Close Call -- The Rear End Broke Loose

[Bluerauder]

It was a pretty wet and nasty day in Northern Virginia today. On my way home from work ... a trip that I have made hundreds, if not thousands, of times I had a close call.

I was stopped at a red light for a left hand turn. Three lanes go left at this point and I was in the far left lane. When the light changed to Green, I was off. Not too spirited; but I'm not one of those hesitators either.

About halfway through the turn, the back end stepped out on me. I'd estimate at least 18 inches (it felt that much anyway). I came off the gas pretty quickly and noticed that the yellow traction control light was "pulsing" off and on about 3 times. The MM straightened up quickly. Good thing that I was ahead of the guy in the middle lane or things could have gotten squirrelly.

In 3 years of driving the MM, that has never happened before. I suspect an oil slick on the turn from all the trucks that travel through or maybe the gas station on the corner. Rear tires have 15K on them and still have good tread life. I'll gauge 'em in the morning.

Ya'll be careful out there. The unexpected happens pretty quickly. Fortunately, this one had a happy ending. :D

[Rider90]

Glad to hear you and the Bluerauder are safe. I had this happen before and it was a close call as there was a car right next to me. You may have exchanged some tire meat for joy riding too :P

[BruteForce]

I've gotten mine sideways at low speed going around corners when its wet a couple times. Once with an audience. Honking horns and everything. :P Can't get frisky at all when its damp out.

[Marauderjack]

That's the problem with automatic transmissions with higher horsepower cars....upshifting and downshifting is not precisely predictable!!:mad:

I never had much of a problem when N/A but 2-1 and 3-2 downshifts can be hazardous in wet weather!!:eek: I almost took out an old pickup I was passing last Spring when it did the ole 3-2 downshift and I went real SIDEWAYS!!:eek: Scared the poop out of me!!:help:

BE YE CAREFUL in the rain.......especially with them damn OEM tires!!:mad2:

Marauderjack:burnout:

[Meteorite]

Something like this happened to me last weekend, only it was spirited (not WOT, though) acceleration in a straight line. My Marauder fishtailed quite a bit.

I am wondering if my tires have degraded a bit in terms of wet weather traction. I have 2 completes sets of wheels with the stock tires on them, and I've been switching back and forth between them to add to my tire life, plus running the Michelin Arctic Alpine winter tires about 5 months a year.

But, of course, tire compounds degrade quite a bit just being in air, and I'm wondering if some of the grip has gone out of these tires just from aging. One set is 3 years old and the other set is 4 years old.

[Marauderjack]

An old trick to extend tire life was to buy them ahead of time and put them in your attic for 6 months to a year. The rubber continues to "Vulcanize" or get harder and yes you can almost double tire life while reducing pliability and grip dramatically!!:eek:

Some tire manufacturers don't want them to stay in inventory more than 6 months for that very reason.....thus a 2-3 year old tire is inherently more dangerous no matter how the tread looks!!:shake:

Marauderjack:cool:

[Bigdogjim]

Charlei: Glad your OK! I would upgrade to new control arms if I were you, makes a big differance. Next time I see you take my car for a spin and see for yourself. Of course wet weather demands caution, light rain is always worst because it does wash the oil off the roadway.

All's well the ends well:rolleyes:

[Peter]

It was a pretty wet and nasty day in Northern Virginia today. On my way home from work ... a trip that I have made hundreds, if not thousands, of times I had a close call.

I was stopped at a red light for a left hand turn. Three lanes go left at this point and I was in the far left lane. When the light changed to Green, I was off. Not too spirited; but I'm not one of those hesitators either.

About halfway through the turn, the back end stepped out on me. I'd estimate at least 18 inches (it felt that much anyway). I came off the gas pretty quickly and noticed that the yellow traction control light was "pulsing" off and on about 3 times. The MM straightened up quickly. Good thing that I was ahead of the guy in the middle lane or things could have gotten squirrelly.

In 3 years of driving the MM, that has never happened before. I suspect an oil slick on the turn from all the trucks that travel through or maybe the gas station on the corner. Rear tires have 15K on them and still have good tread life. I'll gauge 'em in the morning.

Ya'll be careful out there. The unexpected happens pretty quickly. Fortunately, this one had a happy ending. :D
Thank god you and Bluerauder are safe...
My tires have 45k on it and still no trobles :burnout:

[Bluerauder]

Charlei: Glad your OK! I would upgrade to new control if I were you, makes a big differance.

Jim,

Not sure that I follow what you mean by "new control". Are you running the KDW2s or are you talking about something else all together ... M&Z control arms?? Sway bar??

This incident just surprised me a little. Weather has been cooler than usual and the wet didn't help. Just seems like the MM lost grip pretty easily. That's why I suspect an oil slick at that intersection.

It's kinda disturbing to me because I thought that I knew the limits of the Bluerauder and I misjudged this one by a ..... mile. :o

[Bigdogjim]

Jim,

Not sure that I follow what you mean by "new control". Are you running the KDW2s or are you talking about something else all together ... M&Z control arms?? Sway bar??

This incident just surprised me a little. Weather has been cooler than usual and the wet didn't help. Just seems like the MM lost grip pretty easily. That's why I suspect an oil slick at that intersection.

It's kinda disturbing to me because I thought that I knew the limits of the Bluerauder and I misjudged this one by a ..... mile. :o

Sorry Charlie (lol) I ment to add the word "arms". New control arms will help keep the rear planted more that the factory ones. I fixed my post.

I am running stock tires same size all the way around (300A) sway and control arm in the rear.

[jgc61sr2002]

Glad all is well. :D The traction control did it's thing.:up:

[merc6]

I had that happen to me on rt 50 going uphill. I switched out to snow tires rigth after that. with the tune as long as I don;t floor and lift in straight or turn the rear doesn't move. I usualy spin in s.e. due to the potholes and other misc gaps in the roadway.

[whoskal]

I don't like driving the MM when it's wet out, breaks loose to often...Glad to hear you pulled out of it.

[ctrlraven]

I've taken my MM out on a few empty roads when it's been wet and pushed it not to the max though so I could see how it would handle and react. I remember the 1st time it rained and just made the road damp after I got my tune during the 1-2 shift from a traffic light stop/start the car got sideways when it shifted and this is exactly what I did :drive: lol. I can't wait to get some 255/55 kdw2 so I can put my mind at ease a little bit since I'm running 235/50 kdws on the rear right now.

[Bradley G]

I'm glad for you Charlie, that thier was no incident.
If you are never going to go faster than 80 or so, maybe a different tire is worth a look.
I know with the Steelies and Blizzaks, the car feels, totally different.

[Bluerauder]

If you are never going to go faster than 80 or so, maybe a different tire is worth a look.

Where did you ever get THAT notion?? ;) Personally, I like the OEMs on the Marauder and as I said ..... this is the 1st time in 3 years that the rear end jumped out like that on me. I'd like to try the KDW2 tires but I understand that they are not good for areas that have a winter. :(

[DEFYANT]

I just checked the LEO teletype. Apparently at around the same time this happen, there was a BOLO (be on the look out) for a blue Crown Vic or Grand Marquis reportedly spinning wheels and skidding around turns. The local PD is still trying to catch up ya' know..

How many times did you do this? :D

[Haggis]

I just checked the LEO teletype. Apparently at around the same time this happen, there was a BOLO (be on the look out) for a blue Crown Vic or Grand Marquis reportedly spinning wheels and skidding around turns. The local PD is still trying to catch up ya' know..

How many times did you do this? :D

:nono: Charlie (Bluerauder), I'm shocked!!!!! Shame on you!

[Bluerauder]

... there was a BOLO (be on the look out) for a blue Crown Vic or Grand Marquis reportedly spinning wheels and skidding around turns. The local PD is still trying to catch up ya' know... D

They must not be lookin' very hard ... I am really easy to find. ;)


I'm shocked!!!!! Shame on you!

At least I got mine straightened out before tearing up the guardrail. :rofl: It's all about the R/Ts. ;)

[DefyantExWife]

At least I got mine straightened out before tearing up the guardrail. :rofl: It's all about the R/Ts. ;)



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/snexus/crashtest.jpg

[Haggis]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/snexus/crashtest.jpg

Is that why you told Charlie you needed new furniture?