Sand Car move to UTV anyone?

Sand Shark said:
The riser make it a little better.   I guess I am use to driving the X3 as the forward visibility does not bother me in the dunes.  
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The Can Am was never a contender for me cause of lack of visibility...then I sat in the new 2022 model with 22" tires and that made the difference.

I just needed or wanted to at least see the front left tire.

I was going to pull the trigger on a Turbo S-4 Velocity, mostly cause of the wheelbase and visibility.

But that all changed.. :dbart:

 
dbart said:
The Can Am was never a contender for me cause of lack of visibility...then I sat in the new 2022 model with 22" tires and that made the difference.

I just needed or wanted to at least see the front left tire.

I was going to pull the trigger on a Turbo S-4 Velocity, mostly cause of the wheelbase and visibility.

But that all changed.. :dbart:
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Tall people should be able to see the tires better.  Us short people just drive like Mr. Magoo and hope for the best.  LMAO

 
Funco4JM said:
I went from Sand car to SXS and back to Sand car.  I kept the SXS for summer rides in AZ. There is no comparison from Funco to SXS. But when the Funco is down, the SXS gets me around. I believe I saw somebody state that they rolled the SXS... I rolled mine too. They just don't handle like a Sand Car lol. 
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100% agree I would like to have both. For trail riding its hard to beat a SxS

 
dbart said:
If all you do is sand...there is no way a sxs will compare to a rail.

However, if you want to do more than just sand...then a sxs is the versatile choice.

If you ride Dirt bikes and all you do is ride track....Don't get a dual sport! Sure you could ride it on a track but it's gonna suck...but you can go every other place as well as on the street.

It's all in what you want to do and where you want to go!

There is no WRONG choice if it is your choice!
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Dbart nailed it! 
 

Comparing a true sand car to a UTV is not a fair comparison. The “Sand Car” is a specialty vehicle designed for one location. Sand! So if your only destination is Sand, and you want the best performance in the “Sand”, then a “Sand Car” is the best option. But it’s going to cost you too! 
 

How many real sand cars go to Ocotillo Wells, Barstow, Johnson Valley (KOTH) or Baja? The answer is None! That’s not what they were built for. A SXS will out perform a Funco in Johnson Valley. 
 

Each environment can allow for a specific vehicle. Like Punchdrunk Monkey talked about his Alumicraft that was built as a purpose built Prerunner. It’s a buggy but it was not designed as a Sand Buggy. It was able to dune, but not like a purpose built Alumicraft sand car would. Just like a SXS can dune, but not like a purpose built Sand Car. 
 

What the SXS does, is everything well in dozens of environments. It’s not Great at just one, but does dozens of places well. It’s very universal, and with specialty mods, can be more purpose built for Sand,  Mountain trails, Baja built or Rock Crawler built. 
 

Also it matters what the crowd you ride with has. If your group has Jeeps, then that’s what you will want to enjoy the same adventure. Your not going to bring a Funco to a Jeep run. I used to run my Prerunner buggy (VW engine) with SXS out at Plaster City/Superstition. While I was faster on the flats, I could not run the sand dunes as well and had to bypass some stuff or take an alternate line. Once we got a SXS our fun level went up 100% because we were running with SXS’s. Also the maintenance was dramatically reduced when we moved to a SXS. 
 

And lastly the current field of SXS’s is not like your Dad’s SXS. You need to get past the days and thoughts of Rhino’s. Once you do and admit the current SXS is a true performance off road vehicle. You will see the SXS has greatly narrowed the performance gap between the Sand Buggy and SXS and might be more accepted to you. Also if you look outside the Sand Box and explore other areas, you will see the advantage the SXS has over all other vehicles. 

 
NIKAL said:
Dbart nailed it! 
 

Comparing a true sand car to a UTV is not a fair comparison. The “Sand Car” is a specialty vehicle designed for one location. Sand! So if your only destination is Sand, and you want the best performance in the “Sand”, then a “Sand Car” is the best option. But it’s going to cost you too! 
 

How many real sand cars go to Ocotillo Wells, Barstow, Johnson Valley (KOTH) or Baja? The answer is None! That’s not what they were built for. A SXS will out perform a Funco in Johnson Valley. 
 

Each environment can allow for a specific vehicle. Like Punchdrunk Monkey talked about his Alumicraft that was built as a purpose built Prerunner. It’s a buggy but it was not designed as a Sand Buggy. It was able to dune, but not like a purpose built Alumicraft sand car would. Just like a SXS can dune, but not like a purpose built Sand Car. 
 

What the SXS does, is everything well in dozens of environments. It’s not Great at just one, but does dozens of places well. It’s very universal, and with specialty mods, can be more purpose built for Sand,  Mountain trails, Baja built or Rock Crawler built. 
 

Also it matters what the crowd you ride with has. If your group has Jeeps, then that’s what you will want to enjoy the same adventure. Your not going to bring a Funco to a Jeep run. I used to run my Prerunner buggy (VW engine) with SXS out at Plaster City/Superstition. While I was faster on the flats, I could not run the sand dunes as well and had to bypass some stuff or take an alternate line. Once we got a SXS our fun level went up 100% because we were running with SXS’s. Also the maintenance was dramatically reduced when we moved to a SXS. 
 

And lastly the current field of SXS’s is not like your Dad’s SXS. You need to get past the days and thoughts of Rhino’s. Once you do and admit the current SXS is a true performance off road vehicle. You will see the SXS has greatly narrowed the performance gap between the Sand Buggy and SXS and might be more accepted to you. Also if you look outside the Sand Box and explore other areas, you will see the advantage the SXS has over all other vehicles. 
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Poking a bit of fun ...

I agree if we we are on a site called "trails and dunes"  but if we are talking Dunes - Most of the comparisons are accurate.  I also agree with @dbart  regarding the dual purpose nature of SxS's  I don't agree that you that you should drive something slow or not a true performance vehicle because your friends drive them... 

If you think the performance gap between a SxS and High performance sand car is closed or closing , put on your depends and come for a ride with me  🙂 

 
Fullthrottleguy said:
Poking a bit of fun ...

I agree if we we are on a site called "trails and dunes"  but if we are talking Dunes - Most of the comparisons are accurate.  I also agree with @dbart  regarding the dual purpose nature of SxS's  I don't agree that you that you should drive something slow or not a true performance vehicle because your friends drive them... 

If you think the performance gap between a SxS and High performance sand car is closed or closing , put on your depends and come for a ride with me  🙂 
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Your right this is Glamis Dunes, not Hard pack & trails. Lol! 
 

When I was trying to compare the gap between Sand Car & a SXS, I was not comparing it to the 1%ers club with $200K plus cars who’s Albins box cost as much as a SXS. I’m comparing the average sand car, vs the current $25k-$35k UTV. The “ average Joe” sand car went from VW engines & beams to V8’s & A-arms. Just like the SXS went from the Rhino, a farm vehicle to what you see today from Can Am & Polaris. The UTV’s have evolved allot more in a shorter time, with a greater popularity. 
 

And regarding wearing Depends and going for a ride with you in your sand car. I could tell you the same thing about riding with a 16 year old teenage girl in a Honda Civic to the mall. Ask me how I know? 

 
Had to replace an axle today and missed the morning ride. With that said still did 170 mi in the last 3 days. Have to say the more I drive this the more fun it is. I could almost see purposely bringing this instead of the buggy a couple trips each season. It is so different than the buggy. Can't wait to buy some better tires for it.

 
I had replaced one boot that split on the other side last year. Had guessed a rock or stick hit it out in the desert. Then yesterday noticed some Grease coming from the CV on the other side. Could not see the split although I probably could have looked closer and found it. Kind of thought I overfilled it and maybe it was squeezing past the clamp which was not the case. Went out yesterday afternoon maybe for a 20 mile ride and that boot must have split right away. Cuz that sand got in there and built some heat and literally destroy the end of the axle and CV. It was clunking and banging by the time I pulled into camp. Holy crap. 360 bucks at Sweet Marie's for a replacement. $100 surcharge which I get and I'm okay with. Sure seems like a poor design on these boots. I just went over 800 miles on this car and two boots have gone bad? I noticed they are almost a hard plastic versus rubber.

20220209_182918.jpg

 
I keep having this argument in my head. I want a sand car but I keep seeing people I know having bad luck with them. My CanAm X3 will do everything I want it to do.  Just sometimes not as fast.   

 
onanysunday said:
I had replaced one boot that split on the other side last year. Had guessed a rock or stick hit it out in the desert. Then yesterday noticed some Grease coming from the CV on the other side. Could not see the split although I probably could have looked closer and found it. Kind of thought I overfilled it and maybe it was squeezing past the clamp which was not the case. Went out yesterday afternoon maybe for a 20 mile ride and that boot must have split right away. Cuz that sand got in there and built some heat and literally destroy the end of the axle and CV. It was clunking and banging by the time I pulled into camp. Holy crap. 360 bucks at Sweet Marie's for a replacement. $100 surcharge which I get and I'm okay with. Sure seems like a poor design on these boots. I just went over 800 miles on this car and two boots have gone bad? I noticed they are almost a hard plastic versus rubber.

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2wd driving in the dunes puts a lot of stress on those rear axles.  Drive the car in 4wd and no axle issues.

A few in our group that mainly do 2wd are also the ones in the group that are replacing CV boots and axles. 

I killed a front axle last year, but that one had 7000+ miles on it.   I heard a loud bang and when I got to Joe Fabs there was not much left of the CV cage.  

 
Sand Shark said:
2wd driving in the dunes puts a lot of stress on those rear axles.  Drive the car in 4wd and no axle issues.

A few in our group that mainly do 2wd are also the ones in the group that are replacing CV boots and axles. 

I killed a front axle last year, but that one had 7000+ miles on it.   I heard a loud bang and when I got to Joe Fabs there was not much left of the CV cage.  
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I have only been in four-wheel drive

 
onanysunday said:
Had to replace an axle today and missed the morning ride. With that said still did 170 mi in the last 3 days. Have to say the more I drive this the more fun it is. I could almost see purposely bringing this instead of the buggy a couple trips each season. It is so different than the buggy. Can't wait to buy some better tires for it.
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Just get a trailer big enough to bring both.

 
NIKAL said:
Your right this is Glamis Dunes, not Hard pack & trails. Lol! 
 

When I was trying to compare the gap between Sand Car & a SXS, I was not comparing it to the 1%ers club with $200K plus cars who’s Albins box cost as much as a SXS. I’m comparing the average sand car, vs the current $25k-$35k UTV. The “ average Joe” sand car went from VW engines & beams to V8’s & A-arms. Just like the SXS went from the Rhino, a farm vehicle to what you see today from Can Am & Polaris. The UTV’s have evolved allot more in a shorter time, with a greater popularity. 
 

And regarding wearing Depends and going for a ride with you in your sand car. I could tell you the same thing about riding with a 16 year old teenage girl in a Honda Civic to the mall. Ask me how I know? 
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Keeping up on a ride isn't the same as pulling a wheelie over that riser mid-bowl, coming down then drifting the entire next bowl up and down.  I have a lowly mid-travel turbo 4-banger buggy, when we're getting it on a run, the side by sides end up falling farther and farther behind.  No wheelies, no drifting, just keeping up. This is in a group of average buggies with mildly built LS motors, 2Ds, and bypasses (and my lowly 4-banger with bypasses).  Nothing special. 

Yes. The performance gap has definitely closed.  Driving my wife's stock X3, I can hang with the buggy that leads our runs without much issue.  But it's not a buggy in the sand.  

 
Rockwood said:
Keeping up on a ride isn't the same as pulling a wheelie over that riser mid-bowl, coming down then drifting the entire next bowl up and down.  I have a lowly mid-travel turbo 4-banger buggy, when we're getting it on a run, the side by sides end up falling farther and farther behind.  No wheelies, no drifting, just keeping up. This is in a group of average buggies with mildly built LS motors, 2Ds, and bypasses (and my lowly 4-banger with bypasses).  Nothing special. 

Yes. The performance gap has definitely closed.  Driving my wife's stock X3, I can hang with the buggy that leads our runs without much issue.  But it's not a buggy in the sand.  
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On rare occasions I can pull wheelies on some risers mid-bowl. LOL!    

Whether a SXS can keep up with a rail really depends on the group and the level of skill.  

 
Sand Shark said:
On rare occasions I can pull wheelies on some risers mid-bowl. LOL!    

Whether a SXS can keep up with a rail really depends on the group and the level of skill.  
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Fact is, the SxS's now can keep up with 98% of the duners in rails, the only place I feel I can out run a good driver in a SxS is doing a 180 (turn) and accelerating out and going thru the gears up into a dune, I can be entering the dune before they are even finished turning, and by then I am doing 60+.  That being said, some of the SxS's are operating at 90% of capacity while the buggies are at 60%.

 
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Sand Shark said:
On rare occasions I can pull wheelies on some risers mid-bowl. LOL!    

Whether a SXS can keep up with a rail really depends on the group and the level of skill.  
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Ayep, agree.  That being said, I'm occasionally drifting hard enough that I'm FACING my buddy in his X3 behind me, and he's doing all he can to just follow. :biggrin:

 
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