Cummins in the sand

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Just got back from the coast(Fell asleep in the sun ended trip early) and am exstatic about how this truck performed. I had heard many times about airing down tires before trekking in the sand but I've never found this to be necessary unless it was with an aggressive tire like Mud-Terrains or swampers. I ran the usual 40psi in my tires and trekked in all the types of sand that I could. I found no problem in any situation.

I did notice that in the loose sand,I could shift from second to third and get up to speed with no problem which I had never been able to do with my other 4x4's. I do believe that the Cummins is the only engine in a LD truck that can do this because a SuperDuty with a powerstroke tried to shift to third in the loose stuff and he almost killed the motor before he downshifted back to second. We both agreed that it would be easier if we had an auto transmission just for the loose stuff.

We definately have a unique powerplant in our Dodges and has covinced me of it's superiority with this beach trip.

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'99 2500HD Quad Cab 4x4,Intense Blue Pearlcoat,fully loaded w/Agate leather interior,5-speed,4. 10 limited slip,Skyjacker Leveling kit,Heckethorn Nitro 9000 shocks w/dual end to end steering stabilizers,35x12. 50x16. 5 BFG/AT KO's on 9. 75x16. 5 Eagle 589 Aluminum Wheels,9004 Cool Blue's,Silencer Ring removed,Fog Lights relay pulled,No muffler,No resonator,4" straight pipe.

[This message has been edited by WOWZY (edited 06-11-2000). ]

 

[Archive]

Good story. #ad
Cummins is a MEDIUM DUTY engine. Thats why it is far more superior than the pwrstrk. #ad

 

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Hey Wowzy, your signature says dual end to end steering stabalizers? Is that something you made yourself? If not, who makes it? Thanks

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99 2500 4x4,quad cab,lwb,black sport,4. 10lsd,5-speed,everything but leather,5" Tuff Country suspension lift chromed,3"body lift,38"Ground Hawg radials,16. 5x12 American Eagle wheels,K&N. VA box
2000 24' Weekend Warrior
97 Yamaha Banshee

 

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Hey Wowsy, My wife actually has on video, Me coming up on my buddie's Powerstroke and then passing him by on the beech at a place called Deep Creek. Every summer our family has an outing at Deep Creek. We time the tides and run way up the beech around the "corner", set up camp by a waterfall and have a good time. One night (was still daylight though) at the campfire (after a beer or two) the Cummins/Powerstroke thing happened. So on our way home the Cummins thing happened #ad
#ad
. The best part of the story... I was literally dragging a trailer too, with two 4 wheelers on it! What a shame #ad

 

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AK Bee - when is your Deep Creek trip?, I am donw there right now and spend all the time I can down here. Maybe I can swing by and say Hi.
I actually have a funny sand story my self. Yeserday at the mouth of Deep Creek, out in the sand, I came upon a VW Quattro burried up to its bumper in the sand. The kid driving asks if I would mind giving him a tow off the beach. I say "sure but you have to hook my tow rope on your car and don't blame me if I pull somthing off your car". He says no problem and away we go. I didn't pull anything off his car, but I did pull him through the sand backwards with out his wheeles turning. I love this truck.

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01 2500 SLT+ QC LWB 4x4 Auto 3. 54 rear end Forrest Green Sport with all options avail
DC Nerf Bars, DC Grill Gard, DC mud flaps, Line-X bed liner and Leer 160XL Topper
Soon to be Power Edged. Gauges and 4" Exhaust in planning stages. Dreaming of transmission
up grades and injectors... ... and some type of Airbox mods.
See My Truck
2000 Skidoo Summit 700

 

[Archive]

Originally posted by Snyder:
Hey Wowzy, your signature says dual end to end steering stabalizers? Is that something you made yourself? If not, who makes it? Thanks

I tried to order one from a few manufacturers and they said "You can't do it". I knew there's no such thing as "Can't"

I had a dual end to end stabilizer for a Dana 60 made by Rugged Trail and mounted it on mine like it was a normal 60. One thing that you should note is that because of the cross over steering,you have to have at least a leveling kit to get the clearance away from the steering arm. Just order any end to end stabilizer for a Dana 60 GM or Ford and you'll be set.

The end to end looks much better than the parallel mount and is inherently out of the way of trail damage that you may come upon. Damage will definately occur with the parallel mount because of how low the lower cylinder sits below the tie rod.

Hope this helps.

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'99 2500HD Quad Cab 4x4,Intense Blue Pearlcoat,fully loaded w/Agate leather interior,5-speed,4. 10 limited slip,Skyjacker Leveling kit,Heckethorn Nitro 9000 shocks w/dual end to end steering stabilizers,35x12. 50x16. 5 BFG/AT KO's on 9. 75x16. 5 Eagle 589 Aluminum Wheels,9004 Cool Blue's,Silencer Ring removed,Fog Lights relay pulled,No muffler,No resonator,4" straight pipe.

[This message has been edited by WOWZY (edited 06-14-2000). ]

 

[Archive]

Hell fellas, I smell another club forming. Would you call us the "Beach Bum Bombers"?

I did bring a Sandbox home in my floorboard! #ad
#ad
#ad


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'99 2500HD Quad Cab 4x4,Intense Blue Pearlcoat,fully loaded w/Agate leather interior,5-speed,4. 10 limited slip,Skyjacker Leveling kit,Heckethorn Nitro 9000 shocks w/dual end to end steering stabilizers,35x12. 50x16. 5 BFG/AT KO's on 9. 75x16. 5 Eagle 589 Aluminum Wheels,9004 Cool Blue's,Silencer Ring removed,Fog Lights relay pulled,No muffler,No resonator,4" straight pipe.

 

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Great info guys! I was a little worried about some of the sandy washes in Baja since buying my Cummins Ram. Sounds like I'm gonna be a happy camper #ad
What tire pressure/tire size are you running? Wowzy - are you getting lots of side wall bulge at 40psi?

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2001 HO 6 speed Regular Cab SLT 4x4 3. 54 anti spin 2500. Used for the daily grind and sneaking away to some secret Baja beaches toting a cabover

 

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A little caution here. A lot depends on the texture of the sand. If it's real fine power there are no problems. If it's coarse like little pebbles it's like driving in ball bearing and these trucks don't do very well because of the weight. I've tried some beachs around here like that and had trouble even with only 20PSI. I haven't had to be towed yet but there are some that I won't drive on again.

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Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,BD valve body,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver

 

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Dane, I was worried about how the sidewalls would react to the weight that we have in the front. So far these D-rated BFG's have been the best that i've owned as far as keeping their shape. The sidewalls are still straight even with the pressure that i'm running. All of my C-rated tires were real bad about sidewall flex and distorsion even on a 1/2 ton vehicle.

We have on the East coast a type of sand that we encounter once in a while called a shell pit. Which is course remains of seashells and it reacts like ball bearings also. I didn't run across very many this trip,but the ones that I saw,I ran through them with no trouble.

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'99 2500HD Quad Cab 4x4,Intense Blue Pearlcoat,fully loaded w/Agate leather interior,5-speed,4. 10 limited slip,Skyjacker Leveling kit,Heckethorn Nitro 9000 shocks w/dual end to end steering stabilizers,35x12. 50x16. 5 BFG/AT KO's on 9. 75x16. 5 Eagle 589 Aluminum Wheels,9004 Cool Blue's,Silencer Ring removed,Fog Lights relay pulled,No muffler,No resonator,4" straight pipe.