Tyre Pressures Again

Submitted: Monday, May 09, 2005 at 17:58
ThreadID: 22816 Views:2321 Replies:9 FollowUps:3
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Gday All, yes I know this has been done 12348172309514 times and have searched the archives but there is one answer I can't find. I know with sand driving you should lower your tyre pressures. Many say to around 20 psi. My question is would you lower all 4 corners to this.... or say you were running 40 psi in the front and 45 in the back ( due to load) on the blacktop would you lower the front to 20 psi (being a 20 psi drop in pressure) and the back to 25 psi (also being a 20 psi drop in pressure). I'm not after a specific pressure to run my tyres at as I realise this differs from vehicle to vehicle and with varying conditions, just whether people lower to a specific pressure or drop their pressure by a specific amount.

Bloody Hell I think I just confused myself...
Cheers
Al
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Reply By: DukeAtty - Monday, May 09, 2005 at 18:46

Monday, May 09, 2005 at 18:46
Dont even contemplate what you run on the road... The footprint length and width is what gets you through sand....
20psi is a starting point for sand driving...
Some soft sand dictates 10psi to your tyres...
AnswerID: 110500

Reply By: Brew69(SA) - Monday, May 09, 2005 at 18:55

Monday, May 09, 2005 at 18:55
Wow and i thought it simple. Never thought of doing anything but keeping all four corners the same whilst on sand.(may be a can of worms) Like the Duke says 20 is a starting point.(I prefer about 14psi)
AnswerID: 110505

Reply By: Member - Brian (Gold Coast) - Monday, May 09, 2005 at 18:57

Monday, May 09, 2005 at 18:57
Al
Personally I lower my tyres to the same pressures fore and aft, but not the trailer tyres (if I am towing in sand)
It seems to work with my setup, I lower to 18psi and leave the trailer at 40psi... the theory here is that the trailer wheels run in the "tracks" of the Patrol and the tryes have already created a hard track for the trailer tyres to run in.
I have watched others drive straight onto sand without lowering pressures and have no problems at all.... but personally I prefer to run the tyres deflated to 18....

Hope this helps although I probably have confused you more.... I know I've got ME confused............. LOL
AnswerID: 110506

Follow Up By: Nick R - Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 08:47

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 08:47
I posted on this back in December and got a mix of responses, about 50:50 each way on the trailer. On Fraser Island i ran my LC 80 on around 11-14, not sure, dodgy pressure guage. the thing went like a train, never looked like stopping, errr, maybe once but I kept going till I was back on hard sand.
In the end I lowered the trailer pressures also. Maybe we should phone Dr. Karl for the difinitive answer, he does a bit of 4wding apparently.....
NickR
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Follow Up By: Member - Brian (Gold Coast) - Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 09:03

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 09:03
Nick
The first time we tried sand towing, after much deliberation we decided to leave the trailer at 40 psi,, after all, we could deflate later if needed. But so far we haven't needed to. Having said that, the softest sand we towed in was probably the 3K loop around Happy Valley...... and we had no probs there. Access from camp and the accesses at Leisha Track and first cutting Noosa North Shore also weren't a problem. I have checked the "tracking" of the trailer wheels and I think my theory of the trailer following the Patrol tyre tracks is what is working for us.
Like everything in 4wd'ing.... there probably isn't a "one-for-all" answer here... I guess it comes back to what works for the individual

Have a good day mate!
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Follow Up By: Member - Crazie (VIC) - Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 09:18

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 09:18
I have to agree with Brian, many years up at fraser and we never lower the boat or box trailer tyres, after all you are draging this behind you, it is not driving. We spent at least 3 weeks up at Sandy cape most years. The more important thing is that the trailer Track in the 4wd tyre tracks, as Brian has said.

cheers
Crazie,

ps. but each to their own
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Reply By: Member - Davoe (WA) - Monday, May 09, 2005 at 19:38

Monday, May 09, 2005 at 19:38
yep My old girl had heaps of weight in the back and went as flat at 20psi as most peoples 12psi so for soft sand I would run 15 - 20 rear and 12 front. 12 psi rear was only for getting out of bogs and looked quite flat
AnswerID: 110511

Reply By: Member - Oskar (Bris) - Monday, May 09, 2005 at 20:26

Monday, May 09, 2005 at 20:26
Al
I've been beach driving in both 2WD (rear wheel drive) and 4WD for 25 years or so and have experimented with all sorts of set ups. Tyre pressures, tyre widths, weight distribution and heaps more.
I've found that, in the sand, the rear tyres do most of the work. (Try driving a FWD in soft stuff and you'll see what I mean)
Generally, the lower the rear tyre pressures the more flotation you'll get, particularly up sand hills etc. and less digging in.
It's a trade-off between traction and flotation. More traction will mean more digging in (and more chewing up the tracks).
I generally run 18-20 psi in all four (even with a heavy load) and leave the trailer (when I use one) at 35 or whatever.
But I have been down to under 10PSI in extremely deep, soft, dry sand. (not a good thing to do continually)
Experiment for yourself, it's pretty easy to let a bit more air out if you find the rear digging in.
Oskar
AnswerID: 110519

Reply By: Martyn (WA) - Monday, May 09, 2005 at 22:49

Monday, May 09, 2005 at 22:49
DiesAl,
I agree with the above except for the trailer, experimentation for the vehicle as mentioned, my Rangie on alloy rims I rarely go below 15 psi if I go lower I try to stick to straight lines if possible, I find the tyres roll off very easily on the alloy rims I've had no end of problems. Steel rims on my GU down to 10 psi no problems in real soft boggy stuff usually min out at 15 psi fully loaded to be on the safe side. The trailer I've had as low as 6 psi it's made the job of towing much easier, the trailer runs a lot smoother and doesn't jump around much. It works for me so I do it, I've never rolled a tyre and the engine strain seems to be less. My opinions as usual.
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AnswerID: 110551

Reply By: Con_Qld - Monday, May 09, 2005 at 23:06

Monday, May 09, 2005 at 23:06
Al, I run 20psi all four tyres & never had a problem at Fraser, even going thru the soft parts at Nagalla Rocks......cheers....Con
AnswerID: 110559

Reply By: age - Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 11:36

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 11:36
Agree with most - we run on Fraser 80 series Diesel, towing 18ft boat - Down to 25 rears and 22 fronts and trailer to 28 at barge when fully loaded (be careful on the good sand they can get a bit hot especially when going as far north as say Orchard 120km's away). When we get to the blow at Indian, let fronts down to 14, rears 16 if it is soft, 18 if ok and do not touch boat trailer again. Have had to go as low as 12 all round when really soft. Pump all back up to 20 for the rest of the trip when unladen - never been stuck and can eat Nkgala.
AnswerID: 110596

Reply By: DiesAl - Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 17:15

Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 17:15
Thanks All, off to Fraser in a couple of weeks so I'll start experimenting but it's looks like the "I's" have it, all four corners the same pressure.

Thanks Again
AnswerID: 110657

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