Ask The Editors: Is All Sand Created Equal?
As crazy as it surely sounds, indeed your friend is right. Just as there are a multitude of different rock textures, densities and hardness on the planet, so too are there different consistencies of the smallest incarnation of rock: sand.
Typically the larger particles of harder minerals do the most scraping damage against exposed ATV parts while finer particles and those derived from softer rock (like sandstone) are easier on equipment. To put it another way- the finer particles that make up Glamis dunes are easier on your quad’s underbelly (though more likely to fit through small areas like the lid of your airbox) than say the sand from Pismo Beach, California that is primarily quartz, chert, igneous rock and shell fragments.
Prepare for the softer stuff by sealing up any and all areas subject to airborne contamination with grease: airbox lid, bearings, seals and so on. Also not a bad idea to run frame protectors and shock covers where possible. Also remember that paddles and sand-specific tires work more effectively in the finer stuff like that found in Glamis.
Bonus trivia: The sand in Australia is typically regraded as the toughest on equipment in the world.
