Donuts with the X = rollover?

So it was raining the other night and I just had the urge to try some donuts with the X. I've thrown it in the mud, sand, wood trails, rocks yet I've never tried anything as simple as donuts. :rolleyes:

I was in a large parking and tried to give it enough gas to make the rear slip but VDC kept activating and ruining my fun.

Flip VDC off and I finally got some slippage but as the rear slipped, the X was in a seemingly dangerous side angle and didn't want to risk giving more gas. (I would have a hard time explaining to the cops and insurance why my X is on its side in an empty parking )

Is my fear unfounded? Will I rollover the X doing donuts?

The Xterra is not a sports car..

People don't take sports cars offroading for the same reason you should not do stupid things like that in your Xterra. It was not built to handle that kind of thing.

So go ahead.. do it anyway. Darwin is waiting.

Stupid Canadians.

Because in almost every parking lot in Canada you will find SUV'v spinning round and round doing donuts... i cant wait to get off work to meet my friends and do some donuts! woooo!

Ignorant american.

Thank god we now have the Internet to freely insult anyone's action or nationality without the fear of getting your ass kicked.

Now, if anyone has the guts to admit they've tried donuts with the X and can respond to my post with a useful experience, please feel free to share.

Done donuts in the snow, but not on wet asphault.

I would never do donuts in a 4500lb top heavy SUV.

why don't you try it and let us know....

No, Chia's right.

Some Canadians are stoopid.

Why in the hell are we even entertaining this stupid question?

...and all yanks are smart :rolleyes: but not arrogant...

Donuts on asphalt is not smart though dude, why bother. We get enough snow up here, just wait a couple months and things will start to get icy again

Technically, you should not rollover doing donuts...on a flat plane with no irregularities in traction coefficient or surface features.

The issue of concern is with surface imperfections, which will interupt the smooth transition of polar moment, and result in lateral acceleration in excess of the projected tire slippage required to execute a donut.

This condition will result in the tire(s) traction providing resistance to the lateral forces, and the truck's weight and center of gravity continuing in an outwards direction, albeit with the outer tire(s) remaining in the same arc.

The truck's body and frame with therefore follow a wider arc than the tire pathway.

This results in the truck's frame and body crossing through the plane of the tire pathway arc.

If the above crossing results in the truck's center of gravity crossing the chord of the arc, the trucks's body and frame will tend to continue in an arc outside of the tire path, with a secondary continuance downwards to the ground at the outside of the chord.

The above typically results in the side of the truck hitting the ground.

In a donut, the rear outer tire is typically the most critical interceptor of surface irregularities, and tends to upset the balance of the rear slippage angle, essentially tripping the truck such that it hits first on the outermost front fender area, rolling onto the roof and hood areas, and then, rotating due to the momentum involved.

This is sometimes referred to as doing a donut and flipping over.

Of course, the higher the center of gravity, and the less perfect the surface, the more likely this is to occur.

It is therefore possible to execute donuts in a parking lot w/o flipping over, albeit the above variables must be considered to avoid flipping.

So, I hope that helps!

Thanks TJ!
I've decided to wait until it snows to try again though. Safety took over fun in the game of risks.

Did you search before posting?

You dont have to wait for snow, just find some dirt. I've done doughnuts plenty of times. Why, because uts fun. Don't let all the nay sayers get ya down. There just grumpy.

Grumpy. Whos Grumpy. The Naysayers are Mature there is a difference.

-There's a diff. between showng your PROUD experience and acting like children, you should know the diff.-- --JIMBO

I've done donuts in the rain with my 4x2 many times with no problems. I think the fact that you have a 4x4 makes a huge difference. The 2006 rollover ratings are out, and the new xterra 4x4 is the most likely SUV to rollover (Someone corrrect me if I'm wrong) If I remember correctly, the xterra didnt tip in their test, but the rating comes from a number they calculate based on the center of gravity with respect to the height & width of the truck.

2006 Rollover Ratings

They did indead give the Xterra the worst score for an SUV...though it did not tip. I suspect that there is logic in the VDC system that can help prevent "some" tips/rollovers...and I imagine the score does not reflect this. I could be wrong though.
Either way, it's an SUV...don't drive like an asshole...buy a 350Z for that.

Mmmm...donuts.

I did some in an icy (and deserted) parking lot once. Wouldn't try it on anything less slippery than that.

and what a brilliant response that is....

so based on your comment, is it fair for me to say that all americans are illiterate? i don't think so. it seems that it's just you.

yes, common sense would dictate that donuts are not the best thing to do on pavement, but at least he has the balls to ask the question.

the only dumb question is the one not asked.

Would you rather I called him a Fuckin Noob. Just Like you.

I've done donuts on pavement in my X and it was fun. I wasn't afraid of rolling. I've been married for 18 years so I'm not afraid to die. Anyway, I have always thought donuts were very popular in Canada so the narative about all the Canadians getting off work and going out for donuts doesn't seem at all unbelievable. It could eventually become Canada's national passtime, surpassing whining and snivling.

i've never really payed attention before, but you are the master of useless posts. keep the dream alive.

i'm a noob why? because i don't have 3400 posts? give me a break. let me know when you come up with something intelligent to say.....and don't google it to pretend you're smart either.

ive accidently done donuts on wet pavement. when i had my stock POS tires on, i use to slide and sometimes spin out when i turned. i was pulling out onto a slippery surface(a road i take everyday to work now) and i broke traction and spun out just as a tractor trailer was coming over the hill. i had to spin it around to get out of the way. ive tried doughnuts in the snow, and they're very good.

Donuts are great in the snow or on ice. And like TJ said, the danger is not the donut itself, but if you get a patch of something that suddenly has more traction than what you are on. Making donuts on snow and hitting a patch of pavement or a curb would put an end to a nice donut.

On slippery roads, I always make the rear end swing when turning a corner by giving it a little shot of gas. A donut is what happens if I give too much.

Last winter, I saw a tandem dump truck do a donut in a slippery parking lot. I thought that was cool.

Wow. There's a lot of jerks here. Everyone seems to have such a mighty e-wang. :p

way to make a first post.

First off, you dont know me, know anything about me or have ever hung out with me so you have nothing to base your judgement on how smart I am. I have been posting on this board since I took ownership of my firt Xterra back in 2001. Now count with me that means I have been on here for 5 yers. I know how the people on this board especially the ones considered Vetrens like myself, act towards noobs asking stupid questions such as wiil i roll my X doing donuts or how big of a Tire can I fit on my X with out lifting. If you ask a stupid question to a mature group of people your going to get stupid answers as well as flamed for being stupid. I am 26 and I have never done a dount in any vehicle except my Isuzu and that wasnt by choice. And to asnwer your question as to why your a Noob. Well its becuase you dont know how to ignore us assholes on here. I learned real fast.

well, i used to have a titan, i did donuts alot, well 5-6 times mostly when i found out it was getting traded soo i was like ehh whatever it was pretty scarry in the dirt it wasnt so bad, but on pavement i made my friends scream because they thought it was going to roll...i think it came pretty close. When my xterra gets broken in i might have to give it a shot....who knows maybe i can get a video this time and post it.

out her in vegas we have these playa's (big dry lake beds that are pretty flat). Out trail running one day early on in the ownership, i had to cross one. there was no one else out there so i decide to do some spins. fun, but not jump off a building exciting.

then, as i am leaving, i decide to get up some speed and do give it a turn and try and "drift" a little.......that was fun! i have done it before in cars (and my superduty was surprisingly good at it!?!) but not like this, with no curbs or anything to worry about. the slip tried to kick in but it seems that if you keep your foot down, it kinda gives up on trying to stop the slipping. anyway, looked like something out of a commercial, big cloud of dust and all.

then, an hour later, it hit me how not-so-bright that was. at 30 or 40, i could have hit a bump or hard spot and rolled the crap out of it........in the middle of nowhere!

course, i learned not to count how many times i cheated death in the past.........it scares the crap out of me!

Stop busting on Chia.

He didn't say "all Canadians are stupid".

He inferred that some Canadians are stupid (and he is correct, mind you). Especially the ones who think going out and doing donuts in an SUV might be smart.

If you aren't planning to do donuts in the parking lot, what the fuck do you care? Obviously Chia wasn't talking to you, was he?

So lay off the big bald walking Crayola pack.

Stupid Canadians.

I've done plenty of donuts on wet pavement. Its easy, especially with the stock tires. Not quite so easy with the Revos, but I can still do them no problem.

So far:
3 Stupid Canadians admitted to doing donuts
9 Americans admitted doing donuts (1 was accidental).

Just thought I would point that out...

Stupid Canadians

A couple vids I found on YouTube that shows how much fun snow can be:

Fun in the snow

Donuts in the snow

Tahoe Donut Snow

Camper doing donuts in snow

Oh and just so you know Grayahm is Canadian.

I did not know, but I did not count him anyway, he did not admit to making donuts.

I would have to agree that donuts are stupid and immature. They can be risky even with a car because there are so many uncontrollable variables.

Having said that, I am immature and still do them in the right conditions. Actually, not so much donuts as u-turns. If I have to turn around while on ice or snow, I will slow down to almost a stop, cut the wheels and hit the gas at the same time, instant 180.

shhhh.

This would be a better point if more than 90% of the members here weren't American. Therefore, based on our very limited data, Canadians are roughly 3 times more likely to do something this stupid.

My 2 cents on Canada. In my former career with American Airlines, I traveled on business to places ranging from Newfoundland to British Columbia and worked with people from Canadian Airlines, Air Canada, Transport Canada, and local vendors. Went to hotels, restaurants, and so on.

Bottom line? I wish people in the U.S. were more like they are in Canada. Courteous, professional, helpful.

My ex-GF worked for Delta and was involved in the post-crash response to Swissair 111. One of the family members arrived in Halifax and didn't have appropriate clothes to wear to a memorial service. One of Delta's "Care Team" members, who assists families in those situations, was trying to figure out what to do since it was after hours. A local who worked at the hotel where Delta's command center was located said he knew a guy who had a men's clothing store. The owner opened the store after hours and when the Delta employee tried to pay for the clothes, the man said, "These are for one of the families, right? No charge."

Plus, one of the lesser known stories from 9/11 is how hundreds of passengers were stranded at Canadian airports like Gander, St. John's, and Halifax. Hotel rooms were quickly gone leaving many with no options other than the terminal floor or an airplane seat - for days. Canadian families opened their homes and invited people they'd never met to make themselves comfortable until they could fly out.

So I personally have heard enough about "stupid Canadians." I think they have a lot to be proud of.

5 trucks for you Russel!

Gee, I didn't think my comment would start a fight :rolleyes: I didn't mean "all" yanks were smart AND arrogant hehe (we need a disturbing shit Graemlin)

Thanks - I appreciate that.

Something else occurred to me too. An Arrow Air DC-8 full of US peacekeeping troops returning from the Middle East crashed in Gander in 1985 with no survivors. This monument is at the crash site, which is on a slope overlooking Gander Lake. The scenery is so spectacular that it's very odd to stand near the monument knowing so many people died there. The town built this beautiful monument to honor those killed. It's called "Silent Witnesses" and depicts a boy and girl holding the hands of a US soldier, who is facing in the direction of the 101st's home base of Fort Campbell, KY. The children are also holding olive branches, the symbol of peace.

The story is here.

i dunno about doing donuts in the X, i get a little nervous taking a corner to fast. nor do i think i'll even take chance because i don't really wish to explain to my insurance company why my X is upside down and there are donut marks right next to it...

i used to do donuts in my x when i had it. i could peel out rolling burnout and donuts were no problem flip the vdc and floor it. I now won't dare try donuts in my lifted jeep.

My TJ did the tightest donuts I've ever seen. It had a total of 8 inches of lift. I, to this day, cannot beleive how stupid I was to be doing that. When making left hand turns through intersections I would throttle just enough to have the front left tire off of the ground, then I would ride it out as far as I could. I remeber it being fun at the time, but looking back I could have killed somebody, including myself. My Impreza was also a blast to spin around in. I don't think it is worth chancing it in an X, or any other suv for that matter.

grow ya a set and light 'em up if that's your thing.

http://www.zshare.net/video/xxxtitan_short-wmv.html

MY TJ IS LIFTED A TOTAL OF 5 INCHS
ON 35'S. I ALSO DON'T HAVE SWAY BARS SO DONUTS ARE MUCH WORSE FOR ME.

Chia...while I agree with some of what you said...I have to disagree with one point you made (and before you ask..I've been here since 2003, I changed my username to suit the color of my new X)...but is it not correct that "mature" people will not flame new members, or call them names and insult them...but rather, they would say, in a mature matter, "you can search", or "that's not a smart thing to do"?

I don't know. XOC gets a bad rap on many regional Xterra boards because of behavior like this from both sides of the "noob vs. veteran" fence. Just calling it like I see it, and have seen it. Frankly, you can do what you want to a "noob", it's up to you...but it's how you portray XOC as a representative and "veteran member" that will dictate how XOC is seen by others in the Xterra community.

Honestly, anyone that does donuts in a 4000+lb SUV is not only endangering themselves, but potentially others around them...and I think it's stupid to the point of absurdity. Are all Canadians stupid? No, but I've met some pretty fu(king stupid Canadians. Are all Americans ignorant, arrogant, or illiterate? No, but likewise, there are many members of the American population that should look into suicide as the only option.

For the member that asked the original question about doing something dangerous (in ANY vehicle)...I don't buy the whole "it was just a question" thing either. You had to know that you would get shit for asking a question like that. That's called ignorance. And just so you know, ignorance is not the same as stupidity...so it's not an insult...doing donuts in an Xterra is stupidity...not knowing whether you should do it or not is ignorance. Doing it anyway is just assinine.

The comment about kicking someone's ass if they said that to your face instead of from behind a computer screen....well, I've learned in my 35 years that 99% of people that say "too bad you can't say that to my face, because I'd kick your ass"...either have never been in a fight in their lives, have seen too many action movies, or wouldn't have the balls to actually throw the first punch. Never say anything until you know the score. NEVER size up an opponent on the internet...for all you know, the guy you're "taunting" with the "my e-dick is bigger than yours attitude" could very well be a sociopathic lunatic, and you'd end up with your picture on a milk carton....oh well....

....doing donuts in ANY SUV is stupid, and ignorant...

Dave.

Posts like this are definatly the reason why many X owners have stopped looking at XOC. I will never understand why anyone would be so rude to another person regardless of the question(s) being asked. It usually takes a stupid ingnorant person to call another person stupid. This forumn really sucks because of the way that the so called "veterens" (probably roast me for my spelling now)flame and roast someone that asks a question. You all have so much time that you can sit on a computer all day when you should be working getting 1000's of posts, but you can't take the time to be polite like a decent person. All you flamers are a bunch of A - holes!!

And calling Canadians stupid, well, if even 1/2 of the 33 million people in Canada ARE stupid, there would still be about 100 million more stupid people in the great US of A.

I have a video of me doing donuts in a Bobcat, and a F250 with a plow and sander on it.

Yes, I am both American and stupid.

What kind of sander? A palm sander, a belt sander, a bench-top combination sander with a disk and a belt (those are handy)? Regardless of the type of sander, that was a poor choice my friend. That sander could have gone flying out of the truck and injured a passerby. How would that make you feel? I believe you would be saddened by such an occurrance.

That being said, I have done donuts in several vehicles of various catigories. I am a redneck American male and it is required of me. If you can't do donuts you'll never be able to impress the right kind of girl and you'll end up marrying the ugly cousin.

ah, yes.

glad to know we can always count on you Mitch to help put things into perspective.

See, now that explains it all.

You make valid points about the flaming and the "veterans" But making it a Canada vs. US of A debate isn't necessary. Be the better person and just leave it alone. Let the other people who want to be a-holes in this thread be the a-holes. You come out better on top in the end.

Some people just have nothing better to do than flame others because 1) They're insecure about themselves, and 2) They know they'll never meet that person face to face, or there is a slim possibility, and finally 3) It could just be because they're assholes, and don't give a shit...that's the person that really makes themselves look like the asshole in the end. It takes thick skin to be on XOC..and as long as you can tell someone to f-off every now and then...I think it all works out. Screw 'em, and just get on with your life...God knows they're not.

Well shit ive done donuts in my truck even came close to rolling the damn thing a few times but you know what.... i never had anyone in the truck with me... either late at night or early in the am with no traffic around...and you know what everyone here has done something stupid in their vehicle and if you think you havent please demonstrate your ability to walk across water.

Dave is right just because you have thousands of posts etc doesnt make you the all knowing person or give you the right to openly harrass or flame a person. Shew...ok...im done...for now.

Tim

I forgot while readung these posts,

Is this about donuts, or about the difference between americans and canadians?

I dont know, so I will address both:

Not to say I have never done anything stupid in my X, but I have never tried a donut in my X, and prob never will, although I have accidentally slid on the ice into a curb.

As for the difference between canadians and americans? Canadians seem to live a little more north in a colder climate, other than that we are both humans and both have ignorant people around us, so I wouldnt say there is much of a difference.....

As for the difference between canadians and americans? Canadians seem to live a little more north in a colder climate, other than that we are both humans and both have ignorant people around us, so I wouldnt say there is much of a difference.....

Well said, and we should leave it at that!!!!

Lets do a tally... how many xterra's have rolled over from doin' donuts?

ok, now how many xterra's have rolled over from offroading?

NOW who's stupid?

this whole thread.

Holy crap did that F* up your alignment? I slid into a curb once in my old lexus on a sandy road and got a flat. My friend did the same in his Ram pickup (much harder though b/c his back end slid out) and i doubt his truck will never be fully aligned ever again.

I wasnt go really fast, was just turning left through an intersection, about 5mph, and just after I straightened out slid parellel into the curb(both wheels at the same time.....I dont think it did anything to my alignment, I wasnt going fast enough....

I have done a pretzel...but never a donut...too fattening

One thing is for sure with both Americans and Canadians...stupidity is not a limited edition item.

I found myself a little sideways (for some mysterious reson, unbeknownce to me - my VDC was switched off ) once this summer on wet, freshly-laid pavement in a parking lot and decided to just give a little more juice and turn a bit more and VIOLA ~ instant gratification : )

WOW! What a thread
I've slung her around in the mud a bit and I think the bottom line is the X is built for FUN-have at it. Just do so safely and think about what you want before you execute. Have fun, happy trails and be safe