[yoda-g3]

Well took my 80 out to the Moses Lake dunes this weekend and had a blast. Aired down the BFG AT's to about 17 PSI and she got around pretty well. not as good as my 40 with swampers, but still not bad. I just had to be pretty heavy footed, I think I pretty much had the turbo spooled for 5 straight hours. Definitely time for the EGT gauge.

VIDEO1
VIDEO2

..... Damn thing sounds like a flipping weed whacker.... you can here my buddies laughing in the background...

I know that if I had a little bit better sand tire I wouldn't have to work her so hard. The problem is that I do most of my duning about 1600 miles round trip from my house once a year, and I only have room to take two tires. The AT's are great for small stuff, but when we hit the Oregon coast, the hills are just going to keep getting bigger , and I don't want to chew up swampers driving down there. I always see guys running just paddles in the back, so I know its doable if you have just a good rear set for the sand.

The two big questions:

I know I'll never be able to perfectly match tire diameter with dissimilar tires, and I know I'm full time AWD, but if I only have a slight mismatch (1/4" or less) and run with the center diff locked, and stay in the sand will I damage anything?

Second, What are my best tire options for sand only without breaking the bank? (Paddles are too $pendy) My buddy says I should just find a used set of swampers and use his tire cutter to make my own paddles. Him and his dad have done it for years with good results.

What are your thoughts?

(At least I'm sure this wouldn't have happened with better tires... Its a good thing the winch was enough, I was wedged against a sand hill and couldn't get to all my recovery gear Gonna have to rethink that one a bit....)

[hicruise55]

I grew up out there in ML, love the sand! Think I may have raced you one year in my Denali. I have always had best luck with a All Terrian tire aired down, some people groove tires (slicks/old tires) and some also use paddles or terra tires (agricultural use) but I think they would be hard to find in a 16" rim? BTW nice Cruiser

[george_tlc]

80 is heavy, power & momentum are your friend.

17psi in the tyres is still a lot of pressure. Drop them a few more psi and see how it performs.

cheers,
george.

[SOCALFJ]

Damn you stuffed the front end in the second video! ha!

[yoda-g3]

Originally Posted by SOCALFJ

Damn you stuffed the front end in the second video! ha!

Haha, ya.... you can expect to see another thread from me shortly on bump stop options...

The problem is that she's such a heavy SOB that you have to get a good run to make any hills, add a couple of "whoops" at the bottom and you're pretty much hosed.I wish I could say that was the only time that happened that day.....

[yoda-g3]

Originally Posted by george_tlc

80 is heavy, power & momentum are your friend.

17psi in the tyres is still a lot of pressure. Drop them a few more psi and see how it performs.

cheers,
george.

How low can I safely run them? I usually go 12psi in the 40, but this gal is so heavy I'm always afraid of coming off the bead.

I know that for most sand stuff a low PSI is ideal, but don't you want a little more bite when hitting climbs? I think I have enough power for the added spin.


hicruise55 - Nope wasn't me you raced, that was my first time over there. would've been fun though. That must've been sweet living right by those dunes, its a 2.5 drive for us. I'd be out there all the time if I was closer. Like the that live by the St. Anthony dunes, I'd kill to go down there more than once a ear.

[SALEH]

is this weld wheels on LC ??

[yoda-g3]

Originally Posted by SALEH

is this weld wheels on LC ??

Nope, they are Ultra or Allied (can't remember) Type 81 Soft 8. Got them at Les Schwab.

[george_tlc]

Originally Posted by yoda-g3

How low can I safely run them? I usually go 12psi in the 40, but this gal is so heavy I'm always afraid of coming off the bead.

I know that for most sand stuff a low PSI is ideal, but don't you want a little more bite when hitting climbs? I think I have enough power for the added spin.

Depends on the tyre and wall stiffness etc. I'd air down to 13psi without too much fear of losing a bead. Just drop a couple of psi at a time and see how the 80 does.

17psi really is pretty high pressure for sand.

cheeers,
george.

[Box Rocket]

I'd try at least 12psi in the sand. It should hold a bead ok. 17psi is way too high. I think that was your problem.

[TEPUI]

Originally Posted by george_tlc

Depends on the tyre and wall stiffness etc. I'd air down to 13psi without too much fear of losing a bead. Just drop a couple of psi at a time and see how the 80 does.

17psi really is pretty high pressure for sand.

I agree, less pressure will exponentially multiply your tires' contact with the sand, it's almost like having more HP

You'll be amazed with the traction you gain with every pound you air down. I'd take the time to test it with different pressures... air her down and drive a few hard corners just to see how your tires react at low pressure. Don't be afraid to try it -the worst scenario is that you pop a bead- Just make sure you have a spare and an air source at hand.

I've ran as little as 7 psi on the Prado (with cooper 265 STTs on LC wheels) but then again, it's a much lighter truck. The 80s are heavy monsters.