Delica roll over...

[RichD]

I like the safety chatter. Go go delica.ca!

[Erebus]

This thread makes me happy that when I decided on tires for mine, I went with light truck tires (LT) rather than passenger. I got Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo LT 235/75R15. They were also available in passenger (or P) versions. But since we were planning to drive the Dempster, I got the LTs for their tougher design. Sounds like I made a good choice.

Caveat: while they may be tough, and they are good in mud, they aren't very good on snow or ice.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Falco your suspension setup is probably one of the safest configurations for an L300; I think that adjustable damping is a great way to mitigate roll risk on this truck. But this doesn't apply to the stock machine.

jfarsang has been posting valuable advice on the subject of safe lifts and I think we should recognize his experience.

Lets just be honest about the vehicle's traits and adjust our driving habits instead of promoting a false sense of security. This philosophy has paid off for me in motorcycling and I think it applies well to any vehicle.

I added a leaf to my rear suspension. This lifted my van by an inch and an half. Consequently I had to re-index the torsion bars so I could lift the front end of the van to match the rear end. In a nutshell, the MLB is an inch and an half higher than a stock Delica with the same track ~ yet she has a good track record, so to speak. Shock system you say? If I am travelling on a road that has a serious cross wind or doing a little rally van driving then yeah, I might tighten them up a little. My typical set up for highway or the brutal streets of the GVRD? 6 in the front and 3 in the back. Not much different than stock shocks. So really the MLB is the same as a stock machine accept the centre of gravity is marginally higher.

When I first considered buying a Delica I was told that these vans were soooooooooooo top heavy that if you sneezed whilst sitting in the van you could flip the vehicle! That's a fact! And don't try to turn the key too fast.... Seriously, though, I looked this stuff up before buying ~ crash test results; centre of gravity, &c.. In Japan a motor vehicle has to be stable at at least a 35* lateral angle before it can become street legal in Japan. Many people believe Canada is the benchmark for road safety... it's not. I have seen evidence and heard stories of Delicas going on their sides, typically if the driver goes off a steep edge (like DocSavage going into a ditch, but then ~ so would a Ferrari) or a sideways skid followed by a curb or deep pot hole. I am unaware of a vehicle that has actually rolled. Even in this article ~ the guy says a "roll over"... I am presuming that he means onto the side because I think the roof would see more damage if it truly rolled. I was at an Occupational Health & Safety meeting at IATSE where we discussed news articles and how accurate they are to the actual story. They leave A LOT out ~ the idea being that it leaves a lot to the reader's imagination, which in turn sells more papers.

I would be interested to see the reports of Delicas actually rolling, i.e.; beyond their side as well as the ones that wind up in a ditch.

Falco.

[jessef]

We need to agree on this term 'stock L300'

My definition is a brand new or like new condition (mechanical) L300

I feel I am quite accurate when I say that more than 50% of Delica's on Canadian roads, eventhough they went through bc inspection, have old shocks, tires and tired suspension.

Falco, your rig is in pristine shape both cosmetically and mechanically. When you take a hard corner, you know exactly what to expect.

On a 'stock Delica' which would have new or like new suspension/tires would feel similar.

Many delica's on Canadian roads are not up to 'stock'. They have sagging rear leaf packs, non-functioning/siezed shocks, sagging torsion bars, old tires.

When making a sudden/jerky turn at high speed in a Delica in this shape can be dangerous and surprise the driver.

Although this should be common knowledge, it is not.

Many Delica owners are not aware of the state their suspension is in and are not capable to handle aggressive and sudden maneuvers unless they have practiced it beforehand.

This is a receipe for a crash and it's happened before.

If you make an appointment with a ICBC adjuster, depending on how friendly they are, they will give you an estimate on L300 accidents.

I was in ICBC in Feb this year and I was told seven L300's were recovered on their sides. True or false, I cannot prove. But she was pretty forthcoming and drives a Toyota celicor (rhd).

[RichD]

I am unaware of a vehicle that has actually rolled.

Ah semantics.

Let us agree here this day that if, in the course of its trajectory, a vehicle makes contact with the road surface on any other plane than the one with four wheels (a.k.a. the bottom part), it has rolled. Let us further allow for the distinctive term "flip" to be used in reference to a roll where contact with the roof (or if lacking same, the part of the vehicle opposite to down) and the road is achieved at any time during the roll - be it once or many times.

In the case of OP, a roll was achieved and the crushed roof implies a flip.

Therefore, Mr Columbarius, you are now aware of a vehicle that has actually rolled.

The Trash Heap Has Spoken!

200px-trash_heap2.jpg (14.14 KiB) Viewed 1648 times

[FalcoColumbarius]

...I was in ICBC in Feb this year and I was told seven L300's were recovered on their sides. True or false, I cannot prove. But she was pretty forthcoming and drives a Toyota celicor (rhd).

Cool, I suspect some of those are vehicles that have hit the ice and slid into the ditch. Was that in one year or since Delicas have been imported? We ought to make a more organised Member Introductions thread for the new Delica owner explaining things to look for, including Delicat's "To Do List". (Check: on the list).

Ah semantics.

Well, looking at that picture and seeing the front end of the roof slightly collapsed. If that is a result of the Delica having "flipped" onto the front end of the roof (supporting her complete weight, plus the momentum) and that is the only damage done then ~ damn these are amazingly skookum carriages! However, I still hold the opinion that the Delica tripped, fell on her side and skidded into something.

Falco.

[coaxial]

I agree with others.. this thread makes me happy that some of the upgrades & repairs I've made to my L300 have mitigated this sort of risk partially.

I've got new brake calipers and pads, properly adjusted rear brakes, new severe service shocks, cranked torsion bars, and very expensive tires with adequate air inside them . I've driven delicas in the "below stock" condition described above and there is a very noticable difference in stability feel (and "bounciness"!) compared to mine.

It's nice to feel good about money spent on maintenance for once, rather than just feeling the stinging in my wallet area.

I agree with the point that knowing your vehicle and it's limits is more important than anything else. I think every driver in every kind of vehicle should practice things like emergency braking and turns (preferably not while in heavy traffic), hazard avoidance, driving on ice, etc. I'd feel a lot safer on the roads if this was part of required driver training and testing, as it is in some countries (finland comes to mind).

I've taken various driving courses involving skidding on various surfaces (which is a lot of fun) and have spent a lot of time ..er.. "finding the limitations of my delica" and it pays off. I can think of at least one case where I know for certain that my replaced brakes, tires, and my sudden hazard avoidance skill saved me and my girlfriend from certain crash and rollover in our delica. I'll save that story for another time


My motorcycles, and even my mountain bike on the other hand, are definitely more prone to tip-overs - they seem to fall over entirely on their own accord! I should look into getting some kind of protective head covering