Diff Locks in Sand

[atowen]

Hey all,
With an upcoming Fraser island trip D ) I'm wondering whats everybody's consensus on locking the rear up in the soft stuff? Although going in the middle of winter I'm doubting it will be to soft!

It is the first time I have the option of engaging the locker on the beach; although I've never struggled with open diffs but now have the option!. The line of thinking I'm going on is it wont do to much and might be a slightly worse with bogging down.

Thanks Anth!

 

[Big Rig]

Don't use it unless you need it. I would follow that motto for all wheelin.

 

[billolga]

Don't bother - Tyre pressure & technique is all you need.

 

[Mongrel Lux]

G'day Anth

Ya know 13 psi works very well in the High Country. Start with 15 psi & take it from there, lock it if ya need to, or if ya just want to see what if any difference it makes. It can some times help up a sand dune, ya wont break any thing finding out for ya self & then you'll know or wait untill ya get stuck then hit the button.

But if ya don't need it, why use it. Arre ya yet???
Mal

 

[allanmac]

Interesting question Anthony & many will have differing points of views on the subject... As others have said, tyre pressures & momentum are the key on soft sand, but am sure you already know this as having driven on sand previously.

In regard to using difflocks, many follow the motto stated by Big Rig; "Dont use them until you need them", but I do differ to that, in that my motto is; "I have them, use them"... I just find it is far easier on the vehicle to engage them before getting stuck rather than engaging when stuck & putting extra strain on the driveline. Again, each to their own on this one, as is another topic I guess....

Back to sand, we did a few tests down in Tassie on our 1st trip there a few yrs ago. Generally we found the lockers engaged made little difference. Once you are stuck in sand, you are stuck... There was one sand dune that 3 vehicles attempted & all got stuck. The 1st had no lockers got stuck and sat there spinning wheels. The 2nd vehicle started with no lockers engaged & got stuck in a similar position. Engaged locker & just dug himself in deeper. The 3rd engaged locker BEFORE attempting the dune & got a fraction further up the dune, (less than a car length), but was the extra distance gained due to the lockers or more momentum, the different tyres & pressures, type of vehicle; we couldnt really say....

Again your decision to make, but I would suggest that if you are going to use the locker, engage it before you start your approach.

 

[croozza]

If you managed to get through without the locker, then there is no need to use it, but play it by ear, if the access point is badly chopped up, then lock it in and then you can drive slower.

 

[aarond]

i would engage before you need it. have it unlocked, but engage it before you drive though something that looks like could cause a problem.

i dont like the idea people have that you use 2wd til i cant get any further than use 4wd til im stuck again then use the lockers.

Dont use it unless you need it moto means destroys the track more and possibly break things.

 

[Jarh73]

I would leave the diff lock on personally.

I cant see any negatives. Like others have said its not much use once you are stuck but its a good bet it may reduce the chances of getting stuck in the first place. That bit of extra momentum gained through a bit of extra traction has go to be worthwhile.

I just can't see any negatives leaving the diff lock on in sand. (happy to stand corrected on that)

Cheers

Justin

 

[croozza]

I would leave the diff lock on personally.

I cant see any negatives. Like others have said its not much use once you are stuck but its a good bet it may reduce the chances of getting stuck in the first place. That bit of extra momentum gained through a bit of extra traction has go to be worthwhile.

I just can't see any negatives leaving the diff lock on in sand. (happy to stand corrected on that)

Cheers

Justin

If you drive on the hard packed wet sand with DL engaged, you will actually be digging (burying) the wheels into the sand making it harder to drive, especially when you turn. Only use DL's on the soft stuff, and then only in a straight line.

 

[Jarh73]

If you drive on the hard packed wet sand with DL engaged, you will actually be digging (burying) the wheels into the sand making it harder to drive, especially when you turn. Only use DL's on the soft stuff, and then only in a straight line.

Sand has a lot of give and unless you are doing a very tight turn it should be fine.

A stiff LSD will be much the same on sand.

Cheers

Justin

 

[atowen]

Thanks guys, looks like its locked for the soft stuff and see what happens!
Anth

 

[4WDN]

We found the diff lock in soft sand done nothing apart from a harder recovery, as you just dig in deeper, Its all about tyre presure in the sand.

 

[Jarh73]

We found the diff lock in soft sand done nothing apart from a harder recovery, as you just dig in deeper, Its all about tyre presure in the sand.

Diff lock on before or after getting stuck?

Cheers

Justin

 

[billolga]

We found the diff lock in soft sand done nothing apart from a harder recovery, as you just dig in deeper, Its all about tyre presure in the sand.

Were dropping enough HINTS around here Paul

 

[4WDN]

Diff lock on before or after getting stuck?

Cheers

Justin

Used them before getting stuck, Diff locks never got us out either. The sand we were in you had trouble winching out of, just draged and cut into the sand.
Max trax were great, popped straight out.
Mud tyres also a bad thing. AT were heaps better.

A few pics of 3 cars all with diff locks.

 

[Grey Ghost]

Don't worry about using your diff locks on the sand Anth, the Challenger is lighter that the patrols and cruisers and as long as you keep the tyre pressure nice and low, 12-16 pound range, try them at the higher end if it feels like its starting to bog in just drop a couple more pounds pres. at a time and don't attempt any sudden sharp turns and you'll be just fine.

 

[ball12]

You shouldn't even need to go as low as 15psi. 20 is plenty for a challenger. That way you can still have enough pressure in the tyres that your chances of rolling a bead are reduce. Bead rolling is not fun when you have to reset it.

 

[Grey Ghost]

What I've found driving a lighter vehicle (Triton) and a heavy vehicle (Patrol) on soft sand was that the Triton needed to have less pressure in its tyres as there isn't as much weight to help the tyres balloon out as in a heavy vehicle. Now I know a Challenger will weigh slightly more than a Triton as it is a full wagon body but they are still lighter than the big trucks and so you need to compensate by using lower pressure.
BUT ULTIMATELY it will come down to how well the Challenger handles the sand conditions on the day as to how low the tyres need to be, even as you increase the possible risk of losing a bead by lowering the pressure, but if you don't turn suddenly and try to avoid driving sideways along dunes (as apposed to straight up and down) you do significantly reduce that risk.

 

[LukeHughes85]

ive driven a lot on fraser and never needed a locker for anything. even all the bad sections.. as everyone says, low tyre pressures and momentum

 

[rangiematt]

If an X trail, Rav 4, Territory, Craptiva and hell i have even seen a bloody Commodore Cross8 (short lived all wheel drive commodore dual cab ute) make it to Orchid beach shop without much hassles i dont think diff locks are really going to be benefit to you. The v6 mitsu is thirsty enough without having to drive both axles at one all the time. I had issues with my front diff in my Range Rover one year ( destroyed x shaft, plantary and side gears) north of Ngkala rocks. The sand was unusually soft for winter had warmer weather with no rain for 2 weeks and plenty of traffic. I had no choice but to try and get back through as i was not going to pay for the recovery. Long story short 10psi all round 1st gear high with centre diff locked ( equilevant to 4x4 high in your Challenger) and lots of revs and momentum i got through just...... So tyres with larger rolling diameter softer pressures to give a bigger foot print and momentum is the key to sand driving. I have seen a Falcon longreach ute on Teerwah beach and successfully complete the fresh water track. He wanted to do mudlo rocks but we decided hell no not going there with a 2wd ute