Jeep rolled without me!!

[unclegreaser]

well erik wanted to hear about my jeep rolling over so i'm gonna copy this from another site:

went to johnson valley last weekend, meet some new freinds there. the rest of the jeeps where already gone so we went just to tour around the park and look at the mines.

around 3:00 decided to get back to camp since we never found the other jeeps and i didn't want to be on the trail by ourselves. my hand drawn map wasn't accurate with north and south. the trail i took back wound up being a trail called "sun bonnet".

sounds like a easy bunny run and get us back early. well.... nope!!! after the first waterfall i couldn't get back down the 4 foot drop off, at a hugh angle. so we pushed onward through the trail.

thankfuly my jeep climbed and squeezed thru some really treacherous sections. i was very impressed with my jeep so far. this might as well have been one of the hammers.
got to the top of a 15 foot slippery rock waterfall, just to crest the top and get the rear leaf stuck on a very small rock.

o.k. i get out, hook up the winch, take off the brake and gear, then bump the winch and wa-la were free. as i turn around my hand somehow bearly touched the lever on the winch and it switch from gear to spool.

whoa!!!
the jeep took off!! backwards down the waterfall with my jeep girl in the passengerside. i grabed the bumper and slowed it down for a couple of feet. but then it hit the steep part and dragged me kicking and screaming all the way down.

now chicky-poo in the jeep is a real trooper. shes grinding first gear and reaching for the brake, but can't reach cause of the seatbelt.

jeep hits the bottom real hard, flips on it's left side, i'm still hanging on trying still unsuccesful to stop the jeep. as it flips on it's top, i go flying thru the air on to a big flat rock, then roll off and land on the bottom of the jeep which is now upside down.

with my eyes still spinning in my head and enough adrenaline in me to do a "hulk" maneuver, i flop down and undo her seat belt and pull her out. here is a pic:

[unclegreaser]

then we hiked over three rocky mountain ranges and seven miles later we sat and waited for search and rescue to find us. thanks for cell phones. made a little fire and kept warm

went back the next day with some really big jeeps tipped my jeep back over, got the oil out of the cylinders and it started right up. collected all the stuff that went flying out and got back to the camp site.

what a weekend!!!

heres a pic of the damage.


larrygo

[Sully]

Ah man that sucks!Thats one hell of a story though!

[rick]

i think that wins the "best stuck jeep" award. thankfully everyone is ok. amazing story tho -- we can turn that into a feature! PM me or sarah.

[king4wd2]

Originally posted by unclegreaser
then we hiked over three rocky mountain ranges and seven miles later we sat and waited for search and rescue to find us. thanks for cell phones. made a little fire and kept warm

went back the next day with some really big jeeps tipped my jeep back over, got the oil out of the cylinders and it started right up. collected all the stuff that went flying out and got back to the camp site.

what a weekend!!!

heres a pic of the damage.


larrygo

All I can say is, "OUCH!!! Sh*t that hurts!!" Oh wait a minute, Tom is suppose to say that

Glad everyone is okay though!!

[jmbrowning]

That is pretty impressive how the "sport bar" extensions to the windshield totally failed when the windshield frame crumpled. I am glad to hear the passenger didn't squash her melon.

For anyone who doesn't have one already, get a front sport cage extension that is independent of the windshield frame for support. Safety glass and sheet metal are not structurally sound roll cage structures. Do it now or risk a lifelong diet of liquid tube feedings.

BTW, aside from the windshield, did anything else get taken out from the backflip? Gas tank and fuel pump were OK, I guess.

EDIT:
In analysis, is there anything that might have been done differently to prevent the backflip?

Did going over with the Jeep get you hurt?

Again, thankful to hear that all of you all were able to walk away from the roll.

[blkTJ]

glad to hear everyone is o.k.! that's one hell of a story.

[NAILER341]

WOW! sorry i asked! those run away jeeps can be a real pain in the ass. glad that neither of you were badly hurt, and i hope your girlfriend has the courage to stay with you.
that sounds like a trip from hell, indeed!
was there damage other than the windshield, and roll cage?
glad you guys are ok.

[qwiksilver]

Ok. That makes my little flop look like a parking lot ding. I am glad to hear no one was hurt.

As my Jeep grows up...a front roll system is in the cards. Jeep doesn't go far if the driver is unable to drive.

Your poor girlfriend...she really must be a hell of a woman to go through that and still speak to you.

I will PM you with the email of the place where I got my new windshield frame. The price was reasonable and the windshield frame came with glass.

[sarah]

Originally posted by NAILER341
WOW! sorry i asked! those run away jeeps can be a real pain in the ass.

kinda makes your 'rubicon trail adventure' seem small!
scary times

[Dukes69]

Originally posted by sarah
kinda makes your 'rubicon trail adventure' seem small!
scary times

HA, I dont think so!!!!

Glad to hear noone got hurt Larry. Jeeps are replaceable, people are not.

[Trailbst]

Reinforces what I was told ten years ago when i got my Jeep. "The first thing you WILL do is put in a rollcage."

Glad to hear that everyone is ok.

[tjdave]

That story is nuts!! I guess you are jsut lucky nobody got hurt.

[unclegreaser]

the jeep rolled on it's right side, not on it's back. and yes i was thrown pretty far in the air, cause i was hanging on.

my passenger has seen alot of etreme rockcrawling and rolls. she didn't like rolling, but she said it won't keep her from rockcrawling agian.

the hood and right rear got some minor dents and alot of scratches to match the ones already there. other than that no real damamge.

i was planning on building the new roll cage the week after it rolled. imagine that.

i always felt that i was cheating a trip to the hospital when i tried a hard trail with the stock roll cage. so far other than the hammers at johnson valley, i've done most all of the hardest trails in cali.

posting the pics and story i wanted to show people that a stock cage is very borderline for a easy/meduim roll. a winch and full roll cage is a must if your going to do a 3+ trail. even adding front arms to the stock will greatly improve your chances.

i was following a friend with a stock xj on 32" tires, on a easy trail(mostly flat). his right rear tire started sliding off the trail and the whole rear of the jeep started to shift right. instead of punching it, he hit the brakes. the xj slowly slid, butt first down a hill, then started rolling over about five times. the high back seats were the only thing keep the top from crushing the people inside.

i don't in no way want to scare anybody from not going jeeping. especialy if your begining or are trail riding your only DD. just take a little extra mesure to be safe.

i'll post pics of the new cage and stinger tommorow
i'm just using a flat piece of plexiglass for the front, no new windshield

larrygo

[jmbrowning]

Interesting. Do you think you would have been able to throw the winch back into gear or would something (gears, cable, hook) have broke on account of the momentum?