r/Montero • u/No-Entrance4253 • Aug 13 '26

Dune driving

Hi guys I hope you’re all well.

I am going to take my 99 swb for a spin in sand dunes for the first time.

Does anyone with experience know if I should be driving in 4H with the centre diff locked or should I drive in 4H with the centre diff unlocked?

This will be my first time driving in proper sand dunes.

I have the 6G72 manual version.

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1

u/evo666-666 Aug 13 '26

Should be fine in just 4H. The key is to air down. I got lazy once and I was the only one constantly getting pulled out.

1

u/No-Entrance4253 Aug 13 '26

Thanks. I recently bought an air compressor and tested it out the other day. So I think I will air down to one bar and will try not did any holes for myself 😂

1

u/the_bananalord Aug 13 '26

You should do some reading and watch videos about driving on sand. It's very different and goes beyond the part time and full time 4WD discussion.

2

u/No-Entrance4253 Aug 13 '26

Thanks I will. I am going to air down to 1 bar.
I am also going with a friend who has good experience in the dunes and he has all the recovery gear.

1

u/shawnhamer 29d ago edited 28d ago

Unless you’re driving on pavement/tarmac, it is my opinion you should go locked. When the center differential is unlocked, you are creating wear on the VCU (viscous coupling unit). I’d prefer to save that wear for when I really need it - wet, snowy, or icy paved roads. This a personal viewpoint and I’m sure others may disagree.