Subaru Impreza WRX + ice + overpass = :(

[Kabob]

We had a "freak blizzard" (aka a tiny bit of snow to these Southern types) yesterday, it put a bit of ice on the roads. Well, I had to go somewhere yesterday morning and I'm taking it easy as I know the roads are a little nasty. I go on an overpass to switch to another interstate that is WAY in the air (no ground insulation to keep it from freezing), hit a patch of ice, and slide the car into the wall. About 30 feet in front of where I hit there was an abandoned car that had probably hit the same patch, it was in much worse shape than mine was.

I stopped on the overpass to check it out...realized that I had stopped right where everyone else would slip, and drove on about 1/2 a mile to the actual highway, pulled off. Thankfully I wasn't going very fast when it happened and my front right wheel took pretty much all the impact. It's a lil' scratched up and probably a bit out of alignment but nothing too bad.

Going much faster that would have been a bad situation though...and amazingly enough considering where the overpass is located/how busy it was it was the only road I saw that was NOT salted...can't figure out why.

 

[EightySix Four]

Originally posted by: kabob983
We had a "freak blizzard" (aka a tiny bit of snow to these Southern types) yesterday, it put a bit of ice on the roads. Well, I had to go somewhere yesterday morning and I'm taking it easy as I know the roads are a little nasty. I go on an overpass to switch to another interstate that is WAY in the air (no ground insulation to keep it from freezing), hit a patch of ice, and slide the car into the wall. About 30 feet in front of where I hit there was an abandoned car that had probably hit the same patch, it was in much worse shape than mine was.

I stopped on the overpass to check it out...realized that I had stopped right where everyone else would slip, and drove on about 1/2 a mile to the actual highway, pulled off. Thankfully I wasn't going very fast when it happened and my front right wheel took pretty much all the impact. It's a lil' scratched up and probably a bit out of alignment but nothing too bad.

Going much faster that would have been a bad situation though...and amazingly enough considering where the overpass is located/how busy it was it was the only road I saw that was NOT salted...can't figure out why.

Sorry about the car man, glad you're safe and the damage was minimal. :thumbsup:

Other than the ice, how is the AWD holding up in that weather?

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: crazySOB297
Sorry about the car man, glad you're safe and the damage was minimal. :thumbsup:

Other than the ice, how is the AWD holding up in that weather?

That's the thing, I'm from VT where something like this is laughible, down here in Birmingham, AL though this is "monster snow." Haven't really gotten to test it in any snow yet, just that one horribly placed ice patch.

Overall I love the AWD though.

 

[StageLeft]

You hit the wall on the 65/459 overpass?

 

[EightySix Four]

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: crazySOB297
Sorry about the car man, glad you're safe and the damage was minimal. :thumbsup:

Other than the ice, how is the AWD holding up in that weather?

That's the thing, I'm from VT where something like this is laughible, down here in Birmingham, AL though this is "monster snow." Haven't really gotten to test it in any snow yet, just that one horribly placed ice patch.

Overall I love the AWD though.

I'm from Dallas, if sleet falls from the sky the world might as well be ending, there will be 20 wrecks within a few minutes since people in their big trucks think they are invincible.

 

[PingSpike]

AWD seems pretty sweet, but on that ice shit I think studs are the only thing that even pretends to give you a chance.

 

[ballmode]

you lucked out, go get an allignment

 

[Kabob]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
You hit the wall on the 65/459 overpass?

Yup, that's the place. 65S/459N

Originally posted by: ballmode
you lucked out, go get an allignment

My thoughts exactly, we'll get it aligned ASAP.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: crazySOB297

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: crazySOB297
Sorry about the car man, glad you're safe and the damage was minimal. :thumbsup:

Other than the ice, how is the AWD holding up in that weather?

That's the thing, I'm from VT where something like this is laughible, down here in Birmingham, AL though this is "monster snow." Haven't really gotten to test it in any snow yet, just that one horribly placed ice patch.

Overall I love the AWD though.

I'm from Dallas, if sleet falls from the sky the world might as well be ending, there will be 20 wrecks within a few minutes since people in their big trucks think they are invincible.

^^ Truth. I live in Dallas, and in winter '02/'03 we had a big ice storm. I had to pick up my GF to her school in Frisco (from Carrollton), and it took me about an hour to drive there at very low speeds (about 12 miles, I think). Along the way, I saw an H2, a few trucks, a Wrangler, and various other vehicles off the side of the road in various states of 'whoops'. Puttering along in my Civic, I had no problem at all. Something true about AWD/4WD is that once you're on a hard ice patch, it doesn't matter which tires are attached to the drivetrain, you're not going to be able to effectively brake or correct your direction any more than anyone else.

Respect bad weather, or it will disrespect you 🙂

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: kabob983

Originally posted by: Skoorb
You hit the wall on the 65/459 overpass?

Yup, that's the place. 65S/459N

Originally posted by: ballmode
you lucked out, go get an allignment

My thoughts exactly, we'll get it aligned ASAP.

Just hope the alignment is all you need. Once it's up on the lift they might be able to see if there was any other damage.

 

[jRaskell]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Something true about AWD/4WD is that once you're on a hard ice patch, it doesn't matter which tires are attached to the drivetrain, you're not going to be able to effectively brake or correct your direction any more than anyone else.

Respect bad weather, or it will disrespect you 🙂

That's just common sense, though it doesn't appear to be all that common anymore. The only real difference AWD is going to make is your ability to accelerate. Virtually every single vehicle on the road has all wheel brakes, and front wheel steering. AWD does NOT provide any substantial benefit in maneuvering or braking (I've seen numerous debates about this as well). Anybody that believes otherwise is only setting themselves up for a future accident.

And this is not aimed at the OP at all, but just agreeing/reinforcing Arkaign's comment.

 

[ElFenix]

you may also have bent/cracked suspension components, driveline components, and steering components.

 

[BW86]

Damn, sorry about the car.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

The park rangers in Rocky Mountain National Park call 4-wheel-drive "4-wheel-sliiiiiiiiiiiide." Comment made to 4-wheel-drive owners who think they're invincible. Comment made to me as I stopped to talk to a ranger as they were busy pulling out a Jeep Cherokee.

 

[soydios]

Originally posted by: jRaskell
That's just common sense, though it doesn't appear to be all that common anymore. The only real difference AWD is going to make is your ability to accelerate. Virtually every single vehicle on the road has all wheel brakes, and front wheel steering. AWD does NOT provide any substantial benefit in maneuvering or braking (I've seen numerous debates about this as well). Anybody that believes otherwise is only setting themselves up for a future accident.

100% correct, IMO

 

[Aimster]

AWD gives a driver a false sense of control
<-- has AWD

But not saying this happened to you. You hit ice. Nothing you could do

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Aimster
AWD gives a driver a false sense of control

Seems like it gives them too much confidence to do things and drive in conditions that they shouldn't be driving it.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
The park rangers in Rocky Mountain National Park call 4-wheel-drive "4-wheel-sliiiiiiiiiiiide." Comment made to 4-wheel-drive owners who think they're invincible. Comment made to me as I stopped to talk to a ranger as they were busy pulling out a Jeep Cherokee.

But but you high-centred on a Jeep Liberty!

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Aimster
AWD gives a driver a false sense of control

Seems like it gives them too much confidence to do things and drive in conditions that they shouldn't be driving it.

to be fair, if you are not used to driving in icy/winter condition, doesn't matter what you are driving, you are going to the wall.

Up here in winter hell, (currently -15c) when the snow season starts, people relearn how to drive in it so for the first month or so traffic is slow as hell. Then everyone got their snow footing (or ceased to care) and back to 120km/h we go.

 

[StageLeft]

A friend in Bama was driving past that overpass and said he saw somebody in a subaru who'd just hit the wall. The person was kicking the hell out of their car and was taking a baseball bat to it as he drove by. Said they looked enraged like a possessed demon. Was that you?

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
A friend in Bama was driving past that overpass and said he saw somebody in a subaru who'd just hit the wall. The person was kicking the hell out of their car and was taking a baseball bat to it as he drove by. Said they looked enraged like a possessed demon. Was that you?

lol