Jeep Wrangler....lesson learned

[montanaskier]

So about 6 weeks ago now the wife decided she wanted a Jeep. We traded her 2004 Maxima in on a 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara with 29k miles. We heard all the stories about how dangerous, etc...but went ahead with the purchase. Within those 6 weeks we drove it to Big Sky through an extremely snowy canyon 3 times, up to Red Lodge in the snow twice all without any issues at all. Two weeks ago, I was in Bozeman for business and was up and about to leave for Helena and Butte when the wife called. It had snowed in Laurel a skiff and as she was on her way to work she had wrecked the Jeep. She was traveling about 75mph on the interstate and she says simply tapped the breaks to slow down with traffic, when she did the back end went completely away. She hit the breaks again to try and straighten it and it went completely around the other way. She slammed into one of those metal guard rails at 70ish mph on the passenger side door. It shot her off into the median but did not roll. The Jeep is totaled. OUCH! Wife is ok, a few cuts and bruises but ok.

Spent the insurance money this weekend and bought a 2005 Subaru Outback with 17k miles, we are now a 2 subaru family.

Lesson learned.

[Snow Dog]

Short wheelbase RWD vehicles (like a Wrangler) are pretty bad in the snow. In RWD they'll change ends in a heartbeat. Great fun in a parking lot but on a highway -- not so much. Glad the wife in ok.

The Wrangler is a great summer ride.

[Bluebird]

75mph in a Wrangler on a snow covered road???? That takes some guts. Glad she was alright.

[montanaskier]

On a similar note, just listed the brand new never used soft top for sale in gear swap...anyone interested PM me.

[Benny Profane]

A common winter sight in winter in Vermont is a Wrangler tilted off the side of the road with Jersey or New York plates, and a couple of young people standing next to it whining into a cell phone to rescuers.

[tigerstripe40]

The first mistake was in buying a Daimler-Chrysler Product.

Jeeps are shit.
About the only thing they are good for is modifiying for use off road, and even then, you have to spend some serious coin.

With that said.
I have daily driven a short wheel based, rear wheel drive Toyota Land Cruiser for about 6 years now. The truck is rather tall and rides 35" mud terrain tires, and has a rear locking differential.

All of these things (tall, wide mud tires, and rear auto locker) are supposedly 'bad' in snow and icey conditions.
To date, I have never lost control of that rig on an icey road unless I intended to (donuts in a parking lot).

I also own a 1991 Toyota 4runner that is bone stock and has 'snow' tires on it. I have unintentionally 'lost the rear end' while driving that rig on icey roads.

It's all in how you drive the rig.

But for the most part, Subaru's are da-bomb, and for a DD vehicle, grocery getter, etc. they are great cars.

[BigAirSkier1580]

Nothing wrong with the Jeep, if you know how it needs to be driven. I drive a Eagle Talon TSi AWD, and my girlfriend has a Jeep. So I have driven both ends of the spectrum here.

Sounds like the real lesson learned is to not go 75mph when it is snow-covered. Also, tapping the brakes to try to straighten out when already out of control is a MASSIVE no-no in any vehicle.


All said, the Subaru will be much more stable at speed in variable road conditions due to Low center of gravity, longer wheelbase, and a much more advanced full-time AWD that can send the power to different wheels.

Glad noone was seriously hurt, but in my honest opinion I think you need to get your wife to a snowy, empty parking lot pronto and get her recovery tactics better.

[nit wit]

Sounds like the real lesson learned is to not go 75mph when it is snow-covered. Also, tapping the brakes to try to straighten out when already out of control is a MASSIVE no-no in any vehicle.

Glad noone was seriously hurt, but in my honest opinion I think you need to get your wife to a snowy, empty parking lot pronto and get her recovery tactics better.

that's exactly what i was thinking. sound advice.

[montanaskier]

she grew up in Laramie, Wy and is actually a kick ass driver. I drive over 60k a year all over MT, WY, and the Dakotas and do pretty well myself. She made a mistake that time and knows it. My subie has always done me well and hers will be fine. Gonna buy another Jeep as soon as the finances allow for more summer excursions.

[montanaskier]

On a totally unrelated note ....it is 71 degrees today here in MT, WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY WINTER?

[KoKopeLLi]

^ Canadians aren't doing their job again

Yea I had a jeep YJ , big heavy tires and shit so it was a little more stable but I tell you what, driving on the highway with a ragtop is downright ridiculous. wait for the first time you pass a semi and you get just far enough ahead to get a big wind gust and it'll damn near send you off the road. Scary shit, soft tops actin' like parachutes

[bio-smear]

When I hit the breaks, it broke in half.

PS: You wife is not a kickass driver...on snow in a Wrangler.

[montanaskier]

.....on snow in a Wrangler

Good point fella, good point

[Arty50]

Jeeps are shit.
About the only thing they are good for is modifiying for use off road, and even then, you have to spend some serious coin.

Sorry, man. But you have no fucking clue what you're talking about.

[habituallybored]

Glad noone was seriously hurt, but in my honest opinion I think you need to get your wife to a snowy, empty parking lot pronto and get her recovery tactics better.

My wife used to scare me to death in the winter in her jeep. I don't think she ever understood why ^^ this is an excellent idea and helps alot. We traded her jeep in at 40k miles for lots of reasons, but her safety was at the top of the list.


I agree somewhat that it is all about knowing how to drive a vehicle, but pretty simple geometry shows that you have alot less time to react and recover with a short jeep. We used to have a '72 cutlass that was about a mile long....it took lots of work to get the backend to whip around on that thing.

[tigerstripe40]

Sorry, man. But you have no fucking clue what you're talking about.

Really?

Yes, I know it's a poseur shot.
and the Land Cruiser in this pic is mostly STOCK (with the eception of the lift and tires).
But the Jeep Cherokee that did this obstacle after I did broke his rear pinion and a front axle shaft.



Edit: This truck is OLDER than I am is DRIVEN to the trail head and to and from work.

[El Chupacabra]

Really?

Yes, I know it's a poseur shot.
and the Land Cruiser in this pic is mostly STOCK (with the eception of the lift and tires).
But the Jeep Cherokee that did this obstacle after I did broke his rear pinion and a front axle shaft.



Edit: This truck is OLDER than I am is DRIVEN to the trail head and to and from work.

^^^ Nice TJ rear fender flares you put on that FJ40...

[tigerstripe40]

^^^ Nice TJ rear fender flares you put on that FJ40...

Thanks!
Jeeps are good for SOME things...

That fender flare got ripped off by a boulder when running Cat Canyon back in October....

[Jax]

two words:

Rubicon

[Blatant]

shit, glad your wife is alright.

jeeps blow.

[Blatant]

fck it, go bowling.

[LaramieSkiBum]

Really?

Yes, I know it's a poseur shot.
and the Land Cruiser in this pic is mostly STOCK (with the eception of the lift and tires).
But the Jeep Cherokee that did this obstacle after I did broke his rear pinion and a front axle shaft.



Edit: This truck is OLDER than I am is DRIVEN to the trail head and to and from work.

Your comparing a XJ to an FJ. Two completely different animals....from two completely different ages.

Shouldn't you be comparing a almost stock CJ/TJ/YJ to an FJ? Granted they can be same setup, but some TJ's came with dana 44's, before the rubicon. CJ 30's were not too bad, and even had 44's in some cases right?

Stock XJ's don't have the best articulation, and need significant modification to handle anything larger than 31 or 32" tires (unibody construction, not body on frame). The also have a considerably longer wheelbase. But you know that as well as i do.

Sick FJ. Looks like your running 33"s or 35"s?

Dana 35 (most jeeps) or 8.25" what ever DC rear, probably had it coming to them. You know this too...

How much did an FJ cost vs. a CJ in the day / now? (don't know, just asking)

I for one drove my XJ to 310,000 miles, original engine, and 1 clutch replacement. It was sold for $500, and I still see it running around town.

Now I have 53k on a TJ, wheel it hard in the summer, and have had 1 rear pinion seal (but I get alot of dust/sand here in wyoming, ALOT).

I would also suggest, because I drive to SLC every week, that the roads in Montana and Wyoming are completely different than the salt ridden slush of SLC and Utah in general....in general.

Take that FJ or any other shortwheel base RWD through I-80 in wyoming during a storm, and I guarantee you'll be slowing down. Sounds like you already do anyway, since you've never lost control or felt unstable.


edit: Oh and glad she wasn't hurt. Like I said in the thread you started before, it's the combination of short wheelbase and RWD. If you had more wheel base, she would have had more time to react. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but even if she was in a subaru, all the AWD or 4WD in the world can't stop you any FASTER - it will only get you moving faster than you maybe should be...

Even ABS won't stop you faster in most cases - it actually takes longer to stop, albet with more control...

Studded tires are a different story...

[Blatant]

these er from a while back but they're some of my fav.

[ill-advised strategy]

shmoesmith has a sickter samurai. seriously. super sickter

[tigerstripe40]

shmoesmith has a sickter samurai. seriously. super sickter

I remember when it was just a cute little samurai...



And I am starting a 4wheeling thread.
And will not respond further in this one.
Sorry to hijack.