Excellent tutorial mate. Your intuitive channel sets the standards for the rest to follow. I’ve been using 4WD vehicles for business and pleasure since 1978 and l’m still acquiring more knowledge, especially from your channel. Keep up with the excellent information you regularly post on your channel, thank you for all that you do. You are doing the 4WD fraternity a great service. 😊👍👍
Hey Robert, thanks for the video! I completely agree with the tyre pressures points - thanks for providing the graphics of the different pressures. I’d love to hear your take on wider tyres and what effect they have on the footprint. I’ve never had much luck with heading straight up the beach like that - I’ve always used momentum to get the vehicle moving straight across or down the beach and then use that momentum to gain height up the beach. Whenever I stop, I make sure I’m pointing downhill so I have some momentum to get started again. If I’m doing a u-turn, I turn up the beach, reverse down and around, then forward straight across again. Making sure to keep momentum.
Agree with all that and will demonstrate some of it....as for wide tyres, pointless. You get the same flotation with narrows, and there's less frontal area so less rolling resistance. The momentum-along-the-beach technique can work, but I didn't use it as it is risky - often you can slide downslope into water, and the turn up the beach can be difficult. I find it works best when the lower part of the beach is flatter.
Good video, it’s one of the few that actually explains that spinning wheels on sand is not a good idea, I’m lucky until now I’ve never had a 4x4 with enough power to power out, so I learned techniques like this and still use them 👍 well explained.
Thanks for this video! it helped me get some people going and on their way with the recent winter weather we had. I also used it in my plow truck to make a successful turn around in a parking lot with a lot of drifted snow in it and sever al other circumstances.
Only thing I would do different is the long-handle shovel. Been in too many rutted spots where their is not enough room and the long handle is a problem. A great video and I'm impressed with how much you emphasise not spinning the wheels. Thanks for the time you took to present this :-)
I once lived in Corpus Christie TX, (hard to believe it is nearly 50 years ago) we had a brand spanking new Toyota FJ40 (don't I wish I still had it). We were on Padre Island or Mustang Island EVERY free minute. I was pretty new, but it seems I must have used your techniques (go slow and steady) because the only time I got stuck and had to call for help was when I pulled a guy out of the surf, got stuck in the process...and he left me, my wife and baby there. The tow truck that came to our rescue was an old Army 5/4 Dodge truck running airplane tires with 10lbs of air. Shining times Thanks for all of your videos, particularly for the multiple block suggestions. Will be using those this weekend to move a 20,000 building the is built on skids. We built it too close to the Damn set back property line. My bad!
something i learnt from experience use the largest tyre on the smallest rim that is possible this will allow you to decrease your pressures down to 5psi which has gotten me out of situations eg 265/75/16 on 7 inch rims .to get 285/75 16 you must use an 8 inch rim which now diminishes your bead pressure for low tyre pressures hence you roll the bead a lot easier talk to the tyre business about this when selecting tyres
The purpose of a cross-axle locker is to ensure that one wheel on an axle doesn't spin uselessly compared to the other. In sand, you typically have roughly equal amounts of traction on both wheels on an axle, unlike say rock where you are frequently balancing two wheels with a third having minimal weight on it and therefore traction. So, cross-axle lockers in sand don't help a great deal unless you have a situation where one wheel on an axle has more weight on it (traction) than the other. Even worse, a cross-axle locker will increase understeer and therefore drag of the tyres, requiring more steering lock for a given turn radius, and that extra drag could well see you bogged. What you do want to do is lock any centre diff in sand, but not cross-axle unless for example you're ascending sand dunes in a desert which have been dug out by people wheelspinning probably due to too low a gear and too high a tyre pressure. For sand, tyre pressures are critical - see my other video on why, and also my sand driving principles for use of momentum.
Awesome video thank you. I just love to drive and enjoy the beach with my Ford Ranger.. I used my maxtrax stucking few times. I got stuck but I got my Ford out 🙂 easy way to got out.
your sand has a much different character from the sand where I am. where I am, the key to getting back off the beach is to spend as much time as possible in the wet sand. the wet sand is compacted enough to hold the weight of the vehicle, while the dry sand will not compact. so a run along the wet, and then a gentle enough turn to get aimed at the exit without sacrificing momentum, and hit the dry going fast enough to get to the hardpan without losing all your momentum.
That can work here too, but it's high risk so I don't recommend it. Reasons; possible splash of salt water, and wet sand can be softer as well as firmer. It is also possible that the sideangle is greater closer to the water. And if you do get stuck within the area where waves reach, then the waves will remove sand and sink you quite quickly! But every beach is different. Main this is to adapt your technique to the situation.
@@L2SFBC yes, our wet sand zone is generally shallower and comfortably wide, and it is nearly always firm to hard. dry sand goes from being able to hold speed to sinking axle deep in yards no matter what you do. interestingly, I had one time that the only way past the dry sand was to go backwards.
@@kenbrown2808 I’m only watching this video today because I had a horrible situation where I got my 4Runner stuck at the beach yesterday. From what I’ve gathered: there’s a particular type of sand that people here refer to as “sugar sand” which is basically just mostly dry but still moist sand. The consistency is basically about 20-30% clumped sand to give it a sugar type look. That type of sand will get you in trouble quick as I know all too well. The guy who got me out had to go closer to the water line where the sand was more compact to able to winch me out.
@@fatelook the size and shape of the grains is a significant factor, too. this summer our local sand was very coarse and so the grains slid past each other very easily, and we even had trouble keeping our HMMWV moving in it.
Interesting technique,and valid in not spinning your wheels,correct Tyre pressure and the back and forth motion applied. Best option thou is -1, don't create a new course,follow the existing track. On a reasonably sloped beach,the sand sometimes a meter closer to where your demonstration started can be very soft just on the ridge. The best technique is not to do a u turn ,but rather to angle up to the dry sand in a 30 to 45 degree approach, this is more reliable and keeps you away from the potentially softer sand on the ridge I mentioned.
that's odd. In my experience the damp sand between the water and the high tide line is actually firmer than the loose dry sand up at the top of the beach. And you always want to stay on the firm sand just above the water for as much of the distance as you can then build up speed to jump up through the loose sand above the tide line and through whatever gap in the dunes you are using to access the beach.
It can be firmer, but it can also be softer. Depends on the beach, and to some extent the tide. But getting bogged there runs a risk of being bogged and then waves get you. So what you describe is a valid technique, but it doesn't always work. Wouldn't have done in this situation.
Great video Robert. We did the drive from Beachport to Robe yesterday and there were a couple of groups stuck on the beaches that could have used some of these techniques.
it was this exact situation that inspired the invention of max trax the inventor was stuck in sand on fraser island and tide was coming in and he was alone. he almost lost his vehicle to the tide so he came up with a traction aid that could also be used as a shovel, was lightweight and easy to handle.
I see your problem. You driving a Ranger and not a land rover or land cruiser. Just kidding, Ranger is an awesome machine. Like always great video. Thank you.
Good explanation of what should be common sense. Sadly its rare when there's a crowd of weekend warriors there for entertainment. Whats your opinion on the traction control button in this situation?
Brake traction control helps - it limits wheelspin on single wheels, and helped me with the final turn onto the track. Leave it on. Stability control should always be off in sand, but it wouldn't have activated in that situation except for the final turn. Nevertheless, always turn stabilty control off. More here -> th-cam.com/video/NqEUVgi2020/w-d-xo.html
Great video thanks! I really need to get a couple of extra maxtrax to have four, just in case, problem is that I have the Mk I ones, which you can’t get anymore.
The Mk1 really shouldn't be used as the compound had problems. I still have a set of Mk 1As as you can see, and I cannot tell you how many times I've used them in mud, sand, snow and rocks. Still going strong! The Mk2s are also good, but I haven't seen a need to replace my 1As yet.
@@L2SFBC I didn’t know there was a Mk I b, so did some googling and thankfully that is what I have. Thanks for the tip! I’ve only used them a handful of times, but they certainly paid for themselves.
That sinking feeling where you have a winch and a couple hundred feet of extension rope / cable and there STILL is not a tree to tie onto within range... And the tide is coming in... :) Have you tired any of the Pull-Pal type ground anchors for winching in the sand?
@@L2SFBC -- I would not be surprised if that didn't vary depending upon the type of sand that you have... Around here (Texas Gulf Coast), the sand on a lot of the beaches tends to pack down a lot more and you can even drive 2WD sedans on it... I've been on beaches where the sand granules were a lot larger and vehicles were more likely to get stuck. Around 45-50 years ago, I tried to cross a small area where there was very deep gravel in a VW bug that we used off-road in mud a lot... It sunk down quite quickly and was resting on the floor pan... We took that old mud bug to places where we had no business being in only 2WD, much less without a winch... Similar configuration to the one in this video: th-cam.com/video/DHSAPHZ7kbw/w-d-xo.html
Yes they would prevent wheelspin. However, they also restrict turning and create significant extra drag, and make sideslopes more difficult. So, while my Ranger does have a rear locker, I did not use it for that reason. Also, the weight on the wheels is about equal, so the locker wouldn't make that much of difference. Lockers in sand are most useful in the desert when ascending rutted dunes, not on beaches.
So when you air down to under 20lbs (your examples of 12 and 10)...are the bead lock wheels a requirement? Some parts of the US beadwork are prohibited. Just wondering.
Excellent info...I hope people follow your advice and just stop, assess the situation and take it easy. Have you ever done a MaxTrax alternative video? Not sure where you are located so not sure what alternatives are available for you. USA here.
Question of the Day At sea level, the air pressure is around 1013.25 bar. It varies a bit depending on exactly how far you are above or below sea level, and also atmospheric conditions - you hear weatherpeople speak of highs and lows, and barometers dropping indicating approaching bad weather. Air has mass, although we don't really feel it. As it has mass, the earth's gravity attracts it. The air near the earth's surface has air above it, squashing it down. Imagine stacking 15 plates; the plate at the bottom would be carrying the other 14. Similar to air. So, the air nearest the earth's surface has the highest pressure. The further away you go from the earth's surface, the lower the pressure - this is the principle on which aircraft altimeters work, they precisely measure air pressure and read out your height above something, either the earth's surface or a given datum somewhere in the sky. There have been deaths when people get that wrong and aren't at the altitude they think they are. By the way, elevation is how high you are above sea level whilst on earth, altitude is how high above the earth you are (or another datum). Anyway, the standard air pressure at sea level is 1013.25 bar, or 14.7psi. Yet when we have 15psi in our tyres the tyres are not flat. How so? The gauge is calibrated to read 0 at 15psi, which is atmospheric pressure. As far as tyres are concerned what we want is an increase of pressure over atmospheric, so it makes sense to call atmospheric 0 and work from there. Now this raises all sorts of interesting questions, or interesting to me at least. In theory, tyre pressure gauges should be calibrated according to atmospheric pressure, just like aircraft altimeters - if you're going for a local flight, you'd twiddle a dial on your altimeter to set it to zero before you take off. For those driving in high elevations, same thing, ideally you should recalibrate your gauge. But then comes a complication. Tyre pressure is about relative pressure between tyre and atmosphere; so let's say you need 30psi at sea level. You operate at 4000m where the atmospheric pressure is much less. Should you still be using +30psi over atmospheric? I leave this as an exercise to the reader, and don't forget to factor in temperature, reduced tyre drag and cooling, and of course fractionally reduced gravity...
@@L2SFBC Ok, thanks. I have a 2001 Disco II here in Jamaica. Has traction control but also put the aftermarket transfer case lock linkage on it. I seldom spin tyres. Also have a Terrafirma 12k winch, which I don't have to use often, but nice to have it. But I never get into deep sand, like your example, so can't really compare things. I appreciate your videos.
@@L2SFBC I hope I'm not the last :-). We don't have overland expedition stuff like you, island isn't that big, but I have to handle some pretty bad roads and bushed up, old lanes often while doing research fieldwork at caves. Got my Disco II pretty well kitted up for that. Been watching videos on winching and recoveries lately cause we're into hurricane season. Want to make sure I don't do something stupid.
No. They would be a bad idea. They would increase turning circle and create drag for no benefit. There is not really any difference in traction between the wheels, which is what lockers control. Yes, you do see a single wheel spin, but the small benefit from controlling that is outweighed by the inability of the wheels to turn at different speeds around the corners, which creates drag, as does the need to turn the steering wheels more to achieve a given turn radius.
i saw a ww2 movie where a group; had big British truck for a group of 4-6 who i north Africa were heading to Tobruk. at some point, they had to go up a sand pass and the truck refused to go. they pulled the plugs and used a hand crank to move the truck in reverse uphill almost imperceptly./ they explained the sand would hold together and support because of slow movement--any ideas on the science of this--or just a plot mover?
@@L2SFBC I found this movie- quote----During the final leg of the journey, Katy must be hand-cranked in reverse up a sand dune escarpment, and Van der Poel's strength is again crucial to achieving this. Ice Cold in Alex is a 1958 British war film set during the Western Desert Campaign of World War II
ah ok I see that now. Yes hand cranking would work to move the vehicle. However, I'm not convinced there would be enough leverage to allow it to be moved up a steep, soft-sand incline. Also looks like they didn't let tyre pressures down. The basic premise is also questionable; if the engine overheats, let it cool down, then try again, maybe at night when it is cooler which helps 3 things - engine power, engine cooling, and denser sand. Or, drive up as far as you can go, then crank.
Good morning honey what are you up to again? im going to rescue someone? oh who got stuck and where? myself, place not decided, maybe beach this time. ...
Good visualization on the tire footprint. I’m going to use this. Don’t forget about the trick of digging a hole, and converting your spare tire into a ground anchor. th-cam.com/video/AXYgCmufzTE/w-d-xo.html They also make a special tool for it called the deadman. Max tracks are probably quicker 95% of the time, but for those 5% times when they’re not...
Yes that rope trick can be done. I should have covered that too! Next time...also I am working on a video about tree anchor strength so any links to that appreciated!
@@L2SFBC tree anchor strengths? Oh interesting. As far as gear goes I don’t have too many sources for you. Out in the field we use adjustable hollow braid slings (Whoopi, loopi, deadeye) usually in a simple girth hitch or timber hitch configuration. Amsteel is very common and is rated for a lot. Tow straps and tree savers are perfectly fine but with slings it’s nice to be able to adjust the length to match the tree diameter or to create a really long neck for positioning the eye of the sling (the eye being the anchor point) anywhere you like. That way the winch line doesn’t rub on the surrounding objects. The biology of the tree itself doesn’t really matter too much compared to the local soil condition provided the strap is set low enough and the tree is healthy with no signs of decay, visible cavities or fresh dirt from the roots pushing the soil up from wind stress or water erosion. I will say that smooth bark trees like Eucalyptus, Sycamore, Himalayan birch, etc. can potentially run the risk of letting an anchor slip up the tree but it’s a pretty rare problem. You might want to add that anchor points on trees are often at a bad angle to the road. Sometimes I like to find 2 trees opposite of each other and run a line connecting them. Then using any good midline knot, or a prusik loop that can adjust, or even just a free floating pulley placed somewhere in the middle that allows you to get the right angle you need to get the pull going more in line with the road.
Also on small trees, with questionable strength for holding an anchor, you can tie it off to another tree for added support, known as a dead man. A lot of the time it’s less about the gear and more about the limitation in anchor points and the angles the offer. You have to get creative sometimes. I’ve even cut a dead tree down so that it will land closer to the path and allow for a better anchor to rig off of. This can be used if you’re line is too short and you need an extra few feet to ideally secure it to an anchor.
if u dropped ur pressure to 8 p first u would have driven stright ouut in the begining with out all the craap u did,,, i drop mine to 5 p if im realy stuck an work my way along an up the beach an have not run a bead off,,,, i have 315x75 x16 muddys
Yes that would have helped more. But I wanted to show what was possible. I also did not use the shovel or Maxtrax. I have another video using the Maxtrax where tyre pressures are not dropped. The best is to do both.
Well, in that video I didn't use Maxtrax. And, I did say I could have gone lower, point was to show general technique. Curious why you think tackling a slope head-on is a bad idea?
Excellent tutorial mate. Your intuitive channel sets the standards for the rest to follow. I’ve been using 4WD vehicles for business and pleasure since 1978 and l’m still acquiring more knowledge, especially from your channel. Keep up with the excellent information you regularly post on your channel, thank you for all that you do. You are doing the 4WD fraternity a great service. 😊👍👍
Glad to help and I very much appreciate the compliment - please share!
This is honestly one of the most informative videos on beach recovery/techniques that I’ve watched. Here’s a sub
Awesome, thank you!
Two years later - very true for me too. Feels like a proper education not just some random tips ❤
I grew up in Florida I’ve seen many folks get stuck trying to gas a vehicle in thick sand . This is a great video!
Thank you! Please share 👍
One of your very best Robert ... many thanks ... will share with friends and family :)
Much appreciated!
Hey Robert, thanks for the video! I completely agree with the tyre pressures points - thanks for providing the graphics of the different pressures. I’d love to hear your take on wider tyres and what effect they have on the footprint.
I’ve never had much luck with heading straight up the beach like that - I’ve always used momentum to get the vehicle moving straight across or down the beach and then use that momentum to gain height up the beach.
Whenever I stop, I make sure I’m pointing downhill so I have some momentum to get started again. If I’m doing a u-turn, I turn up the beach, reverse down and around, then forward straight across again. Making sure to keep momentum.
Agree with all that and will demonstrate some of it....as for wide tyres, pointless. You get the same flotation with narrows, and there's less frontal area so less rolling resistance. The momentum-along-the-beach technique can work, but I didn't use it as it is risky - often you can slide downslope into water, and the turn up the beach can be difficult. I find it works best when the lower part of the beach is flatter.
Great technique !
Good video, it’s one of the few that actually explains that spinning wheels on sand is not a good idea, I’m lucky until now I’ve never had a 4x4 with enough power to power out, so I learned techniques like this and still use them 👍 well explained.
Thanks appreciate that. Would love a share 👍
Thanks for this video! it helped me get some people going and on their way with the recent winter weather we had. I also used it in my plow truck to make a successful turn around in a parking lot with a lot of drifted snow in it and sever al other circumstances.
So good to hear! Yes it works in snow too the same compacting and run-up technique. Get any photos?
@@L2SFBC Regretfully no Photos. Next storm I will try to get some.
Only thing I would do different is the long-handle shovel. Been in too many rutted spots where their is not enough room and the long handle is a problem. A great video and I'm impressed with how much you emphasise not spinning the wheels. Thanks for the time you took to present this :-)
Great tip! That shovel can be halved in length, I didn't mention that though. Thanks for the comment, appreciate it, and please share!
Very clear explanation of the forces at play. Very good tips as usual Rob👍
Great stuff mate. Many people need to learn these techniques.
Very Informative mate well done
Thanks 👍
Very useful advice and well illustrated -- many thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Always educational.
Excellent tutorial, much thanks!
Thanks please share 👍
This is info I hope I never have to use but it might come in handy one day thanks .
Glad to help Please share :-)
Great video. I may need those techniques on Padre Island in Texas! Thanks so much for posting.
They work in all sand! That is in Australia but I also have driven sand in NZ and Africa.
yes, this also apply in snow but not with ice....
Agreed
I once lived in Corpus Christie TX, (hard to believe it is nearly 50 years ago) we had a brand spanking new Toyota FJ40 (don't I wish I still had it). We were on Padre Island or Mustang Island EVERY free minute. I was pretty new, but it seems I must have used your techniques (go slow and steady) because the only time I got stuck and had to call for help was when I pulled a guy out of the surf, got stuck in the process...and he left me, my wife and baby there. The tow truck that came to our rescue was an old Army 5/4 Dodge truck running airplane tires with 10lbs of air. Shining times
Thanks for all of your videos, particularly for the multiple block suggestions. Will be using those this weekend to move a 20,000 building the is built on skids. We built it too close to the Damn set back property line. My bad!
Patience, patience, patience. That is what is hard to remember.
very, very true in sand!
Very good tips!
something i learnt from experience use the largest tyre on the smallest rim that is possible this will allow you to decrease your pressures down to 5psi which has gotten me out of situations
eg 265/75/16 on 7 inch rims .to get 285/75 16 you must use an 8 inch rim which now diminishes your bead pressure for low tyre pressures hence you roll the bead a lot easier talk to the
tyre business about this when selecting tyres
Thanks for the info..👍
Thanks please share!
Great info! Thanks for making these kinds of informative videos.
My pleasure!
Thank you, learnt some thing today!
Glad to hear it!
Do lockers have a use in sand/beach driving. Thanks again for all the time and effort you put into keeping me out of trouble.
The purpose of a cross-axle locker is to ensure that one wheel on an axle doesn't spin uselessly compared to the other. In sand, you typically have roughly equal amounts of traction on both wheels on an axle, unlike say rock where you are frequently balancing two wheels with a third having minimal weight on it and therefore traction. So, cross-axle lockers in sand don't help a great deal unless you have a situation where one wheel on an axle has more weight on it (traction) than the other. Even worse, a cross-axle locker will increase understeer and therefore drag of the tyres, requiring more steering lock for a given turn radius, and that extra drag could well see you bogged. What you do want to do is lock any centre diff in sand, but not cross-axle unless for example you're ascending sand dunes in a desert which have been dug out by people wheelspinning probably due to too low a gear and too high a tyre pressure. For sand, tyre pressures are critical - see my other video on why, and also my sand driving principles for use of momentum.
@@L2SFBC Thanks for that. It was a topic of contention around the bush TV (aka the campfire) and you've confirmed my opinion so I win.
Excellent. Thanks!!
Awesome video thank you. I just love to drive and enjoy the beach with my Ford Ranger.. I used my maxtrax stucking few times. I got stuck but I got my Ford out 🙂 easy way to got out.
Thanks please share and yes 4 x Maxtrax are great!
your sand has a much different character from the sand where I am. where I am, the key to getting back off the beach is to spend as much time as possible in the wet sand. the wet sand is compacted enough to hold the weight of the vehicle, while the dry sand will not compact. so a run along the wet, and then a gentle enough turn to get aimed at the exit without sacrificing momentum, and hit the dry going fast enough to get to the hardpan without losing all your momentum.
That can work here too, but it's high risk so I don't recommend it. Reasons; possible splash of salt water, and wet sand can be softer as well as firmer. It is also possible that the sideangle is greater closer to the water. And if you do get stuck within the area where waves reach, then the waves will remove sand and sink you quite quickly! But every beach is different. Main this is to adapt your technique to the situation.
@@L2SFBC yes, our wet sand zone is generally shallower and comfortably wide, and it is nearly always firm to hard. dry sand goes from being able to hold speed to sinking axle deep in yards no matter what you do.
interestingly, I had one time that the only way past the dry sand was to go backwards.
@@kenbrown2808 I’m only watching this video today because I had a horrible situation where I got my 4Runner stuck at the beach yesterday. From what I’ve gathered: there’s a particular type of sand that people here refer to as “sugar sand” which is basically just mostly dry but still moist sand. The consistency is basically about 20-30% clumped sand to give it a sugar type look. That type of sand will get you in trouble quick as I know all too well. The guy who got me out had to go closer to the water line where the sand was more compact to able to winch me out.
@@fatelook the size and shape of the grains is a significant factor, too. this summer our local sand was very coarse and so the grains slid past each other very easily, and we even had trouble keeping our HMMWV moving in it.
Interesting technique,and valid in not spinning your wheels,correct Tyre pressure and the back and forth motion applied. Best option thou is -1, don't create a new course,follow the existing track. On a reasonably sloped beach,the sand sometimes a meter closer to where your demonstration started can be very soft just on the ridge. The best technique is not to do a u turn ,but rather to angle up to the dry sand in a 30 to 45 degree approach, this is more reliable and keeps you away from the potentially softer sand on the ridge I mentioned.
that's odd. In my experience the damp sand between the water and the high tide line is actually firmer than the loose dry sand up at the top of the beach. And you always want to stay on the firm sand just above the water for as much of the distance as you can then build up speed to jump up through the loose sand above the tide line and through whatever gap in the dunes you are using to access the beach.
It can be firmer, but it can also be softer. Depends on the beach, and to some extent the tide. But getting bogged there runs a risk of being bogged and then waves get you. So what you describe is a valid technique, but it doesn't always work. Wouldn't have done in this situation.
Great video Robert. We did the drive from Beachport to Robe yesterday and there were a couple of groups stuck on the beaches that could have used some of these techniques.
Thanks, more on the way...
it was this exact situation that inspired the invention of max trax the inventor was stuck in sand on fraser island and tide was coming in and he was alone. he almost lost his vehicle to the tide so he came up with a traction aid that could also be used as a shovel, was lightweight and easy to handle.
Exactly right, check out my interview with him!
Bob... I'd die of boredom if I went offroading like that.
Who's Bob and why does he care?
@@L2SFBC That's not very nice...
No idea who this Bob feller is!
Thanks
Please share 👍
@@L2SFBC thanks again, I will
I think you were brave returning to the sand below the high water mark.
I see your problem. You driving a Ranger and not a land rover or land cruiser. Just kidding, Ranger is an awesome machine. Like always great video. Thank you.
😄😄
Good explanation of what should be common sense. Sadly its rare when there's a crowd of weekend warriors there for entertainment. Whats your opinion on the traction control button in this situation?
Brake traction control helps - it limits wheelspin on single wheels, and helped me with the final turn onto the track. Leave it on. Stability control should always be off in sand, but it wouldn't have activated in that situation except for the final turn. Nevertheless, always turn stabilty control off. More here -> th-cam.com/video/NqEUVgi2020/w-d-xo.html
Great video thanks! I really need to get a couple of extra maxtrax to have four, just in case, problem is that I have the Mk I ones, which you can’t get anymore.
The Mk1 really shouldn't be used as the compound had problems. I still have a set of Mk 1As as you can see, and I cannot tell you how many times I've used them in mud, sand, snow and rocks. Still going strong! The Mk2s are also good, but I haven't seen a need to replace my 1As yet.
@@L2SFBC I didn’t know there was a Mk I b, so did some googling and thankfully that is what I have. Thanks for the tip! I’ve only used them a handful of times, but they certainly paid for themselves.
i always uses 4x4 High not low never been bogged on beach but great video 3 thumbs
Why never low?
@@L2SFBC less wheel spin and more momentum
Same as 3rd or 4rh low then...
Self recovery is fascinating. Just this morning I was so tired I had to pry myself out of bed with a crowbar.
So long as no mud was involved...
@@L2SFBC 😳
That sinking feeling where you have a winch and a couple hundred feet of extension rope / cable and there STILL is not a tree to tie onto within range... And the tide is coming in... :)
Have you tired any of the Pull-Pal type ground anchors for winching in the sand?
I have and have found it not to work. Buried it deep and no good. Maxtrax and shovel much better.
@@L2SFBC -- I would not be surprised if that didn't vary depending upon the type of sand that you have... Around here (Texas Gulf Coast), the sand on a lot of the beaches tends to pack down a lot more and you can even drive 2WD sedans on it... I've been on beaches where the sand granules were a lot larger and vehicles were more likely to get stuck. Around 45-50 years ago, I tried to cross a small area where there was very deep gravel in a VW bug that we used off-road in mud a lot... It sunk down quite quickly and was resting on the floor pan... We took that old mud bug to places where we had no business being in only 2WD, much less without a winch... Similar configuration to the one in this video:
th-cam.com/video/DHSAPHZ7kbw/w-d-xo.html
What about lockers, would that help the tires spin equal? I do not wheel in sand so I don’t know
Yes they would prevent wheelspin. However, they also restrict turning and create significant extra drag, and make sideslopes more difficult. So, while my Ranger does have a rear locker, I did not use it for that reason. Also, the weight on the wheels is about equal, so the locker wouldn't make that much of difference. Lockers in sand are most useful in the desert when ascending rutted dunes, not on beaches.
So when you air down to under 20lbs (your examples of 12 and 10)...are the bead lock wheels a requirement? Some parts of the US beadwork are prohibited. Just wondering.
No beadlocks are not a requirement and in sand you just drive slowly so it's not a problem. Some beadlocks are illegal in Australia too.
No beadlocks are not a requirement and in sand you just drive slowly so it's not a problem. Some beadlocks are illegal in Australia too.
Been there, roll your way out slowly.
Excellent info...I hope people follow your advice and just stop, assess the situation and take it easy. Have you ever done a MaxTrax alternative video? Not sure where you are located so not sure what alternatives are available for you. USA here.
MAXTRAX video on the way...I have some rare tips. And I am in Australia.
Is using the sand parallel with the water as a runway and then turning up the hill a viable technique?
Definitely but not in this case. Too soft and too sloped.
So... here's a question Atmospheric pressure at sea level is around 15 psi. How do you air down to 10 psi.
Question of the Day
At sea level, the air pressure is around 1013.25 bar. It varies a bit depending on exactly how far you are above or below sea level, and also atmospheric conditions - you hear weatherpeople speak of highs and lows, and barometers dropping indicating approaching bad weather.
Air has mass, although we don't really feel it. As it has mass, the earth's gravity attracts it. The air near the earth's surface has air above it, squashing it down. Imagine stacking 15 plates; the plate at the bottom would be carrying the other 14. Similar to air. So, the air nearest the earth's surface has the highest pressure. The further away you go from the earth's surface, the lower the pressure - this is the principle on which aircraft altimeters work, they precisely measure air pressure and read out your height above something, either the earth's surface or a given datum somewhere in the sky. There have been deaths when people get that wrong and aren't at the altitude they think they are. By the way, elevation is how high you are above sea level whilst on earth, altitude is how high above the earth you are (or another datum).
Anyway, the standard air pressure at sea level is 1013.25 bar, or 14.7psi. Yet when we have 15psi in our tyres the tyres are not flat. How so?
The gauge is calibrated to read 0 at 15psi, which is atmospheric pressure.
As far as tyres are concerned what we want is an increase of pressure over atmospheric, so it makes sense to call atmospheric 0 and work from there.
Now this raises all sorts of interesting questions, or interesting to me at least. In theory, tyre pressure gauges should be calibrated according to atmospheric pressure, just like aircraft altimeters - if you're going for a local flight, you'd twiddle a dial on your altimeter to set it to zero before you take off. For those driving in high elevations, same thing, ideally you should recalibrate your gauge. But then comes a complication. Tyre pressure is about relative pressure between tyre and atmosphere; so let's say you need 30psi at sea level. You operate at 4000m where the atmospheric pressure is much less. Should you still be using +30psi over atmospheric? I leave this as an exercise to the reader, and don't forget to factor in temperature, reduced tyre drag and cooling, and of course fractionally reduced gravity...
No traction control on that truck?
There is, but it's slow acting and the key was to minimise wheelspin.
@@L2SFBC Ok, thanks. I have a 2001 Disco II here in Jamaica. Has traction control but also put the aftermarket transfer case lock linkage on it. I seldom spin tyres. Also have a Terrafirma 12k winch, which I don't have to use often, but nice to have it. But I never get into deep sand, like your example, so can't really compare things. I appreciate your videos.
Thanks you're the first Jamaican viewer I've seen!
@@L2SFBC I hope I'm not the last :-). We don't have overland expedition stuff like you, island isn't that big, but I have to handle some pretty bad roads and bushed up, old lanes often while doing research fieldwork at caves. Got my Disco II pretty well kitted up for that. Been watching videos on winching and recoveries lately cause we're into hurricane season. Want to make sure I don't do something stupid.
I LEARNT something.
YOU are TERRIFIC. VERY SKILLED.
THANK You.
You're very welcome!
Are these techniques useful in snow?
Generally yes they are in this case. But snow driving is quite different to sand in many cases. Will explain more later.
Would you use rear and/or front lockers for this?
No. They would be a bad idea. They would increase turning circle and create drag for no benefit. There is not really any difference in traction between the wheels, which is what lockers control. Yes, you do see a single wheel spin, but the small benefit from controlling that is outweighed by the inability of the wheels to turn at different speeds around the corners, which creates drag, as does the need to turn the steering wheels more to achieve a given turn radius.
Tyre pressure changes the foot print
i saw a ww2 movie where a group; had big British truck for a group of 4-6 who i north Africa were heading to Tobruk. at some point, they had to go up a sand pass and the truck refused to go. they pulled the plugs and used a hand crank to move the truck in reverse uphill almost imperceptly./ they explained the sand would hold together and support because of slow movement--any ideas on the science of this--or just a plot mover?
Incredibly slow movement does work that way by avoiding wheelspin, but I can't see a hand crank being slow and smooth enough to work.
@@L2SFBC
I found this movie-
quote----During the final leg of the journey, Katy must be hand-cranked in reverse up a sand dune escarpment, and Van der Poel's strength is again crucial to achieving this.
Ice Cold in Alex is a 1958 British war film set during the Western Desert Campaign of World War II
ah ok I see that now. Yes hand cranking would work to move the vehicle. However, I'm not convinced there would be enough leverage to allow it to be moved up a steep, soft-sand incline. Also looks like they didn't let tyre pressures down. The basic premise is also questionable; if the engine overheats, let it cool down, then try again, maybe at night when it is cooler which helps 3 things - engine power, engine cooling, and denser sand. Or, drive up as far as you can go, then crank.
I'm just about to upload a video analysing this!
Good morning honey what are you up to again?
im going to rescue someone?
oh who got stuck and where?
myself, place not decided, maybe beach this time.
...
Don't have a dual cab ute wagons like the prado with 50/50 weight are way better on sand.
You are not really stuck. You're just waiting for the tide.
I'm not a massive fan of salt water on cars :-)
Did you delete my comment?
No
@@L2SFBC
Hmmm. This adds to your sand recovery scenario.
th-cam.com/video/jALDz8Y5UvI/w-d-xo.html
Good visualization on the tire footprint. I’m going to use this. Don’t forget about the trick of digging a hole, and converting your spare tire into a ground anchor. th-cam.com/video/AXYgCmufzTE/w-d-xo.html
They also make a special tool for it called the deadman. Max tracks are probably quicker 95% of the time, but for those 5% times when they’re not...
Tried the spare tyre trick, not a fan. These are my tools -> l2sfbc.com/the-best-3-things-you-need-for-sand-recovery/
@@L2SFBC Yep. By the way, are there any tricks to picking up the traction pads after you drive over them? I heard some people tie a rope to it somehow
Yes that rope trick can be done. I should have covered that too! Next time...also I am working on a video about tree anchor strength so any links to that appreciated!
@@L2SFBC tree anchor strengths? Oh interesting. As far as gear goes I don’t have too many sources for you. Out in the field we use adjustable hollow braid slings (Whoopi, loopi, deadeye) usually in a simple girth hitch or timber hitch configuration. Amsteel is very common and is rated for a lot. Tow straps and tree savers are perfectly fine but with slings it’s nice to be able to adjust the length to match the tree diameter or to create a really long neck for positioning the eye of the sling (the eye being the anchor point) anywhere you like. That way the winch line doesn’t rub on the surrounding objects. The biology of the tree itself doesn’t really matter too much compared to the local soil condition provided the strap is set low enough and the tree is healthy with no signs of decay, visible cavities or fresh dirt from the roots pushing the soil up from wind stress or water erosion. I will say that smooth bark trees like Eucalyptus, Sycamore, Himalayan birch, etc. can potentially run the risk of letting an anchor slip up the tree but it’s a pretty rare problem.
You might want to add that anchor points on trees are often at a bad angle to the road. Sometimes I like to find 2 trees opposite of each other and run a line connecting them. Then using any good midline knot, or a prusik loop that can adjust, or even just a free floating pulley placed somewhere in the middle that allows you to get the right angle you need to get the pull going more in line with the road.
Also on small trees, with questionable strength for holding an anchor, you can tie it off to another tree for added support, known as a dead man. A lot of the time it’s less about the gear and more about the limitation in anchor points and the angles the offer. You have to get creative sometimes. I’ve even cut a dead tree down so that it will land closer to the path and allow for a better anchor to rig off of. This can be used if you’re line is too short and you need an extra few feet to ideally secure it to an anchor.
if u dropped ur pressure to 8 p first u would have driven stright ouut in the begining with out all the craap u did,,, i drop mine to 5 p if im realy stuck an work my way along an up the beach an have not run a bead off,,,, i have 315x75 x16 muddys
Yes that would have helped more. But I wanted to show what was possible. I also did not use the shovel or Maxtrax. I have another video using the Maxtrax where tyre pressures are not dropped. The best is to do both.
@@L2SFBC if u dropped ur tyres to 5 u wouldnt need maxrtax an the idea of turning to go up hill is totaly wrong,,, all show an no comin scense
Well, in that video I didn't use Maxtrax. And, I did say I could have gone lower, point was to show general technique. Curious why you think tackling a slope head-on is a bad idea?