Beach driving ....
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Joined: Sep 2016
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G550, Vantage GT, 991.2S, GLS550, Escalade ESV
Beach driving ....
looking for pointers from fellow g owners. I have a G550 and a G63 and for some reason I run into problems beach driving when I see grand cherokees and explorers flying around. I've done all sorts of setting combos but haven't found a magic combo yet. I also hear about dropping tire pressure but I promise you none of these guys are dropping because they hop right onto the highway after. I'm down the shore in NJ.
PS, don't drive into a pile of sand .... yeah, got that tip already!
PS, don't drive into a pile of sand .... yeah, got that tip already!
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 319
Likes: 57
From: New York, New York
6x6 | 4x4
looking for pointers from fellow g owners. I have a G550 and a G63 and for some reason I run into problems beach driving when I see grand cherokees and explorers flying around. I've done all sorts of setting combos but haven't found a magic combo yet. I also hear about dropping tire pressure but I promise you none of these guys are dropping because they hop right onto the highway after. I'm down the shore in NJ.
PS, don't drive into a pile of sand .... yeah, got that tip already!
PS, don't drive into a pile of sand .... yeah, got that tip already!
I would just lock the Differentials and you should be good to go.
1 - Turn G on
2 - Put in Neutral
3 - Push the Big Silver Button with "1" on it
4 - Once the light is solid, push "2"
5 - Repeat for "3"
FYI, you will not have traction control (you wouldn't want it anyway).
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,308
Likes: 35
From: Atlanta, GA USA
2000 MB G500 NMLE, 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI Prestige
Hi.
I would just lock the Differentials and you should be good to go.
1 - Turn G on
2 - Put in Neutral
3 - Push the Big Silver Button with "1" on it
4 - Once the light is solid, push "2"
5 - Repeat for "3"
FYI, you will not have traction control (you wouldn't want it anyway).
I would just lock the Differentials and you should be good to go.
1 - Turn G on
2 - Put in Neutral
3 - Push the Big Silver Button with "1" on it
4 - Once the light is solid, push "2"
5 - Repeat for "3"
FYI, you will not have traction control (you wouldn't want it anyway).
Also, without the vehicle moving, the diff locks may or - more probably - may not engage.
Last edited by DUTCH; Aug 30, 2017 at 08:41 AM.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 51
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2005 LeTech Portal G500, 2009 SL63, 2014 LeTech Portal G63, 2016 S65 Coupe
Also I would not push that #3 button unless you are really in trouble or you are ONLY going straight! Do not turn the steering wheel much at all when #3 is on! The popping and crunching noise you will hear is your front CV joints breaking!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,308
Likes: 35
From: Atlanta, GA USA
2000 MB G500 NMLE, 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI Prestige
It's true that the front diff lock makes steering very stiff, but I've never broken a CV joint. Perhaps that only happens with portals.
Last edited by DUTCH; Sep 1, 2017 at 06:07 AM.
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 87
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G 270 cdi
If the sand gets powdery you'll want to lock all three. We have a property on the pacific beach here in Nicaragua and we happily drive past Toyota Hiluxes and others on the beach. Sadly, we'll probably be driving past the new Merc X-classes soon too. The key with locking the diffs is to unlock them on hardpack before you get back on pavement, or at least only drive in a straight line when you're unlocking them on pavement.
I've never felt a need to stay in low gear on the sand because it's easy to shift down if necessary with a tap of the shifter. The worst problem I've had in the sand is going slowly sometimes but never (knock on wood) getting stuck.
Some technique that works for me is to not stop and don't try to accelerate too quickly, build up to speed. The tires you are using could also be a massive factor. If you have road tires with little grip, that could be 100% of the reason you're experiencing this. They'll slip a lot on the soft stuff. If you have p-zeros or something tiny like that you'll need to work on technique to have good results. I hope that helps.
I've never felt a need to stay in low gear on the sand because it's easy to shift down if necessary with a tap of the shifter. The worst problem I've had in the sand is going slowly sometimes but never (knock on wood) getting stuck.
Some technique that works for me is to not stop and don't try to accelerate too quickly, build up to speed. The tires you are using could also be a massive factor. If you have road tires with little grip, that could be 100% of the reason you're experiencing this. They'll slip a lot on the soft stuff. If you have p-zeros or something tiny like that you'll need to work on technique to have good results. I hope that helps.
