Stock Outer Banks on the Outer Banks Beaches

[Shaggy]

Had an opportunity to do some beach driving at Brigantine NJ. I drove on several different beaches with moderate sand depth looseness (especially at entrances and closer to water). Being hesitant of no having a rear locker, I brought full recovery gear. Lowered tire pressure to 18, used sand mode and manually turned off traction control and then held same button down for 5 seconds to disengage advance trac control. I was amazed at how well it performed. The Bronco gluided through the sand. I could drive at very low speeds without sinking or spinning wheels. No issues with driving in, out, or across established tracks. Couldn’t be happier with the performance! I did not feel that I was ever close to getting stuck. I witnessed a full variety of 9 plus vehicles burry themselves over the weekend on the same beach. All able to recover by airing down further, shovel and recovery boards (no towing). For those fellow Bronco owners that opted for no lockers, you should feel confident in driving on the beach. Air down at least 18, engage san mode, disable traction control and advance trac manually, bring recovery gear and have fun.

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[lakesinai]

Had an opportunity to do some beach driving at Brigantine NJ. I drove on several different beaches with moderate sand depth looseness (especially at entrances and closer to water). Being hesitant of no having a rear locker, I brought full recovery gear. Lowered tire pressure to 18, used sand mode and manually turned off traction control and then held same button down for 5 seconds to disengage advance trac control. I was amazed at how well it performed. The Bronco gluided through the sand. I could drive at very low speeds without sinking or spinning wheels. No issues with driving in, out, or across established tracks. Couldn’t be happier with the performance! I did not feel that I was ever close to getting stuck. I witnessed a full variety of 9 plus vehicles burry themselves over the weekend on the same beach. All able to recover by airing down further, shovel and recovery boards (no towing). For those fellow Bronco owners that opted for no lockers, you should feel confident in driving on the beach. Air down at least 18, engage san mode, disable traction control and advance trac manually, bring recovery gear and have fun.

Excellent report! Good news! I've noticed that some newer 4x4 people consider it a badge of honor to NOT air down on the beach, as though airing-down is an insult to the virility of their rig. But it really does help! In my childhood in the 1950's- 1960's, before the advent of todays supremely equipped OEM 4x4 vehicles, airing down to 12# would enable the working-man's average truck, even 2wd trucks, especially VW, to drive on the Cape Cod sand. What was required was for all the kids to jump out, push-start the vehicle, and jump back on/in while it was moving. That's the Old Days! I think today's OEM off-road capabilities are incredible, in comparison.

 

[Shaggy]

So true about the lack of airing down and badge of honor comment. This morning I’m continuing to watch some highly capable vehicles sink while others that I wouldn’t take on the beach cruise right on by. I guess they like spending time with everyone telling them what they should have done and what they should do. Personally I don’t need that type of attention

 

[BroncoAZ]

Had an opportunity to do some beach driving at Brigantine NJ. I drove on several different beaches with moderate sand depth looseness (especially at entrances and closer to water). Being hesitant of no having a rear locker, I brought full recovery gear. Lowered tire pressure to 18, used sand mode and manually turned off traction control and then held same button down for 5 seconds to disengage advance trac control. I was amazed at how well it performed. The Bronco gluided through the sand. I could drive at very low speeds without sinking or spinning wheels. No issues with driving in, out, or across established tracks. Couldn’t be happier with the performance! I did not feel that I was ever close to getting stuck. I witnessed a full variety of 9 plus vehicles burry themselves over the weekend on the same beach. All able to recover by airing down further, shovel and recovery boards (no towing). For those fellow Bronco owners that opted for no lockers, you should feel confident in driving on the beach. Air down at least 18, engage san mode, disable traction control and advance trac manually, bring recovery gear and have fun.

Glad it worked well. 18 psi seems high, but it depends on the sand. Both beaches I go to mandate 15 psi max, NPS recommends 11 psi. I’ve always run 12 psi on the Tacoma and my old full size Bronco. I’ve never used the locker on my Tacoma on the beach and my FSB was open diffs, so I’m not surprised you didn’t have issues. I ran my 2wd 2001 F-150 out on Pismo Beach in CA twenty years ago. I don’t remember what I aired down to, but the sans was much harder than what we have on cape cod and I had no problems.

 

[lakesinai]

Glad it worked well. 18 psi seems high, but it depends on the sand. Both beaches I go to mandate 15 psi max, NPS recommends 11 psi. I’ve always run 12 psi on the Tacoma and my old full size Bronco. I’ve never used the locker on my Tacoma on the beach and my FSB was open diffs, so I’m not surprised you didn’t have issues. I ran my 2wd 2001 F-150 out on Pismo Beach in CA twenty years ago. I don’t remember what I aired down to, but the sans was much harder than what we have on cape cod and I had no problems.

You're absolutely correct, it depends on the sand type, the flattness of the sand, the tire size and the drivetrain and the vehicle weight! Also, its a generalization in my experience that on the East Coast, the more North you are, the coarser/deeper the sand and the lower the tire pressure I've needed! For me, Cape Cod was 12-15#, Delaware 16-18#, Outer Banks 17-20#, and Amelia Is, FL 20#. Additionally, it depends on the width of the drivable foreshore (the area between MHW and mean Low Water). Cape Cod has little foreshore, meaning soft-sand driving lanes pitched downhill towards the Water. Corolla Beach NC has a huge foreshore and at low tide, you could drive most anything on it . . . Once you get through the entrance area!

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