M925 A2 very disappointed in ability

[73m819]

A steep sand hill WILL be hard to go UP, no matter what truck you are driving, even a dozer will have trouble if steep enough.

 

[HASSON1911]

Also, in addition to truck modifications for better traction, I dont know how long you've had this girl, but from your post it sounds like you just got her. Don't cut her short, drive her out there and do work, learn how she handle and how to improve your handling of her. Reading can only do so much for being a better operator, the rest is first hand lessons. Read when to stop to prevent damages...ex. hopping. and go out there and have fun. Never be the farmer that fails once and sells the whole farm.

 

[The King Machine]

Just my opinion but I believe 50 psi is still far too high for that type of terrain. The tires should have a healthy bulge on the side wall. When you get out of the sand put them back up to what you are comfortable with. I carry a motorcycle inner tube to reset my tire beads while they are still on the truck if I pop a bead. You need to source the right size tube, wet it with water or soap, tuck it into the bead, add a slight amount air to the tube, this will fill the gap. Put the air chuck on the tire valve stem and start filling. wait a couple seconds then pull the tube out of the tire bead while maintaining the filling of the tire. Including jacking the tire up off the ground I can do it in 10-15 min. Don't even need to pull the tire off the truck.
I've done it many times.

 

[FASTNOVA]

Here is a video of this RV going through soft sand. Take a look at how the sidewall flex's and it will give you an idea of how low the air pressure is I'm guessing under 10psi. These vehicles weigh more than ours and seem to not have much trouble traversing the terrain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_z8ldynEgQ

 

[Suprman]

Highway pressure is around 65 psi I believe sand is around 25psi. You can go down to around 15 psi in emergency mode but the ctis may have trouble siting back up you may have to help it a little with a gladhand supply.

 

[wreckerman893]

The tires on that truck should have runflats. You can air way down without the tire coming off the rim. Weight is critical for traction but you have to reach a happy medium. Did you say you tried to back up in Low Range? That is a good way to destroy a transfer case. Never back up in Low Range in a 900 series. If it isn't in the TM it should be.

 

[jvandal]

The tires on that truck should have runflats. You can air way down without the tire coming off the rim. Weight is critical for traction but you have to reach a happy medium. Did you say you tried to back up in Low Range? That is a good way to destroy a transfer case. Never back up in Low Range in a 900 series. If it isn't in the TM it should be.

It's in the TM and on the dash....

I've yet to find a place my 5 Ton can't go but definitely places it shouldn't....

 

[Suprman]

The rims have or at least are supposed to have bead lockers that's what keeps it all together at low pressure. Run flat inserts would probably inhibit the ctis operation they would get in the way of the tire airing down to low pressure. I have backed up in low it was fine. I would not do anything under load in low range reverse but backing up to position the vehicle should be fine.

 

[Csm Davis]

Ctis and run flats and bead locks are made to work together.

 

[Csm Davis]

Is this a USMC or Army truck?

 

[The King Machine]

FastNova that vid describes well how the tires should look aired down. When I get my bead locks installed on my Deuce I'll go below 10 psi. I would think the run flats would prevent the tires from airing right down.

 

[sandcobra164]

CSM Davis, USMC trucks may have lockers but they never adopted A2 series 5 tons and therefore none of them have CTIS. They did convert some to A1 status with the 14.00's.

 

[F18hornetM]

I spent a couple years in 29 palms cruising the desert . M35s we ran with 20lbs in the rear [not much load, just marines] and 30 in front. Never got stuck with one nor saw one stuck that had air let out. I'd let air down till tire bulges nice. We got brand new M923's near the end of my time and ran them the same. Never saw CTIS in them, They were duals as well. Never saw singles when I was there. Did very well with duals, I'm sure singles would be even better for sand. Good luck

 

[chadande]

Here are the CTIS pressures from the manual:
HWY = 60psi
X-Country = 35psi
Sand = 25psi
Emergency = 12psi

 

[Beerslayer]

I was going to suggest disconnecting the CTIS and dropping down to 10-15 PSI. But it looks like trying the Emergency setting will do just that. Please try it and report back.

 

[HASSON1911]

Off topic here a little but still with PSI. 1400's suggest 90 psi on the side wall, while the CTIS fills to 60PSI. My question is what is the A1 crowd running for highway?

 

[5ton beachbuggy]

I ran a M54A2 with 1600x20 XZLs on the beach on CapeCod MA. The sand was very fine and soft. On flat ground I could run 25lbs in the rear and 40 lbs up front with no wheel hop. If we went out to the dunes and tried to go up the hills it would hop baddly. the only way to stop the hopping was to lower the rears no more than 15psi and the fronts to 25psi. It would go up the hill and have no wheel hop Mike

 

[cranetruck]

I agree with manually reducing pressure to 10 psi or so to improve the "float effect". Adding weight is not the way to go to improve performance on sand. Duals are better, some even put duals in the front to reduce ground pressure.
With the old bias plies, you could drive all day on 10 psi, including sideslopes...

 

[VPed]

I would suggest automatically lowering to 12 psi (emergency) before trying 10 psi manually. It appears there are capabilities installed in the truck that have not been tried.

 

[Gunner0311]

Did you approach the grade in High or Low Range?