Jump to content

Driving in Sand Question

Brandon Baulo
 Share

Recommended Posts

Brandon Baulo New Member

Brandon Baulo

Posted
Posted

Hello - I am heading to Outer Banks on the 4x4 beach and do not want to end up like one of those stuck truck videos. I have a 2021 Silverado RST with the Z71 package. Will I need to reduce my tire PSI? it currently sits ~35psi.  Does the off road package make a difference? Any help/advice would be great. Thanks! 

TrueBlue Enthusiast

TrueBlue

Posted
Posted

You might want to turn off the Traction/Stability Control. A number of years ago, right after those features first came on the scene I spent an hour or so getting my van out of the snow because I forgot to turn them off. Each time I tried to move the van would apply the brakes to the spinning tires and prevent the van from moving. It was deep snow so I had to pretty much plow my way out. I don't "think" they work the same as Crawl mode, but then again I don't four wheel much, so they just might. And the system that gave me trouble was back in 2003 when Crawl mode didn't yet exist.

Avoid digging in to the point where you're up to the axles is about all I know for sure to avoid.

  • Like 1
JimCost2014 Senior Enthusiast

JimCost2014

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, Brandon Baulo said:

Hello - I am heading to Outer Banks on the 4x4 beach and do not want to end up like one of those stuck truck videos. I have a 2021 Silverado RST with the Z71 package. Will I need to reduce my tire PSI? it currently sits ~35psi.  Does the off road package make a difference? Any help/advice would be great. Thanks! 

Check on Facebook for local 4x4 rescue groups. There are two in the Long Beach Wa area (example), they are a wealth of knowledge as they spend a lot of time in the sand rescuing stuck vehicles.

  • Like 1
steelerdude15 Enthusiast

steelerdude15

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure how smooth the sand is there, but where I live, everyone has to air their tires down to 15 PSI when driving in the sand. I would recommend doing that right before driving on the beach.

Black02Silverado Senior Enthusiast

Black02Silverado

Posted
Posted

I drive on the beach down here at the Fort Fisher Recreation area beach.  I air down my 285/70/18 Toyo Open Country ATIII down to 18psi and use my 4L.  Just keep moving slow and don't turn fast or accelerate hard and you will be fine.

  • Like 1
1454 Enthusiast

1454

Posted
Posted
On 8/5/2024 at 2:01 PM, Brandon Baulo said:

Hello - I am heading to Outer Banks on the 4x4 beach and do not want to end up like one of those stuck truck videos. I have a 2021 Silverado RST with the Z71 package. Will I need to reduce my tire PSI? it currently sits ~35psi.  Does the off road package make a difference? Any help/advice would be great. Thanks! 

You can get by without airing down. I have, but definitely turn off traction control. I still recommend airing down if you can. It's easy and they have filling stations leaving corolla, if needed. I drove there with the factory Bridgestone's and now my mich LTX's. If you are going to cape lookout, I definitely recommend airing down because the sand is much finer there, and it is harder to get traction. I ran about 20psi while I was on cape lookout with no issues. 

OliverDennis52 Enthusiast

OliverDennis52

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hey Brandon, not sure which beach you are going to, but I've been to Carova/Corolla the last couple years in the 4x4 area.  Air down on the tires, 20lbs should be fine.  It's actually a state law in NC when driving on the beach but I'm not sure how they would ever check you unless you got stuck.  Put it in 4H and you'll be fine.  The sand up there can range from hard packed at low tide to some really soft stuff.  Just keep moving in the softer sand, and like others said don't try to spin your way out if you get stuck, but i doubt you'll have that issue unless you go off the beaten path. Slow and steady wins the race and will help keep your tanny temps in check. Makes for a great nap spot for the pooch too.

 

.IMG_2180.thumb.jpeg.b56b2e8ce67d1616d772c2fdab868bf1.jpeg.  

I've done it with the Duratracs as well as the Michelin LTX and both performed just fine.

Edited by OliverDennis52
Gangly Senior Enthusiast

Gangly

Posted
Posted (edited)

In sand, lowering your PSI will do more for traction than just about anything.  However, if you are in 4HI, make sure you turn off your traction control or it will cause you all sorts of issues in the sand.

 

I have had 33" Wrangler Ultra Terrain AT, 33" Bridgestone Dueler, and 32" Wrangler DuraTracs, and all have done exceptionally well in the sand.  For sand recovery, the Duratracs and UltraTerrains were best, but for normal beach driving the Duelers were perfectly fine.  

 

I prefer to be in 4Hi and just drive.  With traction control turned off, and moving at a decent pace in 4HI, I have never gotten stuck, even with the Duelers at full PSI that are more highway than anything.

 

Basically, if you are going to be going through deep sand, then you need to air down, turn off traction control, and try to stay on top of the sand with a little bit extra speed.  When you come to a stop, roll to a stop.  DO NOT USE THE BRAKES IN DEEP/SOFT SAND.  If the sand isnt deep and soft, just put the truck in 4Hi with the traction control off and don't worry about PSI.  

 

Compact Sand:

4HI, Traction Control off

 

Deep Soft Sand:

Lower PSI, 4Hi, Traction Control OFF, keep your speed up to stay on top.

 

The picture below is me recovering a 2500 that busted a CV on the beach.  4Hi, skinny pedal down, and letting it eat.

 

Recovery.jpg

Edited by Gangly
calgator73 Senior Enthusiast

calgator73

Posted
Posted

https://www.visitcurrituck.com/visitor-info/beach-driving-tips/

 

I have LT305/55R20 Grabbers on my AT4 and did not have to air down on the way to the VA line.  On the way back I did air down just to see how much better it could be...and it was really good.  Use these:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5KVLK1D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Forum Statistics

    250.4k
    Total Topics
    2.7m
    Total Posts

  • Member Statistics

    342,759
    Total Members
    8,960
    Most Online
    DM22
    Newest Member
    DM22
    Joined

  • Who's Online   1 Member, 0 Anonymous, 2,406 Guests (See full list)

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • B14Sierra
      Cam chain tensioner question

      By B14Sierra · Posted

      So I'm in the middle of a DOD AFM delete on my 6.2 L86 Sierra. I had a pick holding the tensioner but after I got the Cam phaser gear off I was cleaning off all the rtv and apparently I didn't have the pick seated far enough in. I bumped it and the tensioner sprang forward.  I think everything is good but I want a second opinion. The top of the tensioner is just a looped piece of plastic that rides in that channel right? There is no spring or anything is there? I got the gear and chain back on and it seems tight and everything looks right. I'm hoping nothing fell out.
    • dna9656
      No low range 4 x 4

      By dna9656 · Posted

      My 2015 1500 LTZ Silverado suddenly won't go into 4 x 4 low. It will go into 4 x 4 high.
    • asilverblazer
      Transmission Woes :-(

      By asilverblazer · Posted

      Yep, just a quick reference point.    My main point being I’d do a thousand other things before I’d pay 10k for a transmission.    Speaking in ignorance cause I don’t look at these trucks, what is it worth? 20k?
    • asilverblazer
      Intermittent no-code issues on 2022.5+ V8 trucks — what did the shop fail to capture?

      By asilverblazer · Posted

      I think users are going to want to pick their monitored parameters, which parameters they want to see first.    It should probably start with baseline at a minimum and adjust to learned, but be able to overlay baseline for comparison.   A simple severity level would be able to determine what type of alerting is appropriate or user selectable.    Why not use the OBD port though?   I think a phone connection would be a good idea, push notifications type deal.   Number 1 issue is having data is useless if you don’t know what the data should be under normal conditions. 
    • Chuck FB
      summer road trips in the 2026 2500HD

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I thought I would use your thread and add to it as I just did my first longer drive with my truck in the last couple of days. I drove from the Grande Prairie area of Alberta down to Edmonton and most of where I drove in the city was the ring road so fairly free flowing but a bit of stop and go as well in the city. Stayed the night and returned home and not too many stops along the way each way but every restart and certainly every cold start sets it back for fuel mileage. Why I say that is I see some people will cherry pick a fuel mileage leg after the vehicle had been warmed up driveline wise before hand and its a forgiving ( easy rolling drive leg for example ) and call that their fuel mileage which can give a false perception of reality. I was not heavily loaded at all but never the less the flip bak cover, rubber bed mat, various tools etc and extra jerry cans of fuel all way up to a few hundred pounds of dead weight so its not an empty truck. The cold inflation tire pressures are set more near the freezing point so once they are warmed up driving I was showing 45 front and over 40 rear and realize high inflation pressures would help a little in fuel mileage but certainly not the ride on our crap sections of highway. The weather was good so was not raining as that can really drag mileage down, in fact I had a bit of a tail wind on average driving home. Most people on here would never have driven on that freeway to visualize it but its got a fair bit of rolling type of landscape with numerous river valleys. For the most part I had it on cruise set to 62 although kicking it off if I caught it in time before it started down shifting and self braking going down the grades. Most of the more substantial grades its shifting into 7th I believe as 8th just doesn't have it. Total distance round trip was 643 miles and my overall average and I did refuel three times in all, figured out to 17.65 miles per US gallon. My best fuel mileage section refuel within all of this figured out to 18.46 and these are all hand calculated figures. I find if anything that the trucks computer can be over optimistic, sometimes its pretty close but other times its stretching it. On paper persay in theory the truck would have just about made it on fumes for that whole drive without refueling once.    Which made me think of the topic thread of the wonder if these trucks could do 20 mpg and that is a good question, certainly would have to be on an easy going flat highway, no head wind, the right temperature, not packing around a bunch of dead weight and puttering along even slower than I was I would suspect and going steady and not stopping to smell the flowers or take a piss !. It probably is possible but not without effort to attain that with the wind resistance and weight of these trucks. Of course on my drive most people are passing me if they have the power as per loaded highway tractors, never mind a lot of speedy vehicles but the speed limit is 68 and most are at or well over that. 

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...