PSA: Be careful "off-roading" without the skid plate

Jack

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I suppose maybe this should be common knowledge, but just do not overestimate the off-roading capability of the 2WD Ranger with no skid plate. The stock tires lose traction on even fairly tame sand, and the front end can bottom out easier than you might expect. If you'd like the story that taught me this lesson, read below. If not, that's all :like: just a friendly PSA to be careful out there.

Story time. First trip to the beach, I got stuck. This was in Galveston, and on the far end of the island there's a lot of fishing that happens. We decided to travel down there because there is a park on the map and it's a nice, wide open beach area. Anyway, eventually we reach near the tip of the area where cars are allowed (marked by wooden posts) and there's a parking area with quite a few small SUVs and pickup trucks in it, so we pull into there. Well, as I go to turn around, I start losing traction pretty drastically. I manage to get a little bit further but lo and behold, I'm quite stuck. The tires just cannot get traction on the sand, and I had to get pulled out. Like I said there were multiple 2WD small SUVs in that lot that we watched get out just fine, as well as a 2WD Nissan Frontier. Bad driving? Maybe, I shouldn't have lost momentum after noticing the first slipping, but just a heads up that the stock tires get zero grip on even mildly soft sand.

Next trip to the beach I went to the other end of the island where the sand is mostly so hard-packed it's like concrete and anything can drive on it. However, there's been quite a bit of rain lately and so there is quite a bit of standing water in different spots over in this area. One of these patches of standing water was right on the main pathway to get back, and the only other way was a huge detour, so on the trip back we went to this area. We gauged the water and it wasn't too deep, just fine for the Ranger... we thought. Well, after driving through with a decent splash but no bash or bang of any kind felt inside, we discovered that the front plastic lip had been broken off, the radiator had been bent, and (later) discovered that multiple components of the AC system had been damaged as well. You'd think with such damage you'd have felt a bash or thud when the truck bottomed out as it clearly did, but we felt absolutely nothing. Anyway, repairs on this took months as parts availability right now is horrendous.
Inked6628_LI.jpg

Above you can see the damage. Very confounded as to how the license plate got bent like that, but the holder and everything at that same level in the car showed no signs of damage at all. Perhaps I'm wrong about the bottoming out and an object in the water did the damage? We'll never know. If I did, in fact, bottom out as suspected, that whole damaged area would have been fine had the skid plate been there.

Just be safe out there, and be very careful with water crossings!
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Trigganometry

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Looks like you hit a stump or log. That would certainly do that kind of damage easily. We drive in the snow and beaches a lot where I am. Letting 5 psi out of your tires before you start has a huge impact and extra traction in these conditions.

Driving on snow or sand is very similar. Keep movement in any direction a uniform speed, DO NOT spin the tires. Rocking motions are the best way to free yourself. You might find sport mode a better way to get moving then go into drive once speed is achieved

Happy trails! Oh and get a skid plate! ?
 
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Jack

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Looks like you hit a stump or log. That would certainly do that kind of damage easily. We drive in the snow and beaches a lot where I am. Letting 5 psi out of your tires before you start has a huge impact and extra traction in these conditions.

Driving on snow or sand is very similar. Keep movement in any direction a uniform speed, DO NOT spin the tires. Rocking motions are the best way to free yourself. You might find sport mode a better way to get moving then go into drive once speed is achieved

Happy trails! Oh and get a skid plate! ?
It's quite possible, I'm still just perplexed on how none of us felt anything. It truly felt smooth as we went through. The PSI thing is definitely a plan in the future, although I'm also just not going back to that parking area again. We spent about an hour trying digging the wheels out, putting planks underneath them, and rocking the truck to no avail. Eventually contacted someone who could pull me out.
 

RangerDangerStranger

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YOU'LL NEED 4X4 TOW HOOKS, in addition to the plates, there is a cheap <100 version and the silver plate for little less then 300. trans plate like 50. One of my first mods.
You probably would of been OK with just the rear locking Diff.
 
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Obijack

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It's quite possible, I'm still just perplexed on how none of us felt anything. It truly felt smooth as we went through. The PSI thing is definitely a plan in the future, although I'm also just not going back to that parking area again. We spent about an hour trying digging the wheels out, putting planks underneath them, and rocking the truck to no avail. Eventually contacted someone who could pull me out.
Did you instantly regret not getting 4wd?
 

GTGallop

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I let my tires down to 20 PSI here in AZ. On Galveston like Crystal or Stewart Beach I'd go 15 to maybe even 12 lbs.

Side note - Quit Futzing around in Galveston and go down to SurfSide south of Lake Jackson.
Better beach
Better water
Better fish
 

1911tex

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I grew up on north Padre Island...great sand, great fishing, great romancing lee of the sand dunes with a bonfire! No one had trucks, just old 50's, 60's and 70's cars and never got stuck. They just mostly rusted out over time.
 

brockdog12

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I let my tires down to 20 PSI here in AZ. On Galveston like Crystal or Stewart Beach I'd go 15 to maybe even 12 lbs.

Side note - Quit Futzing around in Galveston and go down to SurfSide south of Lake Jackson.
Better beach
Better water
Better fish
I grew up fishing at Matagorda.
 

ryyck

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I grew up on north Padre Island...great sand, great fishing, great romancing lee of the sand dunes with a bonfire! No one had trucks, just old 50's, 60's and 70's cars and never got stuck. They just mostly rusted out over time.
I'm jealous as hell....
 

Rviator

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I've been on Padre Is. many times with 2 and 4 wheel drive trucks to just drive and beach camp. Never needed 4 wheel drive but also didn't go much past the "4 wheel drive vehicles only" sign. You just have to be aware what you're driving on.
 

Jms81661

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YOU'LL NEED 4X4 TOW HOOKS, in addition to the plates, there is a cheap <100 version and the silver plate for little less then 300. trans plate like 50. One of my first mods.
You probably would of been OK with just the rear locking Diff.
 

Progeny2021

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With stock tires on my Lariat, letting out about 10psi per tire makes a BIG difference in the loose stuff. Be sure to carry a decent air compressor....
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