Jeep Saved my Life... One TOUGH vehicle

quivvy · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:20 pm

I was driving down 270 here in Colorado last Sunday night. Having it in 2hi with a powertrax, the rear end was a little squirly, even at near highway speeds. The roads felt super slick with a plethera of black ice. For thsi reason I was white knuckling it in the right lane at about 40mph. (The roads were plowed about 85% ALL traffic was passing me or going around me. Feeling stupid, I tapped the gas to accelerate just a little bit. The minute my foot hit that gas the back end snapped out into the left lane. Immediately my track experience kicked in, I eased off the gas and countersteered. Being filled with adrenaline as I almost slid into the neighboring vehicle and on a LONG patch of black ice, the backend continued around after my OVER correction. I simply couldnt gain control of that rear end on the ice as it went back and forth. Finally it had enough momentum to snap completely around IN traffic. At roughly 45mph I slammed back end first into the median wall, slid agaisnt it, spun back into the right land of traffic, and was able to drive it off the shoulder and out of more danger. Throughout this entire incident, I managed to miss EVERY car on the road. The sound it made when it hit that wall made me think "F*CK! It's totalled!" I got out and walked around to the passenger side that hit, and found that ONLY the rear half of my right rear passenger side fender flare was scratched BADLY and there was no dents or other body damage. The right wheel absorbed ALL the shock.

After taking it into get the wheel repaired, they informed me that the collision was so intense that it probably bent the axle and possibly other components. After throwing on the rear spare wheel and performing a 4wheel alignment, NOTHING ELSE was damaged! HOT darn that is one TOUGH vehicle! a 40mph colision absorbed almost entirely through a SEVERE wheel bend and minor body damage, and failed to bend an axle or anything else. The Jeep saved my life, allowed me to walk away with NO injury, and somebody up top prevented me from hitting anyone else.

Anyhow, I'm counting my lucky stars and wanted to share this story. Now I just need to buy a cheap steel wheel to mount my spare. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Be safe on the roads.

-Adam

RkyMtnKJ · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 12:27 pm

wow what a description and story, glad you and the KJ are alright...thats the problem with colorado...the melting effect happens during the warm winter afternoons and then right around rush hour it freezes into black ice...mother nature is setting us up for bumper cars sometimes i tell ya

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:42 pm

Quivvy,

Glad to see you and nobody else got hurt.

Big D · **Joined:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:08 pm **Posts:** 349

Do you think the powertrax had anything to do with it? Is it that twichy in the snow, or was it just a bad patch of road where nothing would help?

quivvy · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:17 pm

i think the powertrax deffinitely had something to do with it. i cant say whether or not it would have happened without it, but simply tapping the gas locked the axle sending equal power to both wheels, causing both wheels to spin and slip. had i not had a locker, the wheel with the least traction would have spun and left me more stable. now, that being said. being on a patch of ICE it may not matter whether i had a locker or not. all i know, is that the powertrax does cause the back end to pop out more on ice, and in snow. however, in my experience, having a locker in the SNOW is great. yes, the back end may be a little squirelier (if thats a word), but it is very easily controllable due to both wheels digging for traction and offering much more predictability. now, on ice i would prefer NO LOCKER.

Jeger · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:23 pm

Glad you are okay, and good description BTW.

I hope I never have to test the toughness of our KJ but from what I have seen it is indeed VERY tough in an accident. In fact I think I am going to try to find one for my daughter to drive. Then my wife and daughter would both be safer. Maybe one day I will get one for myslef :cry:

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:08 pm

Awesome story. Glad you and everyone around you is safe.

Do you have Fulltime 4wheeldrive? Even if you dont, if your going straight on the HW, it doesnt hurt anything to put it into part-time.

And yes, the powertrax gets the rear end around alot easier than being open. Ive spun mine around on accident also.

Right in the middle of an intersection. :shock:

quivvy · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:26 pm

i dont have fulltime 4wd. and on the way home i did put it in 4hi going straight just in case i hit more ice.

everyone says, if you need 4wd on the highway you shouldnt be going that fast. well... i was the slowest driver on the road, i have hours of racing experience and driving classes under my belt. there are times when ACCIDENTS do happen. my theory is, even if your going straight you dont NEED the 4wd, but if it had been in place, recovering the back end would have been much easier with the front wheels digging for traction and pulling me out of trouble.

when in doubt, use it. its there for a reason, and i'm personally now willing to engage it and risk minor wear and tear when my personal safety, and the safety of others could be endangered

tulsa · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:52 pm

Adam,
What tires are on your Liberty?
Lewis

quivvy · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 4:00 pm

245/75 dunlop mud rover on factory columbia edition wheels. tires only have a little service life left. worn mud terrains with no siping (sp?) are not so good in bad weather condtiions

Donkeykong · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:01 pm

I'm glad you are okay. As far as when to use 4x4, I use it whenever there is snow on the road.

-Mark

FastTRX · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:07 pm

Jeepjeepster wrote:

Awesome story. Glad you and everyone around you is safe.

Do you have Fulltime 4wheeldrive? Even if you dont, if your going straight on the HW, it doesnt hurt anything to put it into part-time.

And yes, the powertrax gets the rear end around alot easier than being open. Ive spun mine around on accident also.

Right in the middle of an intersection. :shock:

I too have done the same!

Ive spun mine completely around into the other lane of traffic coming off of an exit ramp after a stop sign on a rainy day....with a car coming! :shock:

My friend and me kept cool and luckily there was enough of a gap between me and the car that I got straightened up and just stayed in that lane until I could find a place to turn around.....Oh the adrenaline!!

Glad you were safe and there wasn't much damage.

moose · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:12 pm

quivvy wrote:

... may be a little squirelier (if thats a word), ....

Oh yes, it's a word.

squirrelier - adjective (from Appalachia). To be squirrelly (odd; messed up). "Ashley's new boyfriend is even squirrelier than the last one!"

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 5:29 pm

The ice and slippery conditions probably contributed to the damage...or lack of. The KJ is tuff when it comes to collisions.

DJBassman · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:08 pm

quivvy wrote:

i cant say whether or not it would have happened without it, but ...

I live in colorado, in the springs... and was on black ice with 4hi on. I have an 06 and no locker. I had a simular situation on I-25. The back end started to slide when someone cut me off at 45mph. But the traction control took over and used the breaks to stabilize the back end. I had a slight lost of power and slight breaking and it strieghtend out fine. And I was back to 45 in no time.

of course, I was not trying to go faster, just tap the breaks, slild, gas and strieght. I am not sure why I hit the gas, but that is when the traction control kicked in and that is why I though I share, becuase I it the gas. I guess I was thinkng that hitting the gas will help the front take control.

Video Guy · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:43 am

I'm glad you had a happy ending.

quivvy · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:14 am

i didnt have a "happy ending" in the traditional sense but one of those woulda been nice :twisted:

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

quivvy wrote:

i didnt have a "happy ending" in the traditional sense but one of those woulda been nice :twisted:

We're glad that nobody got hurt, I think that's what he meant. I'm hoping this motivates you to get some good rubber on that machine, though.

quivvy · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:50 am

i know i was just playin. thanks for the kind remarks. new tires are soon.

SAR02KJ · **Posted:** Sat Jan 27, 2007 4:15 pm

i had powertrax lockers in my toyota, and black ice caused me to have to drive off the side of an overpass rather than hitting anything. Luckily i had 35's on it so i knew that i was going to be okay going through the snow in the grass... but i have since decided that anything worth doing is worth doing right and my next locked vehicle will have an ARB in the rear. KJ's are very safe vehicles though. I hit one head on in a ford escort zx2 when i fell asleep and it drove away with very little damage. the escort didn't fare so well though.

Jeep Saved my Life... One TOUGH vehicle

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