Almost had first crash
#1
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Almost had first crash
Whew, as I'm holding a beer in one hand I must digress...
Today I got on the highway and almost crashed into another vehicle. I was going east bound and was making a left hand turn to go north bound onto the freeway. I made the turn and was initially in the #2 lane going NB. I decided to open my baby to full throttle and turned to the #1 lane to overpass the slower traffic. I quickly passed the white F150 in front of me and began to smile as the sound of the vette started to roar. All of a sudden my rear wheels started slipping and my nose started to pitch right, headed straight into a black Jeep cherokee. From that moment everything went into slow motion and I quickly positioned my front tires to go the opposite direction. I thought I had made collision to the other vehicle, but the car started to swing the opposite direction from the oversteer. The next thing I knew it my right front tire was up on a 4" curb. After I got off the curb I made the next exit and examined my car. Curb rash on the front tire but the left front nose did not make any contact to the black Jeep. Huge lesson learned.
As for conditions when I was driving I had warmed the car by driving moderate-light for about 5 minutes. The temp was about 40-45 degrees.
I've had my car for about 5 weeks, so I'm still learning how to drive it. It's pretty much stock with the exception of tires. Last week I changed my rear tires to a pair of used PS2's (295/30/19 w/ 6/32 tread left) so that I could match my new front PS2's. Ever since having the new rears I notice a huge number of wheel slipping on all gears as well as some wobble under some serious acceleration over 80mph.
When I went to Les Schwab last night they showed me that the used tires I got were slightly deformed. He put it on the calibrator machine and showed me the wobble. He tried to put some weights on the inner/outer rims to try to lessen the wobble effect.
Long story short, I'm grateful that I didn't crash my baby and will have to do some more research on my tire selection for my rears and learn how to better control my ride
Today I got on the highway and almost crashed into another vehicle. I was going east bound and was making a left hand turn to go north bound onto the freeway. I made the turn and was initially in the #2 lane going NB. I decided to open my baby to full throttle and turned to the #1 lane to overpass the slower traffic. I quickly passed the white F150 in front of me and began to smile as the sound of the vette started to roar. All of a sudden my rear wheels started slipping and my nose started to pitch right, headed straight into a black Jeep cherokee. From that moment everything went into slow motion and I quickly positioned my front tires to go the opposite direction. I thought I had made collision to the other vehicle, but the car started to swing the opposite direction from the oversteer. The next thing I knew it my right front tire was up on a 4" curb. After I got off the curb I made the next exit and examined my car. Curb rash on the front tire but the left front nose did not make any contact to the black Jeep. Huge lesson learned.
As for conditions when I was driving I had warmed the car by driving moderate-light for about 5 minutes. The temp was about 40-45 degrees.
I've had my car for about 5 weeks, so I'm still learning how to drive it. It's pretty much stock with the exception of tires. Last week I changed my rear tires to a pair of used PS2's (295/30/19 w/ 6/32 tread left) so that I could match my new front PS2's. Ever since having the new rears I notice a huge number of wheel slipping on all gears as well as some wobble under some serious acceleration over 80mph.
When I went to Les Schwab last night they showed me that the used tires I got were slightly deformed. He put it on the calibrator machine and showed me the wobble. He tried to put some weights on the inner/outer rims to try to lessen the wobble effect.
Long story short, I'm grateful that I didn't crash my baby and will have to do some more research on my tire selection for my rears and learn how to better control my ride
#2
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
5 minutes isn't enough time to properly warm up your tires. And remember that when they're cold (and the road surface is cold), you're not going to get the traction with summer tires that you'd get in..well....the summer.
Glad it ended well for you. Chalk it up to one of those lessons that will make you better in the long run
Glad it ended well for you. Chalk it up to one of those lessons that will make you better in the long run
#3
Glad you figured out the problem and that you (or anyone else) didn't get hurt. It certainly helps me to read stories like this, serving as testament that we all need to stay aware of what might happen at any given moment.
#6
Race Director
Glad everything turned out OK for you. We have all learned to be very careful when and where to do "spirited" driving. In cool or cold conditions OEM Goodyear's do not grip well, the colder the tire is the worse the traction is. Just be very careful in the future.
#8
"Full throttle" whilst making a lane change; you will not last long. WTF? Please don't harm innocent people whilst driving stupidly.
Peace, out.
Peace, out.
#10
You're very luckey and I guess lesson learned. Just remember don't push your limit we don't want to see any of our Vette brothers . Remember it only takes a second for you to end it all and it's not worth it, beleive me.
A long story short a few months back I had an open freeway, NO CARS ANYWHERE, so I pushed it 150 ( More than my limit ) lets say "I will NEVER do that again, I almost lost it. It's not worth it. it was sheer stupid on my part.
Now after that little escapade I came home cleaned the car, parked it and didn't drive it for about 3 + weeks, talk about being scared and that's an understatement.
I had then went inside the house, hugged my kids and just looked at them. I can't imagine leaving them, on both our parts.
Anyway DRIVE safe and just enjoy your car, no matter what age you are you have many years ahead of you to enjoy life, family, cars and anything your heart desires.
I'm sorry all, I don't mean to preach but the experience I had I very well could have no doubt.
A long story short a few months back I had an open freeway, NO CARS ANYWHERE, so I pushed it 150 ( More than my limit ) lets say "I will NEVER do that again, I almost lost it. It's not worth it. it was sheer stupid on my part.
Now after that little escapade I came home cleaned the car, parked it and didn't drive it for about 3 + weeks, talk about being scared and that's an understatement.
I had then went inside the house, hugged my kids and just looked at them. I can't imagine leaving them, on both our parts.
Anyway DRIVE safe and just enjoy your car, no matter what age you are you have many years ahead of you to enjoy life, family, cars and anything your heart desires.
I'm sorry all, I don't mean to preach but the experience I had I very well could have no doubt.
#12
That's true, but driving in the rain is a . Mine hates water unless it gets a bath then it gets blow dried right away and covered for bed.
#13
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
glad you're ok. but if you don't mind my saying so, I'm not sure you saved anything by going to those tires on the rear.
there is a reason that regardless of which wheels (front or rear) drive the car, they always put new tires on the rear wheels. you put old tires on the rear. that fact, plus the non-warmup of the tires, almost killed you, or the car, or both.
there is a reason that regardless of which wheels (front or rear) drive the car, they always put new tires on the rear wheels. you put old tires on the rear. that fact, plus the non-warmup of the tires, almost killed you, or the car, or both.
#14
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Thx for the words everyone. Most important thing was no one was hurt, bottom line. I don't think I really emphasized that in my initial post.
There wasn't really any traffic while making the left hand turn onto the highway, just the 2 cars ahead of me and then open roads...
My initial goal was to floor it to 85 then cruise the rest of the way, but at 45mph the car decided to go 45 degrees into the black Jeep. The first 4 weeks I've had the car with the GY stock tires I never had my rears slip even close to like the way it did today. It's strange as the posts here indicate that PS2's are better in the cold than the stock tires.
There wasn't really any traffic while making the left hand turn onto the highway, just the 2 cars ahead of me and then open roads...
My initial goal was to floor it to 85 then cruise the rest of the way, but at 45mph the car decided to go 45 degrees into the black Jeep. The first 4 weeks I've had the car with the GY stock tires I never had my rears slip even close to like the way it did today. It's strange as the posts here indicate that PS2's are better in the cold than the stock tires.
Last edited by Mossman6; 12-30-2008 at 10:31 PM.
#15
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glad you're ok. but if you don't mind my saying so, I'm not sure you saved anything by going to those tires on the rear.
there is a reason that regardless of which wheels (front or rear) drive the car, they always put new tires on the rear wheels. you put old tires on the rear. that fact, plus the non-warmup of the tires, almost killed you, or the car, or both.
there is a reason that regardless of which wheels (front or rear) drive the car, they always put new tires on the rear wheels. you put old tires on the rear. that fact, plus the non-warmup of the tires, almost killed you, or the car, or both.
#16
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You're very luckey and I guess lesson learned. Just remember don't push your limit we don't want to see any of our Vette brothers . Remember it only takes a second for you to end it all and it's not worth it, beleive me.
A long story short a few months back I had an open freeway, NO CARS ANYWHERE, so I pushed it 150 ( More than my limit ) lets say "I will NEVER do that again, I almost lost it. It's not worth it. it was sheer stupid on my part.
Now after that little escapade I came home cleaned the car, parked it and didn't drive it for about 3 + weeks, talk about being scared and that's an understatement.
I had then went inside the house, hugged my kids and just looked at them. I can't imagine leaving them, on both our parts.
Anyway DRIVE safe and just enjoy your car, no matter what age you are you have many years ahead of you to enjoy life, family, cars and anything your heart desires.
I'm sorry all, I don't mean to preach but the experience I had I very well could have no doubt.
A long story short a few months back I had an open freeway, NO CARS ANYWHERE, so I pushed it 150 ( More than my limit ) lets say "I will NEVER do that again, I almost lost it. It's not worth it. it was sheer stupid on my part.
Now after that little escapade I came home cleaned the car, parked it and didn't drive it for about 3 + weeks, talk about being scared and that's an understatement.
I had then went inside the house, hugged my kids and just looked at them. I can't imagine leaving them, on both our parts.
Anyway DRIVE safe and just enjoy your car, no matter what age you are you have many years ahead of you to enjoy life, family, cars and anything your heart desires.
I'm sorry all, I don't mean to preach but the experience I had I very well could have no doubt.
#17
I've heard that the PS2's tires you have are very good. Just do not buy used tires! Make sure they are well balanced and DO NOT full throttle a C6 at 45 degrees to change lanes, especially with used tires!
#19
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I haven't seen a stock C6 that generates tire spin in all gears (or wobbles from acceleration at 80 mph) under anything approaching normal circumstances but cold temperatures, cold tires (used tires?) and poor road conditions can do weird things. Whatever the cause, you were lucky. Be careful...you don't want to hurt yourself or someone else.