My truck sucks in sand

[DaveB]

Well we just got back from a week down in the Zions area doing assorted hiking trails and scenic drives. My daughter couldn't afford gas for her Jeep so we took them in my GMC 2500 HD truck. It does great on the road other than gas mileage. One day we tried to do a trail called Peakaboo outside Kanab. The road to the trail is sandy so I was a bit worried but there were people coming in and out with Jeeps so I asked a guide that was there taking tourists on a side by side ride and he said we could make it. Well I dropped off the first hill and got nervous as to whether I could make it back out so we turned around and tried to go back out. The truck would wheel hop in the rear badly in the sand and even four wheel drive wasn't very effective. It was good I brought a shovel which we had to use a lot to get out. My kids had to push me up every hill and I coated them all with sand. We finally made it out but I can't believe how pathetic the thing was in sand. I am about to shame the truck take the 4x4 badge off. I am sure if I lifted it and put on bigger tires it would help but this truck is mostly used for towing my boat and it looks like that's all its good for.

 

[jeeper]

Bummer. It's never fun to be disappointed with a vehicle. While in moab acouple weeks ago, I drove my F350 into a super sandy wash intentionally to test it. I was in 2wd and made it about 10' in the super soft sand. I was able to back out with ease in 4x4. I didn't dare test it too hard, as I was alone.

 

[RogueJeepr]

Pics ?

Dont need big tires to have fun.

 

[Jesser04]

I have a 2007 2500hd crew cab short bed and with wheel hop is out of control.

 

[Kirk]

I know where you are talking about, and it is deep and soft when dry. I have seen several SUV's on those roads - I've wondered about them getting stuck. How much air did you have in your tires?

 

[Hickey]

I'm still amazed that the big 3 aren't using linked airbag suspensions on the modern HD trucks. They've been mainstream in the trucking industry for over 40 years, provide better axle control, better ride, and adjustable ride height under various loads.

 

[Jesser04]

I'm still amazed that the big 3 aren't using linked airbag suspensions on the modern HD trucks. They've been mainstream in the trucking industry for over 40 years, provide better axle control, better ride, and adjustable ride height under various loads.

I believe it's an option on the rams.

 

[Kevin B.]

Lemme guess, all-weather highway tires? They're miserable in loose sand, even aired down.

 

[Shawn]

Wheel hop can be caused by too soft of a suspension. On my YXZ if it hops I turn up the dampening and sometimes the rebound.

 

[moab_cj5]

I wouldn't feel too terrible. I know that area, and in my 2010 JKU with 37's I wondered if I would have enough HP to get up some of those hills. I had to use low range and about 4th gear to get enough wheel spin to climb the hills with 15psi in the tires. Beautiful area, and scary to get out of without good traction. That sand is soft and deep!

 

[sawtooth4x4]

My 2013 Ram 2500 Cummins made me nervous at first. But with the tires I have and a limited slip rear, it has not gotten stuck in the sand yet. I have the Nitto Terra Grappler's G2 on my truck. They did great on rocks and in the sand. I'm effectively using a 35" tall tire. 37's would be perfect for a little more ground clearance. But I'd have to change the gears for that.

My truck doesn't seem to have any wheel hop. My last truck (2006 F350 Powerstroke) didn't have any either.

http://www.nittotire.com/light-truc...-terrain-light-truck-tire/viewallreviewspage/

 

[I Lean]

Some lame low-hanging traction bars will make a world of difference in the wheel hop. Or even a "real" traction bar, meaning the ladder-bar-on-a-shackle style. I helped my buddy put some simple single-link low-hanging ones on his Mega Cab, and it pretty much cured those issues for him. (and they're OK, since articulation and ground clearance aren't really issues for how he uses his truck)

 

[Pile of parts]

As mentioned earlier, air pressure makes a huge difference. Last year my brother thought he was stuck in the sand at Lake Powell in his Suburban until we dropped his Highway Tire's pressure down to about 20 and the Suburban floated right on top.

 

[Cascadia]

Bummer. It's never fun to be disappointed with a vehicle. While in moab acouple weeks ago, I drove my F350 into a super sandy wash intentionally to test it. I was in 2wd and made it about 10' in the super soft sand. I was able to back out with ease in 4x4. I didn't dare test it too hard, as I was alone.

You didn't want me to come pull you out of the sand again?

 

[boogie_4wheel]

I'm running 245 BFG Rugged Trails on my dodge. Yep to a ridiculous amount of axle hop. Aired down it does pretty good. We ran the Dead Dog Wash north of Page in it, and was getting around better than my brother's Tundra on aired up BFG ATs.

 

[DaveB]

Well I guess I'll have to try airing down, I had the skinny load range E road tires. Some ladder bar might help since this thing has the big 8.1 engine and it can spin them way easy. It has the soft cushy ride so I'm sure the wheel hop is made worse by the big engine, soft suspension, light rear end and very heavy front. I'm hoping I didn't take too much life off the Allison because I had to push it pretty hard to get out. The tires on this truck are getting old and will need to be replaced so maybe I'll have to find a tire that would work better.

 

[Unimog]

If you were on load range e tires aired all the way up, I'm surprised that you could even move in sand. Might as well try riding a road bicycle in the sand.

 

[thefirstzukman]

The climb out of Peakaboo is a little brutal at the end, I have to air down the tires and rally the get the Nitro out of there, and I always end up with a hot tranny. Its a pretty sweet when you get to the bottom there is a slot canyon, Even my Kingquad 700 doesn't care much for it when riding double... although I am running 27" radial dot approved 10 ply tires that weigh twice as much as the stock tires.

 

[Houndoc]

Buried a Ram diesel in the sand at Lake Powell a few years ago. Big, heavy trucks and dry sand just don't go well together.

 

[jeepin4x4james]

Air down and you'll float right through... I air down my 35/12.50 load range E's to around 18psi with my camper on... go out to Lone Rock multiple times a year without issue.