Well..., I'm still trying to get the crease out of the driver's seat cushion after I pucker tested it yesterday.
I was on a curving on-ramp exiting from one freeway onto Interstate 30. I'm not sure exactly how fast I was going, but I estimate it was about 55-60 mph. There was an 18 wheeler in front of me and he swerved over and a full size wooden pallet (4' square, 2x4 rails, 1x4 slats, total height ~5"-6") appeared before me in the middle of the lane. I did not have time to avoid it. So, instead of trying to over-control attempting to miss it, I just straightened my line to hit it square with the left wheels. I figured I was at best going to blow the tires, but maybe save the truck. At worse, well... it could get a lot worse. I gritted my teeth and prepared for the impact and the resulting snake dance with blown tires.
What happened next I still can't really believe. I hit the pallet and ran over it with both left tires. The impact was a pretty good shock, but actually felt like hitting no more than a good size speed bump. I was mentally primed for the blown tires so I immediately pull off to the shoulder to assess the damage. I walked around the truck and found... nothing. No tire damage, no body damage, no suspension damage, no nothing! I could not even find a scuff mark on the tires. The suspension had absorbed the the entire impact. I was still coming down off the adrenaline so I thought I might just be seeing what I wanted to see.
I went over the truck again after I had calmed down a bit and still found nothing wrong. After I drove away I checked to make sure I did not have any unseen anomalies like tire shake, or steering pull. I was stunned! I could not believe that I had absolutely "zero" damage after running over a wooden pallet at highway speed.
Unfortunately another driver was not so lucky. From up the highway I watched cars and trucks swerve to miss the pallet that was still in the middle of the on-ramp. Another 18 wheeler came around it blocking the view of the driver behind. A woman in a Cavalier saw it too late, swerved, over controlled and hit the pallet. It blew out the left two tires and CATO'ED the front left suspension and air dam. She lost control but didn't flip, and didn't get hit by another car. She limped off to the right shoulder of the intersate. She got out and was OK, but her car was toast.
I went back and removed the pallet and threw it in the ditch so it didn't claim any more victims. I was going to go help the other driver deal with her car, but someone else had already stopped to help so I elected not to risk the freeway crossing.
Now I just need to get the big fold smoothed out of the driver's seat.
I was on a curving on-ramp exiting from one freeway onto Interstate 30. I'm not sure exactly how fast I was going, but I estimate it was about 55-60 mph. There was an 18 wheeler in front of me and he swerved over and a full size wooden pallet (4' square, 2x4 rails, 1x4 slats, total height ~5"-6") appeared before me in the middle of the lane. I did not have time to avoid it. So, instead of trying to over-control attempting to miss it, I just straightened my line to hit it square with the left wheels. I figured I was at best going to blow the tires, but maybe save the truck. At worse, well... it could get a lot worse. I gritted my teeth and prepared for the impact and the resulting snake dance with blown tires.
What happened next I still can't really believe. I hit the pallet and ran over it with both left tires. The impact was a pretty good shock, but actually felt like hitting no more than a good size speed bump. I was mentally primed for the blown tires so I immediately pull off to the shoulder to assess the damage. I walked around the truck and found... nothing. No tire damage, no body damage, no suspension damage, no nothing! I could not even find a scuff mark on the tires. The suspension had absorbed the the entire impact. I was still coming down off the adrenaline so I thought I might just be seeing what I wanted to see.
I went over the truck again after I had calmed down a bit and still found nothing wrong. After I drove away I checked to make sure I did not have any unseen anomalies like tire shake, or steering pull. I was stunned! I could not believe that I had absolutely "zero" damage after running over a wooden pallet at highway speed.
Unfortunately another driver was not so lucky. From up the highway I watched cars and trucks swerve to miss the pallet that was still in the middle of the on-ramp. Another 18 wheeler came around it blocking the view of the driver behind. A woman in a Cavalier saw it too late, swerved, over controlled and hit the pallet. It blew out the left two tires and CATO'ED the front left suspension and air dam. She lost control but didn't flip, and didn't get hit by another car. She limped off to the right shoulder of the intersate. She got out and was OK, but her car was toast.
I went back and removed the pallet and threw it in the ditch so it didn't claim any more victims. I was going to go help the other driver deal with her car, but someone else had already stopped to help so I elected not to risk the freeway crossing.
Now I just need to get the big fold smoothed out of the driver's seat.
