Rollover

Excerpts from “So You Just Rolled Over”, JP Magazine, July 2006

BEFORE YOU ROLL
In sounds a little ominous to plan on rolling, but if you have a game plan in place, you and your passengers
will stand a much better chance of escaping a tumble without injury.

First, make sure everything in your Jeep, including you and your passengers, will be secured. This goes
beyond everybody having a seatbelt and actually using it, but you’d be surprised at how many rollovers we’
ve heard of or witnessed where occupants were ejected because they thought it wasn’t macho to wear a
belt. Make sure the belts are in good shape and can be adjusted securely. Kids should have adequate
belt coverage or a properly secured car seat. Have your passengers look around for a good hand-hold like
on the bottom of the seats or a secure grab handle. You don’t want them instinctively grabbing for the
rollcage or roof and losing fingers and limbs. Finally, ensure that there are no loose objects that can come
dislodged and fly about like missiles. A flashlight can cause real damage, and a jack or spare axleshaft
could kill somebody.

Second, make sure you’ve got a fire extinguisher within easy reach of both the driver and the front-seat
passenger. A good place is usually in the middle of the floor near the shifter. In the event one of the front-
seat passengers is knocked unconscious and a fire erupts, you want both occupants to have easy access
to the extinguisher.

Third, make sure your factory rollover check valve in the fuel tank is functional. Jeeps running a fuel cell
should either install a check valve in the breather tube or make sure the one that came with the tank is
functional. You don’t want a steady stream of fuel dumping out of the tank if the Jeep comes to a rest
upside down.

Finally, make sure your positive battery terminal is covered and protected from smashed metal. You don’t
want the battery to arc on crumpled sheet metal, potentially, starting a fire.

DURING THE ROLLOVER
There’s the moment when you just know you’re going to go for a ride! In that split second between thinking
it’s not going to happen and coming to terms with the fact that things are about to get hairy, try to keep your
calm.

If you’re the driver, you’re going to want to grip the steering wheel at the 5 o’clock and 7 o’clock positions
with both hands and make sure to keep your thumbs out of the wheel so they don’t get broken off when the
tires grab and the wheel jerks. If you’re the passenger, think back to where your safe hand-hold was and
grab on tight. Whether it’s an oh-S#!T bar on the dash or simply grabbing the bottom of the seat frame
between your legs, make a conscious effort to keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle and away from
the roll-bar and roof where your fingers and limbs could get smashed between the cage and the ground.

If there’s broken and flying glass, just shut your eyes and try to go with the Jeep. It’s better to get an extra
bump or two because you couldn’t anticipate the Jeep’s movements than to have a share of glass ruin your
eyesight.

AS SOON AS YOU STOP
As soon as the Jeep comes to a rest, the driver should make sure the ignition switch is turned off. Then
the driver should make sure everyone is OK as he/she quickly assesses the situation. How is the Jeep
oriented? Are there any imminent dangers like falling off a cliff, open wounds, or unconscious
passengers? If not, the driver should make sure both the Jeep’s transmission and T-case are in gear and
the emergency brake is set.

Grab the fire extinguisher before exiting. If you’re upside down, make sure to brace yourself before
unfastening the seatbelt so you don’t go tumbling. If there are injuries, grab the first-aid kit if it’s readily
accessible, but don’t worry too much at this point if it’s not. Chances are, somebody outside will have one
they can grab or will get it from the rolled vehicle once everybody is outside and accounted for.

GETTING OUT
If the Jeep is on its side, the passenger closest to the top should get out first, being careful not to step or
fall on those below. If the doors won’t open and the Jeep has a soft top, go ahead and unzip the side
window and crawl out while being aware of any vehicle movement. Try not to kick or punch out a window
for exit unless it’s absolutely necessary. The chances of being severely cut by broken glass are very high.

If the Jeep feels like it wants to tip over as you’re exiting, wait for your trail companions to secure the vehicle
with straps. If anybody has a nick or back injury and the situation is secure, don’t move them. It’s better to
wait for professional emergency services to arrive and remove the injured person from the vehicle on a
back board than to risk spinal injury.

GETTING RIGHTED
Don’t be in too much of a rush to push the vehicle over and get going. Before winching, pulling, or pushing
the vehicle onto its wheels, double check that the transmission and T-case are in gear and that the
driveshafts and axleshafts aren’t broken. You don’t want the Jeep to go rolling farther down the hill once it’
s righted. Find a rock or log to chock the tires before and after it is righted.

Take a minute and visualize how strap placement will affect how the vehicle will move. Usually, you’re
going to want to place the strap on the opposite side that you want the Jeep to turn or roll. Move any debris
or personal belonging that may have fallen out and make sure bystanders are clear and the winch and
straps are secure before tugging.

ASSESSING THE DAMAGE
Once you’ve pushed, pulled, heaved, or winched the Jeep onto the tires, go around the vehicle and look for
all signs of damage. Before blasting away with the key to start the engine, pop the hood and make sure
the battery hasn’t come off its mount. Pull the dipstick and make sure there’s still enough oil in the
crankcase. Top off the power steering and brake fluids if necessary. Ensure there’s no damage to the
cooling system. If the radiator is leaking, you’ll need to solder, add eggs, or radiator stop leak to get
yourself going.

Bump the key quickly a few times, listening to see if the engine spins freely. If it sounds like there’s
resistance, don’t turn the key anymore or you could hydro-lock the engine, damaging a piston, rod, crank, or
all of the above. Remove all the spark plugs, then spin the engine to eject any oil from the cylinders. Once
you’ve sure there’s nothing in the cylinders, you can reinstall the plugs and start the engine. Be prepared
because the engine will smoke for some time as excess oil on the cylinder walls is burned off.

Don’t drive the Jeep yet. Give the undercarriage a good inspection, with particular attention paid to the
steering system. Make sure the drag link, tie rod, ball joints, sector shaft, and steering-box mounts are all
sound. Then give the driveshafts a once over, checking the U-joints and U-bolts/straps for damage. Try to
determine if the axle housings have bent. Inflate any tires that may have become unseated, or install a
spare if the tire can’t be reinflated.

Finally, pick up all the glass, oil and other debris and load it up. You put it there. You take it with you.

GETTING IT HOME
Depending on how badly you rolled, your Jeep may be drivable or it may not be. It’s up to you and the local
law enforcement to make the final decision. However, if you do decide to hit the high way, here are some
tips we’ve picked up from watching others.

First, let the Jeep run off-road until the engine smoking is down to tolerable levels. You don’t want to hit the
road looking like a James Bond smoke screen. Not only will you attract every cop within miles, but you’ll
probably cause accidents.

Sweep up any and all glass in the Jeep. Once you’ve rolled, tiny fragments will become airborne and
Murphy’s Law dictates most will come to rest squarely in your eyeballs. Ware motorcycle goggles if you
have them. If you windshield has been damaged or knocked out completely, stop by a hardware store and
buy a sheet of Lexan or even plastic as a makeshift windscreen. Secure it with lots of duct tape and/or drill
some holes and fasten it on with rope, zip ties, or straps.

Drive slowly. Like menace-to-traffic slowly. You don’t know for sure if there are hairline cracks waiting to
break in you steering or suspension, so err on the side of caution. Try to notice any wobbles, pulls, or
jerking that weren’t there before. If they get worse as you drive, pull over and investigate. You may need to
call a tow truck.

Make sure any body damage isn’t going to cause an accident. That means your mirror isn’t going to fall of
on the road, your door isn’t going to swing open into oncoming traffic, and your body tub isn’t tweaked to the
point that your driver seat is gently resting on the passenger seat.

If your axles are way bent, your steering is pretzeled, or your engine, transmission, or driveline is toast, it’s
best to get yourself as close to the trailhead as possible and call in the tow truck cavalry.