What happens when a car "jumps"?
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From: NY/NJ
2002 CL500
What happens when a car "jumps"?
I was going about 40-50mph and didn't see a small hill in front of me and my car "jumped", literally... about 1.5-2 feet from the ground. It landed a bit hard, I almost lost control of the car while it was trying to get straight 
I didn't notice anything wrong with it after the jump, but may be you guys know if it's "safe" to "jump" like that
Based from your experience...?
I didn't notice anything wrong with it after the jump, but may be you guys know if it's "safe" to "jump" like that
Based from your experience...?
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From: Vienna, Austria
Audi S4
Wow... I hadnt heard of that before with a coupe! The closest I've seen was a red light runner who got some air and it didnt seem to do any damage. Then again you really wouldnt want the result that the kids got in the movie "Road Trip".
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From: DFW
1.5 to 2 feet? That's a helluva jump at 40 to 50mph.
I hit a dip pretty hard one time in an Accord at about 40mph, and it "squiggled" like it was airborne, but probably more like only a few inches. Sounded bad, but no damage other than maybe a scrape on a cross member.
I hit a dip pretty hard one time in an Accord at about 40mph, and it "squiggled" like it was airborne, but probably more like only a few inches. Sounded bad, but no damage other than maybe a scrape on a cross member.
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From: DFW
I was driving to work one day and saw my brother's 71 MGB in a field (he worked third shift at the same place). He had crossed the two lane state highway from a perpendicular road going about 70. He said he didn't see the stop sign. He told our dad that he was going 30mph. He went between two metal fench posts with a welded top rail on an "in-progress" horse fench, and I mean it was like a field goal it was so perfect. Based on the minor scrape marks, he flew a ditch that was about 3 feet deep. He was lucky to get out with so little damage to the car and no damage to himself. The paint was actually buffed out so you couldn't even tell. What a jerk!
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From: Laguna Niguel, CA
That is sooo cool. I have to pay $15 to go to an MX track to jump, you have those type of streets where you live and you don't even have to pay.
I've seen a lot of episodes of Dukes of Hazard and their Dodge seemed to jump 10-20' in the air with no ill effects so a 2002 Mercedes should do fine at 2'. My bike's not really a jumping bike but I still get about 5' of air at the track.
I've seen a lot of episodes of Dukes of Hazard and their Dodge seemed to jump 10-20' in the air with no ill effects so a 2002 Mercedes should do fine at 2'. My bike's not really a jumping bike but I still get about 5' of air at the track.
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From: SF Bay Area
2002 C230 K
Originally posted by Buellwinkle
My bike's not really a jumping bike but I still get about 5' of air at the track.
My bike's not really a jumping bike but I still get about 5' of air at the track.
Speaking of Buells, I was watching this TV showed called Witchblade on TV the other day. It's kind of a silly show about this kickass chick with a magic weapon - but I happened to notice she rides a Buell. Which means it can't be all bad, eh? An additional bonus, she's hot.
Cheers, BT
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From: Stockholm, Sweden
C200 Kompressor
Hehe, I've jumped in my C too. Was doing around 100 mph, when suddenly the road disappeared under the car. It was like a small "hollow" in the road and the only thing that happend was that the ESP-light started to flash for half a sec. Landed pretty smooth on the other side though, and there was no damage to the car whatsoever.
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From: South Florida
Fast Cars!
Originally posted by DtS
Hehe, I've jumped in my C too. Was doing around 100 mph, when suddenly the road disappeared under the car. It was like a small "hollow" in the road and the only thing that happend was that the ESP-light started to flash for half a sec. Landed pretty smooth on the other side though, and there was no damage to the car whatsoever.
Hehe, I've jumped in my C too. Was doing around 100 mph, when suddenly the road disappeared under the car. It was like a small "hollow" in the road and the only thing that happend was that the ESP-light started to flash for half a sec. Landed pretty smooth on the other side though, and there was no damage to the car whatsoever.
i was once with my friend in his crappy pontiac sunfire that was lowered by him but still not low enough so he cut the springs alot and that thing was really bouncy, well anyway we were once drving and he flored it and dident see train tracks and his car was airbore for like 5 seconds and once we landed we heard his tires squeal and then he bottomed out, but god that was a pretty scary ride.
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'01 C240/6
Re: What happens when a car "jumps"?
Originally posted by Pweb
I was going about 40-50mph and didn't see a small hill in front of me and my car "jumped", literally... about 1.5-2 feet from the ground. It landed a bit hard, I almost lost control of the car while it was trying to get straight
I didn't notice anything wrong with it after the jump, but may be you guys know if it's "safe" to "jump" like that
Based from your experience...?
I was going about 40-50mph and didn't see a small hill in front of me and my car "jumped", literally... about 1.5-2 feet from the ground. It landed a bit hard, I almost lost control of the car while it was trying to get straight
I didn't notice anything wrong with it after the jump, but may be you guys know if it's "safe" to "jump" like that
Based from your experience...?
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From: NY/NJ
2002 CL500
Re: Re: What happens when a car "jumps"?
Originally posted by SoCal240/6
At 40-50 mph, on a public road, your car never left the ground, or even came close to leaving the road (unless you drove off a curb).
At 40-50 mph, on a public road, your car never left the ground, or even came close to leaving the road (unless you drove off a curb).
the road goes like this: ___~___~_____So I "flyed" over these two bumps, you betcha I left the ground.
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From: Croton, NY
1991 mr2 turbo, 2002 coupe
Re: Re: What happens when a car "jumps"?
Originally posted by SoCal240/6
At 40-50 mph, on a public road, your car never left the ground, or even came close to leaving the road (unless you drove off a curb).
At 40-50 mph, on a public road, your car never left the ground, or even came close to leaving the road (unless you drove off a curb).
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From: Central NJ
C230K Coupe/Orion/C4/C5/CD/AMG Spoiler/V60/TeleAid, 2 MGB's
Originally posted by C230Komp
I hit a dip pretty hard one time in an Accord
I hit a dip pretty hard one time in an Accord
They should have fences to keep dips out of the road!When I first got my car, I was on a twisty little back road, playing with the performance. There's a sudden rise in this road, and I caught a little air...maybe 3-4 inches at 60mph or so.
Well, let me tell you...the ESP lit up, started flashing as I left the ground, and upon landing the doors unlocked, the turn signal lever popped up activating both the signal and the wiper (all this took about 1.5 seconds).
As soon as the car settled in, the doors automatically relocked, I reset the lever and all was good again as I entered the next twist with a huge grin on my face.
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From: Los Angeles
2002 c230k
There a road in Venice CA that is like a ski jump! I found it about 20 years ago in my mother's 300D full of my friends on the 4th of July coming back from the beach. If you go about 30 down the hill it launchs you in the air and you watch the roofs of the parked cars sink as you are airborn and it lands you soft as a feather! Its called Marine if you want to find it!
The only time getting airborn is going to do damage is if you slam back to the ground and bottom out. Remember the suspension can take hitting bumps at highway speeds but the chassis does not like hitting the ground!
The only time getting airborn is going to do damage is if you slam back to the ground and bottom out. Remember the suspension can take hitting bumps at highway speeds but the chassis does not like hitting the ground!
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From: Obama Land
K Car
Re: Re: What happens when a car "jumps"?
Originally posted by SoCal240/6
At 40-50 mph, on a public road, your car never left the ground, or even came close to leaving the road (unless you drove off a curb).
At 40-50 mph, on a public road, your car never left the ground, or even came close to leaving the road (unless you drove off a curb).
Here in Texas, some intersections have large humps in the middle so that water runs off the road. I bet if you hit some of these with enough speed you could get some air.
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From: New Jersey
2008 C300 Sport
Originally posted by Pweb
I didn't notice anything wrong with it after the jump, but may be you guys know if it's "safe" to "jump" like that
I didn't notice anything wrong with it after the jump, but may be you guys know if it's "safe" to "jump" like that
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From: SF Bay Area
2002 C230 K
Re: Re: What happens when a car "jumps"?
Originally posted by SoCal240/6
At 40-50 mph, on a public road, your car never left the ground, or even came close to leaving the road (unless you drove off a curb).
At 40-50 mph, on a public road, your car never left the ground, or even came close to leaving the road (unless you drove off a curb).
I only ever jumped a car once, the Chrysler I drove in high school, while "off-roading" in the city park. We went over a dirt embankment (imagine a dirt speed bump about two feet high) about 35 mph. We drove over this thing and all smacked our heads on the ceiling of the car. At first we didn't realize we had been airborne, but I noticed in the rear-view mirror that the tire tracks in the snow behind the car were discontinous. With about 6-7 feet after the embankment showing no tire tracks.
Ahhh...those were the days.
BT
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From: Laguna Niguel, CA
Did the jump resemble any of these pictures? Because the General Lee did many jumps over the years, even outlasted the original stars of the show.
Link to jump pictures
Link to jump pictures
Last edited by Buellwinkle; Jun 27, 2002 at 12:54 PM.
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From: Chicago
Volvo V90 CC
I have jumped two times in my life, the first time nothing happened to my dads truck (thank god), I was 17 and was driving his dodge club cab pick up (it had the 360 engine on it, and it was fixed), my friend and I got airborne in Mexico City, we probably jumped almost 3 ft high (not an exageration, the car I was passing had to look us up! lol, it landed perfectly straight, not pulling, easy to control and best of all it didn't have any mechanical damage.
Second time was on my 96 Suburban, comming back from mexico i was doing about 85 mph and the road suddenly just got 2 ft lower (construction, with out signs or anything), i had some parts on my Sub so it was a little heavy, the leaf spring holders (in the rear) broke, GM repaired that under extended warranty, my running board broke too when it landed.
Second time was on my 96 Suburban, comming back from mexico i was doing about 85 mph and the road suddenly just got 2 ft lower (construction, with out signs or anything), i had some parts on my Sub so it was a little heavy, the leaf spring holders (in the rear) broke, GM repaired that under extended warranty, my running board broke too when it landed.
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From: SF Bay Area
2002 C230 K
Originally posted by Buellwinkle
Did the jump resemble any of these pictures? Because the General Lee did many jumps over the years, even outlasted the original stars of the show.
Did the jump resemble any of these pictures? Because the General Lee did many jumps over the years, even outlasted the original stars of the show.
I also remember that for the filming of Knight Rider the producers got lucky and were able to buy a bunch of Trans Ams from General Motors for cheap because there was a train car full of them that derailed and tipped over. These then became the jumpers for that series.
Cheers, BT
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From: Dallas
C32 AMG
Thanks, Buellwinkle, I was about to freak out!
More that one General Lee? Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Next they'll be saying there's no tooth fairy, and all those teeth I saved will be worthless!
More that one General Lee? Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Next they'll be saying there's no tooth fairy, and all those teeth I saved will be worthless!
