Driving 60 miles on Padre Is. beach - what tires?
06-01-2011, 09:05 PM
#11
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^werd. Unless i was taking a "play" truck I wouldnt bring my truck, especially a brand new one, the salt water mist would be what scares me off.
But yea unless you can get close to the shore line i would have my tools ready. Ive never driven in the sand but ive walked and ran and my feet get pretty burried just walking so i can only imagine a truck.
But yea unless you can get close to the shore line i would have my tools ready. Ive never driven in the sand but ive walked and ran and my feet get pretty burried just walking so i can only imagine a truck.
06-02-2011, 02:22 PM
#12
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^werd. Unless i was taking a "play" truck I wouldn't bring my truck, especially a brand new one, the salt water mist would be what scares me off.
But yea unless you can get close to the shore line i would have my tools ready. Ive never driven in the sand but Ive walked and ran and my feet get pretty buried just walking so i can only imagine a truck.
But yea unless you can get close to the shore line i would have my tools ready. Ive never driven in the sand but Ive walked and ran and my feet get pretty buried just walking so i can only imagine a truck.
Your walking/running comparison doesn't work. Look as the surface area of your feet vs your weight. Then compare that to 4 wide tires spreading the load. The more surface area you have to spread the weight over the less pressure you exert per square inch and so the less you sink. That's why you run the widest tire you can in the sand.
06-02-2011, 02:52 PM
#13
Member
If you wash your truck right after being on the beach your fine. If you leave it on for any amount of time then yes you will get into trouble.
Your walking/running comparison doesn't work. Look as the surface area of your feet vs your weight. Then compare that to 4 wide tires spreading the load. The more surface area you have to spread the weight over the less pressure you exert per square inch and so the less you sink. That's why you run the widest tire you can in the sand.
Your walking/running comparison doesn't work. Look as the surface area of your feet vs your weight. Then compare that to 4 wide tires spreading the load. The more surface area you have to spread the weight over the less pressure you exert per square inch and so the less you sink. That's why you run the widest tire you can in the sand.
06-02-2011, 06:29 PM
#14
Senior Member
in a perfect world mattracks would be pretty awesome... http://www.mattracks.com/html/model_105m1-a2_sa.htm
But thats pretty unrealistic so i would say a set of A/T's, thats what the trucks have at the beach I go to
But thats pretty unrealistic so i would say a set of A/T's, thats what the trucks have at the beach I go to
06-03-2011, 12:58 PM
#15
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06-16-2011, 01:50 PM
#16
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That drive down Padre is not treacherous at all. The tires you have will be fine (I don't think they let you run the dunes anymore). Just air down to about 18#s to start with and enjoy. If you gert a bit stuck, air down to ~12#s and drive out. Some people carry 2 or 4 pieces of used carpet to throw under your stuck tires...
Airing down makes your tires perform more like a "tank track" by lengthening the tread on the ground at any one given time. You can test this by putting your tires at stock pressures and then placing an uncooked egg or a banana ect. behind or in front of a tire...just barely not touching. Start letting out the air and your tires at some given pressure will cover the egg/banana...shorter profile tires won't work as well
Airing down makes your tires perform more like a "tank track" by lengthening the tread on the ground at any one given time. You can test this by putting your tires at stock pressures and then placing an uncooked egg or a banana ect. behind or in front of a tire...just barely not touching. Start letting out the air and your tires at some given pressure will cover the egg/banana...shorter profile tires won't work as well
07-08-2011, 05:42 PM
#19
Padre Island National Seashore has a 60 mile long beach.
Detailed map at:
http://www.nps.gov/pais/planyourvisi...d/PAISmap1.pdf
I've got a stock 2010 F-150 4WD Platinum with (stock) low profile Pirelli Scorpion tires. I've driven on the hard packed sand on the Galveston Island beaches with no problem, but 2WD vehicles were also driving on those beaches.
The note on the map at the 5 mile post says 4WD vehicles only beyond this point. Will I need to change the stock wheels for wider or bigger diameter tires for 4 wheeling 60 miles along the beach on Padre Island?
Maybe I can get away with just lowering the air pressure in the stock tires to 25 psi for better traction in the loose sand. But too many miles at low pressure could ruin the tires for highway use at the normal 37 psi.
Is this a beach drive that can be done solo, or is it recommended to partner with another 4WD vehicle in case one gets stuck?
Other than a tow strap, what "vehicle rescue" stuff would you bring along?
Detailed map at:
http://www.nps.gov/pais/planyourvisi...d/PAISmap1.pdf
I've got a stock 2010 F-150 4WD Platinum with (stock) low profile Pirelli Scorpion tires. I've driven on the hard packed sand on the Galveston Island beaches with no problem, but 2WD vehicles were also driving on those beaches.
The note on the map at the 5 mile post says 4WD vehicles only beyond this point. Will I need to change the stock wheels for wider or bigger diameter tires for 4 wheeling 60 miles along the beach on Padre Island?
Maybe I can get away with just lowering the air pressure in the stock tires to 25 psi for better traction in the loose sand. But too many miles at low pressure could ruin the tires for highway use at the normal 37 psi.
Is this a beach drive that can be done solo, or is it recommended to partner with another 4WD vehicle in case one gets stuck?
Other than a tow strap, what "vehicle rescue" stuff would you bring along?
Everything that has been suggested is more than enough and may even be overkill as the beaches aren't too bad, don't forget the cooler stocked with necessities. There is enough border patrol agents and rangers around there that if you got in a bad way and are alone, it wouldn't be long before help showed up.
I made a second trip but with Cooper Zeon LTZ's still on the 20" stock rim and had absolutely no problems, I got brave a few times and drove into the sugary stuff and did not even come close to getting stuck, just rear axle hop
