driving in sand...

[scrap487]

well I'm gonna be going down to where I'll have my car in a bunch of soft sand soon. I've heard of people driving stock subarus and stuff in it but every time I try anything in the sand I usually end up sunk up to the belly and having to pull out a shovel and back tract up to the harder ground. this is running on street tires... is there a better tire I can put on a subaru in stock form? also what psi should I have in the tires? any ideas?

thanks,

[nipper]

well I'm gonna be going down to where I'll have my car in a bunch of soft sand soon. I've heard of people driving stock subarus and stuff in it but every time I try anything in the sand I usually end up sunk up to the belly and having to pull out a shovel and back tract up to the harder ground. this is running on street tires... is there a better tire I can put on a subaru in stock form? also what psi should I have in the tires? any ideas?

thanks,

 

 

Get youtself an air compressor and reduce the tires way down to 15? psi.

 

Also if you get stuck, slightly apply the breaks while giving the car gas. This transfers power to all four wheels at the same time.

 

nipper

[Phizinza]

These are my kumho M/T's, they are pretty good in sand. 205mm wide

http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/kuhmo_mt_tread.jpg

 

Almost as good on flat sand were my brothers almost bald 185mm wide LT Van tires

http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/subaru_ea81wagon_stuckinmud3.jpg

BTW, they had about as much tread as you can see in that picture.

 

And my 215mm wide directional street tires. Which are totally crap in sand. With a locked rear diff they had more trouble then a stock Subie with 170/75R13's...

http://offroadingsubarus.com/images/subie_mudsplash.jpg

 

Tire tread is alot to do with it. The M/T's can climb great, where the LT's can't. If you stop the LT's are good as they bearlyt dig even if you spin a wheel. I think the street tires were bad because they are directional and made to push water out, but instead pushed sand out sunk.

 

With most M/T's you can go as low as 10 to 12 PSI without problems, I've seen people run 8PSI, just have to be gental on the power. With the LT Van tires we used to run 14PSI, they have a pretty good side wall (something like 6 ply, so they can go pretty low.) I didn't let my road tires down, but I doubt it would of helped as they are pretty small tire wall.

 

start at 18psi, if you have a problem, don't try and get the car out before lowering to 10PSI... It makes all the difference.

 

If it's a beach stay away from where high tide can reach or else if you get stuck, well you can guess. Also follow peoples other tracks if there are any. Making your own isn't a great idea, as your car has to push more sand, plus in the tracks there alread the sand has been compressed.

 

And finally, wash your car REALLY good after.. Sand (especially if it's beach sand) does wonders to bare metal where the paint has been scratched off.

[[HTi]Dain]

I grew up in Florence, on the coast. My buddies and I drove our stock Soobs out at South Jetty ALL the time. Basically the best tire set-up that I found was a regular street tire with a close pattern. They don't dig very much. I always run 20psi, all around. Any lower, and we would tend to roll/sand beads-sanding a bead is where debris (sand) gets into the bead and you start loosing air. It's best to take TWO spare tires. And when you take off from a stop, just dump the clutch and go, no pu$$yfootin it in the sand, ya know. It's basically try whatever you want, to find what works best in the situation. Sometimes you need a lower pressure, other times, you dont even need to air-down! so basically Soobs rock teh noobs! cause they don't even know.

[[HTi]Savage]

Your best bet is run in 4Lo about 20 psi like my buddy said there. Its all momentum dude. Keep up teh speed dont be afraid to hammer down, teh soobs can handle it. 4 and 5 grand no problem, somtimes 6 or 7 you will tear that place a new *********************. just dont make too many hard turns You will sand a bead for sure. Done it plenty of times. It dosent get any better then seeing teh looks on peoples faces when you come flying across teh dunes in a soob. Especially teh dudes rollin in teh lifted trucks They ************ themselves when a (Stock) Soob goes better then there trucks.

 

 

Soobs rock teh noobs.

[tsutomu]

holy sand batman.. earlier today i went out at 10:00am to the river bed.. got stuck several times.... good thing my friends amc eagle had an high lift jack ( works wonders! id say its a must have for 4x4) after getting trudging along in the brat, first one to get stuck and first one to get out. got home at 5:30 pm. its fun to drive in sand, but make sure you have the time and dont have to work at 4 pm.:-\

 

ps buddy system is great for soft sand.

 

pps was driving a brat stock tires, 4 inch AA lift;)

[GeneralDisorder]

Rather than guessing at your target tire pressure - read this:

 

http://www.4x4now.com/sfjun96.htm

 

GD

[spigma01]

Just my two cents, but I 100% agree with between 10-15 lbs air pressure and just using plain old radial street tires, preferably balding, because they bag out real nice and create more surface area. I also have the 27" Khumo M/T's on my 80 lifted wagon, they did ok in the sand but I almost cried when a mid 80's toyota van 4wd made it up a hill called V8, down in coosbay, and I could only make it halfway. I'm certainly sure it's because the M/T's dig in too much.

[Rooinater]

every time i'm at glamis, if i'm in a vehicle with mud terrains i go to at least 10 psi or lower, m/t tires dig like it's cool in the sand. if all terrains 12 to 15 psi, they don't dig as much. when your tires are that low, you float instead of dig. which is the whole purpose of airing them down that low, you want a big bulge. larger and heaver trucks out here in glamis, some have to go as far as 5 psi... that way the can stay afloat. if your still digging, especially while in 4lo air down further. and just learn the feel of driving in it. last time i was at oldsmobile hill. i was yanking full size trucks out left and right with my '82 datsun pickup, because i was at 10 psi, and they all were between 15 to 30 psi, i was floating on the sand, they were digging...... 4lo, zero problems.