QUESTION: I’m planning a 4WD trip where there’s lots of sand. What do I do if I get stuck?

ANSWER: Relax, Mother Nature shows you what to do. She gave camels and polar bears big feet, so copy her. Give your 4X big feet by letting air out of the tires.

What I have learned through conducting more than 1.5 million injury free passenger miles worth of off road tours is that anything above 12 PSI will get you more vertical (undesirable) than horizontal (desired) travel in tough sand. This graphic shows air down-benefits and some words of caution:

Determine how this information works for you at home in the safety of your driveway. Also note that I have only extensively tested the above for 15 inch rims. Past tours and participants have had success using the percentages shown for 16 and 17 inch rims.

The procedure is to let the air out of your tires until you are at lower, rim-percentage height. Then measure your new sand tire pressure.

Regarding the rolling radius, it gives your 4X the equivalent of having lower gears. However, it is accompanied by disadvantages. It lowers your ground clearance and your 4X can more easily squish down into undercarriage damaging hazards. Stylish, low profile tires accentuate these issues even further.

When you leave the trail, you should keep your trip out to a compressor, wherever one is located, to below 10 MPH. Highway speeds at low pressure can lead to catastrophic tire failure or worse. Off road adventures should always be accompanied by safe and responsible driving.