Thread: Discos any good in sand??

Frequently find that my D3 (runs 18") has difficulties in sand where, the lighter Hi-luxes, Prados and Pajeros, and other assorted similar just go where they please. My 100 series did better than my D3 in sand.
Let tyres down to 20psi and carry extraction boards and a shovel if you are going in soft sand.

Originally Posted by vbrab

Frequently find that my D3 (runs 18") has difficulties in sand where, the lighter Hi-luxes, Prados and Pajeros, and other assorted similar just go where they please. My 100 series did better than my D3 in sand.
Let tyres down to 20psi and carry extraction boards and a shovel if you are going in soft sand.

Do you turn the DSC off and use sand mode?

Hmm I found my RRS on 20"s was better than my 100 series. Which while good I got it stuck on its belly a few times. Not much difference in weight either local weighbridge at tip shows 2650 for RRS and used to show about 2500 for 100 (a 4.5 petrol 2001 solid axle).

Originally Posted by vbrab

Frequently find that my D3 (runs 18") has difficulties in sand where, the lighter Hi-luxes, Prados and Pajeros, and other assorted similar just go where they please. My 100 series did better than my D3 in sand.
Let tyres down to 20psi and carry extraction boards and a shovel if you are going in soft sand.

Have you tried the tyre pressures a bit lower?

A few pounds makes a huge difference.

Another thing is the tyre gauge you are using may not be accurate.I recently checked a few tyre pressure gauges against a calibrated gauge we have,NATA standard and all of them were out,some by over two PSI.

One of our steepest dunes in WA, Callcup, had to go to 10 on the factory 19's during an Easter trip (so extra soft), but in GOE rims 14 is fine.

Recommended pressure for this dune by locals, and not the weekend warriors, is 10.

Brett....

I have frequently driven slowly (to rub it in) past stuck 100 series and have towed a few out of sand. My take on it was that the IFS on the models above the base poverty pack, big front diff - the arms hung down a lot on them like graders - and big fat weight meant they were not ideal for soft sand. I recall stopping beside a stuck 100 at the Indian Head Fraser bypasss going south one trip. I couldnt go forward because of a well stuck GU Ute with 33 in tyres and one up with nothing in the tray. My mate in d2a v8 manual stopped behind me. Mine was the same but D2. The 100 had its tyres down. You should have heard and seen the cheers and salutes from a dozen Brit backpackers on the dune nearby when we both selected 2nd low and just easily drove off in the deep stuff straight past the 100 and straight through the mess left by the GU that had just been snatched back to the hard sand with 2 snatch straps tied together. I still have it on analogue video somewhere. Priceless!

Originally Posted by ozscott

I have frequently driven slowly (to rub it in) past stuck 100 series and have towed a few out of sand. My take on it was that the IFS on the models above the base poverty pack, big front diff - the arms hung down a lot on them like graders - and big fat weight meant they were not ideal for soft sand. I recall stopping beside a stuck 100 at the Indian Head Fraser bypasss going south one trip. I couldnt go forward because of a well stuck GU Ute with 33 in tyres and one up with nothing in the tray. My mate in d2a v8 manual stopped behind me. Mine was the same but D2. The 100 had its tyres down. You should have heard and seen the cheers and salutes from a dozen Brit backpackers on the dune nearby when we both selected 2nd low and just easily drove off in the deep stuff straight past the 100 and straight through the mess left by the GU that had just been snatched back to the hard sand with 2 snatch straps tied together. I still have it on analogue video somewhere. Priceless!

It'd be great to see that!

An awful lot comes down to driver/knowledge. We came across stuck D4 from Double Island Pt to Rainbow beach, stopping traffic both ways. He was still at road pressure in tires, he didn't know where the recovery point was (was trying to hook snatch strap to lower arms), had DSC on, was in Normal for terrain response, etc. Gave the car no chance at all. And, was abusing it for being stuck. This was about 12 months ago, that track is now all gravel/graded so is very easy which we find pretty boring now