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alien
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Pridružen/-a: 17.02. 2011, 20:08
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 Objavljeno: 18 Feb 2011 15:12 Naslov sporočila: WHY SUZUKI SAMURAI’S ROLLOVER |
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WHY SUZUKI SAMURAI’S ROLLOVER
There is no denying it is cute, affordable and fun. The popularity of the Samurai and other sport utility vehicles has literally skyrocketed since the mid-1980’s and every year brings several new competitors into what is easily the fastest growing market segment in the automotive industry today.
In the past however, the Samurai has come under fire for its alleged propensity to rollover. But, the Samurai remains on the market even today essentially unchanged and the long standing question remains. Why does the Suzuki Samurai rollover?
Dynamics of a Vehicle Rollover
If you consider a vehicle as a solid block at rest, a tall, narrow block will more easily tip over than a low, wide block. In a vehicle, the relative stability is given by the static stability factor which is equal to one half the width between the wheels (tread width) divided by the height of the centre of gravity of the vehicle. It has been shown that a vehicle with a higher static stability factor tends to have less rollover propensity than does a vehicle with a lower static stability factor.
However, rollovers seldom occur when a vehicle is at rest. Therefore, the following factors must also be taken into account:
• Wheelbase
• Moments of Inertia
• Tires (size, lateral traction, wear, air pressure, etc.)
• Suspension geometry
• Roll compliance as well as load
• Load distribution
• Vehicle maintenance
• Vehicle modifications
Although these factors are known to influence the rollover propensity of a vehicle, no test procedure has been developed which will consistently and accurately evaluate one vehicle’s rollover propensity relative to another in real world conditions. This lack of test procedure is a direct result of the complex interaction of environment, vehicle dynamics and driver actions which together cause a rollover.
Samurai Rollover Tests
In terms of physical specifications, the Samurai combines several factors which tend to increase rollover propensity. The Samurai is short (80" front to rear wheel), light in weight (2,095 lbs.) and is fitted with highway tires and a stiff suspension. Conversely, the Samurai had the second highest (bet) static stability factor of all sport utility vehicles on the market in 1988. The Samurai’s static stability factor of between 1.08 and 1.13 was only surpassed by the Jeep Wrangler.
With respect to these vehicle specifications, Consumer Reports wrote in July, 1988 "the design itself (of the Suzuki Samurai) is hazardous, combining high centre of gravity, narrow tread width, a short wheelbase and light weight". The Samurai was deemed "unacceptable", based on testing done by the Consumer Union (Publisher of Consumer Reports), while the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Cherokee and Isuzu Trooper II were found to be acceptable. Subsequent to the Consumer Reports’ article however, questions were raised as to the validity of this testing. In the Consumer Union’s testing, vehicle rollover occurred only at the hands of inexperienced drivers or when outriggers were mounted to the Samurai. The Consumer Union mounted outriggers for rollover prevention but, outriggers have been challenged by a number of automotive experts because they alter a vehicle’s performance. Specifically, outriggers tend to increase the "sprung moment of inertia in the roll mode and in the yaw mode" and hence, rollover propensity. Further questions were raised as to the lack of the Consumer Union’s data other than the Vehicle’s speed at the beginning of the accident avoidance maneuver and if equipment such as automatic vs. manual transmissions affected the results.
Rollover Statistics
Investigation of 113 Suzuki Samurai rollovers using NHTSA’S (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) FAFRS (Fatal Accident Reporting System) data base provide information about drivers and conditions involved in Samurai rollovers including:
• All fatal "first event" rollovers involved ejection (first event meaning prior to rollover, the vehicle was not hit by and did not hit any other vehicle or object).
• Alcohol was involved in 50% of the rollovers.
• When driver’s age was known, 73% were 25 years old or younger, the oldest driver being 43.
• Limited visibility due to darkness occurred in at least 58% of the rollovers.
• Wet, icy or excessively windy road conditions occurred in 29% of all rollovers.
Similar statistics for failure to use seatbelts, presence of alcohol, driver’s age and adverse road conditions shown in the Samurai rollover data could be representative of accidents involving any number of motor vehicles. Further investigation of the FARS data also reveals that the Ford Bronco II in fact has roughly four times more rollover fatalities per 10,000 vehicles on the road than does the Suzuki Samurai.
Summary
Fatalities (per 10,000 Vehicles) that occur in sport utility vehicles are roughly double those occurring in small passenger cars or small pickup trucks according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. There is little argument over the validity of these statistics. There is also little doubt that sport utility vehicles have lower (worse) static stability factors than do cars. It is also true the Samurai possesses traits such as high centre of gravity, stiff suspension and light weight which tend to increase rollover propensity. There is also significant evidence to suggest that driver error is a primary cause of rollover in a large number of fatal accidents.
By definition, the Samurai and all sport utility vehicles represent compromises. Significant efforts have been made in recent years to lower the centre of gravity, widen the tread width, and provide more "car like" handling characteristics for such vehicles. It still remains however, that you can’t have both a formula one racer and a mud slinging monster truck in a single vehicle. Failure to acknowledge such fundamental handling compromises and modify driving habits accordingly is likely to result in more fatalities as sport utility vehicles are more aggressively marketed for daily transportation. |
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alien
Administrator foruma
Pridružen/-a: 17.02. 2011, 20:08
Prispevkov: 10534
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alien
Administrator foruma
Pridružen/-a: 17.02. 2011, 20:08
Prispevkov: 10534
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| Objavljeno: 18 Feb 2011 15:18 Naslov sporočila: |
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This was taken from a Lawyers site, but most of the data is historically correct...
Looks at the stats on who rolled the vehicles, gee it is kind of hard to say that the Samurai is so dangerous when most of the drivers were under 25 and half had alcohol in their system...
Suzuki Samurai Rollover History
The Suzuki Samurai was first marketed in the U.S. in 1986 and was sold as a four-wheel drive light utility/sport vehicle in either a convertible or a hardtop body style. The Samurai was marketed exclusively in the continental U.S. by Suzuki of America Automotive Corporation and in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Island by Suzuki Motor Company, Ltd. The SJ410 was sold by Suzuki Motor Company in its marketing territory from April 1981 to the present as a four-wheel drive in a convertible, hardtop or truck configuration. The LJ80 four wheel drive vehicle was similarly marketed by Suzuki Motor Company, Ltd., from style. Neither the SJ410 nor the LJ80 were equipped with stabilizer bars or roll-bar assemblies. Even twenty years later, Suzuki vehicles appear to be some of the smallest light utility/sport vehicles ever marketed in the U.S. The LJ80 and SJ410 are more closely related to each other than to the Samurai. Although neither SJ410 are more closely related to each other than to the Samurai. Although neither SJ410 nor the LJJ80 were originally sold in the continental U.S., it appears that some of the vehicles may be have been brought into the continental U.S. from the islands or Canada.
Suzuki Samurai Rollover Concerns
When Suzuki unveiled the Samurai, safety experts were shocked that Suzuki would have introduced a vehicle with the same rollover tendencies as the AMC Jeep CV-5 and CJ-7. American Suzuki Motor Corporation however, defends the attacks, charging that the testing procedures used by Consumer Reports and others were biased and completely inaccurate and in fact called such statements concerning the Samurai's high propensity to rollover as defamatory and Suzuki claimed that the rollover tests used were altered to cause the Samurai to rollover. Consumer Reports responded that there were no alterations in the test, as it is the same test as used to test Samurai's competitors.
Suzuki Samurai Rollover Propensity - Recall Proposed
The Samurai was marketed and sold as a vehicle not for off road use, but instead for highway use. In fact the advertisement on the car buying public was showed the Samurai as a great vehicle for highway trips and commuting to work. The problem however was the vehicle has a high center of gravity and unstable driving characteristics making it not fit or suitable for day to day commuting. The high ground clearance, short wheelbase, narrow track and stiff suspension makes the Samurai somewhat tricky to handle and can behave abnormally in normal accident avoidance maneuvers.
Soon after the first Samurai's started to rollover and cause injuries and deaths, consumer groups demanded the recall of the Suzuki Samurai. The recall debate started after the vehicle was given the "not acceptable" ruling by Consumer Reports. A recall unfortunately can not make and fix the problem is inherent in its design, "The only way to fix it is to make the vehicle longer, wider and heavier." The Center for Auto Safety petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to recall the Suzuki Samurai because of safety problems. However, NHTSA on September 1, 1988, denied the request by the Center for Auto Safety to recall the Suzuki Samurai. The Agency agreed to establish a rollover standard for cars and light trucks. Suzuki's continued to sell and market the 1989 model year, with sales as low as 2,000 per month compared to 10,000-12,000 per month a year earlier.
Suzuki Samurai - Office of Defects Investigations
In August 1988, the Office of Defects Investigation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported a review-of the 113 report Suzuki vehicle rollovers indicated the following:
1) All fatal first event Samurai rollovers involved ejection
2) The average time to failure/time of ownership was less than 8 months, ranging from 2 to 15 months
3) The driver was cited by police in approximately 50 percent of police reported rollovers
4) Alcohol was involved in 50 percent of rollovers described in police reports
5) Where the age of the driver was known, 73 percent of the reported drivers were 25 years old or younger, The oldest driver involved in a single vehicle rollover was 43 years old
6) Limited visibility due to darkness occurred in at least 58 percent of the rollovers
7) There is no seasonal influence (winter, spring, summer, or fall)
8) The average reported travel speed was 37 mph, ranging from 10 to 65 mph.
9) The average reported mileage was 13,090 miles, ranging from 1,618 to 34,000 miles
10) Female drivers accounted for 44 percent of the reported rollovers
11) Weekend rollovers accounted for 44 percent of the reports
12) California accounted for more than twice the number of rollovers as any other state (20 percent versus Florida's 9 percent)
13) A wet or icy roadway or excessively windy road conditions occurred in approximately 29 percent of the rollover
It was also determined that when a rollover occurred, the rollover was reportedly preceded by:
1. Loss of control (i.e., spun) - 25 percent
2. Left roadway, straight road - 18 percent
3. Left roadway, cornering/turning - 20 percent
4. Obstacle avoidance maneuver - 15 percent
5. Ramped (struck obstacle) - 8 percent |
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alien
Administrator foruma
Pridružen/-a: 17.02. 2011, 20:08
Prispevkov: 10534
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| Objavljeno: 02 Mar 2011 09:09 Naslov sporočila: |
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http://www.carlustblog.com/2008/08/car-lust--suzuk.html
Suzuki Samurai
by David Colborne on August 01, 2008
Yardofsamurais A riddle--what vehicle was dirt cheap, mechanically simple, had a 60-horsepower 4-cylinder engine, and is world-renown for its off-road performance?
The answer: The original World War II-era Jeep ... and the Suzuki Samurai.
The Suzuki Samurai was, at least on paper, the perfect off-road vehicle for its time in the 1980s. The closest thing to competition it had was the Jeep Wrangler, which was significantly more expensive and significantly less fuel -efficient. Its low price point and comparatively frugal fuel consumption led to initially high sales, with more than 47,000 sold in its first year. The Samurai seemed destined to do to the American SUV market what the Toyota Hi-Lux did to the American pickup market.
Sadly, unlike the original Jeep, the Samurai was built during the beginnings of the 24-hour news cycle and hyperlitigation that we've come to enjoy today. Consequently, in 1988, when Consumers Union, the company behind Consumer Reports magazine, declared that the Samurai "rolls over too easily" and rated it "not acceptable," the Samurai's fate was sealed in the same sorry, hype-filled dustbin occupied by the likes of the Audi 5000CS. Sales dropped like a stone, Suzuki sued for damages, and the rest is history.
When addressing the Suzuki Samurai, it is key to remember what it was and, equally importantly, what it was not. The Suzuki Samurai was, first and foremost, a pure SUV. It was designed to do one thing--go off-road--and it did that very well. Dimensionally, it was nearly identical to a World War II military issue Jeep; the Samurai was only four inches longer, an inch and a half narrower, and had a virtually identical wheelbase. Consequently, it possessed many of the same advantages that the original Jeep possessed off-road--it was light enough to not sink in the mud, and it was short enough to not get easily high-centered.
Equally importantly, just like the original Jeep, it was cheap enough and easy enough to fix that you could bounce around and break it with a good conscience. This earned the Samurai a well-deserved reputation as an exceptional off-road warrior. To illustrate that point, the world record for highest altitude achieved by a four-wheeled vehicle was once set by a Jeep--it was then subsequently broken by a Samurai.
That said, while the Samurai shared many of the strengths of the original Jeep, it also shared many of its weaknesses. Thanks to its rock-hard suspension, the Samurai was an extremely rough ride on pavement. The 1.3-liter engine, though fuel-efficient compared to its competition, was also extremely anemic; getting a Samurai up to 65 mph took almost Monza Wagon-like patience and guts. In exchange for proper ground clearance, the Samurai was exceptionally top heavy, which gave it that world-infamous handling in tight, sudden turns.
Ultimately, the Samurai became the Don Quixote of SUVs, serving as the last true, inexpensive, purpose-built SUV in a time when monsters had already been vanquished and a new age of reason was dawning. Even as an anachronism, though, it was an especially useful one, climbing windmills and rescuing fair mud-bogging maidens like none other. Its like shall be forever missed.
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Suzuki Samurai is truly one of the most remarkable little vehicles around. It is not the most comfortable vehicle to drive, nor is it the fastest, or even the best looking, but it remains a true classic.
It's a cheap thing you wouldn't understand. |
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alien
Administrator foruma
Pridružen/-a: 17.02. 2011, 20:08
Prispevkov: 10534
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| Objavljeno: 09 Maj 2013 12:08 Naslov sporočila: |
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Jeep Grand Cherokee moose test -- the full story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaYFLb8WMGM
_________________
Suzuki Samurai is truly one of the most remarkable little vehicles around. It is not the most comfortable vehicle to drive, nor is it the fastest, or even the best looking, but it remains a true classic.
It's a cheap thing you wouldn't understand. |
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