Stupid Move of the Day - Got myself stuck in sand

[Dan Higgins]

While many of you were enjoying time in the San Juan mountains I have been in Oregon spending quality time with my 90 year old father. This week I decided to visit the coast and headed over to Pacific Beach. The stupid thing on my part was my drive down onto the beach. I've done this a number of times before but always to the right in the area where the sand tends to be more firm. After being chewed about by one of the Dory boat guys for using "their side of the beach" I decided to move to the other side - where people, lots of people, had been hanging out an playing all day. There the sand was soft and fluffy. I was too lazy to air down and I wasn't down near the water where the sand is firm. (Too many people in my way.) Dumb, dumb, dumb. Once I stopped, I really stopped. Fortunately Maxtrax and 4Lo with Sand/Mud mode got me out without having to air down. But I learned (once again the hard way) that soft sand is, well, soft. Driving on beaches with lots of dry sand and lots of people and car activity is maybe not the wisest thing. And I can't blame it on too much Tsunami Stout from the Pelican Brewery as they were all out!

I would suggest a SMOD (Stupid Move of the Day) thread sort of like the Stupid Question thread but I expect nearly all of the posts would by my own.

 

[mcgaskins]

All that matters is that you guys and the truck were safe, you carried the equipment/knowledge to get yourself out, and you have a memory/experience that you won't soon forget! Any pics of said stuck?

 

[M1911]

Airing down helps a lot.

 

[AntonLC]

Hey guys,
new LC owner here - just picked up my 2016 with 35k miles on it. Going to the beach at the end of the month and was hoping to get some drivin done on the sand! So, i've been asking around about getting sand all over the underbody, suspension, etc and the dealer mech advised to just avoid sand driving. Obviously, lot sof people do it, but any issues with sand getting in everywhere? thanks!

 

[TeCKis300]

Sounds like a fun adventure with no harm or foul in the end. Glad you were prepared!

Your LC is capable of a nice party trick with crawl control in the sand:

 

[indycole]

Hey guys,
new LC owner here - just picked up my 2016 with 35k miles on it. Going to the beach at the end of the month and was hoping to get some drivin done on the sand! So, i've been asking around about getting sand all over the underbody, suspension, etc and the dealer mech advised to just avoid sand driving. Obviously, lot sof people do it, but any issues with sand getting in everywhere? thanks!

I doubt the "don't drive on sand" advice carries much weight in the Middle East where umpteen LCs are sold every year. After sand driving (mainly Pismo for me) I hit the undercarriage with compressed CO2 and then pressure wash... but that's even overkill. I'd be more concerned if there was salt water mixed with the sand.

 

[TeCKis300]

Hey guys,
new LC owner here - just picked up my 2016 with 35k miles on it. Going to the beach at the end of the month and was hoping to get some drivin done on the sand! So, i've been asking around about getting sand all over the underbody, suspension, etc and the dealer mech advised to just avoid sand driving. Obviously, lot sof people do it, but any issues with sand getting in everywhere? thanks!

LC's in the middle east live their whole lives in the sand.

What's more concerning than the sand, is the salt in the water and to some degree, salt in the sand. That stuff is NASTY for longevity and corrosion. It might look fun. But I wouldn't go anywhere near the water line. Definitely don't want that corrosive salt water splashing on the chassis.

EDIT, looks like indycole got to it right before me. Agreed!

 

[JohnVee]

Pardon my 200 ignorance, but does the 200 actually have a key cylinder in all four doors? Is that what those black dots on the handles are?

 

[AntonLC]

I doubt the "don't drive on sand" advice carries much weight in the Middle East where umpteen LCs are sold every year. After sand driving (mainly Pismo for me) I hit the undercarriage with compressed CO2 and then pressure wash... but that's even overkill. I'd be more concerned if there was salt water mixed with the sand.

Thanks, indycole and TeCKis300. Totally agree with the salt argument. For the sand itself, a ton of LCs are sold in the middle east, but how long do they keep theirs for? I guess, another question - any potential for "noises" creaking or grinding in the suspension once sand gets in?
thanks all!

 

[indycole]

Thanks, indycole and TeCKis300. Totally agree with the salt argument. For the sand itself, a ton of LCs are sold in the middle east, but how long do they keep theirs for? I guess, another question - any potential for "noises" creaking or grinding in the suspension once sand gets in?
thanks all!

@ToyotaIsLife Any thoughts on how concerned folks should be about sand getting into suspension components?

 

[JZelnick]

A few weeks ago I got back from Cape Lookout in North Carolina. Hours and hours of blasting through open beach and on tight dune trails. A simple undercarriage wash will do the trick. Still running stock suspension and it performed great on our LCDC trip. Higher end systems should have part that keeps debris/sand off of the shaft. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[coleAK]

I drive my ‘13 LX 570 in the sand and even below the high tide line and sometimes unavoidable salt water multiple times a summer. Do it to get to salmon fishing and have for 5 years now. No signs of rust, when I leave I go through an auto wash with under spray and that’s it.

For sand driving I air down to 20-25 PSI from 47 psi in my KO2s and put it in 4LO. I Only use diff lock if I’m pulling someone out.

Airing down is the key. This year it was raining (so I thought the sand would be firmer) and we wanted to get out to the fishing area quick (2-3 miles) I made it but could feel that I was plowing through the sand more than driving over it.

I’m in Alaska so heavy winter but we don’t use salt on the roads up here due to the nagative environmental impact. I would think road salt is much worse for rust then driving on the beach a handful of times a year.

 

[studawg]

Pardon my 200 ignorance, but does the 200 actually have a key cylinder in all four doors? Is that what those black dots on the handles are?

No, just the front doors. Those black dots are little buttons that you press to lock/unlock the doors when you have your Smart Key in your pocket

 

[AntonLC]

A few weeks ago I got back from Cape Lookout in North Carolina. Hours and hours of blasting through open beach and on tight dune trails. A simple undercarriage wash will do the trick. Still running stock suspension and it performed great on our LCDC trip. Higher end systems should have part that keeps debris/sand off of the shaft. I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks, JZelnick. We are going to Corolla in OBX, NC, so hoping for some good fun as well. Appreciate everyone's advice and shared experience.

 

[AntonLC]

I drive my ‘13 LX 570 in the sand and even below the high tide line and sometimes unavoidable salt water multiple times a summer. Do it to get to salmon fishing and have for 5 years now. No signs of rust, when I leave I go through an auto wash with under spray and that’s it.

For sand driving I air down to 20-25 PSI from 47 psi in my KO2s and put it in 4LO. I Only use diff lock if I’m pulling someone out.

Airing down is the key. This year it was raining (so I thought the sand would be firmer) and we wanted to get out to the fishing area quick (2-3 miles) I made it but could feel that I was plowing through the sand more than driving over it.

I’m in Alaska so heavy winter but we don’t use salt on the roads up here due to the nagative environmental impact. I would think road salt is much worse for rust then driving on the beach a handful of times a year.

Agreed about road salt. As I was searching for the right truck I looked at one in PA, a 2016 with 43k miles. It was owned and driven in Scranton, PA - way north. I checked out the undercarriage - holy crap, everything was covered in rust!, every component after only 2 winters (or years). Road salt or whatever other chemicals they throw down in the Midatlantic/NE are aweful.

 

[JohnVee]

No, just the front doors. Those black dots are little buttons that you press to lock/unlock the doors when you have your Smart Key in your pocket

Thanks. Even having a key on the PS front door is an amazing thing nowadays.

Thanks, JZelnick. We are going to Corolla in OBX, NC, so hoping for some good fun as well. Appreciate everyone's advice and shared experience.

Check in to the ONSC clubhouse for any info before you go! That's the area where we do our Spring Tide Ride event every year. None of us actually live there but many of us frequent the area. Watch out for the horses. Somebody hit one this year...there might be more surveillance than normal.

 

[AntonLC]

Thanks. Even having a key on the PS front door is an amazing thing nowadays.

Check in to the ONSC clubhouse for any info before you go! That's the area where we do our Spring Tide Ride event every year. None of us actually live there but many of us frequent the area. Watch out for the horses. Somebody hit one this year...there might be more surveillance than normal.

Perfect, will do. thanks!

 

[JohnVee]

We have some pics of a Maserati stuck in the sand from 2017, IIRC. No, not one of us!

 

[M1911]

@ToyotaIsLife Any thoughts on how concerned folks should be about sand getting into suspension components?

I don’t think that had any impact on the life of my 4Runner, which spent two weeks per year on the beach. The salt, on the other hand, is an issue. Definitely wash the undercarriage well after driving on the beach. Best thing to do would be to pull the skid plate and make sure no salty sand is trapped on top of it, against the frame.

For those driving on the sand, it really isn’t difficult in most places. Air down to 15-20 psi. I use low range to reduce heat in the torque converter and transmission (plus it helps me keep my speed down). I lock the the center diff.

Be careful about where you drive. I stay above the beach shoulder. Look for tire tracks. If you are thinking about driving somewhere without tire tracks, think twice. If you get bogged, stop and try to back out.

 

[TeCKis300]

While sinking in can happen to anyone, tire selection is also a point to consider if visiting soft sand often. Airing down any tire will help greatly, but the tire itself matters here too.

There is a concept of "flotation" tires - tires designed to float over lose or sandy surfaces. Flotation tires are most notable by their wide footprint to minimize surface pressures. In this way, it keeps loose material under the tire. Aggressive tread off-road tires often exacerbate flotation further as they tend to dig deeper and claw through soft and loose surfaces. So an aggressive tread pattern and narrow tire is often the opposite of what one really wants in the sand.