Dimitri Storm
Member
- Joined
- September 10, 2008
- Messages
- 33
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Upstate NY...could spit on Canada if I wanted too
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1997 Mountaineer
So anyway.....
Here I am on my way to work one afternoon in the wonderful december weather that is Northern New York.....
Forecast called for some snow an maybe some freezing rain. During the climb to work....its on a mountain and you can experience all major weather patterns due to elevation difference from my house to there....I noticed the roads were getting a bit snotty.
As I was driving up a small hill I downshifted from 5th to 4th, and not thinking I just let the clutch fly like usual...bad move.
As I sat there with my coffee in hand and a little heavy metal on the old radidio, I noticed that I was no longer looking down the road...I was watching the houses pass side ways by me.
Of course I looked to my left and low and behold I was going sideways...uphill. An that mini-van was getting real close real fast.
I jammed the clutch in and hit the fourby button.....The ass on her came the otherway...to far....and so did my fresh steaming cup of Dunkin Donuts special brew....
Now as I try to regain control of this ever fishtailing green monster and wipe the coffee of the windshield, and hopefully avoid plowing into this soccer mom...whose eyes musta been a big as dinner plates....the radio starts to play "Highway to Hell"....Funny how you notice something like that in a situation like that.
It soon became apparent that getting straight was not going to happen. The ass end swung around and pointed uphill and continued to swing around.
The initial impact backwards was the 4 foot deep ditch, which the left rear caught first, which in turn made the front end come up and spin really fast to the left and got me airborne.
I soon found my self looking at a stand of cedars and recalling just how hard that wood is...and then the realization of the 15 foot drop off shortly after that....and thinking well just my luck...shot or stabbed?...
Sidenote: My luck has been equated to the following...."It could be raining Brazilian Super Models...and I'd catch Richard Simmons"
With A jarring rattle the Ranger came to an abrupt stop.
After collecting my senses and doing a quick bio systems check. I climbed out. I fully expected the truck to be totaled....I had been saved by a snow drift...missed the cedar by inches and the right front was hanging off the drop off....and what appeared to be just a broken grill.
I attempted to start the truck...and noticed the smell of gas.
Upon looking down I saw the tank had been split and the gas lines were broke.
Fortunately a co- worker happened by andgave me a ride home.
I walked through the door and the wife said,"What are you doing home?"
To which I replied, "Get dressed and start the Mounty. I gonna go get a few chains...."
After explaining what happen she asked "Why not leave it till tomorrow?"
Because if the snowplows come by it will sit there till June.
We get there and pull it out and a week later I fix the tank and lines.
I head down the road and realize this thing is handling like a drunken sailor....Get back to the house and look at the front and see this:
Before pic:
After pic:
Nice camber eh?...may work at Daytona but not here...
Side view before:
After:
All 4 shocks were toast.....had to replace em and of couse I broke a shockmount on the front trying to take it off (see side note above)....but I give thanks for this forum for the thread that told me how to fix it....
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219180
Now I just have to buy a grinder tomorrow and get it fixed....
And to get a set of studded tires....
Here I am on my way to work one afternoon in the wonderful december weather that is Northern New York.....
Forecast called for some snow an maybe some freezing rain. During the climb to work....its on a mountain and you can experience all major weather patterns due to elevation difference from my house to there....I noticed the roads were getting a bit snotty.
As I was driving up a small hill I downshifted from 5th to 4th, and not thinking I just let the clutch fly like usual...bad move.
As I sat there with my coffee in hand and a little heavy metal on the old radidio, I noticed that I was no longer looking down the road...I was watching the houses pass side ways by me.
Of course I looked to my left and low and behold I was going sideways...uphill. An that mini-van was getting real close real fast.
I jammed the clutch in and hit the fourby button.....The ass on her came the otherway...to far....and so did my fresh steaming cup of Dunkin Donuts special brew....
Now as I try to regain control of this ever fishtailing green monster and wipe the coffee of the windshield, and hopefully avoid plowing into this soccer mom...whose eyes musta been a big as dinner plates....the radio starts to play "Highway to Hell"....Funny how you notice something like that in a situation like that.
It soon became apparent that getting straight was not going to happen. The ass end swung around and pointed uphill and continued to swing around.
The initial impact backwards was the 4 foot deep ditch, which the left rear caught first, which in turn made the front end come up and spin really fast to the left and got me airborne.
I soon found my self looking at a stand of cedars and recalling just how hard that wood is...and then the realization of the 15 foot drop off shortly after that....and thinking well just my luck...shot or stabbed?...
Sidenote: My luck has been equated to the following...."It could be raining Brazilian Super Models...and I'd catch Richard Simmons"
With A jarring rattle the Ranger came to an abrupt stop.
After collecting my senses and doing a quick bio systems check. I climbed out. I fully expected the truck to be totaled....I had been saved by a snow drift...missed the cedar by inches and the right front was hanging off the drop off....and what appeared to be just a broken grill.
I attempted to start the truck...and noticed the smell of gas.
Upon looking down I saw the tank had been split and the gas lines were broke.
Fortunately a co- worker happened by andgave me a ride home.
I walked through the door and the wife said,"What are you doing home?"
To which I replied, "Get dressed and start the Mounty. I gonna go get a few chains...."
After explaining what happen she asked "Why not leave it till tomorrow?"
Because if the snowplows come by it will sit there till June.
We get there and pull it out and a week later I fix the tank and lines.
I head down the road and realize this thing is handling like a drunken sailor....Get back to the house and look at the front and see this:
Before pic:
After pic:
Nice camber eh?...may work at Daytona but not here...
Side view before:
After:
All 4 shocks were toast.....had to replace em and of couse I broke a shockmount on the front trying to take it off (see side note above)....but I give thanks for this forum for the thread that told me how to fix it....
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219180
Now I just have to buy a grinder tomorrow and get it fixed....
And to get a set of studded tires....
