Off-Road Driving Tips for Sand, Courtesy Jeep

Sand. It can be tricky. Besides often being found in parts of the world where daytime temperatures can be searing hot, it also presents a few other challenges when it comes to four-wheeling.

Luckily the folks at Jeep have come up with a few tips, essentially Sand Driving 101, to help ensure you can have a blast on the soft stuff without getting stuck.

One of the biggest things concerns tires; the softer the sand, the larger the tire needed and the lower the pressure. Jeep’s own blog suggests deflating your tires to around 10-15 psi for negotiating the really soft stuff, though at the same time the blog does say to follow manufacturer recommendations. Of course once you’re done boonie bashing through the dunes, make sure you inflate your tires back to normal pressures for road duty.

Another tip when driving on sand is to place a flag on your vehicle’s antenna or whip mast, that way, others can see you as you negotiate dips and hills.

Another tip is technique. On softer sand you’ll want to engage high range four-wheel drive as maintaining momentum is crucial; sometimes turning your steering wheel to the left or right quickly can also aide traction. One thing you should not do is try to come to a stop or spin your tires while stationary. You’ll sink faster than a torpedoed ship.

If you do end up getting stuck, Jeep’s own blog says that one way to try and get out is by wetting the sand and placing your floormats in front of the tires to help them bite. And finally, though it’s really a bit of common sense this one; if you plan on driving on sand, make sure that it’s legal to drive in the area you’re thinking about. To find out what locations are legal in the US, click on the link below:

[Source: Blog.Jeep.com]