Getting Cold Feet About Sand!

[Vandakeg]

So, as most of you Michiganders probably know, Silver Lake is opening this Saturday (04/01).

I have been planning on taking the H3 up there ever since I bought it, but it seems everyone I talk to tells me it's a bad idea. All I hear are horror stories of guys who ran their trucks in the sand, and they swear that's what caused all their problems. Granted, none of their vehicles have been Hummers... still I'm having second thoughts.

What are your thoughts on running in sand? Any tips or tricks? Should I run in 4-HI lock? How fast can I go? I've got the Adventure Package, and I'm planning on airing the tires down to about 15 psi.. does that sound right?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[MahBabyBlue]

Very interested in this subject as well as I will be going to the Hummer Homecoming this June and there is a trip scheduled to go there.

[Arizona Hummerboy]

Here is some Information I found on the Net for Sand Driving, I hope it will help you out.

I have ran my H2 thru sand and have not had any problems with it.

Sand Driving
The fundamental theme with sand driving is to conserve your momentum. Since traction is at a premium, any increase in speed can be difficult, if not impossible, and you do not want to lose any momentum, as you may not be able to regain it.

Tire Pressures

The first thing to do before driving on sand is to lower your tire pressures. This is done to provide better flotation by increasing the size of your "footprint" and thus dramatically improving your traction. It also reduces the amount of strain on your vehicle and minimizes wear and tear on the tracks.

The optimum tire pressure depends on your vehicle, the type of tires fitted and the terrain. The following technique provides a good starting point to find the optimum pressure and is best performed before leaving the bitumen.

Park your loaded vehicle on a level surface and place a brick 1 cm away from the sidewall of your rear tire. Deflate that tire until the sidewall just touches the brick and then measure the tire pressure. Use this pressure as your starting point when initially lowering your tire pressure for sand driving. As you become more familiar with sand driving, you con alter this pressure as the terrain dictates.

If you haven't performed the above technique before you reach the sand, don't fret. A good rule of thumb is to use a pressure of 15 psi.

Remember though, if you are going to lower your tire pressures, ensure you have a pressure gauge and some means of pumping your tires back up.

As you lower tire pressure, the tire becomes more vulnerable to damage by stoking the sidewall or rolling the tire off the rim. The lower the pressure, the higher the risk. However the gain in traction can be remarkable and may make the difference between becoming hopelessly bogged or simply driving away. The "correct" tire pressure becomes a decision between better traction versus increased risk of tire damage.

In severe cases of bogging, tire pressure can be lowered to a minimum of 40 kPa (6psi), as most tires require at least 6psi to remain seated on the rim while stationary. In almost all situations 10psi should be used as the minimum pressure as 6psi is likely to result in tire damage ie. tires rolled off rims or punctured sidewalls. Speeds should be severely restricted at these low pressures. To minimize tire damage, it is important that these low pressures are only used on sand and tire pressures should be increased if limestone or rocky outcrops are encountered, or when the terrain becomes more firm. Failure to do so will almost certainly result in tire or rim damage.

Sand Driving Techniques

When traveling on sand, you should endeavor to follow in the tire tracks of the vehicle in front as they have already compressed the sand to form a firmer surface than un-traversed ground. Never drive on vegetation as this will destroy it and lead to erosion and environmental damage.

You should avoid rapid changes in speed when accelerating or braking. Braking on sand will cause a mound to build up in front of all wheels and possibly prevent your vehicle from taking off. Rapid acceleration simply digs the wheels in and can actually lead to slower take-off speeds.

Take-off should be performed as smoothly as possible with gear changes done at fairly high revs. Sand driving requires plenty of engine power to get your vehicle "planing" on the sand. It is advisable to use low range as this multiplies the amount of engine torque available and will provide that extra gear if you encounter a particularly soft patch of sand. Check that your tires are pointing straight ahead when taking off to reduce the takeoff effort required.

When stopping on sand, depress the clutch and allow the vehicle to coast to a stop. This will minimize any sand build-up in front of the wheels. If the terrain permits, coast to a stop, rather than braking, with the vehicle pointing downhill as this will aid take-off. Avoid the soft sand at the base of most dunes and gullies when stopping.

When turning, make the turn as wide as possible to reduce the chance of bogging. Your front wheels act more like a rudder in sand and turning too sharp has a similar effect to applying the brakes.

Steep sand dunes can be traversed only straight up or down. If you drive even on a slight angle, the weight transfer is to the downhill side wheels. If the vehicle starts to slip, the downhill wheels tend to dig in and make the angle of the dune even worse, leading to a potential rollover.

If you are traveling straight down a steep dune and the back end starts to slip sideways, it is best to accelerate slightly to try and straighten the vehicle. Never use the brake, as this will cause weight transfer to the front wheels and can increase the back end movement.

If traveling up a dune and you do not get to the top, reverse down the dune in gear, NEVER coast down the dune and NEVER attempt a U turn.

When you return home after a beach trip, it is important to hose down your vehicle to remove all traces of sand and salt. Pay special attention to areas like the mudguards where sand is sprayed around and tends to get trapped. Thoroughly hose underneath your vehicle as well, as there are many nooks and crannies where sand con also get trapped.

Vehicle Recovery in Sand

As soon as you become bogged, avoid the temptation to simply floor the accelerator as this will just make vehicle recovery more difficult. Put the vehicle in reverse and gently try to back along your tracks as they provide a compacted path. When you have reversed a sufficient distance, try going forward again while being careful not dig yourself in. Hopefully you will travel further each time you repeat this technique and eventually be able to slowly pass through a particularly soft section.

If you cannot reverse out of trouble, get out of the vehicle and let your tires down further. A rule of thumb is to drop them by a further 12 psi. Before trying to reverse out, remove the build-up of sand from behind the tires. See if any part of the underside is touching. If it is, clear the sand away to allow the vehicle to reverse out. You may need to try this several times.

If necessary, continue to drop the tire pressures to 10 psi. Also, never underestimate the assistance of your passengers giving a push. As mentioned earlier, tires can be lowered to 6psi in extreme cases, but this should be avoided if other means of vehicle recovery are available.

If you are still stuck and your tires are down to the minimum pressure, you will have to resort to a snatch strap, winching or jacking to extricate yourself. The easiest method is usually by snatch strap, but this relies on another vehicle being present. If you are by yourself you will have to resort to winching (if you have one!) or jacking.

Summary-Sand Driving

lower tire pressures to greatly improve traction and reduce track erosion
drive smoothly with gear changes at high revs
ensure wheels are pointing straight ahead when taking off
avoid the soft sand at the base of dunes and gullies
make turns as wide as possible
ONLY travel straight up or down dunes
follow in others tire tracks to drive on compressed ground
avoid braking by coasting to a stop
do not floor the accelerator if you are bogging down
when bogged, try to reverse on your own tracks
thoroughly hose down your vehicle after a beach trip

[hmrlvr]

Summary-Sand Driving

lower tire pressures to greatly improve traction and reduce track erosion
drive smoothly with gear changes at high revs
ensure wheels are pointing straight ahead when taking off
avoid the soft sand at the base of dunes and gullies
make turns as wide as possible
ONLY travel straight up or down dunes
follow in others tire tracks to drive on compressed ground
avoid braking by coasting to a stop
do not floor the accelerator if you are bogging down
when bogged, try to reverse on your own tracks
thoroughly hose down your vehicle after a beach trip

All seems true. I've had mine in the sand with no trouble

[Arizona Hummerboy]

Here is a tip I got from Bill Burke ( Getting Unstuck DVD )

It is great for being stuck in the sand, snow or on ice.

Cut 4 strips of carpet about 12 feet long. when you get stuck, you can jack up your vehicle, and put the carpet under your tires and then you can drive yourself out of being stuck.

[Vandakeg]

That is some incredible info! Thanks!

What about warranty issues? I'm assuming that if something breaks while I'm in the sand, it's not going to be covered under the warranty.... At the same time.. it IS a Hummer isn't it? They can't really sell me an 'Adventure Package' and expect me to stay on pavement!

[Arizona Hummerboy]

I not for sure on the warranty issues, but I think if it is under warranty they should cover it, unless it shows a lot of abuse to the part that broke.

You may want to call your service manager at your dealership, and see what they have to say about warranty.

I my self would say your truck should be ok for a day of sand driving, and you should not have any problems.

As a rule of thumb : If you get into a area that your not to sure of, get out and walk the area, and look things over, befor driving through it.

Last thing. Go Out And Have Fun In The H3.
And take lots of pictures.

[NEOCON1]

the H3 works great in sand air down to 15 psi and keep your speed up . do a search for "pismo" you will get lots of pix and info . you can break your truck where ever and the warranty still applies " it is a hummer "

[bparker]

Get some balls and go get in the sand and dont look back. Just take some video too

And no, going off road does not void yer warranty. But lets be real here, if you roll your H3 it isnt covered...

[NEOCON1]

Get some balls and go get in the sand and dont look back

thats to the point man

[Huck BB62]

I used to go into the sand with older vehicles with no problems. A lot of my buddies go to Pismo all the time. Their biggest problem is sand in the door panels messing up the fragile window parts. I think if you tape them up with blue tape, all will be well. There's not much that sand's gonna goof up besides that (and rollin' one over!) Running them in salt water looks really cool but really, if you love your H3, it's not very smart. That corrosive crap gets pushed into places that you'll never ever be able to rinse it out of.

ARB's got some awesome air lift bags that can get anyone out of a sand or snow stuck. I may buy one.

[1COOLH3]

I went last year to Silver Lake with my H3 and had a blast. 4 high lock and 12-15 lbs in the tires is good. I made it up all the hills but it took me a few times to get up and over Test Hill- I got stuck right on top because I let out of the gas too soon (see the picture).

A few tips- put some plastic sheeting on your floors for easy cleanup and if you have a sunroof make sure is closed or you will get covered with sand.

Have Fun!

[1COOLH3]

Test hill in the background- it's a lot steeper than it looks.

[1COOLH3]

One more of our group- its a HUMMER Happening sponsored by Capitol HUMMER in Lansing. We had about 20 all together.

[1COOLH3]

oops- forgot the picture

[Laura]

[quote]Get some balls and go get in the sand and dont look back.

Well said!!!!!

[fourfourto]

1COOLH3
Hummer Veteran

Posted Mar 28, 11:29 AM
I went last year to Silver Lake with my H3 and had a blast. 4 high lock and 12-15 lbs in the tires is good. I made it up all the hills but it took me a few times to get up and over Test Hill- I got stuck right on top because I let out of the gas too soon (see the picture).

How did you do with the sidesteps did they hang up at all?

[1COOLH3]

I didnt have any problems with the running boards- the one time I got stuck was because I hung the frame on a sand dune peak.

If I go again I will probably take them off just because they come off so easy.

[gc2488]

Can anyone recommend a portable jack
that can lift the H3 higher than the
jack that comes with the H3?


Regarding:

Cut 4 strips of carpet about 12 feet long. when you get stuck, you can jack up your vehicle, and put the carpet under your tires and then you can drive yourself out of being stuck.

[HummerNewbie]

Originally posted by gc2488:
Can anyone recommend a portable jack
that can lift the H3 higher than the
jack that comes with the H3?

Not sure how they are in sand but how about a Hi-Lift