Tips for sand driving?

Bought a 2016 Trail for soft, deep sand. Any tips on tires (are the standard 17 inch tires adequate if reduced to 13 pound pressure?) and deep sand driving are appreciated.

Thanks.

 

You bought it just for sand?

The OEM tires are pretty shitty off road in general, but that shittiness is exacerbated in soft, deep loose sand. You really need a dedicated sand / paddle style tire or at the least a decent off road tire for sand. The problem with sand is also the trick to driving on it - getting up to speed. Once you achieve a certain speed than you float on the top, and any tire will work. But getting up to speed, and not getting bogged down while doing it, is tricky and requires decent tires and a modicum of skill.

Hard pack sand is no problem for even the most street oriented AT tires but sugary, bottomless sand is a nightmare without the right tires.

I consider myself a fairly proficient off road driver and I won't take my truck on the beach if the sand isn't packed from the tide.

 

Thanks for the info.
I've been driving on Nantucket in soft, deep sand for 35 years. That's nothing new. The sand takes me to the fish.
I was just wondering if the tires are particularly lame or if they will work well when down to 13/14 pounds....

 

Well with 35 years of doing it I'm not sure why you asked the question. You should be answering the question !

Never deflated the stock tires. Cant help you there.

 

You can air your stock tires down just not that low. If someone tells you different don't pay attention to it. You do want to replace the stockers as soon as you can but try out the stockers. With the low pressure you just need to be more careful as you are turning at slower speeds. I've taken my stock trail all over the SoCal deserts before i modified mine and yes soft sand. You'll be ok. Have fun enjoy it.

 

You are very blessed to live in one of the most beautiful ares of this Country. Like Jerry said, do not lower your tires to 13, some of the worst accidents I've seen have been a result of under inflated tires.
Your stock tires should be fine unless you are in quick sand.

 

I'm with everyone stressing tires. I'm not super familiar with sand, as I've only really gotten to drive on actual sugary sand maybe twice. However, I can tell you in my experience of nasty-ass mud in Missouri, that the stock tires that came on my new 4th gen didn't grip at all, just buried me a lot deeper than if I would have just waited the extra 2 days to go wheeling before I swapped for the tires on the old rig. Got to try the same spot with the new tires and I didn't even bog this time. (Could have also been a result of a slightly better approach, but it worked with the new tires without a single problem).

Edit: And by with everyone stressing tires, I mean get a better set than stock

 

Thanks for the responses about the tires.
On nantucket, they have a rule..go less than 14 pounds inflation for the beach.
But I hear you about the risk of going that low.
let me ask--for your soft sand driving what tire pressure do you use???
thanks again...

 

I rarely drop pressure and frankly, don't think I have ever dropped on sand - because of lack of interest in doing long stretches of deep sand.

When I do drop pressure (picture the Dos Equis guy) I prefer 18 pounds, no less. Obviously depends on tires and sidewall construction but you are risking breaking the bead at much below that.

 

as others have said, stock tires aren't your best bet for basically any category (highway, off road, multi use) and I definitely wouldnt air stock dunlops down that low

 

I wouldnt go that low on the stock tires. Get yourself some better LT 6/8ply AT's and let er down to around 10-12 no problem to float on the sand. Obviously keep the speed in check and dont turn too hard/fast while that low and you should be fine then. The sidewalls on the stock tires are very thin, I would think trying to go that low on them is inviting a slashed tire if you go anywhere but clean and with them aired down like that.

 

I'm a bit late to the party here, but just for future information. I have done a 19 mile beach run through non-packed areas with my wife's stock 4Runner Trail w/ Dunlop AT20 Grandtreks @ 25 PSI. She followed me in my Tacoma with the Stock Goodyear A/T w/ Kevlar tires. I'd say the Tacoma tires look better, but she followed me through all of it and sometimes took different routes (didn't just drive in my path I carved) for all of it, and really didn't have any trouble.

We were doing about 10 mph most of the time, and as long as you haven't stopped in something really silky or on an incline you will do pretty decently, even with the uninspiring stock Dunlops.

Just went to our 2nd OHV park with mud and rocks with her stock truck with stock tires, and again...did well and didn't get stuck in the mud like I thought it would have.

I hate that these tires keep doing ok, I'm ready to have an excuse to pick another set.

That said OP, I didn't really plan to go past 20 PSI on these, especially since the stock rims aren't beadlocks.

 

Floor it. If you get stuck, floor it more.

 

Live in florida and have sugar sand all over here, my best combo is slightly bigger tires for floatation and light throttle with center diff lock on in 4 high if you start to bog down momentum is your friend, if you get down in it, forward and reverse with ATRAC around 2k will get you out of almost everything sand related until you high center....

My 285 BFG AT KO's never had any problems and pulled out many people that were down on the frame with light initial tug then letting my atrac and 1500-2k rpms. Now i'm on 35's and the ATRAC isn't as effective due to the larger tire and stock gearing as well as being harder on the brakes. Will be re-gear and rear lsd or locker soon to combat this but even with those in the sugar sand = extremely EXTREMELY soft - still haven't had problems

The new KO2's have the side biters and they have made a huge difference for me, also as mentioned here don't go below around 20psi on the stock tires. For my 315/70/17 as hard as they were to get on the stock 7.5" rims I would be confident going down to around 10 if necessary as there is NO way I'm going to slip the bead, preetty much same was to be said with the 285's.

 

Like bahndrvr said, BFG A/T's are some of the best tires for sand. They just seem to work. We've driven everything from long travel Ford Rangers (and not your high school white fender prerunners) to lifted Superdutys on 44's through the dunes in Glamis, and the A/T's grip and handle the best. I currently have Toyo's on my Tacoma, they're ok, but not as good as the BFG's. But I have taken the Toyo's down to 9lbs with no issues. However, they are 31x10.50's, and with sand, smaller wheels are your friend.