rollover history
Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 5:22 pm
Originally introduced by Ford Motor Company in 1983, the Bronco II was one of the most popular-selling SUVs of the 1980s with an estimated 700,000 sold in six years. The model was discontinued in 1996 in favor of more popular SUVs such as the Ford Explorer.
The Bronco II has been heavily criticized since manufacturing began for its propensity to rollover. Several lawsuits filed over the Bronco II allege the vehicle has a defective design. Ford has been accused of building the Bronco II with a center of gravity too high for the width of the track. The model's poor weight distribution allegedly makes it prone to tip over.
Page 3 of 6
The Faulty Design of the Bronco II
In 1982, Ford began production of the Bronco II, the original SUV and the precursor of the Ford Explorer. The Explorer is built on essentially the same chassis as the Bronco II, and the two vehicles have many similar characteristics. [View document].
During the development of the Bronco II, it became clear that Ford would not meet the company’s stated safety and engineering design goals. The car was too high and too narrow to "reduce rollover propensity" or "respond safely to large steering inputs which are typical of accident avoidance or emergency maneuvers." [View document].
As early as February 1981, Ford engineers identified the Bronco II’s poor stability index as a key problem with the vehicle. According to engineering documents from that time, for an additional cost of $83 per vehicle, Ford could have made a substantially safer car. [Excerpt | Full document] | [Excerpt | Full document]. These changes were rejected by Ford management, however, because they would have delayed production and sale of the vehicle. Ford did not widen the SUV three to four inches until model year 2002, almost 20 years after the engineers’ warnings.
As part of vehicle development, test vehicles are driven on test tracks through several different types of turns and maneuvers. One such turn, a J-turn test, simulates a sharp turn to test the rollover propensity of the vehicle. [View document] | [Excerpt | Full document]
Internal Ford documents show that during a 1981 test drive the fully loaded Bronco II test vehicle tipped up on to its protective outrigger or had inside front wheel lift in every J-Turn run at a mere 30 MPH. [Excerpt | Full document]. Engineers, including David Bickerstaff, who was later paid by Ford to lie about SUV safety in 30 lawsuits brought against Ford by rollover victims, recommended that Ford consider widening the Bronco II to increase the stability index—that is, make it more stable and reduce the vehicle’s propensity to roll over. [View document].
A March 17, 1982 "Bronco II Handling Evaluation" document showed that more than 9 turns resulted in lift off, and 5 turns resulted in outrigger contact, which means that the vehicle tipped on its side. [View document]. With this document, Ford engineers presented Ford management with several options to decrease the likelihood of rollovers
you can see all this info at http://www.ewg.org/reports/upsidedown/index3.php
The Bronco II has been heavily criticized since manufacturing began for its propensity to rollover. Several lawsuits filed over the Bronco II allege the vehicle has a defective design. Ford has been accused of building the Bronco II with a center of gravity too high for the width of the track. The model's poor weight distribution allegedly makes it prone to tip over.
Page 3 of 6
The Faulty Design of the Bronco II
In 1982, Ford began production of the Bronco II, the original SUV and the precursor of the Ford Explorer. The Explorer is built on essentially the same chassis as the Bronco II, and the two vehicles have many similar characteristics. [View document].
During the development of the Bronco II, it became clear that Ford would not meet the company’s stated safety and engineering design goals. The car was too high and too narrow to "reduce rollover propensity" or "respond safely to large steering inputs which are typical of accident avoidance or emergency maneuvers." [View document].
As early as February 1981, Ford engineers identified the Bronco II’s poor stability index as a key problem with the vehicle. According to engineering documents from that time, for an additional cost of $83 per vehicle, Ford could have made a substantially safer car. [Excerpt | Full document] | [Excerpt | Full document]. These changes were rejected by Ford management, however, because they would have delayed production and sale of the vehicle. Ford did not widen the SUV three to four inches until model year 2002, almost 20 years after the engineers’ warnings.
As part of vehicle development, test vehicles are driven on test tracks through several different types of turns and maneuvers. One such turn, a J-turn test, simulates a sharp turn to test the rollover propensity of the vehicle. [View document] | [Excerpt | Full document]
Internal Ford documents show that during a 1981 test drive the fully loaded Bronco II test vehicle tipped up on to its protective outrigger or had inside front wheel lift in every J-Turn run at a mere 30 MPH. [Excerpt | Full document]. Engineers, including David Bickerstaff, who was later paid by Ford to lie about SUV safety in 30 lawsuits brought against Ford by rollover victims, recommended that Ford consider widening the Bronco II to increase the stability index—that is, make it more stable and reduce the vehicle’s propensity to roll over. [View document].
A March 17, 1982 "Bronco II Handling Evaluation" document showed that more than 9 turns resulted in lift off, and 5 turns resulted in outrigger contact, which means that the vehicle tipped on its side. [View document]. With this document, Ford engineers presented Ford management with several options to decrease the likelihood of rollovers
you can see all this info at http://www.ewg.org/reports/upsidedown/index3.php