JL and high winds...

[jeepdabest]

After installing this not only do I have better control in the wind, but get 20% better fuel mileage. Quadratec has mounting kit.

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[JO DYRT]

Perfect thread for today in So cal. I had 40 -50mph sustained winds down in south OC overnight and this morning. It was a roller coaster on the way to work this morning doing 80. Luckly brought a change of shorts with me.

 

[JDM]

Hi guys!
this past Sunday i was going down the Grape Vine leaving Los Angeles and they had high wind warnings. The wind was so bad it kept pushing us into the next lane over. It was terrifying!
i do have a soft top and my jeep is stock.. would a hard top make it more aerodynamic? what bout the Razor back top? Any suggestions help.

Thanks!

Yesterday morning I had the new Falcon SP2 2.1 Mode Adjust shocks installed. I drove around for the day and then home, a distance of about 30 miles. There was a crosswind, not as extreme as the one your talking about, but strong enough that I should have felt it... I didn’t, at all! I’m still having a hard time believing this myself. I kept checking to see if flags were flapping to what degree and at what angle to the direction I was driving. They were and a fair bit in a direction abeam of the Jeep. I found this somewhat distracting and could not really pay attention to the real reason I put these on.

When I read up on the Falcon shocks I did note that it was said that they would help with the wind buffeting. That’s not why I bought them, I thought “that’s nice and if they do that’s a bonus”. I was far more concerned about going to a digressive type shock. Long story short... I needn’t have been.

Anyway, I have to put some more miles on to see to what degree these do help with wind buffeting, and I’m sure I’ll get the opportunity. But I never would have thought that a shock absorber could make the difference it did with wind buffeting, and I’m still trying to put my mind around this.

 

[blessidsoul12]

Just avoid the Grapevine and the Columbia River Gorge and you should be fine

 

[cosine]

not only the crosswind you have to worry about, but the draft wind from the tractor trailers. the only wind you dont have to worry about is the break wind.

 

[blnewt]

Michelle, at least you have a 4dr, crosswinds in a 2dr is even worse (in most cases), and not only are you holding on for dear life, your mpg goes down to almost half what you get without any wind. And an added bonus for us 2dr folks, we only have a 17 gallon tank so we have to stop for gas yelling & swearing in 70mph winds even more than you

Also, it can be terrifying if you pass a group of slower moving big rigs under heavy cross winds, and finally get in front of the group and then get re-blasted by all that re-routed air that's been blocked by that wall of rigs, it can throw your vehicle into tomorrow if you're not on your game

But it's not all bad news, 2drs are a blast 99% of the time!

 

[tcari394]

Passing tractor trailers on a windy day in a 2dr:

 

[sf5211]

I was driving into the wind last month. I thought something was wrong with the Jeep. It felt so low on power. I had to downshift my manual trans. as low as 4th gear on the highway. It reminded me of the days when I drove 18 wheelers for a living.

 

[00Sebby]

I drove a CJ-7 literally into the tail end of a small tornado once. I thought it was just a heavy thunder cell storm. Fortunately the doors were off and it didn't blow over. But the rain was blowing straight through from the passenger side to the driver side and it stung my face like when you're doing 70mph and stick your arm out the window in a rain storm. I was on the interstate and had to drop into 3rd to try to keep 55mph into the headwind. The front end started bouncing up and down like it was trying to pop a wheelie. And then the wind ripped out one the wiper arms so the wipers stopped working. I then figured out it wasn't a thunderstorm, limped off an exit and parked under an overpass. The sun came out immediately and I saw this gray mass of water and wind heading off across a nearby field. So I started the Jeep up and followed it. There were inches of water still trying to drain off of normally well drained roads, power lines down, tree branches all over the place. Kind of fun after the fact.

So all the high winds I experienced in my TJs, JK and even the JL the other day (we had 50mph gusts and about 30mph continuous) seem fine in comparison.

 

[Thinman]

More reason to get steel skids instead of aluminum. I'm lifted on 37s, but still have plastic bumpers and no skids or winch. I actually do not even really need skids but will likely get them just for the added weight down low.

 

[sf5211]

I drove a CJ-7 literally into the tail end of a small tornado once. I thought it was just a heavy thunder cell storm. Fortunately the doors were off and it didn't blow over. But the rain was blowing straight through from the passenger side to the driver side and it stung my face like when you're doing 70mph and stick your arm out the window in a rain storm. I was on the interstate and had to drop into 3rd to try to keep 55mph into the headwind. The front end started bouncing up and down like it was trying to pop a wheelie. And then the wind ripped out one the wiper arms so the wipers stopped working. I then figured out it wasn't a thunderstorm, limped off an exit and parked under an overpass. The sun came out immediately and I saw this gray mass of water and wind heading off across a nearby field. So I started the Jeep up and followed it. There were inches of water still trying to drain off of normally well drained roads, power lines down, tree branches all over the place. Kind of fun after the fact.

So all the high winds I experienced in my TJs, JK and even the JL the other day (we had 50mph gusts and about 30mph continuous) seem fine in comparison.

Wow Mark freaking scary. 1 minute earlier and you could have been a memory. Glad you lived to tell the story.

 

[Dkretden]

Now, imagine trying to drive a semi tractor/trailer......... I’m not a big fan of many of the Commercial Drivers out there as I perceive many to be operating un-safely. That said, I do pity all of these guys and gals in a cross wind. If my Jeep is a cow, their rigs are 1000x worse.

 

[Biohazard]

This thread has me smiling from ear to ear. All true.

But you do get used to it after a while.

 

[dsgrey]

Now, imagine trying to drive a semi tractor/trailer......... I’m not a big fan of many of the Commercial Drivers out there as I perceive many to be operating un-safely. That said, I do pity all of these guys and gals in a cross wind. If my Jeep is a cow, their rigs are 1000x worse.

Yep, I always drove pickups which were bad but then I began driving a low-end Chevy 22' box truck for work in my youth. Underpowered gas engine, 4-speed with split rear end and then the aerodynamics. I'll never complain about the Wrangler getting pushed around compared to those.

 

[JDM]

Yep, I always drove pickups which were bad but then I began driving a low-end Chevy 22' box truck for work in my youth. Underpowered gas engine, 4-speed with split rear end and then the aerodynamics. I'll never complain about the Wrangler getting pushed around compared to those.

I posted earlier about the first impressions of the effect that the Falcon shocks had on the wind buffeting, today I drove 180 miles round trip in strong crosswinds. This is not the first time I’ve driven this route and it can be prone to high crosswinds. According to the reports the winds were between 30 mi., and 40 mi. The entire distance the wind was directly to the side. In sections snow was being blown right across the road, and the large flags at the gas stations were straight out to the side.

I drove at 75 mph, at times 80. The tires on my JL are Grabber ATx 265/70 R18. Same diameter as the stock tires, a little wider but 17 lbs heavier, each. In prior trips I had to hang on to the wheel tightly to account for the buffeting and to stay in the lane. By the time I completed the trip I was exhausted. Not today.

Drove with one hand on the wheel no problem at all. I could feel the wind at times and had to make very slight corrective adjustments on the wheel, but no serious shoving or pushing. I know this sounds crazy and if I didn’t experience this I would think that it was an exaggeration. The other thing to note is that I did have a Synergy track bar installed to eliminate the wobble and then a drag link and tie rod, so it’s been really solid since. But the crosswind buffeting was still there up till now. It’s stilL a JL with a solid axle suspension but it handles nothing like when I took it off the lot... way better.

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