I have never wheeled the dunes before and i am planning on going to sliver lake for the 4th of july. Im taking my blazer down there and was wondering if there is anything i should know, or any thing i should do to my truck before i go? How do you guys think 37 hummer tires will do in the sand?
CK5
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Dunes
- Thread starter 1979jimmy350
- Start date
Air down and have fun! Just make sure you can shift fast enough so you don't lose all your momentum.
Those 37's should be fine. An all terrain seems to do the best in sand (short of high HP and paddles) and since you're on beadlocks you can air way down.
Those 37's should be fine. An all terrain seems to do the best in sand (short of high HP and paddles) and since you're on beadlocks you can air way down.
aggreed with above.
i've always had best luck airing down pretty low. i've seen stock trucks do great in the dunes as long as they air down to under 20psi.
i'm sure with your beads you can go way lower.
also agree that AT's do better then mud terrains usually.
i had some 40% tread toyo ATs that hauled my cummins around way better then the brand new MTs i had in PIsmo.
sand is a blast man. just make sure when you get done, that you go to a carwash and blow out all the sand from the suspension joints and off the body. you dont want that **** in there when your driving around.
i've always had best luck airing down pretty low. i've seen stock trucks do great in the dunes as long as they air down to under 20psi.
i'm sure with your beads you can go way lower.
also agree that AT's do better then mud terrains usually.
i had some 40% tread toyo ATs that hauled my cummins around way better then the brand new MTs i had in PIsmo.
sand is a blast man. just make sure when you get done, that you go to a carwash and blow out all the sand from the suspension joints and off the body. you dont want that **** in there when your driving around.
I wish i had a set of paddles, my engine should be putting out 600+ Hp at the crank
, this will be the first wheeling run on the built LS motorsandcrab74
Registered Member
Run in Low range.. like already said, air way down the further the better.
Hey William, If your vehicle is street legal you can drive onto the dunes. If its not, you need to trailer or tow into the staging area. You will need a ORV sticker, and you will need a state park permit, you can get daily or annual. If you are going 3 days get the annual. you'll need to get a fiberglass pole with an orange rectangular flag on it to run there too. It has to be mounted on the front bumper and be 10' high when mounted, or you will NOT get in. ALL of these items can be bought at local stores around the Silver Lake area.
You'll need to have a reasonable complete exhaust system, they don't decible test, but you can't run open headers.
You have to have rollbar behind, and outside of each occupied seat. A factory steel top (76 and up) will work for the front but the fiberglass top will not. A separate seat belt for each person too. No alcohol allowed on the dunes (that they can see, they do a spot check on coolers).
You will need to get to the voucher center on Fox road Friday morning by 11am to get a voucher for each day of the weekend. The weekend of the 4th is one of the busiest, and the vouchers will go FAST.
the vouchers run in 2 hour increments starting at 7am.
There is a drive from the staging area to the open area of the dunes, no passing, or speed is allowed until you see the sign that says so. When you get to the large open area of the dunes the area to your left, is one way only because of the size of the hills, and the speed needed to climb them. Other than that it is free roaming so watch out for quads and bikes....most of them ride like idiots, and usually one or two get killed each year because of it.
Got any more questions, I'll try to help.
I'll be up on the 5th and will be there all week too. Staying somewhere in the area?
You'll need to have a reasonable complete exhaust system, they don't decible test, but you can't run open headers.
You have to have rollbar behind, and outside of each occupied seat. A factory steel top (76 and up) will work for the front but the fiberglass top will not. A separate seat belt for each person too. No alcohol allowed on the dunes (that they can see, they do a spot check on coolers).
You will need to get to the voucher center on Fox road Friday morning by 11am to get a voucher for each day of the weekend. The weekend of the 4th is one of the busiest, and the vouchers will go FAST.
the vouchers run in 2 hour increments starting at 7am.
There is a drive from the staging area to the open area of the dunes, no passing, or speed is allowed until you see the sign that says so. When you get to the large open area of the dunes the area to your left, is one way only because of the size of the hills, and the speed needed to climb them. Other than that it is free roaming so watch out for quads and bikes....most of them ride like idiots, and usually one or two get killed each year because of it.
Got any more questions, I'll try to help.
I'll be up on the 5th and will be there all week too. Staying somewhere in the area?
With his setup I wouldn't.... between his claimed 600hp and a 4 speed he'd never get anywhere in 4 low. Stick with 4hi
I run in 4 low from time to time but I have a bone stock 350 with 4.10's and 35's so it's all I can do sometimes.
You get further With more wheel speed than you do trying to get traction. I'd stick with 4 hi also.
bot0611
1/2 ton status
OH yeahhh sand is fun.....
Pics from las time i went to sand down in Baja, Rosarito...
Neither of theese are my truck.....
That black 70's stepside chevy haulled assss....
Pics from las time i went to sand down in Baja, Rosarito...
Neither of theese are my truck.....
That black 70's stepside chevy haulled assss....
Grew up in Glamis. Never understood the rock crawling thing. (now I do)
Momentum is your friend. I ran mine in 2 high until the big hills. 5 psi on Baja TA's. 200 hp motor. Wheel speed is good. Unless you stop dead. Then a slow wheel speed is the trick to getting going again. Just remember never to go plowing over a dune if you do not know what is on the other side. Night wheeling in the dunes is the best.
Momentum is your friend. I ran mine in 2 high until the big hills. 5 psi on Baja TA's. 200 hp motor. Wheel speed is good. Unless you stop dead. Then a slow wheel speed is the trick to getting going again. Just remember never to go plowing over a dune if you do not know what is on the other side. Night wheeling in the dunes is the best.
kevin400ex
1/2 ton status
those hummer tires 16.5's? if so be careful you dont pop the bead airing down. i ran 10-12 psi in my street trucks in glamis. my blazer the one time i took it to glamis i dont even know how much air i had in the tires. i had paddles on the rear and getting stuck wasnt an issue at all.
bot0611
1/2 ton status
Do paddles put any more stress on the axle, t-case compared to regular tires, MT's
kevin400ex
1/2 ton status
bot0611
1/2 ton status
So the bigger the engine the worse it gets with paddles, makes sense...always wanted a set of 32" paddles for the dunes but im a speed nut so dont want to break shaft or u-joints every time i go
I know some guys with a ton of HP that run paddles without any issues. Now we're not talking stock 10b's but if your axles can handle the stress of crawling sand is definitely the most forgiving.
Silver84k5
1/2 ton status
bumpstops in the right location.
Well if you going on the 4th of July weekend you better grab a snickers. Because you'll probably have to wait in line for an hour to even get into the place. Once you're in it will be fun.
Zim is right about all the rules and flags and stuff.
I have 36x14R16.5 TSLs. My truck weighs 5250 with me in it. I air down to 10 psi in the front and 8 psi in the rear in my shortbed K10. Just don't make any sudden or sharp turns, you don't want to pop a bead. Do you still have the functioning bead locks in the H1 rims? My friend in his fiberglass Jeep with beadlocks runs 4 psi.
You do want bumpstops, and if your driveshafts don't have enough angular or linear travel, you will find out there when they break. Your front springs wrap a lot more than you would think.
Also, the sand can change daily. So don't go over anything until you've seen it that day even. I've seen people go over stuff and do endos because it changed and then there is a 4ft drop that wasn't there the day before. Or because they went over the top slightly to fast and then went in the air and nosedived. It doesn't take much. Especially when an rookie's first reaction when that happens is to let off the gas on the way over and that makes it even worse. Just crawl over the top. But DO NOT STOP until you're over far enough that your front end is pointing down a little! Or just keep on trucking. Have fun and be safe.
One other thing, if you're truck stops moving let off the gas immediately. Or you will just dig a hole. If you let off right away you can usually just back up. That's pretty intuitive when you get there. The only time I have ever gotten stuck is once when I got hung up on the frame when I crested the peak in a high spot and had no tire contact.
Zim is right about all the rules and flags and stuff.
I have 36x14R16.5 TSLs. My truck weighs 5250 with me in it. I air down to 10 psi in the front and 8 psi in the rear in my shortbed K10. Just don't make any sudden or sharp turns, you don't want to pop a bead. Do you still have the functioning bead locks in the H1 rims? My friend in his fiberglass Jeep with beadlocks runs 4 psi.
You do want bumpstops, and if your driveshafts don't have enough angular or linear travel, you will find out there when they break. Your front springs wrap a lot more than you would think.
Also, the sand can change daily. So don't go over anything until you've seen it that day even. I've seen people go over stuff and do endos because it changed and then there is a 4ft drop that wasn't there the day before. Or because they went over the top slightly to fast and then went in the air and nosedived. It doesn't take much. Especially when an rookie's first reaction when that happens is to let off the gas on the way over and that makes it even worse. Just crawl over the top. But DO NOT STOP until you're over far enough that your front end is pointing down a little! Or just keep on trucking. Have fun and be safe.
One other thing, if you're truck stops moving let off the gas immediately. Or you will just dig a hole. If you let off right away you can usually just back up. That's pretty intuitive when you get there. The only time I have ever gotten stuck is once when I got hung up on the frame when I crested the peak in a high spot and had no tire contact.
Thanks for the info, i had no idea about the vouchers, im getting there Friday and leaving Monday the 5th, me and my buddies are staying in the overflow parking lot in a RV
i still do have the function of the beadlocks on the hummer rims so that's good i can run low air pressure, as for a tow strap i have a 4 inch by 40 foot one, that should be enough
