No, this isn't an invitation to party in the desert!

I've been wheeling for some time now, but just recently learned that a lot of JK'ers disco while at the dunes. I tried it myself (disco) and found that given the faster speeds, a lot more tire rub tends to occur (not to mention the much rougher ride).

Of course I'm not out to set the Baja record but beach sand driving can be fun at speeds of more than 15-20 mph.

My question is... given soft/fluff sand parameters and a non-rugged terrain (Pismo Beach CA) why would you want to disco...

Swaybar connected, 4-Hi and tire pressure below 15 psi is an awesome combo!

Does anyone else agree with my non-disco driving habits...?

 

Yes, ESP disabled of course...!

Anyone else care to chime in? I'd like to hear different views as I saw 5 JK's... all disco'd...

Again, maybe I'm the newbie? Am I missing something?

 

i go wheelin at the beach all year round, probably 20-30 times a year, and i never disconnect. with the stock sahara tires, i took it down to about 20-25 psi depending on how chopped up the sand was and she worked great. Since i just got the Toyo M/T i havent been out yet so im not sure what to tell you about M/T but the stock A/T worked great without disco.

 

I have 35" Nitto Mud Grapplers. They do great in the sand. Next time drop your tires down to 15 psi or less... you'll see a world of difference!!!

 

I do not disconnect at Little Sahara - you only need to disconnect when you need to flex, and theres no need to do that on the dunes.

 

I have been in sand dunes quite a few times.

Lesson 1 learned is low air pressure I run between 8 & 10 psi with the stock rubicon tires.

Lesson 2 ESP is a bad thing in sand turn it off.

Disco I could not tell the difference.

 

It just doesn't sound right...

 

As N2rock can attest, I know nothing about rocks or mud, but I do know beach driving in all types of sand........

He is correct....airing down is the most important part.....less air = wider, fatter tire = bigger footprint = flotation = not getting stuck.

 

90% of my off roading is in the Anza Borrego Desert, and has been for the past 11 years. Here is my formula for successful sand travel:
- 4WD: High
- ESP: Off
- Aired down as follows:
-- Stock street tires: 20 psi. These tires have very weak sidewalls
-- Rubicon stock tires: 15 psi
-- 33" with 2 to 3 ply sidewalls: 15 psi
-- 35" & 37" with 3 to 5 ply sidewalls: 10 psi
- Discos as follows:
-- Deep sand or all sand: connected
-- Shallow sand mixed with bowling ball sized rocks or larger: Disconnected
- Speed: 20 mph or less
-- Keep moving, momentum is your friend
-- Spinning your wheels is stupid and can get you stuck, fast and deep
-- Sharp turns at speeds much above 10 mph can be dangerous because
the front wheels start to act like a snow plow and build up a mound of
sand in front of each front wheel. The result(s) are that you can end up
stuck or I even worse, I watched a CJ5 slowly flip on its side when the
Jeep could no longer move forward because:
-- The sand mounds had stopped forward movement
-- The front wheels were pointed hard to the left, and
-- The rear wheels were still in motion. (No injuries or damage)

Each year I tow at least five vehicles out of the sand. None of them have ever been aired down.

 

I disco, Its offers a much more comfortable ride.. no jouncing back and forth, the jeep stays level and the suspension does its job....

But I also air down to 18psi and use 4-hi, and i dont touch any esp button, the jeep goes great