Soft sand driving

[Leigh H]

Hi all,
I’m intending on hitting the beach in my D5 and wanted to know whether you need to engage low range as well as sand mode in the soft stuff. The manual suggests you can use both together, which also automatically raises the suspension height. Not sure if you still need the low range when in sand mode, so interested in people’s experience in this. Seems like the best option to use both so you don’t end up in too high a gear going through the soft sand.
Thanks
Leigh

[weeds]

I assume you also need to turn off ESC on D5’s as well

[IndusD4]

It would depend on how soft the sand is. I mainly drive on Stockton beach, on soft sand there I always use low range, and also turn off the DSC each time after starting the car. Tyres down to 16-18psi or lower (10-12psi) if it is really soft and you feel the car is struggling. Avoid sudden steering wheel movements. You'll be fine!

Ron

[scarry]

As said,DSC off,lots of momentum,and most importantly lower tyre pressures.

Make sure vehicle stays at off road height,so you don't belly out

Oh,and take a long handled shovel.

Generally high range is all thats needed,unless you hit a section of very soft stuff.

In the D4 rock crawl works very well,it seems to lock the rear E diff(if applicable),and the centre diff,if you do lose momentum.

Sand mode is the go as well.

[IndusD4]

Of note is that sand mode works a little different in the D5, compared to the D4. In the D4 it would drive off like a scalded cat as soon as you hit the loud pedal. In the D5 however, it takes off gently and once going, speed increases like it did in the D4 (ie no longer any use at traffic lights).

Select off road which increases the height 75mm (off road 2), but when going over 50km/h the suspension drops 35mm to 40mm (off road 1) - I haven't seen any warnings that this happens though but you can see it in the 4WD info screen. If you need to go back to off road 2, you need to lower to normal first, then back to off road +75mm.

Ron

[SBD4]

Of note is that sand mode works a little different in the D5, compared to the D4. In the D4 it would drive off like a scalded cat as soon as you hit the loud pedal. In the D5 however, it takes off gently and once going, speed increases like it did in the D4 (ie no longer any use at traffic lights).

....

Ron
Hey Ron, the way I understand it, sand mode has always been about controlling wheel spin on take off so you don't dig in. Hence the gentle take off on sand - maybe they have tuned the program to be more sensitive to initial wheel spin. On the blacktop I have found sand mode in my L494 works as it did in the D4 only more so. I would have expected the D5 to be similar to the L494 in that way (read same).

[IndusD4]

Indeed that is my understanding too, it just seems to have been tweaked a bit further to take off even more gently. The LR Experience instructors confirmed that when I asked them. I'll probably do a trip to Stockton early December and have a play with the terrain settings in the big sand pit.

[Graeme]

If you need to go back to off road 2, you need to lower to normal first, then back to off road +75mm.

RonYou shouldn't have to go back to normal height, just be going slowly enough that OR2 will be re-selected when the raise button is pressed.

[IndusD4]

I’m pretty sure I tried that, while displaying the off road menu showing that I am in the lower of the 2 off road settings then attempting to go up again well below 50kph but that didn’t work. I’ll try it again tonight or tomorrow to be sure.

[Graeme]

From memory the speed has to be below 35 kph but it should be in the owners handbook.

Edit speed s/b below 40 kph.

[trout1105]

All I have to do for sand/beach work in my D2a is to lower the tyre pressures and lock the center diff and drive, Dead easy[bigwhistle]

[IndusD4]

From memory the speed has to be below 35 kph but it should be in the owners handbook.

Edit speed s/b below 40 kph.

Thanks Graeme,

Indeed that is what the manual says but in practice that does not happen. I just checked it using a tape measure. Normal off road (off road 2) selected, the distance between the top of the rim and the wheel arch was 26cm. Then driving a short distance just over 50kph and the vehicle drops to off road 1 as indicated on the "Vehicle dimensions" info screen. Got out, measured again and the distance was 24.5cm. Got in, drove at 20-23kph and pressed the off road button again. Stopped, measured again and the distance was still the same 24.5cm. Measurements taken are not 100% accurate, the surface wasn't completely level but I think sufficient to show the point that to get back to off road 2 it does not work as the manual suggests it should.

Ron

[IndusD4]

All I have to do for sand/beach work in my D2a is to lower the tyre pressures and lock the center diff and drive, Dead easy[bigwhistle]

Seems a lot of work really. Tyre pressures are no different, but even easier is just let the car figure out if the centre and rear diffs need locking and watching that it does on a screen. [bigwhistle]

Ron

[trout1105]

Seems a lot of work really. Tyre pressures are no different, but even easier is just let the car figure out if the centre and rear diffs need locking and watching that it does on a screen. [bigwhistle]

Ron

Regardless of what 4WD you are driving you will always have to lower the tyre pressures in soft sand or suffer the consequences of not doing it.
Letting the car decide how to drive itself is fine for some But I personally much prefer to tell the 4WD what to do myself.

[DiscoMick]

Lowering tyre pressures is a must. I don't know about D5s, but in my Defender I mostly use high range because low range is too slow and the higher revs makes the engine and transmission heat up.
Lower pressures and momentum are the keys. Stay in wheel tracks and on harder sand.

[timax]

S. Tyre pressures are no different, . [bigwhistle]

Ron
Hmmm , not sure i would agree.
I assume you are running 55 series tyres? Would you go lower that 20 psi on a 55? What does the contact patch look like?
Im on the beach quite a bit but run 16 inch rims with 85 series tyres and run them at 16 psi. In the last 5 years of sand driving .... touch wood....i have not been stuck. Have driven around plenty who were though.
You need to find that balance between down enough to not get stuck too often and high enough that you dont damage side walls. I had a chat at the air pump the other day with a guy who rolled in on low profile tyres at 12 psi. They looks scary flat and he would have been risking tyre damage the way they were. This was for Hawks nest beach in NSW.

[IndusD4]

The earlier post was showing how easy it was to go off road in a D2a. Lower the tyre pressures and then something a driver of a later model Disco wouldn't need to do, ie lock the center diff.

Now I still have to lower my tyres in sand, so that's the same as with a D2a. But locking the diffs are done as and when required - no need to do that hence the tongue in cheek comment how much work it is in a D2a.

I didn't think I mentioned pressures, but yes I would go lower than 20psi. Normally 18Psi. According to the LR Experience instructors the rim design is such to avoid the tyre rolling off the rim. Not that I want to test that statement, so will have to be gentle on the steering movements.

Ron

[Pedro_The_Swift]

All LR alloys (since forever) are really hard to roll tyres off,, thats the reason when installing them the first time on the rim they go BANG big time,,
as in all things, driving on sand included, Practise makes Perfect,,, [smilebigeye]

[scarry]

Seems a lot of work really. Tyre pressures are no different, but even easier is just let the car figure out if the centre and rear diffs need locking and watching that it does on a screen. [bigwhistle]

Ron

The D4 is a lot more work in soft sand than the D2a was.
Tyre pressures,yes same with each vehicle.
D2a as said,just lock the centre diff,no further things to worry about,auto i presume.

The D4,make sure DSC is off,change to sand mode if you want,or rock crawl if really soft.
Then set to off road height,and hope it doesn't drop down at 50km/hr,or you will be going nowhere,just sitting on its belly.
Make sure DSC is off after a restart.

I presume the D5 would be much the same as the D4.

Even the Deefer has less( than D4) to worry about when in the soft stuff,only its a manual,but who cares,its fun to actually 'drive' a vehicle.

[IndusD4]

Indeed you need DSC off but you won't need to worry about bottoming out as much as with the D4 over 50kph, as it will maintain "off road 1" - 40mm higher than normal ride height.

Ron