Thread: Beach Driving Defender

First of all.... welcome to the forum Snipe !

If you haven't already done so - have a read of the threads "Vlad's Fraser Odyssey I and II (as well as a couple of other Fraser threads I've done). I think you'll find them useful.


As you have gathered from the debate in this thread, there are 2 distinct driving environments on Fraser. The hard packed sand on the beach, and the softer sand of the inland tracks (esp around Orchid Beach) and various cuttings (eg around Indian Head, for example).

The hard packed sand is very much like bitumen in many respects and can often be driven at the speed limit of 80kph (with due care and looking out for wash-outs on the beach of course). If your pressures are too low (and in my opinion this means 14psi or lower) a lot of heat will build up in the tyres. Some would argue that in the long term this can damage the sidewall. By far the bigger risk of lower pressures is that the lower the pressure the more likely a tyre is to roll off the rim, with potentially disastrous consequences if travelling at speed.

On the softer sand however road pressures will make it very difficult to negotiate soft sand and (especially as a novice sand driver) will make it extremely likely to get bogged in such places. Aside from the embarrassment this can be a very frustrating experience as you may be left blocking an access track and find that some people are not very tolerant or understanding.

Now naturally it would be a royal pain in the posterior to be adjusting tyre pressures a lot, so a "happy medium" is probably best.

I had always used 18psi (the reason is not important) however on recent trips in a fully loaded Defender 130 found 22psi to be perfectly adequate.

If I were you I'd try 22psi and if you feel that you need to let it down a bit, you can. (more easily than you can inflate it anyway).

Trust me as your experience in sand driving grows you'll get more of a feel of what works best for you and your vehicle.

Lastly, remember that there are other important issues to consider.
Keep a sharp eye on beach conditions (a plunge into a deep washout or creek can ruin your day),
Don't make sudden turns on sand (rollover risk); and
Be aware of the tide times - don't want to get stuck on the beach with a rapidly rising tide !

But MOST OF ALL it's not rocket science so don't get too intimidated by all the "factors' and robust debate (aka argument) going on in this thread, Heck, if I can do it anyone can so get out there and enjoy it !

Cheers

Originally Posted by series3

It's also important to note that different psi will work for different wheel/tyre combinations, sizes and constructions, vehicle weight and weight distribution etc etc.. Some need more goading than others.

psi rating reccomendations are hit and miss because a huge amount of variables between people's cars.

IIRC, that was the reason that the article I read suggested that the effect on the tyre was more important than the actual pressure.

Apparently the contact patch is much longer at about that point. I was also going to mention that the article made the point that it is the length of the contact patch that matters, not the width, but to do that would risk starting one of those "religious" debates where both side know they are right and no-one is ever going to change their mind. So I won't mention it.

Originally Posted by scanfor

45 psi rear, 28 psi front - I never let them down for the beaches at Straddie or Teewah, never had any problems.

He just wants a photo of the newbie's defer underwater at high tide.

Thanks guys, relatively simple question I thought that has got some really great advice and some advice that maybe I should take with a grain of salt - but its a free speech forum so thanks to all .

Have actually done a bit of beach driving, but just not in this car so I really appreciate the advice given.

Will be up there from the 11th June - I am sure I will chat to any defender drivers up there.

In fact, I had an awesome moment worth telling - before I bought the car, I had been telling the girlfriend about the defender wave. Anyway, the day we picked it up from the dealer, I was about to pull out out on the road for the first time and a defender drove past and gave us the salute. So I think that must be some sort of record, less than 50 metres on the speedo and a legitimate wave!!!!

Ta

Originally Posted by VladTepes

First of all.... welcome to the forum Snipe !

If you haven't already done so - have a read of the threads "Vlad's Fraser Odyssey I and II (as well as a couple of other Fraser threads I've done). I think you'll find them useful.


As you have gathered from the debate in this thread, there are 2 distinct driving environments on Fraser. The hard packed sand on the beach, and the softer sand of the inland tracks (esp around Orchid Beach) and various cuttings (eg around Indian Head, for example).

The hard packed sand is very much like bitumen in many respects and can often be driven at the speed limit of 80kph (with due care and looking out for wash-outs on the beach of course). If your pressures are too low (and in my opinion this means 14psi or lower) a lot of heat will build up in the tyres. Some would argue that in the long term this can damage the sidewall. By far the bigger risk of lower pressures is that the lower the pressure the more likely a tyre is to roll off the rim, with potentially disastrous consequences if travelling at speed.

On the softer sand however road pressures will make it very difficult to negotiate soft sand and (especially as a novice sand driver) will make it extremely likely to get bogged in such places. Aside from the embarrassment this can be a very frustrating experience as you may be left blocking an access track and find that some people are not very tolerant or understanding.

Now naturally it would be a royal pain in the posterior to be adjusting tyre pressures a lot, so a "happy medium" is probably best.

I had always used 18psi (the reason is not important) however on recent trips in a fully loaded Defender 130 found 22psi to be perfectly adequate.

If I were you I'd try 22psi and if you feel that you need to let it down a bit, you can. (more easily than you can inflate it anyway).

Trust me as your experience in sand driving grows you'll get more of a feel of what works best for you and your vehicle.

Lastly, remember that there are other important issues to consider.
Keep a sharp eye on beach conditions (a plunge into a deep washout or creek can ruin your day),
Don't make sudden turns on sand (rollover risk); and
Be aware of the tide times - don't want to get stuck on the beach with a rapidly rising tide !

But MOST OF ALL it's not rocket science so don't get too intimidated by all the "factors' and robust debate (aka argument) going on in this thread, Heck, if I can do it anyone can so get out there and enjoy it !

Cheers

Just noticed Staun beadlocks on sale for $550 for a set on eBay - if you wanted insurance against rolling off the rim !

16"x8" staun internal bead locks set of 4 - eBay 4x4 Accessories, Exterior, Car Parts, Accessories, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 27-May-10 15:28:37 AEST)

-> overkill for normal beach work (As with Vlad and others I find 15-18 PSI gets me out over everything) but not a bad insurance policy for all sorts of terrain!

I cant claim to be a good sand driver but i tend to run my tiers like this.

highway 45
gravel or dirt roads 30 - 35
rocky slate or ground with a lot of sticks and sharp stuff 25-30

sand I just go to 20 off the bat, have been as low as 10 to get out of a hole, the difference between 20psi and 10psi is quite noticeable.

the other things is a lower gear and keeping the revs up. as well as a bit of momentum helps

Originally Posted by Savanahkelpy

Never having been to Frazer island, i suspect its a great place, but i still cringe at the thought of taking your rover into a VERY high salt enviroment. I don,t care how mant times you hose or wash it out, or what anti rust measures you have in place, you don,t want to be planning to hang on to your rover for much more than 10 years, as it WILL be a rust bucket by then, for sure.
Still, i hope you have fun, and do whats needed to aviod getting stuck.

Mmmm the car comes from a country where they put salt on the roads for 4 months of the year . Where driving to work in the morning is worse than any trip to Fraser . The car will be alright. Both my defenders have been to Fraser, Morton ,straddie loads of times just make sure you give them a good clean and they will be ok