L400 spacegear rolled on it's side icy road and drives away

[jessef]

Taken from mdocuk.com forum from Donny, member there :

Looks like L400's can take a good beating as well.

Glad everyone was okay.

This is what happens when you hit a patch of black ice on the way to school one morning... the four kids and I walked away unharmed apart from a small bump on the head for the 6 year old.  I LOVE my bus.



Note the really thick frost on the roof - the bus had been running for fifteen minutes by that point.  4 foot wide strip of ice down the centre of the lane.



Nice new exhaust there...



She doesn't half look funny at that angle.  Looked even stranger when sat behind the wheel.



No,they didn't pick her up with the spikes.  Wrapped a strop around the front suspension and then pulled - and she sat up back on all four wheels without so much as a hiccup.  Only issue was the rear tyre popped off the rim with the weight.  Gave her five minutes for everything that was left in the engine to drain back into place and she started up first time.  Change onto the spare wheel, and I drove off.



A few dents here and there, but nothing broke - that window didn't give way when we tipped over, it broke because the 8 year old stood on it when they were climbing out of the back door.  The wing mirror didn't even break -just folded flat against the door.  The tailgate opens at an angle, but shut fine, the sliding door opens and closes.  Just waiting for hopeless Autoglass to find me a replacement rear window.  Although the time they're taking, I think I'm going to source one myself.

Got to love that bus - have always said she does exactly what I need her to do with no drama, no fuss - and the same applied to Wednesday.  Even the kids can't wait to get her back on the road.  

Kris (aka Mrs Donny Deli)

[-albertaboy-]

wow thats pretty amazing actually. glad the family was ok.

[FalcoColumbarius]

I get the impression that the L400s have an higher centre of gravity than the L300s. As many of you know, a couple of changes are taking place in "Delica Canada Technical" with the addition of a new forum called "L400 Delica Downloads". Meanwhile I have been collecting PDFs to put in said forum, and one of them is the L400 Delica Owners Manual. I perused the manual and one of the things it says is that you must not take corners too fast due to the high centre of gravity.

I remember watching Delicat in the Mitsushi hit some white ice, hit a pothole and do a 270 degree spin. He did not role the Mitsushi. It was actually quite graceful as I observed it in my rear view mirror, it could have had a Strauss Waltz as a musical accompaniment.

Falco.

[Green1]

The centre of gravity is quite likely higher, the engine is now in front of the driver instead of beneath them, and this is the heaviest single item in a vehicle. As for the warning however, it may be new since the L300 manual, but I'm sure it's more of an updated legal environment more than a new warning.

We have seen pictures of L300s on their side too, this is nothing new, we have to remember that these are not sports cars, and treating them as such is likely to cause us grief. That said, I would say that the L400 is still more stable than most domestic SUVs (the ones that just can't seem to find right side up once the first snowflake finds the ground)

[thedjjack]

That would have been a good time to change out the u-joints and such!

[FalcoColumbarius]

The centre of gravity is quite likely higher, the engine is now in front of the driver instead of beneath them, and this is the heaviest single item in a vehicle. As for the warning however, it may be new since the L300 manual, but I'm sure it's more of an updated legal environment more than a new warning.

We have seen pictures of L300s on their side too, this is nothing new, we have to remember that these are not sports cars, and treating them as such is likely to cause us grief. That said, I would say that the L400 is still more stable than most domestic SUVs (the ones that just can't seem to find right side up once the first snowflake finds the ground)

Perhaps, but usually the L300 on her side is due to having been on an incline of some sort or some other external force. I do agree with your sentiment regarding the warning being a legal issue ~ and when it comes down to it, the driver is the one controlling the vehicle. Having said that, I have also seen pictures of L300s parked at a 45 degree lateral angle with a complimentary image of the inclinometer ~ And that 270 spin the Mitsushi did was no mean feat ~ and she has a lift kit.

Falco.

[Green1]

The L300s and L400s both have the same stability problem if they do high speed cornering, usually unintentionally (sudden swerve to avoid a crash, slight embankment at speed, or as was the case here, a combination of ice and grippy road surface (get sliding sideways at high speed and suddently get traction and you tend to go over)) This doesn't make the vehicle "unstable" per-se, it just means caution is advised and it's all part of knowing the capabilities of the vehicle.

Both vehicles can sit on a side slope much greater than the driver can likely tolerate without tipping, it's the speed attached to it that causes the roll (or more to the point, the tip-over, as these things rarely seem to get past their side)

[jessef]

X2

both L300 and L400 can roll on it's side equally as easily.

Neither are sports cars and both have inherent rollover characteristics compared to lower height vehicles.

Arguments can be made for both.

L300 engine's lower
L400 wheelbase longer and track wider

Between the two, I find the L400 to feel more stable but that's just my gut and not a fact.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Overall dimensions of L400 Delica

• Total Length (mm) 4685
• Total Width (mm) 1695
• Total Height (mm) 2060 (high roof)
• Wheel Base (mm) 2800
• Tread (mm) Front 1440, Rear 1435

Overall dimensions of L300 Delica (P25W):

• Total Length: 4,365
• Total Width: 1,690
• Total Height: 1,975
• Wheel Base: 2,240
• Track Front: 1,430
• Track Rear: 1,415

I think if we look at the dimensions we ought to look at them all. To mention that the track is wider is subjective. The L400 may be a third of an inch wider track* but it's also higher. The L300 engine location is also further back, which makes the tranny further back. Displacement is where it's at.

As far as stability is concerned, I have travelled sideways at 50 KPH and all I did was list into the skid and stop. However, it was a constant friction, not slippery then friction.

Falco.

* A third of an inch makes a difference.

[Green1]

and that consistant and "gradual" (though I'm sure it didn't FEEL gradual!) stop is what kept you right side up, just like in my nosedive the only thing that kept me right side up was that I kept moving. Had there been a sudden patch with really good traction, or worse yet, a curb, you probably would have gone over, and had I panicked and hit the brakes instead of the gas, so would have I.

It's all a combination of driver skill and conditions, a problem in either category can really screw you over. (I'm not questioning the skill of the UK driver, however I suspect that they do not have as much ice experience (or as good ice tires) as most Canadians (and we all know most Canadian drivers can't handle it either!))

[bikepoor]

NOPE!!!,
It's just more proof that L300's are still way cool'a, lots'a mo betta, and don't need to lay down and have a nap on the way home, like some poor soccer mom caravan after a hard day of texting and lat'a, latttee, letae's, laptae, latea's....
WHATEVER!!!! Doesn't matter, all of the L300 drivers are already at the monster truck races drinkin beers and black coffee standin' UPRIGHT!!!!
(Green 1 and other turncoats, you know who you are!!) This of course is meant in pure jest!
Hope some of you can get those caravans started in the minus 1 weather and make it out to an off-road run this spring! (Don't worry, you can leave them parked in the Peters drive in parking lot when we leave the pavement and ride in our "OLD VANS" so that they won't get dirty, and, you will get home safe!!!!! HA, HA, HA, HA!!!!!


Bikepoor

ps; Mule and I missed you all at the last meet, OH YEAH! OUR VANS STARTED!!!!!

[Green1]

ps; Mule and I missed you all at the last meet, OH YEAH! OUR VANS STARTED!!!!!

My L400 has started every time this year, better than my L300 ever did. even without being plugged in it fired right up first try at -25c so I could drive down south to boost my GFs car which wasn't so fortunate.

I believe I wasn't at the last meet because I had driven out of town....

Now do I really need to go back and dig up the posts with L300s on their side? (I know of a few...)

[FalcoColumbarius]

ps; Mule and I missed you all at the last meet, OH YEAH! OUR VANS STARTED!!!!!

My L400 has started every time this year, better than my L300 ever did. even without being plugged in it fired right up first try at -25c so I could drive down south to boost my GFs car which wasn't so fortunate.

I believe I wasn't at the last meet because I had driven out of town....

Now do I really need to go back and dig up the posts with L300s on their side? (I know of a few...)

I gotta tell you.... My L300 has started easily every morning this Winter, too .

Don't bother bringing up the post about Doc Savage driving off a virtually 90 degree deep ditch embankment, a Lotus would roll in that circumstance, too. I think in Monkey's case he was sliding sideways then hit something like a curb. No, I'm not saying that my van is so stable that she can drive on the ceiling of a cave ('though that would be trippy and you could make a lot of money taking people on tours ~ sort of a Nation Geographic meets Playland) ~ but she's pretty stable. She's pretty in the stable, too. It looks like the grass hooked the guys rear wheel in the picture.

Falco.

[bikepoor]

Oops, yeah sorry I forgot the 400's do start..... They just won't go into gear when it's cold!!
Out of town, won't start, won't move, to pretty, whatever, when we hit the trails, you can still ride with us, and leave the mom-bus at Starbucks.

Bikepoor

[tonydca]

That would have been a good time to change out the u-joints and such!

Gotta love that silver lining attitude - nice!