Sand dunes....

[Blackmagic94]

Can a M35A2 traverse sand dunes like in Glamis or will it get stuck?

 

[doghead]

Level yes, hills/dunes, no.

Lower your tire pressures.

 

[bjsmith]

i have seen you tube videos of it but not sure if they are like where you want to go with it

 

[Blackmagic94]

Id like to just be able to drive it from the camp to one of the big hills like at Gordon's Wells to I8 Hill which is mostly flat but a few small 20-30' grades before you hit the sand highway

 

[Ridgerunner]

Only one way to find out. Air down and hit it.

 

[Blackmagic94]

LOL, I recently got a Yamaha quad to join my honda mx bike so the M35 has room to haul both out while my F250 doesnt and i can camp inside as well.

 

[Thrust]

When they say lower tire pressure, they mean LOW. I run 5 psi in the rear tires and around 15 psi in the fronts at our local lake. Watch your thumbs because steering wheel will jerk.

 

[Blackmagic94]

Thumbs out always off road. Im thinking it will do what I want as Ive seen other trucks out there in this spot with no issues.

 

[deuceaid]

The data plate on the dash has tire air pressure suggestions ( if it has one), but yes low is good. seen a deuce at pismo beach (it hauls fresh and black water/firewood). I have had mine in the local dry wash with full tires, and it made it but was noticeably losing traction. remember not all sands are the same!

 

[scoutmanadam]

what tires do you have on it, the standard ndt's or have you gone to a more conventional tire

 

[bill2444]

With your tires aired down, you can climb sand hills. At camp Grayling this year i climbed some hills that cucv's couldn't make. And managed to climb a very long grade following Ted G's humvee ( my deuce was just a lot slower doing it) I latter tried some of these hills with my 05 Chevy pick-up and could not get up any of them.

 

[Blackmagic94]

stock NDTs

 

[Marlboro]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmVnsPM5qrU[/media]

It seems he ran out of power though not traction. My ears seem to think he's in high range or low but deep in the trans...

 

[sewerzuk]

I have 395's on mine that I run 8 psi front and 4-5 psi rears; it is amazing in the sand. I was able to climb some dunes at Winchester Bay that some jeeps and toyotas could not. It still isn't a sandrail, but I was amazed at how well it did.

At full highway pressure (even with the 395's) I had difficulty even on flat ground. Severe wheelhop...

 

[deuceaid]

In that video the truck has to be in second gear-high range. Hes moving too fast and never shifts.

 

[bill2444]

I have two approaches, very long steep grades where you know you'll run out of power- low range 1st gear and tease the throttle to maintain forward progress. It's amazing that the ndt's will bury themselfs to the rim and still inch ahead.
Or get a running start at the hill- lets say your in low range 4th gear mid rpm when hitting the base of the dune, as the front end comes up let your foot off the accelorater for a second while momentum carries you then double clutch at the top of the governer and carry it thru 2nd or third all the way up.

Either way the drivetrain gets pretty hot working it in the sand. So I like to use low range the whole time and keep engine revs up to keep EGT's down. And axle hop will break things real quick..

 

[resqur]

I ran my NDT's at St Anthony, ID and got bogged down even with the air lowered. I don't recommend it with stock tires. The NDT's on the front will act like cutters in the sand and get you stuck.

 

[quickfarms]

will the cross tread tires that you se on the frony of some 900 series 5 tons better in the sand than the ndt's?

Growing up we used to use the gmc dueces on the beach by running duel front tires

 

[cx65083]

Getting stuck out in the desert...

Ah yes, the dreaded SAND stuck...... the NDT's are not great in the sand, but it can be done if your careful. MY advice to anyone going duning in a 6x6 is to disengage the front axle completely! 1991 (the month escapes me... as it all blurred together) we were on our way to an HST out in the desert off the highway and the truck got mired down in the sand. The driver kept trying and trying and trying... forward and back) but the front end eventually dug itself down till it was resting on the rest bumper. Being a lowly Lcpl, the sgt and butterbar wouldn't listen to the 'kid'.
Fast forward 6 hours. two 5 tons and a stuck hummer and a few broken straps later... I was muttering to myself off to the side . An old salt standing near me over heard a bit and walked over and asked my 'opinion of this mess".
i said that the driver need to disengage the front axle. that we needed to clear from behind the front pumpkin just a bit and stop digging out from underneth the front tires. Then just hammer the throttle in reverse and let the back end dig down a bit so it can do its job and dig for traction.
Turns out the 'ol salt' was the CO! (was a new unit for me and didnt know him by sight yet) he walked over and told the XO HIS plan. the XO walked over to the staff sgt, the staff sgt walked over to the sgt, the sgt climbed on the step of the truck and spoke to the driver.....
four guys crawled under and clear a bit of sand from behind the front differential. And after a walk around the driver climbed in and hammered it in reverse.
As can be expected, the rear bounced for a while before starting to dig....
and as SOON as they dig in..... wait for it..... the truck backed right out.

So, yea... front heavy truck with skinny stock tires trying to dig a grave...dont do well in sand even aired down. disengage, air down and drive around on the flats all day.
Sorry folks.... Too much caffeine tonight!
(crawls back into his hole)

 

[ivbeenrokd]

I would think super singles would do significantly better than NDTs in the sand. We took a Jeep trip to Moab About 18 months ago and did a good bit of sand hills/dunes. It seemed the larger and wider the tire was, the better it did.