KJ in a ditch

trailpixie · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:12 am

I had an interesting experience as I drove down a snow covered road in the West Virginia highlands....I drove into a ditch. That was embarrassing, and I hope we don't have to dwell on how this happened. It is not relevant to my story here.

So I find myself in the ditch and instead of stopping immediately, I try to keep some momentum to try to get out of the ditch. I figured that if I stopped, I was doomed. I was in full-time 4wd when I went into the ditch, so I made progress along the ditch for about 50 yards. The problem was that the ditch seemed to be getting deeper and the angle of the vehicle was perilously close to rolling onto its side. It wasn't really a life threatening roll situation. It was more like a serious body and glass damage type of laying the vehicle over on its side. So I finally stopped in the ditch. I was sitting there with all my gear mashed up against the passenger side doors. I tried to back-up. Not much luck. So, I switch into Part time 4wd. I start the vehicle moving backwards. I am sawing the wheel a bit to get traction (any kind) to pull me out of the ditch. After moving back 20 yards or so, I suddenly lurch to the side and find myself banging the frame of the vehicle on the edge of the road. Somehow, now the two front tires are in the ditch and the rear on the snowy road. I gently move forward and try backing out again. BANG. I hit the vehicle on the frame again (thankfully, I have skid plates). I stop the vehicle and figure that I will need to wait for someone to come by and pull me out.

So, in my desperation, I try one more thing. I put the vehicle in low gear. Then I put the transmission back into reverse and hit the gas. ZIP!!! the jeep is back out on the road with such effortlessness that you would have thought I was pulling out of a parking space. I shrug my shoulders, shift back into full-time 4wd and go about my business....nothing to see here. I don't know nuthin' about that messy ditch there.

So here is the question: What was so special about low range? In this case the only thing that should have helped would have been locking the center differential, and I thought that it locked when I put it in part time 4wd. When I was in part time, I couldn't move at all. To my understanding the only difference between 4lo and Part Time (4hi in old terms) was the gear ratios.

So, what WAS so special about low range?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:22 am

Quote:

So, what WAS so special about low range?

Torque multiplication = more traction and control at slow speeds.

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:38 am

.......I wanna see some pics and hear the rest of the story :lol:

trailpixie · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:50 am

jsc7002 wrote:

.......I wanna see some pics and hear the rest of the story :lol:

I have pics of the road just before the ditch (don't ask why I have pics of the road), but none of the vehicle in the ditch. All I can say is that the KJ is an amazingly capable little vehicle that doesn't get the credit it deserves.

that's the rest of the story....unless you mean understanding how low range increases traction...I am not sure about that, but it is the only offering so far, so I guess I will need to accept it.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:01 am

like TJKJ explianed is about it, huge difference in how a vehicle will respond depending on low or high range,
and yes the Liberty does not get what it deserves in what it can do even stock.

Been a while since I have seen you on here, any new photos to browse through? You always have some great ones!

Tom

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:19 am

Aside from the torque multiplication / gear reduction that you receive, 4-Low also remaps the throttle sensitivity so that you have more control over the speed at which you creep along.

Torque is what helps you get moving. Horsepower is what helps you keep moving

In your situation, the selection of 4-hi wasn't providing enough torque to get the nose of your KJ out of the ditch.

By switching to 4-low, the gear reduction [that acts like a torque multiplier] enabled the tires recieve much more power given almost the same throttle input. The added torque is what enabled your KJ to overcome the break from the flat road to the relativly steep grade of the ditch. Thus resulting in your successful "self-recovery" of the KJ.

phxtoad · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:20 am

Clearly your KJ just wanted to play in the ditch. It appeared to be having quite some fun until you forced it back onto the road. :cry:

trailpixie · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:23 am

tommudd wrote:

like TJKJ explianed is about it, huge difference in how a vehicle will respond depending on low or high range,
and yes the Liberty does not get what it deserves in what it can do even stock.

Been a while since I have seen you on here, any new photos to browse through? You always have some great ones!

Tom

I haven't been taking too many pics of the jeep, just using it to get me all over the place. Whenever I get in tight spots, the jeep always gets me out, but I never think to whip out the camera when I am sideways in a ditch. Early in the spring we did a segment of the Green Ridge ORV trail. It was far nastier than I or my wife were expecting. We had done the trail ten years ago and it was fairly easy in our XJ. This time, it was really tough, steep, and boulder-strewn. The KJ mountain goat didn't scratch a skid plate or body panel once and never lost traction. Here is the pic after we came out.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:31 am

Sometime next spring that you are heading there let me know, would like to tag along if you didn't mind, really missing that part of the world!

Maximum Carnage · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:50 pm

Trailpixie, when I was reading through your post I was thinking we were going to get another story of a blown differential

trailman · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:59 pm

I know exactly what you mean about the difference between 4 hi and 4 low. They have some steep uneven grades at my favorite wash over here, and if I start from a stop right before I get to them in 4 HI, my KJ will go up a little ways them my tires just start spinning. I'm taking it easy mind you. If I back down and put it in 4 low, I can crawl just as slow and sure as can be and never spin a tire. 4 low is a wonderful thing.

Xodius · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:33 pm

Great recap! I can totally picture it. I agree with Phxtoad, your KJ just wanted to play. They are great vehicles. I am so glad mine is still running.

Guest · **Posted:** Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:14 pm

i always use 4low when off-road. Trailpixie you said you had snow but i don't see any in that pic.

trailpixie · **Posted:** Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:38 am

icarl wrote:

i always use 4low when off-road. Trailpixie you said you had snow but i don't see any in that pic.

Here is the road. That snowy area along the road is actually a three foot deep ditch.

ChileanKJ · **Posted:** Fri Nov 21, 2008 9:12 am

Nice picture, really nice, we don't have snow in the streets in winter down here, just one time snowed in the streets two years ago, it was a wonderful day. schools closed, lot o childrens playing in the snow, a week in bed sick :lol:

jeepmedic46 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 21, 2008 9:40 am

Should have played in the Ditch more

4 lo is great at getting out of things

KJ in a ditch

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