Air Locker. To engage or not to engage???

[bruiser]

Scenario
Driving along the beach at high tide up in the soft stuff.
Car is not about to get bogged but is struggling to hold speed and the tyres are sinking in a bit. Foot is almost flat to the floor and engine reving fairly high.
Wheels don't appear to be spining but may be a little.
Doing abot 60 - 70km/hr
What should you engage in the way of diff locks?
Vehicle is an 80 series GXL.

Have tried all combinations and can't really tell what works best.
Just after other peoples thoughts.

[pongo]

I have no idea. But i would knock it back a gear and slip the clutch a little to keep the momentum up.I am not fortunate enough to have lockers.

I am probably wrong though

[Spike_Sierra]

my opinion - more wheels turning, less spinning by themselves, its a traction aid, you need traction, lock em all up

[bazooked]

drop ur wheel pressure to 15 psi and dont do silly speeds!

[MissDrew]

put it in low range

[bruiser]

Bazooked
Come on mate
You cant tell me you have not been in that scenario.
I visit fraser about 6 times a year and yes I do air my tyres down and no I have never been bogged in sand and 60 km per hour is slow when your travelling up to 120km in distance
I'm talking about the real soft stuff where you have to maintain a speed around 60 plus, or you drop back to 20 and end up working your truck even harder.

[Doggy]

Maybe put the rear in and slow it down a bit so you could have a bit more control at some parts....plus air down more

[bazooked]

the beauty of ownin a zook , turbo charge it...

[ISUZUROVER]

At those speeds I doubt you would be getting any wheelspin (or any that wouldn't happen with the lockers engaged anyway).

I would just lock the CDL and drop the tyre pressures a little bit more.

[antt]

speed up to 100kph

[AndrewPatrol]

In exactly that circumstance in my Pajero I was having same problem, locked centre diff then problem went away almost totally. Down near south ferry place at end of Fraser. maybe locking rear as well wouold help, but not front cos you may need some seriuous steering at those speeds!!!

[*BESTY*]

Scenario
Driving along the beach at high tide up in the soft stuff.
Car is not about to get bogged but is struggling to hold speed and the tyres are sinking in a bit. Foot is almost flat to the floor and engine reving fairly high.
Wheels don't appear to be spining but may be a little.
Doing abot 60 - 70km/hr
What should you engage in the way of diff locks?
Vehicle is an 80 series GXL.

Have tried all combinations and can't really tell what works best.
Just after other peoples thoughts.

Questions
1 What are you tyre pressures ?
2 Are you in High or Low Range ?

This pic is from a mate and myself in Canunda NP last week. (the pic of my mate walking to find some harder sand got his footprints washed away by the incoming tide )

My tyre pressures were at 18PSI and in Low range - speed 30-40kph. Both vehicles had both front and rear lockers engaged

[*BESTY*]

BTW, both vehicles drove out after deflating tyres to 10PSI. No shovel required

[MY45]

Just run em at 8psi and leave it in 4low....at 8 u can basicly just leave it in 2wd.


In your senario there would be no problem locking em in.

[Zute]

Remove half the beer from the load. 15 cases should be enough.

[jav]

drink beer until low tide.

[Rainbow Warrior]

In exactly that circumstance in my Pajero I was having same problem, locked centre diff then problem went away almost totally. Down near south ferry place at end of Fraser. maybe locking rear as well wouold help, but not front cos you may need some seriuous steering at those speeds!!!

Actually on flat soft sand I found bugger all difference with/without centre diff lock in my old Rangie.
I did find the front lockrite in my Landog helped steering across ruts in soft sand.

[Wooders]

Okkkaaayyy and why WOULDN'T you already have all your bloody diffs locked?

[scout392]

Bruiser
“Driving along the beach at high tide up in the soft stuff.
Car is not about to get bogged but is struggling to hold speed and the tyres are sinking in a bitâ€

[bruiser]

generally run 16 - 18 psi
the last two times ive droped below 16 ive ended up with sand in the bead and a slow leak.
First time had to remove tyre and clean. second time just hit with a hammer and pumped back to 16.

[kirragc]

seems like weird question to me
Which combination of locks when there isnt a traction issue?

[AndrewPatrol]

In exactly that circumstance in my Pajero I was having same problem, locked centre diff then problem went away almost totally. Down near south ferry place at end of Fraser. maybe locking rear as well wouold help, but not front cos you may need some seriuous steering at those speeds!!!

Actually on flat soft sand I found bugger all difference with/without centre diff lock in my old Rangie.
I did find the front lockrite in my Landog helped steering across ruts in soft sand.

May have something to do with Paj splitting drive fr/rear by different amounts with centre locked or not ( read it somewhere - but stand to be corrected) Other cars may do it to???

[Ruffy]

if you've got no wheel spin the lockers in or out are going to do diddly squat aren't they!
Sand driving, No lockers. It's very very rare that a locker will get you out of trouble in the sand cos it don't got anything solid to gain traction on. Lockers in, all four spinning, two axles burried in the sand!
On sand you would be hard pressed to get uneven loads front to rear so your constant 4wd system (centre diff in the 80's case) will be providing equal torque front and rear.

[Rainbow Warrior]

Okkkaaayyy and why WOULDN'T you already have all your bloody diffs locked?

If I hadn't been driving a Rangie I probably would need them all locked

And I always have used M/T's on the beach too

But the Patrols not bad in 2WD in the soft stuff either when you give it enough stick

[Wooders]

if you've got no wheel spin the lockers in or out are going to do diddly squat aren't they!
Sand driving, No lockers. It's very very rare that a locker will get you out of trouble in the sand cos it don't got anything solid to gain traction on. Lockers in, all four spinning, two axles burried in the sand!
On sand you would be hard pressed to get uneven loads front to rear so your constant 4wd system (centre diff in the 80's case) will be providing equal torque front and rear.

If you've got no wheel spin then you're not digging down - so there's no issue. But with open diffs if one wheel starts to spin it will keep spinning, with less power going to the other wheel.
Sure ONCE your stuck lockers probably won't get you out, but IMHO lockers will help prevent you getting in trouble to start with...

As for uneven loads - crap.... one side might be on wet hard packed sand and the other on dry soft fluffy stuff, you might be climbing slightly offcamber so the weight distribution isn't equal (or have your fat arse on one side & petite squeeze on the other). One side might be running in compressed wheel tracks, whilst the other isn't.....etc.

Sorry I just can't understand why you wouldn't have your lockers already engaged - especially the rear.......

[bruiser]

Compare driving on sand with a dirt road with corners.
In this case I would think you would get better traction with no locks in at all. As you will get a small amount of slip in each wheel to cater for turning and uneven surface.

Same with sand. as you drive over ruts and and turn to some degree
(it is quite dificult to drive dead straight on very soft sand)
your wheels will be traveling at diferent speeds.

Is it possible that having all diffs locked could therefore be worse . Could this not actuall lead to more spin in sand much the way you will get when you turn on the grass with locker engaged.

This scenario is very different to say rock where the locker will work as one wheel has definet traction

[christover1]

I find it too difficult to get out and unweld my diffs trackside, so I always have em locked
Tho I may consider unlocking a hub or two, If I needed finer steering control.
Some locked cars just wanna go straight

christover

[scout392]

Scenario
Car is not about to get bogged but is struggling to hold speed and the tyres are sinking in a bit. Foot is almost flat to the floor and engine reving fairly high.

Like i said he said he has traction.

So

NEED MORE POWER

Like i said he said he has traction.

Eric

[MY45]

Scenario
Car is not about to get bogged but is struggling to hold speed and the tyres are sinking in a bit. Foot is almost flat to the floor and engine reving fairly high.

Like i said he said he has traction.

So

NEED MORE POWER

Like i said he said he has traction.

Eric

Stop and let down your tires more then, that will stop the sinking then use a lower gear if nessisary, that will give u the power. Simple

[just cruizin']

Center and rear only wouuld be my choice.

I won't engage the front to retain steering control as we know locked fronts always want to go straight on and at 60 kph up you don't want to lose any steering control specially on sand.