Rollover angle

Ive ridden bikes and motorcycles on some very steep slopes. Ive skied slopes approaching 60degrees. Im sure a trick driver on a course or designed obstacle can make a vehicle stick in situations such as your photo. A stock or modified 4runner is not traversing a 50 degree slope or anything even approaching that in ordinary circumstances.

That's not what you said lol.
 
Thanks all for the responses. Some very useful information in there.

Were I to traverse a 45 degree side slope, I might not be able to detach my self from the seat afterwards.
 
I did some "inclining" tests on my '04 LR Discovery years ago. Jacking up the frame on one side with a heavy duty scale under the jack. Once the frame scale reads below about 200 pounds I measured the angle.

It turned out to be about 40 degrees. That was the truck sitting on level concrete and not moving. Add in a loose surface and movement the truck would be unstable at much less than 40 degrees.

I used to carry and inclinometer on the dash and limit my off-camber driving to about 25 to 30m degrees. Believe me: anything more than 25 degrees gets quite pucker.

On the 4Runner I generally keep it much more sane.

The Discovery actually has a lower center of gravity than the 4Runner -> a much heavier frame, solid axles both ends, lots of steel down low where the 4Runner is plastic, lots of aluminum up top where the 4Runner is steel.

First rule of thumb - If it feels like you are going to roll over - don't go any further - You still have some safety factor - YOUR BUTT GAGE is accurate.
 
Keeping your COG low is important, keep less stuff off your roof and make sure your load is secured. I've seen vehicles tip at 25 degrees because everything not tied down suddenly went from one side to the other.

So much factors into it. I've gone as far as 45-50 degrees in mine, using my iphone as an inclinometer, and I know I puckered, and I've also some people go even further but in lighter rigs. Not all terrain is the same, not all vehicles are the same. I don't think there's any rule that says "If you are a 4runner you will be totally fine at X angle"

Do you have your phone mounted to your dash anywhere? Trying to look for one on amazon without reviews stating that the magnet will mess with the phone one way one way or another.

Here's a pic of my cousin. We had a buddy with us that went about 6 inches further on the passenger side to avoid the wall and his passenger rear wheel was in the air. His 4runner wanted to kiss the wall so a few of us had to get on his passenger side sliders to keep it down. He did have long travel rears so that might have been the reason.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20160227_170201.jpg
    IMG_20160227_170201.jpg
    134.7 KB · Views: 1,432
Last edited:
Do you have your phone mounted to your dash anywhere? Trying to look for one on amazon without reviews stating that the magnet will mess with the phone one way one way or another.

I have it in the RAM mount that uses my front cup holder as the base.
 
Do you have your phone mounted to your dash anywhere? Trying to look for one on amazon without reviews stating that the magnet will mess with the phone one way one way or another.

Here's a pic of my cousin. We had a buddy with us that went about 6 inches further on the passenger side to avoid the wall and his passenger rear wheel was in the air. His 4runner wanted to kiss the wall so a few of us had to get on his passenger side sliders to keep it down. He did have long travel rears so that might have been the reason.

Measuring your picture; that truck is leaning 23.5 degrees.
 
I have been wondering about this subject, and this thread inspires me to ask: what is the max angle, front-to-back and side-to-side, that a 4runner can safely traverse?

Anybody here flipped or rolled a vehicle off-road?


Sounds like something a helicopter pilot would be worried about

In helicopters it's called dynamic roll over and you need three things for it to occur. A roiling motion (moving to quickly across a slope and hitting a bump), a pivot point (you are a truck you have 4 pivot points), and exceeding the critical angle (basically when your CG reaches a point where it's unrecoverable and the roll continues). Unlike a helicopter I don't see you recovering from exceeding the 4Runners "critical angle" where ever it may be.
 
Last edited:
Wow and at 23.5, it felt pretty intense. I can't imagine 40+
It may be only 23.5° side angle, but the pic looks like you are also at a considerable downhill angle. Sidehill and downhill at the same time would multiply the pucker factor. :pray:
 
This is 50* Not gonna happen in a 4runner in any orientation.

LL
 
This is 50* Not gonna happen in a 4runner in any orientation.

LL

Looks like a ski run I took last weekend, I mean it FELT like that, it was only single black so it was likely half that. Haha.

I like these threads, it reminds me that I'll never flip my truck cuz I'm such a chicken I won't get to half the angles folks are talking about.
 
There's an app for your phone now. Smittybuilt Clinometer.
I can't remember what the danger points were, maybe 30 degrees on the FJ.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    137.5 KB · Views: 1,274
Last edited:
So who wants to do the obvious. .. find some level ground and jack the 4Runner up on one side til it is close to tipping. If it is a stock unit then that would be a good starting point.
 
So who wants to do the obvious. .. find some level ground and jack the 4Runner up on one side til it is close to tipping. If it is a stock unit then that would be a good starting point.

I suppose if you wanted to be safe about it, using a vehicle with sliders or something structural, using a crane and safety lines just in case it tips, to avoid damage. It'd be an interested set of experiments for sure.
 
I suppose if you wanted to be safe about it, using a vehicle with sliders or something structural, using a crane and safety lines just in case it tips, to avoid damage. It'd be an interested set of experiments for sure.

Naw, just attach a come along or a chain with a turnbuckle to a tree and the frame. Just have to be careful.
 
I have an inclinometer in my truck and I can tell you that 15 degrees side angle makes you feel like you might roll if you're not careful. It's from inside truck. From outside it looks like slight incline - nothing to worry about. At 20 degrees you don't feel like getting out of the truck or let passenger to get out, because it feels like truck might roll over if you sneeze. Maybe I'm overly sensitive to off-camber but that's how it feels to me : ) I never tried bigger angles but I think realistically stock T4R evenly loaded without heavy load on roof can handle 30-35 degrees on hard surface, but I don't want test it on my truck : )
 
It may be only 23.5° side angle, but the pic looks like you are also at a considerable downhill angle. Sidehill and downhill at the same time would multiply the pucker factor. :pray:

Oh it was definitely at a downhill angle. I slipped a bunch of times trying to get up/down the hill to spot haha.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
278,304
Messages
3,554,034
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service
Back
Top