What's your dune climbing technique?

[AB]

We watched a few modern auto 4WDs with traction control and other driver aids drive up it with ease.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

V8, traction control and auto, bloody cheaters hardly drove it lol. They did do it with ease though.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GQtdauto]

Thanks fellas, I was worried about taking the rears down too low because of the weight we are carrying. Sounds like less air is the go. Plassy that's good advice about going back for another go tomorrow, just wish I hadn't added more weight when we got back to town (filled both fuel tanks plus the water tank). I'll probably wait until we get to more dunes elsewhere I think, especially as the road out to Big Red is in really horrible condition (just after the race weekend).

We're going across Walkers Crossing to Innaminka & then down to Camerons Corner so maybe we'll find more dunes somewhere down there?


Winnie - so when you went across the Simpson were you constantly airing down for dunes? What pressure/speed did you use between the dunes?

There is sand that way Cuppa but nothing like big red , when I was there I noticed similar to you easy easy getting over but long way down on soft sand , I had about 20 psi from memory in the muddies and got over big red but took the right hand line .
Grey nomads with cheese slices and highway pressures made it up and over , well most of them , getting back over little red for me was ok but the sand is very soft at the top of big and little red .
Seen video of 4bys pulling camper trailers up big red but no idea how they made it .

[Old Wal]

All good advice. My wife and I did a West to East crossing of the desert at the end of July . I too was a novice ( my experience at that stage consisted of travelling Googs Track twice and going from Birdesville to Eyre Creek and back ). I found that 18 in the front and 24 in the rear tyres worked for me. Set tyre pressures on the Rigg road and didn't touch them until we came off Big Red ( I didn't take the hardest line up Big Red - too heavy ). My ute with my slide on camper and all our gear is heavy. I found that low third or 2nd was the best ( I have 43 % reduction gears fitted ) for us - crawled up at about 10-15 km/hr. Got it wrong a few times by using high first and then having to back off due to holes near the top of the dunes and running out of puff.Mines at GU 4.2Tdi leafy . Watched some bounce up dunes flat out with wheels off the ground at times which worked for them but wasn't the technique for me - worried about breaking something. As others have said have a try at different pressures and you will soon see what suits your setup. Every dune conquered builds your confidence.

[MudRunnerTD]

When in doubt, let air out.

Tyre pressure. No wheel spin and momentum is the key.

I air down to 18psi all round in clay and mud. 22psi in the Vic High Country where there is plenty of grip and 15 is my starting number in the sand. Beach or Desert. 15 is a great spot.

B8g red I went down to 10 for the hard side but aired back to 15 for the run in to Birdsville.

[TPC]

In the Prado I had I would go down to 22psi and got up Big Red no worries but that was petrol auto.
I have run 18psi on the Patrol in the sand, have not found the need to go below yet.

[Hodge]

Bit of a side question . But would locker/s have much benefit up a sandy dune ?
I know it's a good chance there mightn't be any wheel lift .

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[Rossco]

Bit of a side question . But would locker/s have much benefit up a sandy dune ?
I know it's a good chance there mightn't be any wheel lift .

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

Yeah they do actually probably more so than you would expect. Last time went up big red dropped down to 10 psi both lockers on, it didn't want to turn too well ! ! , but made it up pretty easy. Yep for big hills like big red momentum & power is key also being careful with gear changes in a manual, need to make sure to change early and not stuff or it can all come undone.

Sent from my GT-I9506 using Tapatalk

[pearcey]

Did the Canning with camper on all at tyres at 15,no probs, down there in the lower corner of WA I ran 10 all round and again no probs. On a couple of occasions home in SA I`ve been down to 5 but thats extreme but works, only got to be very carefull no harsh turns or driving over roots, stumps or rocky bits. I always use 2nd low or 3rd.
Safe travels mate, oh how good is Mrs Tea on the shovel LOL

[Dr Gary]

We did Big Red middle line from West to East. 18 psi worked fine drove straight up. Low range 2nd and about 3,000 rpm in our 3.0 Di. Carried 120 kg extra fuel and water, all camp gear. AT tyres, no lift. We struck a problem earlier in the trip with 22 and 24 psi. I SHOULD have had front diff lock--max trax didn't work well with the open diff.

[katwoman]

Gas injection worked for me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk