New owner, driving on sand AWD questions

[06XLDenali]

I finally found a lower mile family hauler but didn't quite do all my research..2006 Yukon XL Denali. Plan is to use it for camping and beach trips. After realizing this doesn't have a "true" 4wd system I'm starting to wonder if this will work or leave me stuck in the sand. For those of you who have had both systems is the AWD still decent? Plan is to put on 285/70/17 tires and finish off my front lift. So far did the Moog HD coils and KYB monomax shocks as the air ride had issues.

Thanks for and suggestions

 

[M123]

Hi. Now I really don't understand what you are saying, can be my lacking skills in English... But doesn't you as everyone have the same system that you can put it in 4wd mode and 4wd low?

If so are my advice, if you are not sure if AWD will keep you going, take the safety first and go 4wd. AWD have some lagging before it grip.

If not so do I hope someone else can give some more professional advice then my input.

 

[Teamiez]

Not sure on gm’s but my grand Cherokee that had awd was awesome in all situations, it was Quadra drive though which has LSD’s front & back, miss that suv..

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

I cannot personally help you with your question, as I have never driven on the beach with my truck; however, other members on this Forum that are much more knowledgeable than me will chime in.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Sand is tricky, I believe the AWD trucks came without a rear locker or LSD so that's kinda a downside but you should be fine if you get an AT tire and not an MT which is more likely to dig and sink in the sand. If you do have trouble stop before you dig and let the air out of the tires, try 20psi then as low as 12-15 if you have to. Keeping a cheap 12v pump handy will make filling back up simple and problem-free.

Always remember with sand you want to float over it with consistent and steady speed, stopping is what will get you.

 

[06XLDenali]

Hi. Now I really don't understand what you are saying, can be my lacking skills in English... But doesn't you as everyone have the same system that you can put it in 4wd mode and 4wd low?

If so are my advice, if you are not sure if AWD will keep you going, take the safety first and go 4wd. AWD have some lagging before it grip.

If not so do I hope someone else can give some more professional advice then my input.

The Denali and Escalade has AWD, so it doesn't have buttons to switch from 2wd to 4hi 4lo..I guess I need to read up on how my system works to take advantage. I have heard of pulling the ABS fuse to disable Stabilitrak and TC to help keep the wheels spinning. To be safe I may invest in those special MaxTrax or Go Tread in case no one is around to pull me out.

 

[bill1013]

You have to learn how to drive on sand, like Dantheman said. On both of my 4WD vehicles I would deflate the tires to 12 PSI, thus flatting out the tread or "FootPrint" which allows for more grip. And you need to keep it straight and slow, especially in loose sand. Wet sand is easy to drive on, but the dry, loose sand is very tricky. If you're going to turn you need to do it very slowly, no sudden or jerky movements. It takes a while to learn but once you get the hang of it...it's apiece of cake. Unfortunately my friend, with the lifted Toyota with the Mickey Thompson 44s NEVER got the hang of it. Me and my Ford Bronco II 4X4 4WD pulled him out of so many soft sands it was pathetic. We were camping and this guy wakes me up at 3am to help pull his ride out of the sand. It was buried past the axles! He just keep spinning the tires until he literally buried it in the sand. I told him that I would be back later that morning to help him out. I went back to sleep. He ended up digging it out and leaving a humongous hole in beach. He never learned, but I hope you do and take our "lessons learned" and advice to heart. Take it slow and it'll be fine.

 

[Buggdave]

I have a 2002 Denali that does not have the stabilitrac/traction control system, but I travel through gravel/loose scree & Snow with no issues. I Have the G80
(locking rear differential) stock in my Denali that makes a big difference in loose road material. These trucks have Full Time AWD and is similar to 4WD-HI, see the attached tech write-up from GM. The only downfall is no 4WD-LO, though technically I have not been in a situation where I needed it yet and I have abused my Denali and have taken it to areas where i should not take it, like Moab Utah's Fins & Things trail.

 

[06XLDenali]

I have a 2002 Denali that does not have the stabilitrac/traction control system, but I travel through gravel/loose scree & Snow with no issues. I Have the G80
(locking rear differential) stock in my Denali that makes a big difference in loose road material. These trucks have Full Time AWD and is similar to 4WD-HI, see the attached tech write-up from GM. The only downfall is no 4WD-LO, though technically I have not been in a situation where I needed it yet and I have abused my Denali and have taken it to areas where i should not take it, like Moab Utah's Fins & Things trail.

Ya I didn't seem to get lucky with the G80 option and I dont know if it actually has stabilitrak?..

 

[Teamiez]

Ya I didn't seem to get lucky with the G80 option and I dont know if it actually has stabilitrak?..

That seems like a traction control button atleast, I think if there is stibilitrak there’s some way weird to disable it. My 01 does not have g80 traction control or stibilitrak and goes through a lot!

 

[Teamiez]

Sand is tricky, I believe the AWD trucks came without a rear locker or LSD so that's kinda a downside but you should be fine if you get an AT tire and not an MT which is more likely to dig and sink in the sand. If you do have trouble stop before you dig and let the air out of the tires, try 20psi then as low as 12-15 if you have to. Keeping a cheap 12v pump handy will make filling back up simple and problem-free.

Always remember with sand you want to float over it with consistent and steady speed, stopping is what will get you.

I agree 100% on the psi makes a world of a difference, found that out! Jumping and digging is rough.

 

[Bill 1960]

Read the manual. It’s online if you do not have the physical one.

If you DO have traction control I wouldn’t be pulling any fuses out to kill it. TC equipped vehicles will have a TC off button you can use to disable the power reduction feature and allow plenty of wheel spin.
If you disable it completely by cutting power you lose the BLD function that brakes a spinning wheel to transfer power to the wheels with traction.

 

[Buggdave]

Ya I didn't seem to get lucky with the G80 option and I dont know if it actually has stabilitrak?..

It looks like 2006 Denali's came standard with StabiliTrak. I found the Dealer Brochure for 2006 GMC Yukon for your reading pleasure . Oddly enough it looks like the G80 was no longer standard equipment for the Denali package in the later years. From information I have found, the StabiliTrak uses the brakes to control wheel slip. From the owner manual, you can turn this system on and off by the Stabilitrak button.

 

[RedInCo]

I have a 2010 Yukon Denali with AWD. The build sheet shows the G80 locking rear differential. My understanding is that the transfer case has an open (non-locking) differential, and the front diff is also non-locking.

I've never attempted sand, but I've pulled a 6,000 pound trailer up a significant rise through six inches of unplowed snow, with all-season tires. No drama, no wheelspin.

I don't do rock crawling, but when I get into the boonies, I run out of ground clearance before I run out of traction.

 

[davidr]

Ok. I have a 2014 Denali with AWD. I have the same tires you are considering and have a simple leveling kit on mine. AWD is NOT true 4WD. (Gear ratios, driveline component configs, etc…. I won’t digress here because it simply doesn’t not matter for your info needs). I would not have purchased a AWD model but was in a situation where I needed something and got a tremendous deal, so…

I drive in OBX sand quite a bit. Sand can be tricky as others have mentioned due to sand conditions and need to adjust driving habits, etc. Here is what I do, EVERY TIME (don’t be lazy or forget…):

1. AIR DOWN to 18psi (surface area is your friend on sand)
2. Push the button to disable Stabilitrack AND traction control.
3. Drive in existing ruts vs. trying to be a jeep
4. Use buddy system (go with friends)
5. Have a 20k lb tow strap, shovels, traction mats, fire extinguisher in a bag.
6. Carry a $100 in $20s just in case. Most people are nice enough to help but I like to offer $$ for their time any way.
7. After all those things, I assess the sand and weather conditions. If sand is blowing (dry) and there is no compaction, I don’t go with family but will go with my buddies. (More likely to get stuck)
8. If I go, I drive straight lines, in the ruts, no quick turns and maintain steady practical speeds.… (not a race, just keep her moving forward without spinning wheels too much)

Do this and you should be fine. The real variable is your driving experience on sand. I have been doing it a fair bit over many decades and still think I’m a nubb at it…

Hope this helps.

 

[jqwiii00]

I finally found a lower mile family hauler but didn't quite do all my research..2006 Yukon XL Denali. Plan is to use it for camping and beach trips. After realizing this doesn't have a "true" 4wd system I'm starting to wonder if this will work or leave me stuck in the sand. For those of you who have had both systems is the AWD still decent? Plan is to put on 285/70/17 tires and finish off my front lift. So far did the Moog HD coils and KYB monomax shocks as the air ride had issues.

Thanks for and suggestions

I'm not familiar with their AWD system but it won't have Low Range. The question is does it go into 2 wheel drive on its on and if so at what speed. Tip on driving on sand. Tire pressure is everything. If you lose momentum don't spin your wheels! Let the tire pressure way down. 10# will almost always work. So carry a battery power compressor.

 

[easymoney]

I finally found a lower mile family hauler but didn't quite do all my research..2006 Yukon XL Denali. Plan is to use it for camping and beach trips. After realizing this doesn't have a "true" 4wd system I'm starting to wonder if this will work or leave me stuck in the sand. For those of you who have had both systems is the AWD still decent? Plan is to put on 285/70/17 tires and finish off my front lift. So far did the Moog HD coils and KYB monomax shocks as the air ride had issues.

Thanks for and suggestions

You will likely never have to have low range. These vehicles plenty of torque to grt you rolling. The wide tires will help also. I doubt a locker will help like it does on ice and mud where the road could have grip on some places but slippery on others. Sand is usually very consistent and very deep so left side of vehicle is the same as the right side so doubt a locker helps…where sand is closer to the water its usually harder to sink where it is really dry could be less dense and easier to sink. You could always take a few 2x6 boards to put under the wheel if you get stuck and need to jack it up

 

[Teamiez]

I'm not familiar with their AWD system but it won't have Low Range. The question is does it go into 2 wheel drive on its on and if so at what speed. Tip on driving on sand. Tire pressure is everything. If you lose momentum don't spin your wheels! Let the tire pressure way down. 10# will almost always work. So carry a battery power compressor.

I think when one of the rear wheels slips the absolute littlest bit the transfer case sends power to the front and when wheel speeds go back to ‘steady’ not slipping it stops giving the front power. Kind of like ‘auto 4WD’ in chevys with that transfer case where you have auto high & low

 

[scotto0609]

Air down ,go slow and if equipped watch the tranny temp

 

[Spoolin]

Buggdave, and anyone who could help,

What are the odds of finding the Tahoe brochure like that Yukon one? I’d like to read up on the 06 Z-71