l67cooled

One thing to remember when taking your truck in the sand is to plan ahead where you want to stop, preferably on a decline or a little bit wet sand is best IMO. I love sand wheeling, especially around here when its covered my 36" of snow. lol

kalealmighty

i pretty much live at the dunes.. so i have to get around in my 2wd just air down to around 1)12-10 psi the more surface area the better. its like a boat you kinda have to get up on plain once you are at speed you can mash on it.
2) NEVER STOP ON AN UPHILL if you have the choice always stop facing down because if you are gonna sink the rear end if you try to start up hill.
3)carry some boards with you and a shovel and if you feel yourself start to sink just STOP you are already stuck
and never go out alone if you do in fact get stuck and you are alone it is going to suck very bad trying to get your truck out

have fun! take pictures!

A&M F150

air down for sure, a good A/T like a BFG A/T or the General Grabber will do well and if your trying to hang with the big dogs, look into a long travel suspension and fiberglass (expensive though)

DesertDriver

Took it out for a spin on some dunes, video here:

https://www.f150forum.com/f4/f150-desert-test-80538/

BF Goodrich T/A, 315/70R17, 2 inch front leveling.

Didn't deflate at all (35 psi all the way), no probs in the soft stuff.

chromefonica

I too spend a lot of the time in the dunes, in Pismo, CA. X2 on airing down. The taller the sidewall of the tire the better as it will mushroom out and give you much more surface contact area (thats the point behind airing down). The long travel suspension is something that you want if you plan on driving fast around the dunes. You definetly want some sort of lift though. If not, you will most likely drag the undercarriage of the truck through the peak of the dune and it will slow you down a lot. Always carry a 2X6 and a shovel just in case. The main thing about driving in the sand is that you want to stay near the surface of the sand (lots of throttle). If you try and start off easy, your chances are greater of the tires digging too much. Last but not least, DO NOT DRIVE OFF THE BACK SIDE OF A DUNE! Be aware of where you are going.

ajthiel09

I also run a lot in Michigan at the sand dunes and low tire pressure is the key. I always run in 4 low and if climbing decent size hills shift down to second. I agree that a lift with wider tires is the best setup but i see a lot of regular 4x4 vehicles driving around.

chromefonica

I used to go anywhere and everywhere in my stocke '03 FX4. The only problem I ever had was at the peak of the dunes I would high center and drag the under carriage turning my truck into a sand plow.

Why do you use 4-low in the dunes? The sand is a place you want to spin the tires fast. Next time you go out there try using 4-high in 1st gear for climbing and D for regular driving.

chromefonica

Some pics of the dunes

kozal01

iTrader: (2)

i use 4 low and second gear for almost everything unless im putting around in 2wd. the trick in my truck on the hills is keeping the rpm's up. its also alot easier on the transmission using 4 low, keeps the temps down.

chromefonica

I see. The trick for climbing sand dunes is momentum though. You aren't going to get that in 4-low. What truck are you driving anyway?