M925 A2 very disappointed in ability

[Recovry4x4]

Adding weight to the extreme back of the bed was not so much to improve traction but to counter the extreme weight on the 2 front tires. The ground pressure under the 2 front tires is immensely higher that the 4 rears. Think counter weight.

 

[Coffey1]

Yes I agree with Kenny at work there was a dump truck delivering dirt and the lot is full of fine sand.
The driver dumped his load and could not get out, due to wheel hop, so he lifted his bed back up and came right out

 

[Carlo]

How long did you wait to hit this sand after you pushed the sand option on the CTIS? I have two M923A2's and both need about 5 minutes to fully deflate to consider them sand ready.

 

[DIndFab]

A lot of great information and advice here guys, thank you.

 

[emr]

To many posts to read to see if some one said this..., To much air in the tires will cause the hop the fastest, Sorry but its not the truck , its a lack of experience, Not trying to be rude at all, Hope you take it the right way. These are amazing tactical vehicles and are performing amazing in Desert conditions for many many years now. Weight in the rear end is almost as important as air pressure. The life guard trucks that cruise around the beach's do not put weight in the back, they just run on super low air and drive all over.

 

[Hoefler]

Careful on the hopping. To much may snap an axel. learned this the hard way years ago in my dad's garbage truck.
Pete

 

[swiss]

I think we lost the OP, but still great information. Now to find a sand hill

 

[jesusgatos]

My brother took one of our 5-tons (hightop M923A2) down to the King of the Hammers to race and I wasn't impressed either. Even aired all the way down to 'emergency', wasn't able to climb moderate sandhills. Lots of wheel-hop.

 

[whiskey357]

Right about the hopping ....have used Range Rover in assuie land in sugar sand.....low tire pressure and get out and look before you drive as getting stuck anti no fun.......and by all means check out your weight and front end working like it should ......have some pics of the 2 ton stuck up to the doors in sugar sand...took 3 gtrucks to get her out ... never again ... find a another rounte iffn possible.....or go light...later gator..

 

[cumminsbandit]

We have 3 sand and gravel pits and me and some friends were playing with my A2 in some real powder sugar sand and in hwy mode without the front engaged it would hope real bad! Couldn't even hardly touch the peddle. Threw it in 6x and would hop a bit and take off. Then aired down to sand on the CTIS and went back threw without the front pulling, and would stop and accelerate fairly hard and no hope at all. I work in sand every day and tire presser is key!

I might have to take a vid for show and tell! haha

 

[hklvette]

It seems that the popular belief is that M35s and 5-tons can go absolutely anywhere and never get stuck. The truth is that they can go places most vehicles can't while hauling heavy loads, but they aren't unstoppable. They do well for what they were designed to do: Pull cargo over rough dirt roads.

 

[CUCVFAN]

How long did you wait to hit this sand after you pushed the sand option on the CTIS? I have two M923A2's and both need about 5 minutes to fully deflate to consider them sand ready.

I second this. Hitting the button does not just dump the air. You know how long it takes to fill one of these tires manually? It takes that long for the CTIS to adjust the pressure, too.

Was the sand light solid when you tried it? If it was flashing, it was still adjusting tire pressures.

 

[Dukeman]

There must be 50-75 MV owners at our local lake. Deuces, 5 tons, 20 tons. The surrounding area is all desert sand, thick, deep sand. I have not seen one, not one vehicle make it up the sand dunes. Deuces do better then 5 tons. The bigger and heavier the vehicle, the less it will float on top of the sand. Sorry to tell you, but its just not made to climb in the deep sand like that. Most of these trucks had a hard time getting up this small hill. Good luck.

 

[armytruck63]

^That photo looks like Mad Max. More pics please!

 

[mobileauto2000]

^That photo looks like Mad Max. More pics please!

Yes more pictures please! Video would be even better!

 

[Tinstar]

There must be 50-75 MV owners at our local lake. Deuces, 5 tons, 20 tons. The surrounding area is all desert sand, thick, deep sand. I have not seen one, not one vehicle make it up the sand dunes. Deuces do better then 5 tons. The bigger and heavier the vehicle, the less it will float on top of the sand. Sorry to tell you, but its just not made to climb in the deep sand like that. Most of these trucks had a hard time getting up this small hill. Good luck.

Where is this?
Elephant Butte??

 

[silverstate55]

More weight in the rear & air down.

 

[VPed]

Where is this?
Elephant Butte??

Yeah, that is Elephant Butte. I tried to find the thread where that picture was first posted on here because there were more pictures there, but I could not find it.

 

[VPed]

More weight in the rear & air down.

I have found that airing down really helps a lot but many folks don't want to go through the hassle. It takes a while. Some of these folk store their truck in the area so I would think there would be little need to air up. I drive up there from El Paso so I am there for 2 -3 days minimum. I air down as soon as I get there and air up just before leaving. Also, some do not air down enough, especially in the lightly loaded rear tires.

Additional weight is not a bad idea but tough to do when you are out there camping, a hundred miles from home. Whatever is back there will get beat to .... , not if but when it does start hopping. There is plenty of sand to shovel into the bed though, if you are really feeling froggy.

 

[Dukeman]

Yes, Elephant Butte Lake outside of Truth or Consequences, NM. Fun place and perfect for the MV's. I would put money, that other then a military base, Elephant Butte has the highest concentration of MV's per capita then any other town in America. A small get together last summer.

Sorry about hijacking the thread.