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Focus Rollover in Bristol, CT

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#21 ·
There are a couple of Eye witness reports on the GRM boards now.
Here is thread

Quote:
I was a course worker near the finish line and saw the rollover front the front angle of the Focus.

What happened:

The driver entered a quick chicane approaching the finish, probably with a bit too much speed. When doing the middle of the chicane (left) the tail swung right. He stayed in it, tried to correct for the final right, snapping the rear out to the left big time - the rear actually hopped to the left. At that point he locked up the front brakes - his front tires were still turned to the right from the previous correction. As the rear tires again bit (way out to the left) I watched the front right rubber roll under. When the rim contacted the pavement - over he went.

This course was clean, quick and interesting with with no other real problems. One other car did lose it in the same chicane and knocked the light sensor down. That car blasted his rear sway bar from the mounts about .025 seconds before that, though!
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
Very interesting! I don't think many cars wouldn't roll when the wheel hits the ground!

What causes a tire to fold over that far? I mean, aside from a big side load!
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Could it be due to low tire inflation pressures? Or is it just a freak occurence when the bumps are just right?

I know there's a bumpy section in our local autocross lot, and I've seen a few cars lose it in the area.
 
#23 ·
Originally posted by JC_focus_ZX3:
There are a couple of Eye witness reports on the GRM boards now...

Quote:
...snapping the rear out to the left big time - the rear actually hopped to the left.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">This sound awful familiar. There was another account here not too long ago about the rear suspension launching a Focus resulting in a roll over.
 
#24 ·
i watched that on tape last sunday afternoon,definetly caused by him over correcting. hes from danbury ct and him and a friend of mine goes up there (andy, red probe gt)his friend brian got the whole thing on tape,at one point it was competly in the air...also come to find out his insurance will not be covering any damages,due to the fact he told them there were times involved
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#25 ·
I think there is more to it than driver error. If he was able to hook a rim, I'm thinking the tires were not properly inflated.

..or... Does the Azenis have a sidewall stiff enough to control it's higher than average street tire grip levels?
 
#26 ·
hocus you said they won't cover it? That sucks. I took the pictures off the internet so the insurance company wouldn't find them. If he wants the pics back up, just let me know. They are his photos. Or if you have his number PM me. I was with him till 5:15pm that day when he finally got picked up by the flatbed.

Thanks
Heather
Silver ZX3
 
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#27 ·
Originally posted by JC_focus_ZX3:
There are a couple of Eye witness reports on the GRM boards now.
As the rear tires again bit (way out to the left) I watched the front right rubber roll under. When the rim contacted the pavement - over he went.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">All of it seems pretty typical for a rollover, except for the tire part.

How would that happen, the front tire rolling under so much that the rim contacted the pavement? (Assuming the rim evidenced this afterwards.)

Low tire pressures? Soft sidewalls? Sudden grip caused by a surface change?

That is really weird and unfortunate especially in light of all the bad publicity that the Focus has been getting recently.
 
#28 ·
derty flipped it. the pressure up front was 40lbs on v rated azenis rears at 36lbs. after reviewing video....... DRIVER ERROR. over correction and i remember saying "yup" as it got airborne. had first place all day with that time untill a crx got me by 2 tenths. the ins co was not informed of timing devices and it is still up in the air no pun intended. anyone know how to straighten a unibody?????????? j/k switching to a f/r layout next season prob 3series bmw. the hangover prob played a little roll. lesson learned. and if the focus makes it on the road some how...........dropped til it scrapes. with the time i put up that day (crossed line on one tire) i beat quite a few people.
 
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#30 ·
I still refuse to believe that driver error could be the SOLE cause of the rim hooking... If that were the case, my Focus would have rolled three times, and so would the rental Focus that I spun.

Cars should be able to handle a spin given there is no car issue, no tire issue, and no surface issue.

Who am I to tell you what wrecked your car? Nobody, but hooking a rim is
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[ 10-14-2002, 03:58 PM: Message edited by: OmniFocus ]
 
#31 ·
i still have the car and dont have full prognossis yet YES the rim bit the pavement but the stiff sidewalled azenis were @40psi w/ max 50psi. first contact after rim was left rear window/ C pillar then to right front A pillar / hood/ roof. left front suspension is toast. no contact made with either bumper. front flip essentially. video looks good but no locking of front brakes as i originally thought (had abs). course was uneven, sandy, and cracked quite a bit. ran same course week b4 and was in the 43's no problems. one tire (only one on ground) broke the beam at 44& change. 360'd on hood and roof to a stop. back end jumped timing device. lucky to b here. CAN I BORROW SOMEONES SAWZALL??????
 
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#32 ·
I'd like to see a copy of the video. Not because I'm some sort of "Faces of Death" freak or anything, but frankly I think this has got me a little spooked and I'd like to see how I could avoid something like this.
Everyone keeps saying driver error. What error? Over correcting? I overcorrect all the time and I've never felt on the edge. Well, maybe not all the time, but you know what I mean.
Maybe I shouldn't see it, then I'll really be freaked.
 
#33 ·
my friend saw it happen...i was supposed to be there but went downt to englishtown instead. Apparently he went on two wheels on a hard right and then fixed it...but momentum into hard left rolled it the other way...or was it left to right? i don't remember...went to snap pics of car other day...but alas...it was gone...sorry so many .........
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#34 ·
i have seen the video of ME flipping. two tires were acheived but i had to make it across the finish line like an azz and whipped it around to the drivers side at which point the weight shifted and i said "yup" as it went over...... good job too i didnt even touch either bumper basically a front flip you GOTTA see the video. i was not going top leave my car in bristol i live in norwalk if you want flics u gotta come down here. i will post video and any flics i come across asap for those who care. twilight were you at the last event up there? someone in a twilight foci was up there and in h-stock....we should've had the 1-2 finish but a crx split us (i had first he had third). anyway...........
 
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#36 ·
Originally posted by jwardell:
Omni you couldn't flip those stock foci because of the stock tires--they have no traction compared to good tires. It would just slip away.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Not so. If they were underinflated and I hooked a rim it would most certainly do the same thing. The other tires I've spun on are Yoko A032Rs, which are stickier than the Azenis. I've never spun on Hoosiers or Kumhos, so I can't compare those.
 
#37 ·
well being the reason have have a focus is that i rolled my MP-3 i know a little about the topic.
about the focus geometry being proned to rolling as mentioned above the second week that i hade the zx-3 an A--hole in a gmc 2500 wanted in my lane on I-181 wile going to work ran me in the median and all over two lane of trafic.. if it did not roll and i was all over the road ...counter steer left counter steer right. several times till i droped in second and pulled out.. i thought i was going to die that time.. but it held on i was only going 45 when i crashed my Mazda i was going around 74 when he came in my lane i was just lucky i guess.
 
#38 ·
was 40psi up front not enough? anyone? the drivers front bit. checked pressure b4 i lined up
 
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#39 ·
Yeah, 40 could be too low for street tires. I used to run 45.

Regardless... If it went up on two wheels one direction, and you got it down but turned it the other way for the next corner... no wonder it flipped. Total driver error.

I saw a guy in a Rabbit with cut springs and stock shocks on SLICKS, and he got it up on two wheels. He got it down, and locked up all 4. He saved the car. That's what you have to do.

This guy was insane though... we called it the "Super Bunny". He was totally ZERO budget. Cut springs, stock everything... I think the only thing he had was it was gutted, lexan windows, stock 1600 engine with a header and straight 2.5" exhaust with no muffler, and big swaybars and SLICKS. He used to beat up Corvettes at the autocross with his $2000 VW.
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It was his daily driver! He had to wear earplugs everywhere he went.
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#40 ·
Well I'm sure it was a learning experience, right Derty? I hope you don't mind us being critical, as we certainly DO feel bad for you and your car. The bottom line is that it is a good thing you are unharmed.
 
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