I read this article in www.4wd4sale.com and I really loved it. So I wanted to share it with you all
SANDSATIONAL
Skill in using a 4WD vehicle is really just commonsense – but it is commonsense that is either learned from real life experience of from heeding the advice from others. Unless you like learning the hard way, it is best to absorb as much as you can before you tackle sandy situations. Sand can be unforgiving. VERY unforgiving!
THE ENVIRONMENT
Before we get into the dos and don’ts of sand-driving, let me stress that the first and foremost requirement is respect for the environment. If you are new to an area, check whether local regulations permit driving on the beach or dunes. If there is no signage, ask people who live in the vicinity; enquire at the police office, or at any establishment that is likely to be frequented by people with access to the beach.
Even if it is ‘legal’ to drive on the sand, stay well away from areas that contain any sort of vegetation. Even if the vegetation looks unimportant to you, it may be essential for the stability of the beach and/or sand dunes. Similarly, stay off rocky areas as these may be the home for a wide range of small marine life.
Never drive between a fisherman and the water. You can’t see some fishing lines from a few feet away, let alone when you are approaching at ten miles an hour...and punching an irate fisherman on the fist, with your nose, is never pleasant. Similarly, watch out for people working on their tan. Most beaches have slight undulations that can obscure people who are lying flat - worshipping the centre of the solar system.
If you are driving over sand dunes, be sure that you look before you descend any hill. If you cannot see all the way to the bottom, get out and have a good look. Don’t charge over in the belief that you will be able to stop or turn if you see anyone, or a vehicle, on the other side. It may be too late.
What I have said for daytime sand-driving is doubly important for night travel. Any sand undulations will result in your lights, no matter how powerful, casting long, dark shadows – shadows that could hide obstacles, or people. Over the years, there have been several fatalities caused by 4WDs running over people who have been sitting, or lying, on the sand in the darkness.
TIRES
In my opinion, one of the most important things that determine whether you travel over sand with ease - or with a lot of difficulty - is the tires on your vehicle.
Contrary to general belief, and despite what some ‘off-road experts, will try to tell you, wide tires are not the be-all and end-all to success on the sand. Tall tires are the answer. It is better to have tall, narrow tires than wide, low-profile tires – however, if they happen to be tall and wide, then so much the better. You only have to look at photographs of cars taken in the first two decades of the 20th century. The reason they had very tall wheels and tires was simple: the ‘roads’ they had to travel on were mostly unsealed. So, in those days, a motor vehicle had to be designed to cope with a daily dose of dirt, gravel, mud and sand. Just the sort of surfaces 4WD owners go searching for today!
Soon after I bought my first 4WD, I was talked into buying a set of ten-inch wide Alliance Blazer tires. According to the tire salesman, these were developed for the Israeli Army and would (therefore) be absolutely ideal for sand work. It didn’t take me long to realize that, if the Israeli soldiers used them on their vehicles, then it must have been to dig trenches! The Alliance Blazers were wider than the 750 x 16 Dunlop cross-plies I had discarded. But, because they were much lower than the 750s, their ability in soft going was noticeably inferior.
The easiest way to understand the tall-tire theory is to imagine the shape of the area of tire that is in contact with the ground. In the case of the 750 x 16 Dunlops, the contact area would look somewhat rectangular, with the longer side running lengthwise to the vehicle. Letting some air out of these tires will increase the contact area width but, more importantly, it increases the length. Picture the contact area as invisible skis: the tall tire rolls along on long skis that are ideally shaped for the direction of travel; the wide tire, however, may not be. If the wide tire is substantially smaller in circumference (lower in height), it is easy to visualize the poor ‘ski’ shape that it is going to provide.
Reducing the air pressure increases the tire’s contact area and therefore reduces the force per unit of area. Thus, the greater the contact area you can provide, the less prone the vehicle will be to ‘sink’ into the sand. However, you also must have some regard for your tires. Personally, I do not like reducing the pressures on a heavy vehicle much below 15psi, unless the vehicle is stuck. Running tires at very low inflation pressures can cause damage from (a) the severe flexing (b) the heat that is generated, and (c) obstacles that can cut, or pierce the bulging sidewall. Plus, unless you have dead-locker wheels, you also risk the tire running off the rim.
If you intend to do a lot of sand driving, it is best to choose a non-aggressive tire. In simple words, one that does not appear to have a deep tread with lots of ‘gaps’. Generally, an aggressive tire is suitable for rock and mud work but requires plenty of care in sand. A tire with aggressive lugs will usually come to grief in soft sand if the wheels happen to spin, as the lugs will act like a dredge and dig in very quickly. The ideal sand tire is one that is tall and wide and has minimum tread. The hard part, of course, is finding a tire that meets the requirements of sand travel, yet is acceptable for most other 4WD situations. In my opinion, two tires that come close are the BF Goodrich All Terrain and the Bridgestone Desert Dueler. There are better ‘sand/highway only’ tires, such as the BF Goodrich Sport Truck Radial, but these have their limitations when you want to get back into the rough stuff.
You are the only one who can decide what is best for your vehicle – once you are familiar with the requirements and know the limitations. If money is not a problem, the ideal is to have two sets of wheels. One set fitted with sand/highway rubber, the other with something more aggressive, such as the B F Goodrich MT or Goodyear MT/R
EQUIPMENT
One thing you should carry, regardless of the tires you run, is a tire pump. There are hand pumps, foot pumps, “spark plug” pumps, gas-cylinder ‘pumps’ and 12-volt electric pumps. Generally, when it comes to electric pumps, spend as much as you can (rationally) afford. Cheapies could be OK for that once-a-year inflation job; but if 4-wheeling is your passion, a high-performance pump will still be an asset long after you have forgotten the price. A good pump should inflate a 33 inch tire, from 15psi to 30psi, in about three to four minutes. With a budget special it will seem like eternity – if the motor lasts that long!
If you go shopping for a pump, try to get one with an inbuilt pressure gauge, as this feature will allow you to monitor the pressure while the tire is being inflated. It sure saves a lot of wasted time. Another time-saver you should also consider a set of tire deflators. These attach to the tire valve and allow you to quickly ‘air down’ to a lower pressure you have selected.
Carrying a tire pump in your vehicle (at all times) could improve your life. It will encourage you to lower the tires’ pressure, and this should result in (a) reducing the chance of getting stuck, (b) saving your valuable recreation time and (c) keeping your passengers happy - and convinced that you are the world’s best 4-wheel driver!
For worry-free sand-driving, you should also carry all (or most) of the following equipment, to enable you to dig, jack, lift, pull or tow.
1. A spade or shovel. Preferably one with a long handle, as this will allow you to reach well under the vehicle. Fold-up ‘army’ shovels are better than nothing at all, but a long-handled tool is a hundred times better.
2. A jack that has the capability of lifting your vehicle more than the few inches necessary to change a tire. A sturdy hydraulic ‘bottle’ jack will (usually) be a better aid than the wind-up type that was supplied with the vehicle. The tall mechanical jack, generally known as a ‘high-lift’, can be a welcome friend in many off-road situations – provided you have strong, and accessible, mounting points. High-lift jacks are not compatible with most modern 4WDs - unless expensive modifications are made to the vehicle. In sand, you will also need some sort of base-plate to prevent the jack from sinking. A handy base-plate can be easily made from marine grade 5-ply wood. The base plate should be at least one foot square and have some sort of cupped area in the centre to ‘locate’ the jack and help prevent it from sliding off the plate.
3. Old mats, pieces of carpet, sheets of canvas, timber planks, driftwood, beer can cartons...you name it, and people have used it to make a tractable surface during a de-bogging exercise. What you carry in your vehicle is up to you. Some 4-wheelers I know have long pieces of carpet folded and laid down flat in the cargo area. The carpet acts as noise insulation, reduces the rattles that you expect when you carry camping equipment, and becomes an emergency ‘road’ whenever they get stuck in the soft stuff.
4. Every 4WD (except the ones that never go out of the city) should carry some sort of winch. A winch, whether it be hand-operated or powered, is cheap insurance in off-road situations – and even the expensive models will usually cost only a fraction of the investment that you have already made in your vehicle. The big problem on sand is that there is usually very little to which you can attached the end of your winch cable. If you have tried everything else, and the winch seems the only answer, you can bury your spare wheel (with the winch cable attached) and use the wheel as an underground anchor. You will need to implant the wheel deep, with the face of the wheel towards the vehicle. You should also try to ensure that the winch cable runs in a straight line from the winch to the centre of the buried wheel.
VEHICLES
We could spend many hours discussing the merits of different types of vehicles for sand-driving. However, unless you are in a position to purchase, or build, a 4WD purely for sand work, nothing we say is likely to entice you to trade-in your present vehicle, to get one more suited to beach requirements. Your particular needs are yours alone, and the vehicle that suits or appeals to others may not do the same for you.
We can only advise that traveling on soft sand is usually easier for vehicles that are very light, very powerful and, preferably, automatic. This means that the perfect sand vehicle would be something like a Suzuki soft-top with a big V8, quick-shift automatic transmission, and smooth tires around 36 inches tall!
Most four-wheel drives will handle general beach conditions quite well, provided the driver understands the content in the other sections of this article. If you have visions of conquering steep dunes with the greatest of ease, you will you need to consider the vehicle modifications necessary, and the health of your bank account.
DRIVING TIPS
Momentum is the name of the game on soft sand. Even though your 4WD may be horizontal, the tires have ‘sunk’ and you are actually driving uphill. These conditions require smooth, uninterrupted power to maintain your progress. It is better to run in low range, even if you think you can get away with high range. When soft sand suddenly appears, you are then in a position to pour on the power without the need to stop and move the transfer case lever to low. In a manual vehicle, try to make the gear changes as quickly as you can, so that the vehicle has as little time as possible to drop off the pace.
If other vehicles have been using the beach, it is generally best to follow their tracks. Chances are that, if they made it, so will you. Experience will help you to choose the firmest sand, but even the experienced drivers sometimes get it wrong.
When ascending or descending steep sand hills, drive straight up or straight down. Don’t try to drive across the face of a dune, or try to turn around. There is less chance of rolling over if your vehicle is facing straight up, or straight down. Making a decision to deviate ‘just a bit’ can easily lead to a rollover and the resultant trauma that entails.
When descending a dune, drive down. Even though the descent may be steep, the vehicle will want to bury its front wheels, and you will need plenty of power to get you down. The driving wheels will also help to keep the vehicle straight. Braking in these conditions is unnecessary and may cause the vehicle to slew around to a dangerous position.
When you park your 4WD anywhere on the sand, always try to park facing downhill. This will allow you to drive off with a minimum of drama when it comes time to move. If you do get stuck, here are a few tips to remember.
1. Don’t pour on the power and cause the wheels to spin. Spinning tires will only dig bigger, harder-to-get-of, holes.
2. Get out and have a look around, and under, the vehicle. If you have them, are the front hubs in lock? (It happened to me once). Is the transfer case lever or switch in the 4WD position? Have the tires been aired-down enough?
3. Sit down and think. Ask everyone to stop giving advice. They’ll usually do that if you promise to stop shouting.
4. Is it better to reverse out? Sometimes it is better to go back over sand you know than to go into sand you don’t know.
5. Clear as much sand away from the tires as you can – in the direction you want to go and away form the tire so that, when they do move, the sand won’t fall in on the tire again. Remove sand under the vehicle that may be fouling, or going to foul, the axles or whatever else may be hanging down.
6. Anything you can pack down as a “road” for traction may help. If the tide is coming to get you; that could even mean sleeping bags, a tent, or even some of your clothing.
7. If you can hold the foot brake on lightly while you apply some power, it may help prevent the wheels with the least traction from spinning and digging deeper. This is another instance where an automatic can be and advantage in sand. An automatic will sometimes allow you to rock the vehicle back and forth by flicking form Drive to Reverse and back again quickly. This rocking motion may compact the sand enough to allow you to drive out of the trouble spot.
8. If the whole scene is getting to you, or you’re starting to feel “knocked up”, take a long break, Go for a swim or have a lie down. It’s amazing how much simpler problems become when you approach them with a fresher mind. If you wait long enough, someone might come along and give you hand. And don’t forget to offer them a drink - ‘cause it could be us!
Footnote: After running your 4WD on sand and/or beside salt water, make sure you give it a good wash. Fresh sea air may be invigorating for us humans, but it can also be the start of incurable cancer in your motor vehicle. Hose the vehicle down thoroughly – under the wheel arches, right under the floor and even in the engine bay. When you have finished, do it again just to make certain that all traces of sand and salt have been removed. If you have been stuck, it is also a good idea to remove the brakes and give them a good clean out.
Link to the original article:
http://www.4wd4sale.com/sitefirstpage.cfm?siteaction=sc2&scdid=190&cmid=007.008&mid=007&page=156&sr=1
SANDSATIONAL
Skill in using a 4WD vehicle is really just commonsense – but it is commonsense that is either learned from real life experience of from heeding the advice from others. Unless you like learning the hard way, it is best to absorb as much as you can before you tackle sandy situations. Sand can be unforgiving. VERY unforgiving!
THE ENVIRONMENT
Before we get into the dos and don’ts of sand-driving, let me stress that the first and foremost requirement is respect for the environment. If you are new to an area, check whether local regulations permit driving on the beach or dunes. If there is no signage, ask people who live in the vicinity; enquire at the police office, or at any establishment that is likely to be frequented by people with access to the beach.
Even if it is ‘legal’ to drive on the sand, stay well away from areas that contain any sort of vegetation. Even if the vegetation looks unimportant to you, it may be essential for the stability of the beach and/or sand dunes. Similarly, stay off rocky areas as these may be the home for a wide range of small marine life.
Never drive between a fisherman and the water. You can’t see some fishing lines from a few feet away, let alone when you are approaching at ten miles an hour...and punching an irate fisherman on the fist, with your nose, is never pleasant. Similarly, watch out for people working on their tan. Most beaches have slight undulations that can obscure people who are lying flat - worshipping the centre of the solar system.
If you are driving over sand dunes, be sure that you look before you descend any hill. If you cannot see all the way to the bottom, get out and have a good look. Don’t charge over in the belief that you will be able to stop or turn if you see anyone, or a vehicle, on the other side. It may be too late.
What I have said for daytime sand-driving is doubly important for night travel. Any sand undulations will result in your lights, no matter how powerful, casting long, dark shadows – shadows that could hide obstacles, or people. Over the years, there have been several fatalities caused by 4WDs running over people who have been sitting, or lying, on the sand in the darkness.
TIRES
In my opinion, one of the most important things that determine whether you travel over sand with ease - or with a lot of difficulty - is the tires on your vehicle.
Contrary to general belief, and despite what some ‘off-road experts, will try to tell you, wide tires are not the be-all and end-all to success on the sand. Tall tires are the answer. It is better to have tall, narrow tires than wide, low-profile tires – however, if they happen to be tall and wide, then so much the better. You only have to look at photographs of cars taken in the first two decades of the 20th century. The reason they had very tall wheels and tires was simple: the ‘roads’ they had to travel on were mostly unsealed. So, in those days, a motor vehicle had to be designed to cope with a daily dose of dirt, gravel, mud and sand. Just the sort of surfaces 4WD owners go searching for today!
Soon after I bought my first 4WD, I was talked into buying a set of ten-inch wide Alliance Blazer tires. According to the tire salesman, these were developed for the Israeli Army and would (therefore) be absolutely ideal for sand work. It didn’t take me long to realize that, if the Israeli soldiers used them on their vehicles, then it must have been to dig trenches! The Alliance Blazers were wider than the 750 x 16 Dunlop cross-plies I had discarded. But, because they were much lower than the 750s, their ability in soft going was noticeably inferior.
The easiest way to understand the tall-tire theory is to imagine the shape of the area of tire that is in contact with the ground. In the case of the 750 x 16 Dunlops, the contact area would look somewhat rectangular, with the longer side running lengthwise to the vehicle. Letting some air out of these tires will increase the contact area width but, more importantly, it increases the length. Picture the contact area as invisible skis: the tall tire rolls along on long skis that are ideally shaped for the direction of travel; the wide tire, however, may not be. If the wide tire is substantially smaller in circumference (lower in height), it is easy to visualize the poor ‘ski’ shape that it is going to provide.
Reducing the air pressure increases the tire’s contact area and therefore reduces the force per unit of area. Thus, the greater the contact area you can provide, the less prone the vehicle will be to ‘sink’ into the sand. However, you also must have some regard for your tires. Personally, I do not like reducing the pressures on a heavy vehicle much below 15psi, unless the vehicle is stuck. Running tires at very low inflation pressures can cause damage from (a) the severe flexing (b) the heat that is generated, and (c) obstacles that can cut, or pierce the bulging sidewall. Plus, unless you have dead-locker wheels, you also risk the tire running off the rim.
If you intend to do a lot of sand driving, it is best to choose a non-aggressive tire. In simple words, one that does not appear to have a deep tread with lots of ‘gaps’. Generally, an aggressive tire is suitable for rock and mud work but requires plenty of care in sand. A tire with aggressive lugs will usually come to grief in soft sand if the wheels happen to spin, as the lugs will act like a dredge and dig in very quickly. The ideal sand tire is one that is tall and wide and has minimum tread. The hard part, of course, is finding a tire that meets the requirements of sand travel, yet is acceptable for most other 4WD situations. In my opinion, two tires that come close are the BF Goodrich All Terrain and the Bridgestone Desert Dueler. There are better ‘sand/highway only’ tires, such as the BF Goodrich Sport Truck Radial, but these have their limitations when you want to get back into the rough stuff.
You are the only one who can decide what is best for your vehicle – once you are familiar with the requirements and know the limitations. If money is not a problem, the ideal is to have two sets of wheels. One set fitted with sand/highway rubber, the other with something more aggressive, such as the B F Goodrich MT or Goodyear MT/R
EQUIPMENT
One thing you should carry, regardless of the tires you run, is a tire pump. There are hand pumps, foot pumps, “spark plug” pumps, gas-cylinder ‘pumps’ and 12-volt electric pumps. Generally, when it comes to electric pumps, spend as much as you can (rationally) afford. Cheapies could be OK for that once-a-year inflation job; but if 4-wheeling is your passion, a high-performance pump will still be an asset long after you have forgotten the price. A good pump should inflate a 33 inch tire, from 15psi to 30psi, in about three to four minutes. With a budget special it will seem like eternity – if the motor lasts that long!
If you go shopping for a pump, try to get one with an inbuilt pressure gauge, as this feature will allow you to monitor the pressure while the tire is being inflated. It sure saves a lot of wasted time. Another time-saver you should also consider a set of tire deflators. These attach to the tire valve and allow you to quickly ‘air down’ to a lower pressure you have selected.
Carrying a tire pump in your vehicle (at all times) could improve your life. It will encourage you to lower the tires’ pressure, and this should result in (a) reducing the chance of getting stuck, (b) saving your valuable recreation time and (c) keeping your passengers happy - and convinced that you are the world’s best 4-wheel driver!
For worry-free sand-driving, you should also carry all (or most) of the following equipment, to enable you to dig, jack, lift, pull or tow.
1. A spade or shovel. Preferably one with a long handle, as this will allow you to reach well under the vehicle. Fold-up ‘army’ shovels are better than nothing at all, but a long-handled tool is a hundred times better.
2. A jack that has the capability of lifting your vehicle more than the few inches necessary to change a tire. A sturdy hydraulic ‘bottle’ jack will (usually) be a better aid than the wind-up type that was supplied with the vehicle. The tall mechanical jack, generally known as a ‘high-lift’, can be a welcome friend in many off-road situations – provided you have strong, and accessible, mounting points. High-lift jacks are not compatible with most modern 4WDs - unless expensive modifications are made to the vehicle. In sand, you will also need some sort of base-plate to prevent the jack from sinking. A handy base-plate can be easily made from marine grade 5-ply wood. The base plate should be at least one foot square and have some sort of cupped area in the centre to ‘locate’ the jack and help prevent it from sliding off the plate.
3. Old mats, pieces of carpet, sheets of canvas, timber planks, driftwood, beer can cartons...you name it, and people have used it to make a tractable surface during a de-bogging exercise. What you carry in your vehicle is up to you. Some 4-wheelers I know have long pieces of carpet folded and laid down flat in the cargo area. The carpet acts as noise insulation, reduces the rattles that you expect when you carry camping equipment, and becomes an emergency ‘road’ whenever they get stuck in the soft stuff.
4. Every 4WD (except the ones that never go out of the city) should carry some sort of winch. A winch, whether it be hand-operated or powered, is cheap insurance in off-road situations – and even the expensive models will usually cost only a fraction of the investment that you have already made in your vehicle. The big problem on sand is that there is usually very little to which you can attached the end of your winch cable. If you have tried everything else, and the winch seems the only answer, you can bury your spare wheel (with the winch cable attached) and use the wheel as an underground anchor. You will need to implant the wheel deep, with the face of the wheel towards the vehicle. You should also try to ensure that the winch cable runs in a straight line from the winch to the centre of the buried wheel.
5. If most 4WDs should have a winch, then every four-wheel drive should have some sort of recovery aid. Experience has shown that the best, low-cost, easy-to-carry aid is what is generally known as a ‘snatch strap’. These woven nylon straps are designed to withstand massive loads without breaking and, because they stretch, they can perform seemingly miraculous feats in recovery a stuck vehicle. Check our article, ‘It’s a Snatch!’ for more information on these amazing - and essential - 4WD aids.
VEHICLES
We could spend many hours discussing the merits of different types of vehicles for sand-driving. However, unless you are in a position to purchase, or build, a 4WD purely for sand work, nothing we say is likely to entice you to trade-in your present vehicle, to get one more suited to beach requirements. Your particular needs are yours alone, and the vehicle that suits or appeals to others may not do the same for you.
We can only advise that traveling on soft sand is usually easier for vehicles that are very light, very powerful and, preferably, automatic. This means that the perfect sand vehicle would be something like a Suzuki soft-top with a big V8, quick-shift automatic transmission, and smooth tires around 36 inches tall!
Most four-wheel drives will handle general beach conditions quite well, provided the driver understands the content in the other sections of this article. If you have visions of conquering steep dunes with the greatest of ease, you will you need to consider the vehicle modifications necessary, and the health of your bank account.
DRIVING TIPS
Momentum is the name of the game on soft sand. Even though your 4WD may be horizontal, the tires have ‘sunk’ and you are actually driving uphill. These conditions require smooth, uninterrupted power to maintain your progress. It is better to run in low range, even if you think you can get away with high range. When soft sand suddenly appears, you are then in a position to pour on the power without the need to stop and move the transfer case lever to low. In a manual vehicle, try to make the gear changes as quickly as you can, so that the vehicle has as little time as possible to drop off the pace.
If other vehicles have been using the beach, it is generally best to follow their tracks. Chances are that, if they made it, so will you. Experience will help you to choose the firmest sand, but even the experienced drivers sometimes get it wrong.
When ascending or descending steep sand hills, drive straight up or straight down. Don’t try to drive across the face of a dune, or try to turn around. There is less chance of rolling over if your vehicle is facing straight up, or straight down. Making a decision to deviate ‘just a bit’ can easily lead to a rollover and the resultant trauma that entails.
When descending a dune, drive down. Even though the descent may be steep, the vehicle will want to bury its front wheels, and you will need plenty of power to get you down. The driving wheels will also help to keep the vehicle straight. Braking in these conditions is unnecessary and may cause the vehicle to slew around to a dangerous position.
When you park your 4WD anywhere on the sand, always try to park facing downhill. This will allow you to drive off with a minimum of drama when it comes time to move. If you do get stuck, here are a few tips to remember.
1. Don’t pour on the power and cause the wheels to spin. Spinning tires will only dig bigger, harder-to-get-of, holes.
2. Get out and have a look around, and under, the vehicle. If you have them, are the front hubs in lock? (It happened to me once). Is the transfer case lever or switch in the 4WD position? Have the tires been aired-down enough?
3. Sit down and think. Ask everyone to stop giving advice. They’ll usually do that if you promise to stop shouting.
4. Is it better to reverse out? Sometimes it is better to go back over sand you know than to go into sand you don’t know.
5. Clear as much sand away from the tires as you can – in the direction you want to go and away form the tire so that, when they do move, the sand won’t fall in on the tire again. Remove sand under the vehicle that may be fouling, or going to foul, the axles or whatever else may be hanging down.
6. Anything you can pack down as a “road” for traction may help. If the tide is coming to get you; that could even mean sleeping bags, a tent, or even some of your clothing.
7. If you can hold the foot brake on lightly while you apply some power, it may help prevent the wheels with the least traction from spinning and digging deeper. This is another instance where an automatic can be and advantage in sand. An automatic will sometimes allow you to rock the vehicle back and forth by flicking form Drive to Reverse and back again quickly. This rocking motion may compact the sand enough to allow you to drive out of the trouble spot.
8. If the whole scene is getting to you, or you’re starting to feel “knocked up”, take a long break, Go for a swim or have a lie down. It’s amazing how much simpler problems become when you approach them with a fresher mind. If you wait long enough, someone might come along and give you hand. And don’t forget to offer them a drink - ‘cause it could be us!
Footnote: After running your 4WD on sand and/or beside salt water, make sure you give it a good wash. Fresh sea air may be invigorating for us humans, but it can also be the start of incurable cancer in your motor vehicle. Hose the vehicle down thoroughly – under the wheel arches, right under the floor and even in the engine bay. When you have finished, do it again just to make certain that all traces of sand and salt have been removed. If you have been stuck, it is also a good idea to remove the brakes and give them a good clean out.
http://www.4wd4sale.com/sitefirstpage.cfm?siteaction=sc2&scdid=190&cmid=007.008&mid=007&page=156&sr=1
