Sand Driving

[Inkyturbo]

I was wondering if any of you guys have driven in sand, like at the beach. How does the Tercel do? Are there any changes necessary? Is it not advisable? Share your stories.

[3A-C Power]

I drove on the beach once. It drove fine in 4WD. Best thing to do is to keep going, because it's harder to build up the speed. Cops don't like it though, as I found out.

[Inkyturbo]

So parking on the sand is bad? Glad I know that now instead of finding out the hard way.

[brianp]

I think if you stay on the wet sand, i.e. below high tide mark, it's alright. maybe also get sand tires? I've never done it, so I don't know

[Typrus]

Sand is a very free-flowing, loose media. In some cases its properties are very similar to mud. Sometimes stopping on sand is fine, as long as you have a very gentle foot getting started again and occasionally an extra hand to get pushing, but that is not always the case. On some types of sand, even driving into it on tires like ours is a major no-no. Thin tires with high ground pressures sink into sand easily and can get stuck. Wider tires, sometimes even tracks, are needed. I would not recommend blindly driving into sand. Go take a walk over it before you do any driving. Use common sense. How loose is the sand? How easily does it fall apart? Is it stiff or a speed-trap? I've seen Expedition's going 70mph hit the sand and just get deeper and deeper in till they are bottoming out and just freeze up. I've also ridden a bicycle across sand with no problem.
In other words, there is no yes or no, definitivly, for whether driving on sand is a good idea. Survey the situation first.

[Mattel]

I've driven a fair bit on sand Most Easter holidays we head down to Robe, South Australia where there is a huge national Park on the beach with great fishing and surfing.

• keeping your speed to a reasonable level try not to spin the wheels I don't use EL unless in serious trouble. Unless you are sure you can move off - don't stop on loose sand and look for the hard sand that you get at low tide. When I get to my favourite beach spot I run the car up the beach away from the water a bit so when I take off again gravity can help you take off
• I stay in the ruts of other 4wd's as there tyres often compress the sand and make it nice and hard you will often straddle and bottom out in the middle but momenteum will push you through unless the ruts are super deep
• The best thing you can do is drop your tyre pressure down to about 15psi (so buy a portable air compressor for when you get back on the road)
• be careful on sand dunes for people coming the other way (I had a flag from the golf club on my bumper one year!)
• Take a tide chart with you!!.
• Get a snatch strap in case you get in to much trouble put it on the car if you get in trouble and someone is more likely to stop and pull you out with there landcruiser(It's a great ego boost for drivers of large 4wds) . shovels and stuff you can put under the wheels also help.
• You are not in a car ad.. do not drive in the shallows of the surf and splash salt water over your car
• Give your car a thorough hose off after as the salty sand will go everywhere and wreck everything.

The Tercel loves the sand. I've had drivers of other cars amazed and hooting the tercel as it makes it's way up the dunes to the beach!

Oh yes just to make the record straight my Tercel goes places my mates 89 Subaru L series wagon with Low Range got utterly bogged! (could be the driver though)

[Inkyturbo]

Yeah I knew about the common sense-checking the sand-part; I've seen sand I wouldn't even take a snow cat into- I'm not that stupid, but I was asking for beyond that. Thanks for the great info!

I've seen Expedition's going 70mph hit the sand and just get deeper and deeper in till they are bottoming out and just freeze up.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Stupid SUVs LOL!

[Typrus]

No accusations of stupidity. Just a word of caution.

Yeah, some SUV drivers are massive morons. Not to mention most SUV's don't have wide enough tires to distribute their weight evenly enough. 7500lbs (Excursion) on 265 wide tires is a little insufficient for sand eh?

[Inkyturbo]

I have not found any SUV drivers that aren't complete morons, but then I live in California, where 90% of all drivers and 99% of drivers under 40 should not be allowed near a street. Driving a large SUV with stock tires on anything but pavement or hard packed dirt is a bad idea.

[Typrus]

I don't know too many smart people in the SUV department. Only ones I do know actually have to use it for things other than street driving. i.e. towing big things around, going over dirt and mud to work or to your house, etc.
My parents are pretty dang savvy with our Excursion, but then again they took Large SUV courses when we got our first Suburban.

[Inkyturbo]

That's very smart of them(no sarcasm intended).