"New" normal highway speed

[dvdswan]

I'm probably totally incorrect on this... But some time not too long ago (within 3yrs) my state as well as others I'm sure made it so the police could not go after a suspect if the chase would turn into a high speed chase, for fear of hurting the innocent public.

They just need to start making the punishment more fitting I guess. This country is going soft.

 

[TDI Ranger]

My 04' ranger would only do 92 mph according to the speedometer before it hit the rev limiter. I haven't ever had my 03' ranger I currently have past 80.

The way fuel is trending I'll probably start driving my car a lot more often. It's a 81' VW Rabbit turbo diesel. I can peg the 85 mph speedometer out but it really doesn't like going more than 70 mph.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I dont care if people pass me on the freeway, gas is too expensive. But i hate the low speed limits in most of my city and the people that drive slower than the limit. Then there are those that veer right in order to turn left. I know its not left over habit from drivng with a trailer. Most of them dont look like they've had their class 5 for more than a year or 2.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

77 ltd don't like 100 for very long. I run a cadi across Wyoming and Montana alot at 100 or so ... Those old three speeds get warm in hills

The tires are the issue....


That 250 handles better then a LTD at 100 and for damn sure stops better....even 4k more weight .... Sure as hell don't ride as nice as the Ltd though

And if you do blow a tire and wreck ....better off in a Honda civic or a Volvo wagon then the an Ltd.


Cruising out there makes me miss my mark 7

I disagree on the accident part....and no i never ran it 100 very far. But it seemed pretty comfy at that speed.

 

[cbxer55]

I've had my 98 3.0 to 100 a few times. Oddly, only after fitting it with 4.10 gears .Wouldn't do it with the 3.73s. It's a lot more lively since doing that.

 

[bobbywalter]

I disagree on the accident part....and no i never ran it 100 very far. But it seemed pretty comfy at that speed.

That's fine



Physics is a mothfoxkle.....and I have shitty luck


And I know people that would absolutely be dead if they were wearing a seatbelt.


But as far as safety .. a modern bagged Honda or Volvo is way safer then a 70s anything ..

Whether I like it or agree with it or not

Gets tested daily

 

[97RangerXLT]

I don't have any pressing need to go much faster than 75-80 mph on the interstate... And @bobbywalter I feel your pain on the 55mph interstates in Illinois. And you are spot on when you say the tires are the key. I replaced my near bald Kelly Springfield 'lets see how cheap of a tire we can put on a car" that were on my Buick (they were brand new when I bought the car, so I just went with them. I put a set of Uniroyal Tiger Paws (which were also in the "lets see how cheap of a tire we can put on" category but I went a few bucks extra to get better traction and treadwear on them. the grip was way better than the Kelly's ever were, even when new

AJ

 

[bobbywalter]

I've had my 98 3.0 to 100 a few times. Oddly, only after fitting it with 4.10 gears .Wouldn't do it with the 3.73s. It's a lot more lively since doing that.

I had over 300 hp...so not stock ..still didn't think it could do it .... If it was 2wd and low . .yeah

 

[Snoranger]

I disagree on the accident part.

Older cars can definitely take a hit better and survive, with less focus on the occupants surviving... newer cars are designed to crumple and sacrifice the car so the occupants have a better chance of surviving.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I attribute it to the rona situation making it so in person contact is frowned upon (IE pulling cars over for most "minor" things), that and people are getting more and more dumb... those that stopped driving for the rona should have stayed off the road... now that they're driving again they're all apparently night blind and scared... I see and get behind more people driving 46mph in a 55mph zone that still brake for oncoming cars and put their brights on as soon as an oncoming car is past them, at dusk... then they apparently get offended when I want to pass them? When there's a passing lane they suddenly will go 65 until the passing zone is done (they're short around here...) then back down in the 40's...

I drive a gutless 4 banger Ranger, speeding and horsepower aren't a "feature" that I have... sure it's got 4.10's and when needed I drive it to it's capabilities, but it doesn't keep up with everything...

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Older cars can definitely take a hit better and survive, with less focus on the occupants surviving... newer cars are designed to crumple and sacrifice the car so the occupants have a better chance of surviving.

I think it depends on what you hit. If you hit something solid....like a tree...then yes youre better off in something that crumples.

However, if you are in something stiff, and get ran into by something crumpley, then the softer vehicle absorbs your impact as well as theirs, so the stiffer vehicle has a better chance of coming out better as well as you do.

Like a 2x4 smashing into a tin can.

An older, thicker vehicle also brushes off the more common things to, like deers, shopping carts, and the usual 5mph parking lot collisions.

@bobbywalter see above.

 

[bobbywalter]

I think it depends on what you hit. If you hit something solid....like a tree...then yes youre better off in something that crumples.

However, if you are in something stiff, and get ran into by something crumpley, then the softer vehicle absorbs your impact as well as theirs, so the stiffer vehicle has a better chance of coming out better as well as you do.

Like a 2x4 smashing into a tin can.

An older, thicker vehicle also brushes off the more common things to, like deers, shopping carts, and the usual 5mph parking lot collisions.

@bobbywalter see above.

Depends?


Well no shit. See knowing people whom are alive due to ejection above. Seat belts and air bags kill people every year as well.



I wouldn't even drive my new shop truck untill it had an hdx on it. I fawking trailered it....praying a deer wouldn't rape it on the trailer.


In a crash.....not a 5 mph bumper hit....odds are your better off in a current 5 star car.....then a 70s 5 car star car...which will not make 1 star now.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Depends?


Well no shit. See knowing people whom are alive due to ejection above. Seat belts and air bags kill people every year as well.



I wouldn't even drive my new shop truck untill it had an hdx on it. I fawking trailered it....praying a deer wouldn't rape it on the trailer.


In a crash.....not a 5 mph bumper hit....odds are your better off in a current 5 star car.....then a 70s 5 car star car...which will not make 1 star now.

What really are the odds of a crash going down like they test anyways? A perfect 30% or whatever offset at 40 or 45mph. In the real world that represents a pretty small number of accidents.

Secondly, ive always heard (maybe its not true, but lets assume it is) that a vehicle on vehicle collision at 45mph would be roughly equal to the force of a single vehicle hitting a solid object at 90mph.

So what do they use? 45mph right? Thats equal (roughly) to a vehicle on vehicle crash at 22.5mph. Thats ridiculious. Run them into that barrier at 90 to really simulate a 45mph head on.

Plus....usually after a collision the vehicle goes flying and hits god knows what else, once the crumple zones are destroyed and the airbags blown theres not much left to protect you when you go into a building, tree, or whatever else. Atleast with a real chassis (IE, frame) its going to hang on till the bitter end.

In the real world size matters.

 

[bobbywalter]

 

[Snoranger]

It’s all about the odds...
You’ve got better odds of survival in a newer car with a solid passenger compartment with airbags while wearing a seatbelt. You can claim the big old cars are stiffer, stronger, and safer... but they arent any of those 3 things. New cars are literally designed to protect the occupants... that’s half of why they all have high beltlines, smaller windows, and look the same.

Secondly, ive always heard (maybe its not true, but lets assume it is) that a vehicle on vehicle collision at 45mph would be roughly equal to the force of a single vehicle hitting a solid object at 90mph.

That’s not true. A vehicle will only arrest it own momentum until it is pushed away.