Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggestions

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Gary0302
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Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggestions

Post by Gary0302 »

Hello everyone,

I plan to link to this thread from my East Coast Dune Buggies website (http://www.eastcoastdunebuggies.com). Personally, I have some experience in what I would consider to be driving in the sand and/or on the beach involving fiberglass dune buggies, but it never hurts to add to the overall knowledge base. I am looking for qualified advice on all aspects of sand-beach driving (to exclude hardcore off-road driving; that will be a separate thread). The range of information can include buggies that are normally driven on the street, to those that were/are originally built for driving in the sand and along the beaches.

Suggested topics can include engine setups, transmissions, brakes, clutches, clearance, wheels/tires, tire pressure, skid plates, lighting, rollover protection, accessories, nutrition, communication, protection from the elements, clean-up; any subject that could be considered related to fiberglass dune buggy sand-beach driving. (Any post that is not topic-related runs the risk of being deleted from this post).

We all know there are times where there is “more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak (apologies to cat lovers). Once this thread starts to show significant activity, it will be linked from the left-hand Main Menu (Beach/Off-Road Driving). Thank you in advance for your participation.
Gary Holbrook
Manx Club Member #2831
East Coast Dune Buggies
Coastal North Carolina

"It's a buggy not a space shuttle...." Dale M.

Check out my skydiving, bungee jumping, and dune buggy videos on Youtube
lastmanx
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Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by lastmanx »

simple question : complex answer Gary. here are the basic quick answers. a buggy needs a minimum rear drive tire diameter of 27 inches to drive in sand and a maximum of 8 psi. you may need a lower psi depending on sand softness conditions. the front non drive tires must also be lowered psi. yep that's it!
the problems you will actually face result from changing surface conditions ; real soft sand. your buggy is driven by only one rear wheel, when it hits real soft sand it spins and forward motion stops (very bad). the other wheel will not begin to drive unless you have sand steer brakes. the old park brake cable levers work fine in this situation. the science is that your transaxle will drive the wheel with the least resistance. the spinning wheel is least. if you use the lever on that spinning wheel you are applying brake resistance to it forcing the transaxle to drive the other non spinning wheel which compared to the brake lever wheel has the least resistance. it will now drive forward until it spins due to soft sand. by alternating levers you can continue forward motion and continue on your way. without the sand steer levers you can't change drive wheels and are stuck until a tow by another vehicle. try not to spin tires in sand, because as it spins it digs into a sand hole loosing ground clearance quickly. then you will need a shovel to clear the grounded frame. so you should consider steer brakes and a shovel (military fold up shovels store and work great) before sand use.
translated ; a 31x10.5 size tire is a popular size that fits in a 15 inch diameter rim. you want a radial tire ; they ride better and work better. used ones are plentiful and inexpensive. the front tire would be p225/15 radial. it was a common tire size for full size cars and works great in sand; also available used and inexpensive. you could get a cheap set up of used rims and tires to try sand driving before investing in flashy new stuff.
to avoid using your shovel you need to increase ground clearance, so when you drive in deep ruts from other vehicles you don't bottom out and hang up the frame. on a buggy you increase ground clearance with larger diameter tires. to fit larger diameter tires on a buggy you raise the body with a 3 inch lift kit spacer used on baja bugs. just shorten it 14 inches or same as your frame shortened length. you do not trim or cut the buggy fiberglass body.
tire diameter and low air pressure allow a buggy to work in sand. ()think farm tractor; low horsepower motor rear wheel drive with huge tires)

4337
Last edited by lastmanx on Tue Jul 04, 2017 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Gary0302
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Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by Gary0302 »

lastmanx,

I do appreciate your reply. Personally, I have taken my dune buggy on the sands of both North Topsail Beach and the Outer Banks (Corolla), without sand-steer brakes and without airing down my tires, with very good success. Obviously, both options should be considered if soft sand conditions present more of a challenge. Hopefully others with beach driving experience will also chime in with their advice and suggestions. Thanks again.
Gary Holbrook
Manx Club Member #2831
East Coast Dune Buggies
Coastal North Carolina

"It's a buggy not a space shuttle...." Dale M.

Check out my skydiving, bungee jumping, and dune buggy videos on Youtube
lastmanx
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Location: Ashland Massachusettes

Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by lastmanx »

yes Gary I am talking about a very different type of beach sand. if you don't have to air down your tires the sand is considered hard packed. I'm talking about the type that mandates 4 wheel drive vehicles. I have heard there are areas of obx that have the soft stuff, you owe it to yourself to explore them and experience a new fun adventure, trust me there is a difference you will love.
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Gary0302
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Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by Gary0302 »

Hi guys,

After giving this some more thought, I have decided to just get my own notes together, along with taking notice of general advice and suggestions that have been posted on the net. Please feel free to add to the discussion. Thank you for your consideration.
Gary Holbrook
Manx Club Member #2831
East Coast Dune Buggies
Coastal North Carolina

"It's a buggy not a space shuttle...." Dale M.

Check out my skydiving, bungee jumping, and dune buggy videos on Youtube
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GotManx
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Location: Escondido, CA

Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by GotManx »

*** Do this: ***

4765


*** Not this: ***

4766



Like Bill said - Low tire pressure and momentum are best for sand.
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5150bossman
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Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by 5150bossman »

First off, "qualified" advice is more in the eye of the beholder than the person giving it. Anyone willing to give advice believes that they are qualified. That being said, what has worked for us is different than what works for someone else. We have gotten along without steering brakes (they have pluses and minuses), but do put Desert Trak (or Desert Explorer) ribbed paddle tires on the buggy when we get to our camping destination. Not as good as full paddle tires, but can still drive on the street without needing to switch tires or trailer the buggy locally to and from the sand. One thing you will need is experience in the sand. All the advice in the world is no substitute for your own experience. You need to get in and learn how your buggy reacts in various conditions, and know what situations you can get through, and what to avoid (like that unseen 50' drop-off that was a rolling dune yesterday, or getting sucked into a witches eye, etc...). Then learn how to extract yourself once you do get stuck (and at some point you will get stuck). A buddy with prior sand experience near by is always helpful. Consider going out with one or more other buggies so you can help each other. Don't go into the sand alone unless you are prepared to walk out without your buggy. One piece of equipment I would recommend is an exhaust jack. Simple to use, and will lift your buggy back on top of the softest sand. Also be sure to have a small shovel to dig with. Finally, be sure to have extra water with you should you get stuck and have to wait for a while for help. Did I say I was qualified?...... :crazy: :lolno: :mrgreen:
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DosPerrosMotorsports
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Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by DosPerrosMotorsports »

lower the air press to 5-8psi & DRIVE IT !!4960 thru the dunes @ GLAMIS 8) 8)
4959 on the Top-o-Oldsmobile Hill, GLAMIS ( Manx with 1600CC single-port engine....NO NEED mega trench digger engine... :clap: :clap:
4958 out-&-about in Mammoth Wash, GLAMIS north 8) 8)
DosPerrosMotorsports
..... Design & Prep.....
....Air-Cooled only....

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VWF-FVW















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lastmanx
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Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by lastmanx »

Sand steer brakes will transfer power to the one rear wheel that is not spinning throwing sand and digging down further with every rotation. Outlaw sand driving for over 30 years alone, with sand steer brakes, in multiple buggies; 5096505550564324 . GET REAL- GO MANX.
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manxvair
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Re: Fiberglass Buggy Sand-Beach Driving - Advice and Suggest

Post by manxvair »

The lesson's I taught my kids for riding at "Glamis" Imperial Sand Dunes,
1. Don't fight gravity!
2. Momentum is your friend!
3. air down your tires!
Mike Dario
Mohave Valley, AZ
Manx Club #957
Manx Club President

Tow'd (Hers)
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