Sand Drag Tips?

[Duck]

So I just won some tickets to the sand drags here in Hawaii! I can enter my truck though because its a run-what-u-brung race. I need some tips on how to set up my truck though, tire pressure, axle wrap tips, traction advice etc.

Here's what I have:

04 Tacoma 4 door
Supercharged 3.4l
URD 7th injector kit
Auto Transmission
Deaver rear springs
Firestone adjustable air bags in the rear
NO TRACTION BAR
4.88 gears
285 Good Year all terrains
I will be doing the gray wire mod tomorrow.

Should I run the race in 4 wheel drive or 2 wheel drive?

[kala]

4high..rear locked and about 15-10lbs in the tires. I dont know wether to tell you to keep it in drive, manually shift or see if leaving it in 2nd is better.

Good luck.

[Wainiha]

I don't know what your sand is like. Is this the beach or a made course. Where I run I've never seen anyone make it in 4hi, even supercharged. On the beaches I drive, we ususally start in 4lo 2nd gear(my friends w/ the manual 3.4)

In my experience the smaller the sand the easier. The beaches with big coral sand are very challenging.

[4banger4x4]

Originally Posted by Wainiha

I don't know what your sand is like. Is this the beach or a made course. Where I run I've never seen anyone make it in 4hi, even supercharged. On the beaches I drive, we ususally start in 4lo 2nd gear(my friends w/ the manual 3.4)

In my experience the smaller the sand the easier. The beaches with big coral sand are very challenging.

i hope you dont run the whole thing in 4lo, my truck cries at 40 in 4lo

[jberry813]

Originally Posted by kala

4high..rear locked and about 15-10lbs in the tires. I dont know wether to tell you to keep it in drive, manually shift or see if leaving it in 2nd is better.

Good luck.

^ This...except if you've got an auto start in first and keep it there and manually shift it to second at redline. Definitely get that grey wire mod done too

Works every time for me

[WARTOY]

We run in loose sand on a 1/4 mile track out here. I would say 9-10psi up front and 11-12psi out back. Run it in 4lo and put it in drive if you're not comfortable trying to shift it manually. I would try inflating the bags a 1/4 of the way or 1/2, and see which would eliminate some of the wheel hop. Some weight in the bed over the axle can help with traction as well. Maybe 80lbs?

[kala]

Originally Posted by Wainiha

I don't know what your sand is like. Is this the beach or a made course. Where I run I've never seen anyone make it in 4hi, even supercharged. On the beaches I drive, we ususally start in 4lo 2nd gear(my friends w/ the manual 3.4)

In my experience the smaller the sand the easier. The beaches with big coral sand are very challenging.

The sand they are running is fine mixed with medium. Coral is the easiest to drive on in my opinion, but our island is a few million years younger then yours.
The problem with running it in 4low with a supercharger is that the tires are going to dig down too fast when you start boosting and that means you have to shift, which you lose time. Launching it in 4low with a s/c is ridiculous in the sand...unless you're getting a slow start.
The whole idea is to get to the finish line the first and the only thing that will matter is how well the driver knows how to drive on that particular course/strip of sand and how well he knows his truck. I previously had a s/c 5 spd and drove it many times in the sand. My mom drives a factory s/c auto 4Runner and driving the two are different. The couple times I did drive hers on the sand I opted to keep it n 4high 1st gear, but I definitely can see how launching it in 2nd may help. 2nd gear low may just whine out too fast. Even taking her 4runner up into the mountains 4low sometimes makes me lose traction, with traction control on and locked rear.

[WARTOY]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qodEW...eature=related

[kala]

Im used to these sand drags...some times in a lil softer stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1lehWD3KeM

I guess this is where its going down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZRmqstSUQU

Try post in HI section...get more guys whos involved with KRP and other off road things on Oahu.

[WARTOY]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOPVK...ture=endscreen
Thought I'd put a couple of videos up for your viewing pleasure.

[WARTOY]

Originally Posted by kala

Im used to these sand drags...some times in a lil softer stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1lehWD3KeM

I guess this is where its going down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZRmqstSUQU

Try post in HI section...get more guys whos involved with KRP and other off road things on Oahu.

The scenery in those videos is a 100X better than what we have here. Very nice!

[Wainiha]

Originally Posted by kala

Im used to these sand drags...some times in a lil softer stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1lehWD3KeM

I guess this is where its going down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZRmqstSUQU

Try post in HI section...get more guys whos involved with KRP and other off road things on Oahu.

Looks like fun. That sand looks nothing like our beach sand here. I would start in 4hi in that stuff too.

[mustangstephen]

These do awesome in sand! Pull like crazy. Seriously, never been stuck in sand with them.

[AZ98TRD]

I run the drags at glamis when I go... 4hi 9psi front and rear. pedal to the floor and WATCH THE GAUGES!... Then again I have a v8... Cooling that thing can be tough...

[WARTOY]

Originally Posted by AZ98TRD

I run the drags at glamis when I go... 4hi 9psi front and rear. pedal to the floor and WATCH THE GAUGES!... Then again I have a v8... Cooling that thing can be tough...

Yes it can! My 350 can get to 220 pretty quick, so I have to keep an eye on it. Plus the extra fan helps a lot too.

[AZ98TRD]

I'm running the tauras fan and a small block 350 radiator... still not enough...

[WARTOY]

Originally Posted by AZ98TRD

I'm running the tauras fan and a small block 350 radiator... still not enough...

Yeah, you have a cooling problem. I'm running a 3 core 4runner radiator, an electric fan on the front and the mechanical fan on the engine. Seems to hold up pretty good even in the middle of summer on the Az trails.