Conversion vans are usually based on half-ton vans, which are usually lower than 3/4 and 1 ton versions. Also, the suspension on 1/2 ton models is often the same as or close to 1/2 ton trucks by the same brand, which often have some aftermarket lowering parts.
I put on 235/65/16 so it’s an inch lower but that’s useful to know that it’s an aftermarket lowering kit
To answer the original question, yes, they do roll over far more often than normal cars. How to make it safer? Just drive smart.
MazdaFace said:Dajiban style is obviously the answer
That would be a sick Church van. I can already see it now, rolling drift around the block into a j turn at the front door. Side doors open and nuns roll out.
Klayfish said:To answer the original question, yes, they do roll over far more often than normal cars. How to make it safer? Just drive smart.
Hammer to the ground touring car style!
z31maniac said:Klayfish said:To answer the original question, yes, they do roll over far more often than normal cars. How to make it safer? Just drive smart.
Hammer to the ground touring car style!
I'm thinking of starting a fullsize van drifting league. Dajiban Drift!! Somehow, I bet it exists already....
In reply to Klayfish :
In for dajiban drifting...
As a teenager I nearly rolled my dads aerostar xt dozens of times. I put that sketch pos on 2 wheels a few times a week minimum. It was the single most unsafe car I have ever driven, and I have owned vw minibusses, bugs, corvairs and motorcycles, and once drove a yugo in anger.
As far as roll danger, its low on a fullsize. I never got close to 2 wheel action with our old chevy van. If you want safety, good brakes, good tires, and lower it if you don't need the extra clearance with a kit, tires, or both. Which is what everyone else basically said.
I asked a similar question last week here about SUV handling, and the perils of high center of gravity. While I specifically stared I needed my ground clearance, the chorus rang out loud and clear to lower it anyway.
What I am curious about still, is the best amount of swaybar for a tall car. Too little and the articulation just helps it over until it hits bumpstops, too much and the car tips instead of the springs/bar compressing...
I bet that most van rollovers are from blown tires , add to that the extra weight on the tail because it's easier to open the back door , dump you stuff and not position it 2 foot forward over the axle .
We (the gubmint) were made aware of the rollover risk to 15 paassenger vans (of which we have several). The official "fix" was to remove the last seat and call them 12 passenger vans.
Do the math on what 15 meat sacks weighs. Then put that weight WAAY too high in the vehicle. Then throw in under maintained church vans with shot shocks and underinflated tires. Multiply that by the driving skill of the church lady on the road for 10 straight hours. So eliminate all of that and you have a perfectly fine chassis that got a bad rap. (similar to first gen Explorers)
Tom Suddard said:Here's how I made mine drive well:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/project-cars/2006-ford-e-250/project-van-suspension-surgery/
Tom isn’t exaggerating either, 10-over on cloverleafs isn’t any problem with this setup & I’ve come close to finding the limit yet.
I've been driving full sized vans for over 20 years. GM and Dodge. Never even been close to rolling one over. You'll be fine.
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:We (the gubmint) were made aware of the rollover risk to 15 paassenger vans (of which we have several). The official "fix" was to remove the last seat and call them 12 passenger vans.
Do the math on what 15 meat sacks weighs. Then put that weight WAAY too high in the vehicle. Then throw in under maintained church vans with shot shocks and underinflated tires. Multiply that by the driving skill of the church lady on the road for 10 straight hours. So eliminate all of that and you have a perfectly fine chassis that got a bad rap. (similar to first gen Explorers)
I remember when the hammer came down on 15-passenger vans for organizations... it was about 2002-2003 after a nasty van crash in Kentucky that killed a lot of college athletes. We were shopping for vans for the university to use for student activities and events. Everyone from the school to insurance companies emphasized no 15-passenger vans. The school was still using 15-passenger vans they had bought previously though.
Our local ARC has lots of vans .
Never heard of any rolling.
Aren't most rollovers tripped ?
Research has shown that trucks and suv,s are more prone to rollover due to their high CG.
In a long list of rollover prone vehicles, not one van.
15-passenger vans
15 passenger vans in general are kind of a scary idea in the first place. I'm sure most of us have felt how much a person or people moving inside a vehicle can upset the handling of it. 15 x ~150 lbs is well over 1 ton of what's basically a slide hammer once they all start moving around at once.
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