically just digging holes, stop and try something different.

But again, lowering air pressure and disabling traction control are probably the two most important things you can do on sand.

 

[Victorsen]

Thanks that makes sense I didn’t air down enough.

 

[prospectfour]

Thanks that makes sense I didn’t air down enough.

A nice deflator will make your life so much easier if you don’t have one. One of these will drop a stock OBX to 18psi in a minute or so per tire.

ARB ARB505 Deflator Kit 10-60 PSI Tire Pressure Gauge Rapid Air Down Offroad Kit With Recovery Gear Pouch (PSI) https://a.co/d/b1Rq4jX

 

[DFR]

As an avid and long time wheeler, I depend heavily on low tire pressure. To put it into perspective...when I'm rockcrawling in my 5,500 pound buggy-with-a-body rig on 43" sticky tires with beadlock wheel's, I run the tires between 5 and 8 psi depending on the situation.

The point of this is that the benefit of lowering tire pressures cannot be overstated. It increases traction an enormous amount, it is easier on the trail by reducing tire spin and allows for the softer tires to absorb bumps in the trail, reducing wear and tear on the rig, the driver and passengers. I will vehemently agree on the ARB deflator...I've had one for 15 years and love it.

I agree on 12 to 15 psi for non-beadlocked wheels with care taken to not do any hard cornering maneuvers so as not to push the tire off the wheel. Having a compressor or PowerTank on-board to bring the pressures back up for street use is wise.

Disabling traction control is a must...

As for high or low range...as stated above, it is situational. For bombing thru the desert or on dunes, high range will do the job...for slow speed driving in heavy sand, I use low range to reduce the load on the transmission by a factor of 2.72:1 which helps prevent the building of heat.

For slow drives in soft sand, I lock the lockers. My intent is to prevent wheel spin from starting as much as is possible and it's easier on the trail.

From there, I have a winch and related recovery gear, you know, just in case I'm wrong...and a Pull Pal self-recovery anchor for soft condtions where there's nothing to tie the winch to.

10 lb Power Tank Packages These are the best...fast, powerful and easy to use.
Pull Pal | Off Road Anchoring | Specs - Original Pull Pal Winch Anchor These are simple and incredibly effective although a bit unweildy for carrying.

DFR

 

[SHANUT]

I always worry when I drive in sand or water that both are going to get into places where they should not. How much of a concern is that or am I just being paranoid.

 

[JohnnyBronco]

A nice deflator will make your life so much easier if you don’t have one. One of these will drop a stock OBX to 18psi in a minute or so per tire.

ARB ARB505 Deflator Kit 10-60 PSI Tire Pressure Gauge Rapid Air Down Offroad Kit With Recovery Gear Pouch (PSI) https://a.co/d/b1Rq4jX

and stay on the high side away from the water. You might. Think the sand is firmer due to water addition but it is not

 

[Hashlak]

What everyone said above..

Low tire pressure (10psi)
Sand mode or Baja mode (4H mainly but 4L when you need more power), make sure to hold traction button and turn off ESC.
Rear lockers usually can remain off (Very situational or if you get stuck)

What we do out here for maximum effectiveness in deep sand is to just remove the ABS pump fuse (Fuse 29) and basically remove all interruptions to the power. This will disable GOAT modes so its best to put it in manual and keep it on the lower gears. Really really helps as you dont have any reduction in power and can power through all situations.

If you feel like you are getting stuck, use the steering wheel (keep turning left/right) to create space on the front. First instance getting stuck just stop, dont use too much power and try to either back out or move forward in whichever direction that gravity is pulling you towards.

Park at slant facing down so its easier to get moving..

If you air down to 10psi or lower with beadlock running the stock sas tire, its very hard to get stuck lol

 

[JawnyBronco]

Few years back had my Honda Pilot in those northern OBX dunes. Pilots only have VTM-4 which is like 4A but also has a Lock feature which increases torque to the rear for low traction situations. I had that thing so far back in ultra soft dunes, I’m surprised I made it out. But it was low low tire pressure and that rear Lock feature that made it possible. With the Bronco I do low pressure with Sand mode engaging the rear locker and it does great in the soft stuff.

 

[MayhemMike]

Under 20 psi in the tires and 4H. Sand mode is a waste. Asseteague island is always deep ,loose, and rutted. 4H on low pressure tires works fine.

 

[Scott R Nelson]

I air down to 20 psi for ALL off road driving and it gives a smoother ride on rocky sections and floats over sand much better.

I drove the trail that goes from Balanced Rock to Tower Arch in Arches National Park the last time I was in Moab for the Bronco Off-Roadeo. They strongly recommend coming from Tower Arch toward Balanced Rock instead of the other direction to avoid a bunch of uphill sand. I had driven it the suggested direction the previous time I was there, so decided to see how bad the uphill sand could be. I used a combination of 4H and 4L and used the lockers when it looked like it might make a difference. No problem at all. When I was almost through the "toughest" section I asked a guy coming the other way where the hard part was and I was already past it. It might be slightly more difficult when it's over 100 degrees out and hasn't rained for a month.

But the number one thing you can do to help in sand is lower tire pressure. Just do it.

 

[Bigeye27]

Thanks that makes sense I didn’t air down enough.

I drive my Bronco (Badlands Sasquatch) on the beach on the east end of Long Island almost daily. Prior to my Bronco I drove my jeeps almost daily on the beach for years. Not to toot my own horn but I'd say I have a lot of experience driving on beaches similar to the beach you are driving on.

All you need is Sand Mode and leave the rear diff locked. If your Bronco is not finding the right gear, just gas it for moment then let off and it will find the right gear. You do not need to air down unless, local laws or local customs dictate that you do. If you start to get stuck, stop and air down of course. It should be almost difficult or you have to do something really foolish to actually get your Bronco stuck on the beach in Sand Mode.

Driving on an east coast beach is far different than a some desert out west. In most circumstances an east coast beach is far easier for the driver and vehicle. The actual sand is completely different. Airing down to 10 - 15 PSI is ridiculous overkill for the beach.

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