First Sand Driving Experience

[brw0513]

I took my NL out for a lap of Bribie Island last Thursday. Headed up the inland track and back down the beach.

What a joy the NL was I spent most of the "soft sand" time in 4HLc in 2nd gear at around 2600rpm. Never looked like stopping! I even had to snatch another Pajero out - he was in 2H and at 25psi. Just for fun apparently

Bribie seems to be an easy introduction to sand driving, but it sure has whet the appetite

With the highway driving to get there, I'm going to get more km out of the tank than when spending the week in daily traffic mode. Cheap fun!

I'd like to go back and get deliberately bogged, somewhere safe enough, and just practice getting out to prepare for times when the pressure is on.

I'd really enjoy getting to a "learn how to drive on sand training course". Any offered close to Brisbane?

[alchemysa]

The most important thing when sand driving is to stop immediately if the wheels are spinning and you are not moving. It's crazy how many people seem to think they can get moving again (even uphill!) if they just give it a few more revs. This seems obvious, but we have a beach shack and regularly see inexperienced beach drivers make this mistake.

If you have lost momentum and come to a standstill you will usually just dig yourself deeper into trouble if you keep spinning the wheels. Stop and back out while you still can.

[brw0513]

That sounds like good advice.

Many years ago I saw a 4WD ute (Landcruiser) get bogged straight off the ferry. The ferry arrived at Bulwer (Moreton Island) at high tide so straight onto churned up soft sand. The Landcruiser was full to the brim with dive gear in the back tray.

The driver rocked the ute back and forward every so gently and all of a sudden, it popped out and was on its way.

I'd like to get good at that, but the timing getting into first and reverse gear would take practice.

[old Jack]

OJ's Top 10+2 Tips for Beach Driving.
1. Tyre pressures, 16-18psi for HT Passenger tyres and 12-14psi for Light Trick tyres in soft sand, if you get stuck do not mess around drop another 4 psi straight away, once unstuck inflate back up to previous pressures.
2. Drive smoothly with a high degree of mechanical sympathy, easy on the steering, braking and accelerator inputs.
3. If you start to bog down just ease off the accelerator a little then wait a few seconds and you can feel the car pop up once it has got floatations again.
4. Remember it is a car and not a boat so stay away from the water.
5. Know the tide times and heights so when you get stuck you know how long you have to get out.
6. Even if traveling with another vehicle, have the ability to self recover, recovery tracks like Maxtrax or Tread Pro are far more useful and safer than a winch or snatch strap.
7. Once you have bellied out it is easier and quicker to jack one wheel up at a time and place a recovery track under it than shovel tons of sand out the way.
8. In a manual trans the clutch should be either in or out, no half way! Slipping the clutch as it will quickly cook itself if ridden.
9. When coming to a stop, do not brake, just roll to a stop then reverse back a metre or two before starting off again if the sand is soft. If you can, try to park facing downhill, much easier to start off downhill than uphill.
10. All public beaches have the same road rules as normal roads so keep speed down and watch the drink driving.

OJ.


Edit;
11. Yes, turn ASC off if it is fitted.
12. In dune country ensure you have a sand flag that is at least 2m above bonnet height.

[Pwoffey]

In addition to OJ's points, on sand one should usually switch off Automatic Stability Control to avoid unwanted and momentum-slowing braking when the computer detects wheel spinning.

[stumagoo]

OJ has hit the nail on the head there - there are a few others things to watch for if you are climbing big dunes etc but follow OJ's list there and you will pretty much be spot on

[brw0513]

Thanks OJ. I'll keep those tips in mind.

I like the one about jacking and not digging. That will come in handy one day.

Any special jack required for jacking in sand? I guess I need to keep a piece of heavy plywood in the car to place under the jack as a good base?

Thanks.

[gemster]

An inflatable bag like these... They run off your exhaust pipe...

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4WD-AIR-BAG-BULL-BAG-EXHAUST-JACK-RECOVERY-JACK-BRAND-NEW-SALE-SPECIAL/253300611889?hash=item3af9e49b31:g:5g8AAOxycgVThpk8:rk:13:pf:0

Gemster...

[Kingbrown]

Another tip:
Know the neutral position of your steering wheel. Many a time I have seen people struggling to get out of a bog with their front wheels askew rather than straight ahead.

Similar thing with trying to turn in sand.
It takes a lot more oomph to keep you moving when the steering wheels are ploughing into the sand.

[old Jack]

Thanks OJ. I'll keep those tips in mind.

I like the one about jacking and not digging. That will come in handy one day.

Any special jack required for jacking in sand? I guess I need to keep a piece of heavy plywood in the car to place under the jack as a good base?

Thanks.

Jacking and inserting recovery tracks is quicker and easier by a long shot and you do not end up with a bloody great hole in the track or beach for someone else to drive into!

Here are the jacking options you can look at.

https://www2.pajeroclub.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=368191&postcount=24

OJ.

[Ian H]

Hey OJ, can you shed any light on the comment in the link about exhaust jacks not being suitable for turbo diesels ?

[old Jack]

Hey OJ, can you shed any light on the comment in the link about exhaust jacks not being suitable for turbo diesels ?

Hi Ian,


I am not sure if this is still the current thinking, if it is correct or if it is just an urban myth, but it was related to excessive back pressure in the exhaust system causing engine management issues? (fault codes ???).


A quick online search and I found this that says this particular exhaust bag is compatible with modern turbo diesels engines, I have no affiliation with Ironman.

http://www.ironman4x4.com/category-products/recovery-equipment/exhaust-jack

My view is they are still prone to damage in extreme circumstances and that is when you are most likely in need of a 100% reliable jack.


OJ.

[abhibeckert]

Any special jack required for jacking in sand? I guess I need to keep a piece of heavy plywood in the car to place under the jack as a good base?.

My cheap/knock off Maxtrax have reinforced flat section in the middle designed to fit a high lift jack.

Probably reduces traction so not sure if I'd choose those ones (mine were free) but if you're driving in sand regularly it might be worth buying a dedicated one for the jack?

Lighter/more effective than anything else I can think of and easy to mount on the roof rack.

I've never used them though, never had any difficulties in sand the two times I've tried it (Fraser and Simpson) except for dunes where I just reversed back down and tried again.

One thing I learned the hard way, is keep an eye on winds as well as tides. I drove around the bottom section of Fraser at a suitable tide level but the wind was unusually strong (according to the ferry operator) and pushing the water much further up the beach. We nearly didn't make it - a few times got stuck in someone else's wheel ruts and had no choice but to hit seawater at speed.

Pretty bad introduction for the first time I'd ever driven on sand - but we spent a week on the island and the rest of it was surprisingly easy going and fun.

[aussieguy]

Nothing wrong with the cheap tracks if they are being used for traction in sand or mud, no different to using sticks and branches for the task. The cheaper tracks wear faster then the expensive ones when idiots spin wheels on them.

[DWC]

As an addition to OJ's point 5, if you don't need to go below the high tide mark it is best to stay above it. This is kind of beach specific advice as some beaches will have a lot of flat, hard-packed sand to drive on below the HT mark, but my local beach can be quite soft below the HT mark and very easy to get bogged. Iv'e pulled more than a few newcomers out of such a situation.