Well, I'm the owner of an 07 liberty.
I don't know all the proper terms to use. But I wanted to review what I call the "smart 4x4" and stabilty stuff. I used to call it dumb 4x4 because my first experience with it was bad. I thought it went dumb and got me stuck... and I was stuck pulling a loaded trailer up a muddy hill from down in a field where we had parked for a quad race. It rained that entire day and I thought it went stupid and got me stuck. I finally made it out but never learned anything from it. Today I learned I got me stuck that day.
Here in NC we got a storm. Snow and ice mixed. After it stopped it started to melt off just a little and then we went into a deep freeze. So everywhere that didn't get cleared is a block of white ice. Hold a jeep up on top hard. And any pavement around it can sometimes be clear ice from any melting.
Anyways, today I had a job to do and needed to meet someone at a golf course. NC golfers will know the place. Pine Mountain Resort and Golf Course at South Mountain state park.
I was running a little thin on time and a little thin on earnings too. I put it in the GPS and rolled. The GPS took me there, but guided me to the lodge and restaurant instead of the clubhouse. This turns you left up a pretty steep hill... enough it was too steep to scrape clear. Not crazy like some stuff here but nothing to sneeze at.
I looked at it and sorta laughed. I figured it was bringing me in the back way or something and I had no cell service. In this bad weather I had been trying to get the feel for all that automatic stuff it does. So I decided this was a place I could for sure stick it and get the complete experience.
Frankly I figured once the 4th tire was on it, it would be over. Just spin. So I didn't even get out and look it over. No plan of attack or dreams of getting up it. However, once I started it kept going and I was figuring it was getting some help from some melted spots (actually clear ice). I kept going. Got a good ways up and the Jeep went down to a stop while I was still on the gas. Giving it more it was spinning. So there I was stopped on the gas.
I surveyed the prospect of backing down and said oh god.... so I instead gave it another go and realized that it was kinda acting as a torque limiter, so I gave it more gas and let it get back to shifting the spinning back and forth on all 4 and it went right to the top. I was so amazed. I got out and realized I couldn't have walked up that... no way.
Then here I was at the top in an unknown location, not knowing what I was up against going on. So I turned and came back down... absolutely terrified. It was so hard slick that it was beyond low gearing... just slide. Beyond any anti-lock braking I've ever experienced before. So I opted high 4x4 and creeping with use of brakes with driver side tires off the shoulder some where it could crush some of the ice.
It did an amazing job, or God himself helped me down. It did finally get to the point that nothing could save it and went into free slide, and I just let the systems do their thing. It did get rather sideways and all of that, and I could feel it doing everything it could. It did manage to find enough bite from the left front still off the shoulder and a patch of clear ice with pavement texture popping out. Stopped. And as I move on after, straightened up well and got me to the bottom.
I would hate for this stuff to tear up. The lights did come on after the free slide. But they went off with a key cycle. I would really really hate for it to tear up ($$$$). But it does all work amazing if you're ever forced into a situation where you are forced to push it and learn how it works.
So if you think it *****, put it to a serious (but safer) test and I think you will change your mind. Just be dumb, keep gassing, keep braking like a goofball and it will go to work.
But again, safer test. That was the dumbest thing I have ever attempted behind the wheel.
I don't know all the proper terms to use. But I wanted to review what I call the "smart 4x4" and stabilty stuff. I used to call it dumb 4x4 because my first experience with it was bad. I thought it went dumb and got me stuck... and I was stuck pulling a loaded trailer up a muddy hill from down in a field where we had parked for a quad race. It rained that entire day and I thought it went stupid and got me stuck. I finally made it out but never learned anything from it. Today I learned I got me stuck that day.
Here in NC we got a storm. Snow and ice mixed. After it stopped it started to melt off just a little and then we went into a deep freeze. So everywhere that didn't get cleared is a block of white ice. Hold a jeep up on top hard. And any pavement around it can sometimes be clear ice from any melting.
Anyways, today I had a job to do and needed to meet someone at a golf course. NC golfers will know the place. Pine Mountain Resort and Golf Course at South Mountain state park.
I was running a little thin on time and a little thin on earnings too. I put it in the GPS and rolled. The GPS took me there, but guided me to the lodge and restaurant instead of the clubhouse. This turns you left up a pretty steep hill... enough it was too steep to scrape clear. Not crazy like some stuff here but nothing to sneeze at.
I looked at it and sorta laughed. I figured it was bringing me in the back way or something and I had no cell service. In this bad weather I had been trying to get the feel for all that automatic stuff it does. So I decided this was a place I could for sure stick it and get the complete experience.
Frankly I figured once the 4th tire was on it, it would be over. Just spin. So I didn't even get out and look it over. No plan of attack or dreams of getting up it. However, once I started it kept going and I was figuring it was getting some help from some melted spots (actually clear ice). I kept going. Got a good ways up and the Jeep went down to a stop while I was still on the gas. Giving it more it was spinning. So there I was stopped on the gas.
I surveyed the prospect of backing down and said oh god.... so I instead gave it another go and realized that it was kinda acting as a torque limiter, so I gave it more gas and let it get back to shifting the spinning back and forth on all 4 and it went right to the top. I was so amazed. I got out and realized I couldn't have walked up that... no way.
Then here I was at the top in an unknown location, not knowing what I was up against going on. So I turned and came back down... absolutely terrified. It was so hard slick that it was beyond low gearing... just slide. Beyond any anti-lock braking I've ever experienced before. So I opted high 4x4 and creeping with use of brakes with driver side tires off the shoulder some where it could crush some of the ice.
It did an amazing job, or God himself helped me down. It did finally get to the point that nothing could save it and went into free slide, and I just let the systems do their thing. It did get rather sideways and all of that, and I could feel it doing everything it could. It did manage to find enough bite from the left front still off the shoulder and a patch of clear ice with pavement texture popping out. Stopped. And as I move on after, straightened up well and got me to the bottom.
I would hate for this stuff to tear up. The lights did come on after the free slide. But they went off with a key cycle. I would really really hate for it to tear up ($$$$). But it does all work amazing if you're ever forced into a situation where you are forced to push it and learn how it works.
So if you think it *****, put it to a serious (but safer) test and I think you will change your mind. Just be dumb, keep gassing, keep braking like a goofball and it will go to work.
But again, safer test. That was the dumbest thing I have ever attempted behind the wheel.
