Sand driving
Some tricks and tips for driving in hard (firm) or soft sand in your 4×4.
Being able to access and explore a beach or sand dunes in your 4×4 can be one of the best things you can do on 4 wheels. But four-wheel drive access to beaches and dunes differs from state to state. The best way to determine if you’re allowed to drive in the place you’d like to visit is to check with the national parks and wildlife authority in that area as, even if you are allowed to drive on the sand, it’s likely you’ll require a permit to do so.When driving on a beach, you’ll encounter two types of sand, wet and dry. Wet sand is going to be the stuff you find down closer to the edge of the water where the moisture compacts it. But, too much water in the sand can have the opposite effect, water-logged and it quickly turns into a sloppy quicksand.And then there’s the dry, soft stuff that generally only sees moisture when it rains. With the wind keeping this soft sand bone dry and powdery, driving through it can be hard going; sucking the grunt from your vehicle with minimal progress to show for it.When looking at the beach you can tell the difference between the two types of sand, as the wet sand will be darker than the dry stuff. In general, when driving along a beach, it’s encouraged that you stay closer to the water and try to stick on the firmer sand.
What to do just before you drive onto the sandOnce you’ve confirmed you’re actually allowed to drive on the sand and, if necessary, have paid for a permit and fixed it to your vehicle’s windscreen, then just before you drive out onto the sand the most important thing you can do is to drop the air pressure in your 4WD’s tyres.How the rest of your day will go driving on sand will come down to your tyres and how much air you either have in them or don’t have in them. Having a modern 4WD may help in taking out some of the guess work, as you can use the Management System and choose Sand Mode or the equivalent, which will adjust the control of the stability and traction control systems allowing for more wheel spin before intervention. Sand mode can also sharpen up the throttle response to help maintain momentum allowing the transmission to hold gears longer to prevent unnecessary gear shifting when driving across sand. This is handy, as grabbing too high a gear while trying to maintain momentum can not only see your vehicle struggle and bog down in deep sand, but can also cause serious damage to the transmission and engine by overheating. However at the end of the day you can have all the buttons and dials you want, if your tyres are too high they will be of no avail. You want to travel across the sandThe trick to driving on sand, is to have your 4WD travel across the surface. When deflating your tyres you are creating more surface area for your vehicle to travel on, imagine the tracks on a tank. If you’re ploughing through the sand with your revs and temp tapping on the dash, half bogged then it more than likely has to do with your tyre pressures being too high. It’s generally accepted that an average, medium sized 4WD, should be running around 15psi - 20psi when driving on sand. This of coarse depends also on tyre size, weight etc.When deflating your tyres the key is to let out a little bit of air at a time and to do so with a tyre pressure gauge or deflator and let the same amount of air out in each tyre. It’s easier to let more air out if needed that put more back in!You need to be carful when deflating your tyres too much and for driving for too long with low air pressures in your tyres. While it might be necessary to drop your tyre pressures right down if you’ve become bogged, having too little air in them places increased pressure on the bead of the tyre which, could result in the tyre rolling of the wheel or the wheel cutting through the bead and destroy the tyre. In addition, sand can get in-between the wheel and tyre, when re-inflated, the bead may no longer seal correctly causing a slow leak of air.Generally each 20% reduction in air pressure should be accompanied by a 20% reduction in driver speed. An example is while you can do 110km/h at 36psi, a drop to 18psi means you won’t want to travel above 50km/h. Now your tyres have been deflatedOnce you’ve deflated your tyres you want to keep your speed even and avoid throwing your 4WD around or steering aggressively . If you hoon around on sand with deflated tyres, you increase the risk of rolling them off the rim and make it more likely that you’ll become bogged, if you don’t roll your vehicle… as well as looking like a D@#khead in front of everyone else on the beach.You need to ensure you keep up a consistent speed when driving on sand. You don’t want to wait for your vehicle to slow down before you start applying the throttle again; a nice even throttle and the minimum speed you can get away with is key when driving on sand.Once you’re up and away on the sand you need to bear in mind that your 4WD is heavy and sand is soft, even if it’s floating across the sand, it is working extra hard due to the soft nature of the sand. At this point keeping an eye on your temperature and fuel gauge is paramount.Sand driving requires a massive adjustment in your driving style and getting used to driving in a lower gear, at higher revs than you would on the black top. As a driver, you may be inclined to tackle difficult terrain slower and more carefully but that approach doesn’t necessarily work on sand or soft sand dunes. Your actions behind the wheel affect your vehicle in an exaggerated manner, like braking hard on sand; if you brake hard you are inclined to dig the front wheels into the sand and become bogged. When stopping on sand simply ease off the throttle and let the resistance from the sand slow you down, if there is traffic behind just touch the brake peddle to signal your intentions. Where possible stop on the incline of the beach, that way when it’s time to go you’re not fighting an up hill battle. Are your tyres helpingGenerally low-profile road going tyres aren’t ideal in the sand as they don’t have enough tyre wall and wont allow the tyre to flatten out enough when deflated. Some aggressive mud tread patterns can end up digging into soft sand, this is generally more to do with the right foot not the tyre. It is generally accepted that an All Terrain or road tyre are best suited to sand driving. Is a differential lock helpful?Yes, and no. Having a rear differential lock can be handy if you’re on a section of sand that’s very uneven and is likely to cause your 4WD’s wheels to lift off the ground. An engaged rear differential lock will ensure there’s no loss of forward momentum…However, in soft sand they can cause your 4WD to dig into the sand and become bogged, this is because now with the diffs locked both tyres will want to spin at the same time creating a digging motion instead of allowing power to go to the wheel with less resistance when not locked; at the same time in very deep, soft sand they can help you to keep the power poured on and grunt your way out. So, having a differential lock is nice to have but it isn’t crucial to driving on sand and knowing when to use it is essential.
Driving straight up and straight downIf your adventure finds the need to negotiate a dune, it’s vital that you drive straight up and over the dune. Never drive across the face of a dune or you run the risk of a vehicle rollover, especially if you are a high vehicle with a load on top. Always drive up and down a dune in as straight a line as possible; and if at first you don’t succeed in making it to the top of the dune, you will need to reverse back. Make sure you stay straight and follow in the track you’ve just made to avoid running off the track and potentially rolling your vehicle and ending up on your roof at the bottom of the dune. At day’s endWhen the day is done and its time to head home, check your exit point, use the correct gear to ensure you have enough torque to get you out safely. Remember that generally the exit is the worst part of the beach as everyone has to use that point. Once out of any sand and on solid ground it is paramount that you disengage any centre locker, diff locker or 4x4 mode. If you’re driving a modern vehicle that means change out of Sand or Off-Road Mode and back into Normal Mode via the Terrain Management System, re-inflate your tyres to road pressures (you should carry a portable air compressor and tyre pressure gauges) and and make sure at the earliest opportunity you give your 4×4 a thorough wash to prevent salt corrosion, especially underneath, even if you haven’t driven through salt water. The sand you were driving on only several hours before was under salt water.
Top Tips for sand driving
Being able to access and explore a beach or sand dunes in your 4×4 can be one of the best things you can do on 4 wheels. But four-wheel drive access to beaches and dunes differs from state to state. The best way to determine if you’re allowed to drive in the place you’d like to visit is to check with the national parks and wildlife authority in that area as, even if you are allowed to drive on the sand, it’s likely you’ll require a permit to do so.When driving on a beach, you’ll encounter two types of sand, wet and dry. Wet sand is going to be the stuff you find down closer to the edge of the water where the moisture compacts it. But, too much water in the sand can have the opposite effect, water-logged and it quickly turns into a sloppy quicksand.And then there’s the dry, soft stuff that generally only sees moisture when it rains. With the wind keeping this soft sand bone dry and powdery, driving through it can be hard going; sucking the grunt from your vehicle with minimal progress to show for it.When looking at the beach you can tell the difference between the two types of sand, as the wet sand will be darker than the dry stuff. In general, when driving along a beach, it’s encouraged that you stay closer to the water and try to stick on the firmer sand.
What to do just before you drive onto the sandOnce you’ve confirmed you’re actually allowed to drive on the sand and, if necessary, have paid for a permit and fixed it to your vehicle’s windscreen, then just before you drive out onto the sand the most important thing you can do is to drop the air pressure in your 4WD’s tyres.How the rest of your day will go driving on sand will come down to your tyres and how much air you either have in them or don’t have in them. Having a modern 4WD may help in taking out some of the guess work, as you can use the Management System and choose Sand Mode or the equivalent, which will adjust the control of the stability and traction control systems allowing for more wheel spin before intervention. Sand mode can also sharpen up the throttle response to help maintain momentum allowing the transmission to hold gears longer to prevent unnecessary gear shifting when driving across sand. This is handy, as grabbing too high a gear while trying to maintain momentum can not only see your vehicle struggle and bog down in deep sand, but can also cause serious damage to the transmission and engine by overheating. However at the end of the day you can have all the buttons and dials you want, if your tyres are too high they will be of no avail. You want to travel across the sandThe trick to driving on sand, is to have your 4WD travel across the surface. When deflating your tyres you are creating more surface area for your vehicle to travel on, imagine the tracks on a tank. If you’re ploughing through the sand with your revs and temp tapping on the dash, half bogged then it more than likely has to do with your tyre pressures being too high. It’s generally accepted that an average, medium sized 4WD, should be running around 15psi - 20psi when driving on sand. This of coarse depends also on tyre size, weight etc.When deflating your tyres the key is to let out a little bit of air at a time and to do so with a tyre pressure gauge or deflator and let the same amount of air out in each tyre. It’s easier to let more air out if needed that put more back in!You need to be carful when deflating your tyres too much and for driving for too long with low air pressures in your tyres. While it might be necessary to drop your tyre pressures right down if you’ve become bogged, having too little air in them places increased pressure on the bead of the tyre which, could result in the tyre rolling of the wheel or the wheel cutting through the bead and destroy the tyre. In addition, sand can get in-between the wheel and tyre, when re-inflated, the bead may no longer seal correctly causing a slow leak of air.Generally each 20% reduction in air pressure should be accompanied by a 20% reduction in driver speed. An example is while you can do 110km/h at 36psi, a drop to 18psi means you won’t want to travel above 50km/h. Now your tyres have been deflatedOnce you’ve deflated your tyres you want to keep your speed even and avoid throwing your 4WD around or steering aggressively . If you hoon around on sand with deflated tyres, you increase the risk of rolling them off the rim and make it more likely that you’ll become bogged, if you don’t roll your vehicle… as well as looking like a D@#khead in front of everyone else on the beach.You need to ensure you keep up a consistent speed when driving on sand. You don’t want to wait for your vehicle to slow down before you start applying the throttle again; a nice even throttle and the minimum speed you can get away with is key when driving on sand.Once you’re up and away on the sand you need to bear in mind that your 4WD is heavy and sand is soft, even if it’s floating across the sand, it is working extra hard due to the soft nature of the sand. At this point keeping an eye on your temperature and fuel gauge is paramount.Sand driving requires a massive adjustment in your driving style and getting used to driving in a lower gear, at higher revs than you would on the black top. As a driver, you may be inclined to tackle difficult terrain slower and more carefully but that approach doesn’t necessarily work on sand or soft sand dunes. Your actions behind the wheel affect your vehicle in an exaggerated manner, like braking hard on sand; if you brake hard you are inclined to dig the front wheels into the sand and become bogged. When stopping on sand simply ease off the throttle and let the resistance from the sand slow you down, if there is traffic behind just touch the brake peddle to signal your intentions. Where possible stop on the incline of the beach, that way when it’s time to go you’re not fighting an up hill battle. Are your tyres helpingGenerally low-profile road going tyres aren’t ideal in the sand as they don’t have enough tyre wall and wont allow the tyre to flatten out enough when deflated. Some aggressive mud tread patterns can end up digging into soft sand, this is generally more to do with the right foot not the tyre. It is generally accepted that an All Terrain or road tyre are best suited to sand driving. Is a differential lock helpful?Yes, and no. Having a rear differential lock can be handy if you’re on a section of sand that’s very uneven and is likely to cause your 4WD’s wheels to lift off the ground. An engaged rear differential lock will ensure there’s no loss of forward momentum…However, in soft sand they can cause your 4WD to dig into the sand and become bogged, this is because now with the diffs locked both tyres will want to spin at the same time creating a digging motion instead of allowing power to go to the wheel with less resistance when not locked; at the same time in very deep, soft sand they can help you to keep the power poured on and grunt your way out. So, having a differential lock is nice to have but it isn’t crucial to driving on sand and knowing when to use it is essential.
Driving straight up and straight downIf your adventure finds the need to negotiate a dune, it’s vital that you drive straight up and over the dune. Never drive across the face of a dune or you run the risk of a vehicle rollover, especially if you are a high vehicle with a load on top. Always drive up and down a dune in as straight a line as possible; and if at first you don’t succeed in making it to the top of the dune, you will need to reverse back. Make sure you stay straight and follow in the track you’ve just made to avoid running off the track and potentially rolling your vehicle and ending up on your roof at the bottom of the dune. At day’s endWhen the day is done and its time to head home, check your exit point, use the correct gear to ensure you have enough torque to get you out safely. Remember that generally the exit is the worst part of the beach as everyone has to use that point. Once out of any sand and on solid ground it is paramount that you disengage any centre locker, diff locker or 4x4 mode. If you’re driving a modern vehicle that means change out of Sand or Off-Road Mode and back into Normal Mode via the Terrain Management System, re-inflate your tyres to road pressures (you should carry a portable air compressor and tyre pressure gauges) and and make sure at the earliest opportunity you give your 4×4 a thorough wash to prevent salt corrosion, especially underneath, even if you haven’t driven through salt water. The sand you were driving on only several hours before was under salt water.
Top Tips for sand driving
- Engage 4WD high range and lock the centre diff if equipped. There seems to be a lot of confusion especially to those fairly new to sand driving on the use of Low Range when on the beach and it really is not necessary for most beaches. It will come down to type of vehicle and the traction aids it has. Most new vehicles have Sand Mode or similar for improved performance and capability when driving on sand. Only extremely soft sand or certain recoveries will see you need to move into low-range;
- Disengage stability control where fitted, this is one terrain where you need to welcome a bit of wheel spin. If your 4WD is equipped with an adaptive terrain system, then choose the Sand Mode. Choosing Sand Mode will GENERALLY adjust key elements of the vehicle however knowing your vehicle before using any assistance settings is always advised.
- Select the correct gear and remember that momentum is your friend. Seriously, avoid changing gears in tough conditions such as traversing up hill, as momentum is quickly sucked up in sand;
- If your wheels are spinning and you’re not moving, you’re bogged!
- If you feel your vehicle struggling, stop as soon as practical to avoid becoming stuck. Stop by just gently lifting off the accelerator – the drag of the sand will slow you down. If you brake, you’ll dig in. Lowering tyre pressures in 10% increments will, 99% of the time be an easy fix. Remember that the lower the pressures the lower the speed and ensure your driving is not aggressive, otherwise you risk peeling the tyre off the rim; and
- Follow the tracks already there and use to your advantage where possible as the sand is compact. The first time when following someone else tracks will feel a little weird, don’t try and fight it, the vehicle will find it’s own way, a bit like tram tracks.
- If you have become fond of the use of your thumbs then KEEP THEM OUT FROM THE INSIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL. Do not hook your thumbs through the steering wheel, because if the wheel decides to turn it will more than likely take your thumbs where ever it is going – let the 4WD finds its own way through. Keep Livin' The Dream, ATOR