Almost rolled the Mounty

I am a little disappointed with myself. I have been driving in this stuff for at least 15 years, and I finally lost it good.

Going around this bend at 70, the rear end slid out on me, and I hit the ditch sideways. It then shot me back onto the road and I hit the other ditch at about 55. I went off on an approach, which dropped off rather steeply into a 5 foot ditch. If I had hit the ditch 25 feet earlier, I would have totally Dukes of Hazzarded it off the approach, and exploded in a giant fireball and died.

I thought I had to have broken something, but everything is fine, I was able to finish the 250 mile trip with no problems, still drives straight. I am thinking about putting the front sway bar back on after this... I took it off since one of my end links was broken, and then I gave the other one away to a friend that had a broken one. Does anybody have a spare set laying around?

Drawing for your entertainment.

 

[storlied]

Very lucky my friend, install your front sway bar end links asap.. summer is one thing.. but winter I wouldn't push it... and I play around a Lot..

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

ur really lucky

 

[nobodyspecial]

yes sir!

 

[yellowford]

I had my sway bar link broken for one day and thought it was going to go over it was way to tipsy for my liking.

 

[nobodyspecial]

Think a dealership would have them on hand? where would be a good place to pick them up? I dont want used ones form a junk yard, as they will just be that much closer to breaking again.

 

[V8powerbaby]

yea the dealer might or an autoparts store. i like your drawing though

 

[techieman33]

Any autoparts store should have some on hand, don't get the ones from the stealership, they suck and will break easier than the aftermarket ones, I like the moog pieces.

 

[nobodyspecial]

Thanks for the tip on the moog pieces. I have gotten a pretty good response to the drawing on the other sites i frequent (nwuonline.com, fordtruckfanatics.com)

 

[storlied]

You can drive without them, just take it into consideration. I've grown used to how my truck acts without em.. off-road it seems a lot smoother.. but on the street.. I love my poly bushings with the energy suspension end links.

 

[nobodyspecial]

I havent had the end links on for 4 months or so and never had a problem. I dont even think not having them played a big part in it. I mean, I was sliding sideways on dry pavement and it stayed on its wheels, right?

Maybe I wont put new ones on, who knows.

 

[williams.cory]

I've almost rolled my explorer. It was last year. After my X being down for about a month due to a bad fuel pump, I finally got her fixed. Took her for a spin down a side road. I came around a corner and decided to gun it and have some fun sliding around. All is going good, then I got WAY carried away sliding around (and being I forgot how she handled after not driving it for a month) and lost control going 35-40 MPH. So I'm sliding sideways down this road at 40 MPH and headed right for a ditch. The passenger side goes into the ditch and WOW I thought FOR SURE it was going to roll being at the angle I was at and the speed and the ditch. But thankfully it didnt. Ever since that scare, I've had some serious respect for the X now, I still goof around but I dont let it get out of control.

It was pretty hairy sliding with out control 40 MPH sideways for over 5 seconds, seemed like it was forever, even more thinking for sure it was going to roll.

As soon as I get out after sliding off the road, I look down the road and here comes a state trooper with his lights on!! He comes up to me and tells me he saw the whole thing, me messing around and being reckless. To top it off, I didnt have my wallet on me, I left it at home (which was down the street). But he was a cool guy. After talking for a couple minutes he said "well get this thing unstuck and be safe".

LOL. bad enough scare almost rolling the X, then another scare when I saw the trooper cause I thought he was going to ticket me for reckless driving or something.