LT tyre on beach

[mathewmeldrum Member Find all posts View Profile Close mathewmeldrum]

My mate just bought an old 4runner with small LT tyres on it, His Mr's wont let him get any decent tyres till next tax time,
He just wants to have a run up the beach near Noosa,
Just want to know if i agree to go with him if i will spend more time recovering him then having fun.
I Imagaine if he drops them to about 15PSI then he should manage.

I think once he is on the beach he will be fine its just entering and exiting that he might struggle.

thanks blokes.

P.S attached is the type of tyre im talking about.

[stevensr34 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close stevensr34]

You/he will need to:

1. keep the pressures low (20psi should be fine)
2. keep the car as unloaded as possible,
3. get a run-up when exiting off the beach. (should have no problems going onto the beach)
4. DON'T slow down or change gear in the middle of a beach exit! (LOTS of people become bogged because they change gear in the soft stuff)

Enjoy!

[Steptoe Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steptoe]

If you follow the simple tips given by stevensr34 then you will have no troubles at all. Everyone has a different opinion on tyres however I think it is quite widely accepted that the smoother/less chunky the tread the better it will go on sand, MT's just dig in and don't float as easy. Also skinny verse wide tyres on the sand, there's a whole new can of worms in that one. Again some prefer fat (my preferance) and some prefer skinny. If you look at the locals living on Moreton island there are plenty of them with skinny bald tyres and they'r driving on the soft sand every day.

[Ron.H. Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ron.H.]

That is right you don't need tread for sand, all it seems to do is dig into it rather than float over it. That is why you keep that momentum up so you float over top and don't sink down into it too much and by also having less pressure can give you nearly twice the footprint to spread the load.
Ron.

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

its all about tyre pressures, i regularly go up the beach with a few mates, and they have MTRs and MTZ on their prados and they go well, lower the pressures but yeah they dig a little bit, i have cooper st and they dig a little as well but if know what you are doing it will all be fine. cheers samo

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

Hey Samo we all know you dig deep when required.

See ya on the tracks, Richo.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

IMO, 20 PSI is too high for skinny tyres on a medium/light weight 4x4.

I used to start with a timid 18, but always ended up dropping more, typically ~13-15 depending on the sand and vehicle weight.

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

Richoson

Hey Samo we all know you dig deep when required.

See ya on the tracks, Richo.

thanks richo i aim to please. cheers samo

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Richoson

Hey Samo we all know you dig deep when required.

See ya on the tracks, Richo.

thanks richo i aim to please. cheers samo

and Richo, your aim will help, especially if that rumour is true that it was you pictured on someone's profile with aiming tool in hand.

[Richoson Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Richoson]

MLC

Rumour is true we need to be very careful when Stewy is around, he's riding shotgun with me this weekend so I'll have to be on best behaviour (whatever that maybe?)

See ya on the tracks, Richo.

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Richo.

The local police will need to see the appropriate paperwork for that concealed weapon before you enter into SA in Oct next year. You may also need to downsize given anything over a 45 calibur is ourtright illegal in SA

Regards

[Chopper Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chopper]

Tread Pattern is almost irrelevant, unless you begin to bog down.

If you get your torque (gear and range) and your traction (tyre pressure = length of footprint) right you will be fine, and will not need to 'get a run up'.

Many a 4wd has driven slowly, in low range, around a bogged 4wd who got a run up...

There is the consideration that a passenger tyre is more 'compliant' and tends to shape to the terrain under it whereas a more rigid LT tends to want to punch its way through..

[stevensr34 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close stevensr34]

If you get your torque (gear and range) and your traction (tyre pressure = length of footprint) right you will be fine, and will not need to 'get a run up'.

As long as it's not too soft!

Many a 4wd has driven slowly, in low range, around a bogged 4wd who got a run up...

In my experience (sand driving since 1983), if a vehicle is able to drive (at the same or slower speed) where another got bogged, then the reason for bogging is too high tyre pressures and/or too overloaded.

HOWEVER, I've seen plenty of situations where ALL vehicles get bogged unless they keep up momentum (e.g. Ngkala Rocks bypass - Northern Fraser Is - I've just returned from there). In these situations, there is absolutely no alternative but to "drive it like you stole it"...

[footoo Member Find all posts View Profile Close footoo]

I had skinnys driving on the beaches on the west coast of Tas where the sand was quite soft/hungry, ran at 16 with no problems. Watched a guy in an old lwb 40 go over Big Red in 2nd low with about 12 in his skinnys', just crawled up and over with no drama at all. With 265/75s' on another vehicle I have been down to 8 to get out of a bog. So as everyone is saying, essentially the lower you can go the better.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Getting back to the core question here:

.....
Just want to know if i agree to go with him if i will spend more time recovering him then having fun.
.....

Answer: If you get to pull him out, you'll be having more fun then him! Then drop the pressure, and play again. It only stops being fun when someone rolls (or blows a diff).