Thread: Driving on the beach

Originally Posted by dullbird

horses for course one thing we learnt is the low way is not always the right way!

when we were at stockton we got NO where in Low popped it in high and all was good oh and we were at 14psi until Ian couldn't get out of a hole dropped to 12 and the difference was AMAZING it walked out with out so much as a turbo whistle

True...but you have a Puma which has lower gears than the TD5, and more torque. So you'll be able to use high range where the TD5s need to drop to low. Yes low range can be too low, but then just try third and fourth low -- third low is about the same as first high (on Defenders) and that may well be what's required.

Yes that last 2psi can make a huge difference see it many a time!

well I'm pretty sure everyone we were there with was in High! I could be proven wrong but there was countys, rangies and even a prado i think.

hopefully Cal415 will clarify

have you driven stockton Robert? we thought we would be ok as we have driven on sand before, we drove fraser island in HI without dropping pressures in a TDI (and I have heard people say that was hard)..........Stockton Different kettle of fish, the guys said to forget anything you have ever been taught about sand and start again and they were right

"Driving offroad without the CDL engaged will rapidly destroy your centre diff/T-case. Simple as that. Plenty of people have found out the hard way."

Why so ? isuzurover. How does loss of traction with wheel spin translate into damage to centre diff & T-case. The early D2 run with no CDL at all. We put them back in to get better traction not to save our running gear. I'm sure you have a good reason for saying so, so please explain.

CDL or not will not make any difference to engine temp on sand. Low range will take a little more engine power to turn over the gearing but minimal. The lower gearing in contrast will be easier on the engine and keep it cooler but in turn reduce air flow over the radiator and make it hotter so you need to get the best speed with the minimum amount of right foot to keep it cool. Experiment next time to find out.

If have stopped is soft sand and need to get going again then high range may be the way to go - reduced the torque and therefore possible wheelspin. But when it comes to keeping up momentum in the soft stuff - especially in an auto - not so much in a manual because you don't have that torque converter soaking up power, low range is the go, gotta punch numbers

Originally Posted by dullbird

well I'm pretty sure everyone we were there with was in High! I could be proven wrong but there was countys, rangies and even a prado i think.

hopefully Cal415 will clarify

have you driven stockton Robert? we thought we would be ok as we have driven on sand before, we drove fraser island in HI without dropping pressures in a TDI (and I have heard people say that was hard)..........Stockton Different kettle of fish, the guys said to forget anything you have ever been taught about sand and start again and they were right

Yes I've driven Stockton, but I've only driven it on three occasions. On one of those occasions I drove a Puma Defender 110 and certainly that car is a long way ahead of a TD5 in sand. Stockton is not the easiest of sand drives, but there are other places as difficult, in my experience, I'm not seeing what makes Stockton so particularly special? I'm sure it varies depending on where you are, and of course the weather would play a part too. I don't see why you'd need to forget all the standard sand techniques, maybe just apply even more of them.

I'm not saying high range has no place on sand, far from it, just making the observation that some vehicles can remain in high whereas others will need to drop to low, depending on gear and torque. The Puma/TD5 comparison is one example.

Driving on sand is not an exact science. It depends on what the sand is like, the conditions and so forth. Even driving the same section of beach at different times of the year can be a different set of challenges. Cape Arnhem up here can be 14psi in the tyres at the height of the dry season or don't even bother deflating them during the wet season. For example last weekend was let the tyres down to 25psi, high range and no problems, the same sections of beach and dunes a week earlier was 18psi and low 3rd starts.

Knowing the vehicle's gearing and how to handle different conditions is more important.




When driving a Puma Defender on soft sand, don't miss low third and accidently try and take off in low one

At least I found out how good the traction control is

Originally Posted by cal415

Well i will go against the trend here, i dont think CDL is always necessary unless your going through some very soft boggy patches or the beach is very soft and dry, i actualy think it slows you down and makes you cut in more when your out on the dunes traveling quick and turning.

I dont bother locking CDL at all in my county on the beach unless its really cut up and soft, recoverying someone or playing in the big steep soft dunes up north, but i also run 37s at 5-6psi. If you want to make it easier i would start with droping your pressures, 18 sounds pretty high, most tyres will happily run at 10-12, most of the time when im taking people out on the beach for the first time i tell them to go to 14 and we see how it goes from there, its amazing how much difference those last few PSI make some tyres dont sit well until around 12psi or lower.

Most of the beaches here ARE cut up and soft. Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of a hard clay base here as Perth is 99.9% sand until you get east of the Hills and our tides remove and replace sand as they come in and out resulting in soft spots that can sink up to your knee.
Having a RRC, i dont need to lock anything as its already done, but unless you want to stop suddenly and end up with an axle turning into a sand anchor, CDL is a neccesity on most WA beaches.
Cheers

Andrew

Have driven stockton several times its very fine sand no cdl (dont even have one) high range was no good, had to start in 2nd low then 3rd low when moving. Modern stuff is good but what do you do when it breaks.
As for temp a bit more speed may help with airflow and low range takes some of the strain from the engine.