Letting air out has the biggest effect in soft sand. It allows the sidewalls
to flex which gives you more surface area on top of the sand and reduces the
digging caused by the edges of your tire. I usually go down to about 20 lbs
front and back. 15psi front 20psi rear seems backwards for a truck with no
load in the back, I guess you can adjust for loads.
The danger is spinning a tire on the rim, or getting sand between the tire
and rim which will cause slow leaks. But I've used this many times to get my
previous 2 wheel truck through soft areas in Baja, it really works.
Dave
At 08:06 AM 6/24/96 -0500, Dave_Clement-LDC009@email.mot.com wrote:
>Being fairly new to off-roading I have a question for the more experienced.
>
>Since I got my Dakota I have been using it to 4x4 on the beach. The access
>road the travels along the back side of the beach is mostly hard packed dirt
>and is quite easily traversed in 2wd. Every mile or so is a cross over to
>the front side beach. The authorized travel path along the beach is above
>the hi-tide point so it is soft sand and in some areas loose rock (1-3" in
>size). For the most part I can travel in 4wd hi comfortable but where the
>sand is especially loose the truck is more comfortable in 4wd low. I have
>never got stuck on the beach but once in awhile I need to get a running
>start to make the transition from the beach back up onto the cross over.
>Typically it is a fairly steep transition and the sand is softest at these
>areas.
>
>My question stems from a discussion with some one at work and involves
>letting air out of the tires. It had never occured to me to let air out of
>my tires and I have been running the same 35psi on the beach as I do on the
>road. The truck has Goodyear Wrangler Radials P235/75-R15 on it. My friend
>at work 4wheels on a different beach and the rules for sticker there require
>an air guage be on the vehicle at all times and have limits for air pressure
>(I believe it's something like 15psi front 20psi rear max).
>
>My question is; What does airing down steel belted radial tires do for you
>on the beach? I can see where it would help let the tire conform to rocks
>and such in real rough conditions but the beach?
>
>Dave Clement
>
>
>
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