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Chevy Avalanche Slammed In Government Testing

Chief

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Well, they really don't do any testing - they just run the math based on dimensions and weight. The Chevy Avalanche (and the Ford F-150 Super Crew AND the two-door Ford Explorer Sport) got a paltry two-star rating for roll over. That means when making an emergency manuever you have a 30% to 40% chance of rolling over.

It's not all bad news - even those within the government agree that the formulatic method is baseless and the best way to determine this risk is actual vehicle testing - not by doing probability math.

Here is the depressing story...

click here
 
What Sh&t! They don't even test it, they just look at some figures and guess. Perhaps they don't want to actually test it because if the tests came out positive they could be accused of promoting the nasty polluting vehicles the tree huggers love to hate.....
 
Sounds like (more) useless gov't crap to me :9: They probably calculated based on some ridiculous hypothetical situation that has an almost 0% chance of happening; perhaps they figured a 400# driver with 1000# of gear strapped to the roof going 90 mph on dry pavement with a 40 knot side wind and then stomping on e-brake in a hard left turn :rolleyes: The point is, who knows what they assumed?

I can see someone using statistical, historical crash information to make a statement that vehicle X has a Y percent chance of rolling over in a Z-type crash, but using some set of formulas? I'm no scientist, but seems like way to many variables to me. The guy over at Foxnews.com may very well have some info for his weekly Junk Science editorial.

But then again what do I know.
 
Yea Right Chief... Bet these guys are just jealous because they can't afford an Av... so just slam it... :D:

Really though, who in their right minds think that the government is going to buy one of every vehicle and see if they can roll them over? ???

Guess they have to have something to do with our tax dollars :eek: :eek: :eek:

 
We'll Yeah, with narrow axles and small wheels/tires of course it's going to roll over.

What they don't tell you is that your odds of surving any crash in the AV are better then any other car. They should include some numbers that tell what the survival rate of victims are that were invovled in roll overs with cars vs SUV's. Yes a camaro has a very low roll over number but if you do roll over in a camaro you are more then three times as likely to die in the camaro then you would in the AV.

I don't know about you guys but I would much rather be in an accident with a big SUV rather then in a smaller car. "Good thing my truck weighs 6500 pounds, when you ran that red light in your 3400 pound Civic you almost could have killed me!"
 
In the 4X4 off road forum we have been discussing this exact issue... granted we're talking getting sideways on a hill and ending up on your roof rather than flipping on the highway, but the same principles apply.

Rollover Angle

Without dynamic testing it's virtually impossible to take into account things like spring rate, cargo placement, occupants, tire flex, traction and temp of the surface, etc. Using simple geometry based on the height of the vehicle is ridiculously inaccurate... a formula like that assumes the truck is a solid block of uniform matter with a center of gravity directly in the middle.

:8:Just another chance for the media to slam something... they seem particularly fond of doing that.
 
Well folks, if it means anything, the head of the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) drives a Ford Explorer. His last name is Martinez. I don't know his first. The IIHS is the organization that is usually interviewed on "news" magazine shows like Dateline NBC, ect when the subject is vehicle safety. They do crash tests.
I would like to see the government study the number of vehicle accidents/deaths per 1k in states with/without vehicle safety inspection programs to find out if there is any correlation.
Durwin
 
The good news is even our Congress realizes the numbers are crap and has ordered better testing.

My AV will roll over quicker than an RX7. No surprise here - I guess the 2 rating doesn't get me very excited.

Chief, you seem to have a great source of information on the AV :)
 
Durwin said:
Well folks, if it means anything, the head of the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) drives a Ford Explorer...
Durwin

Wonder if he still has Firestones on his truck? ?;D

P.S. what crexis said! (sounded much more educated than my post ?(y) )

(no offense intended for 2500 owners, those with a spare tire currently on, or anyone else w/Firestones ;) )
 
Blueruck said:
The good news is even our Congress realizes the numbers are crap and has ordered better testing.

My AV will roll over quicker than an RX7. ?No surprise here - I guess the 2 rating doesn't get me very excited.

Chief, you seem to have a great source of information on the AV :)

Actually, you have the same access as anyone else on this site...

click here

You guys need to spend some more time in places outside of the forums! ;)
 
Another movie quote but it applies.

"The bilious bastards who write that stuff for the Saturday Evening Post don't know anything more about real fighting than they do about fornicating".

Nuff said.
 
Whenever I read about how rollover prone a vehicle is, I flash back to an editorial by Patrick Bedard (Car & Driver; a couple of years ago). Responding to reports of the alleged tippiness of your average SUV, he pointed out that real world considerations are what count, and what the real world (in the form of insurance company statistics) showed is two-door sport coupes, theoretically among the most stable vehicles, ?are involved in rollover accidents more often than four-door cars, SUV's, trucks, or any other vehicle type, regardless of it's rollover rating.

So the Avalanche has four doors and is a truck and an SUV. Sounds pretty safe to me. ? ;)
 
Meaningless BS...
MEANINGLESS BS!!!!!
Of course a 7 feet tall vehicle EVENTUALLY tips over!!

-?...Congress has ordered NHTSA to come up with a dynamic rollover test.?-

And let us pray it contradicts the MATH ?BS ?testing...
Ill be applauding like a hungry seal when GM & FORD ?sue them silly!!!!

F.... ?them ? , ill take my chances in my Avalanche any day of the week and twice on Sundays !!!


? ? ?The Dr. will see you know!..Oops gone... ?
 
Hmmmm....I've been driving my Av for four months and never once have I noticed a tendency to lean axcessively or roll over. Then again, I'm not driving it like I would if I were carving turns at Watkins Glen International Raceway.

I made it three days on my Firestone spare with no blowout! Now I'm back to four real tires and real happy about it......
 
Are these the same math engineers that did the landing formula for that Mars explorer that was lost in some canyon on the red planet? :p
 
I noticed the report named a couple of SUVs, but no Suburban. How can this be? Just because a report can be generated doesn't mean it should. No telling how much time and money was spent to produce a report that has no benefit or value whatsoever. I want a refund.
 
scubajeff said:
Are these the same math engineers that did the landing formula for that Mars explorer that was lost in some canyon on the red planet? :p

Not to mention the one that was lost, because someone didn't convert English to Metric, or vice versa....
 
Quote:

:eek: Damn Lies... ?Damn Statistics ?:eek:

Unquote:

Now about this 2 door coupe roll over stuff... ?My '99 Trans Am DRIFTS when I go around a corner ?;D... ?Actually I think the "technical" term is called "4-wheel drift." ?>:D WHHHHHHHEEEEEEEE! ?>:D
 
hyper said:
Mine didn't roll over.

In my opinion it is the safest vehicle on the road.

None more need said

I think we all owe Hyper a round of applause, or a round of drinks, for doing the testing for us. Real life beats math any day.
 
Flash: New item in stock at CAFCNA store!

"Question Authority" Bumper Sticker.

Y'all gotta get one!!!!

>:D
 
"There are three kinds of lies; lies, damn lies and statistics". Attributed to both Mark Twain and Benjamin Disraeli.

Words to remember!
 
:8: Pure crap!! Ask anyone who has flown the plastic goose...........

Burb has to be more top heavy, wear is the math? Try blasting an icon, US Guv.

Lets all have a tucker moment of silence.................

Wow just got e-mail I'm being audited..............
 
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