• From: Van Nuys, CA
  • Registered: 2011-02-11
  • Posts: 3,862

Topic: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

We took our car out of the garage on Saturday where it has been since December. After the race I drove it off the trailer down the street, into the driveway and made a right into the garage (neatly avoiding the flower beds and cinder block wall). Well getting the car out required about six moves back and forth and back again and managed to leave tire marks in the flower bed and nearly crush me between the side view mirror and the cinder block wall (we were pushing it, you know, just for the exercise). This is the second time this has happened. The first time I nearly knocked over the wall because I was sure I was going to clear it. All I can come up with is that the car somehow makes a sharper turn going forward than it can going backwards.

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  • From: Tustin, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-30
  • Posts: 3,275

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

Ha!  I moved the Jag from the side yard yesterday and managed to get it stuck in the front yard plus wrecked part of the gate.  Yard is slipperier than snot on a pump handle. Car ended up wedged against the neighbors wall with a tree up against the quarter panel.  Had to use the come along to pull the ass sideways across the grass and back far enough to get it near the driveway.  At first I thought that the trans was low on fluid.  It acted like it wasn't engaging.  I got out and the wheels were spinning on the grass at 1/4 mph as it idled.  Effed up the grass a fair bit.  I'm lucky I don't have a full time project manager living there or I would be in deep doo-doo.  And yes, it had been driven straight in.

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  • From: Atlanta, GA
  • Registered: 2009-09-01
  • Posts: 561

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

Parkwod60 wrote:

We took our car out of the garage on Saturday where it has been since December. After the race I drove it off the trailer down the street, into the driveway and made a right into the garage (neatly avoiding the flower beds and cinder block wall). Well getting the car out required about six moves back and forth and back again and managed to leave tire marks in the flower bed and nearly crush me between the side view mirror and the cinder block wall (we were pushing it, you know, just for the exercise). This is the second time this has happened. The first time I nearly knocked over the wall because I was sure I was going to clear it. All I can come up with is that the car somehow makes a sharper turn going forward than it can going backwards.

I think it's pretty obvious what happened.  Someone opened the door in the block wall to help you clear the corner on the way in.

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  • RobL
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Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

In for the Dirk Gently reference...

It sounds to me that you need to cut the wheel sooner when you back out and that you are not getting close enough to the outside wall.  Also, if you lift the car in the garage (to get under it or even to change tires), the odds are that you moved it side to side so it's not in the same position that you entered.

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  • From: Pepperell MA
  • Registered: 2009-12-06
  • Posts: 536

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

Maybe you should put the car in the garage backwards while it's still running; it's easier to do 6 to and fro moves under power than pushin'.  Then you might be able to just push it out in one move...  wink

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  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2010-01-20
  • Posts: 3,299

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

You have to think a little different going backwards. You're not used to rear-steering.

I always back in, just makes getting out (of whatever situation) easier.

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Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

I have the Parnelli Jones Galaxie sitting in a basically open field at friends house/property.  Every other time I go over there the car is in a new place... moved forward or back, left/right.

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  • From: Cocoa, FL
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Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

Look away > Truth.

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9 Reply by Parkwod60 (edited by Parkwod60 2013-02-11 07:57 PM)

  • From: Van Nuys, CA
  • Registered: 2011-02-11
  • Posts: 3,862

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

Honestly the car still ran at that point, but since it hadn't been started in 2 months I decided to push it instead of seeing if it would start and getting into a project with a motor that was on its way out of the car anyway.

Oh, and don't tell anyone this, but I once crashed 2 of my parent's cars into each other in a snow covered driveway because the ice under the snow was so slippery the car would only go forward if it also slipped sideways. Luckily the car length black rubber stripe really did buff right out the next day, before they came home from vacation.

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  • From: Palm Beach, Texas
  • Registered: 2012-03-30
  • Posts: 776

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

I notice the same thing backing out of my garage. I thought about this and realized that it is a matter of experience triumphing over caution. As drivers for (however many) years we all have become accustomed to unconsciously knowing when to turn the wheel, at what angle of lock, at what speed, at what rate of turn, etc so that the forward-most element of our vehicle (usually the front bumper and fascia) which is invisible to us, clear the visible obstacle we are trying to avoid. While moving forward. We are far less accustomed to having to make the same myriad unconscious calculations while reversing and tend to conduct our cars with greater room for error around the obstacle when backing up. That, plus the differences in the path the car takes when being steered from behind.

Of course, I am pretty sure this came up last Fourth of July which means that the conversation was likely well-lubricated... So never mind, actually. I both defer to the panel and maintain that this is all the result of small pestering demons that move our cars ever so slightly whilst we sleep.

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  • From: Concord, NC
  • Registered: 2012-10-24
  • Posts: 142

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

This is the first holistic detective agency reference I have ever come across.  Clearly you need to get busy waiting on your future self to bring a time machine by.

  • From: Conroe, TX
  • Registered: 2012-07-20
  • Posts: 240

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

I don't believe you, but my Electric Monk does.

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  • Registered: 2011-02-22
  • Posts: 934

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

"Rear wheels cut corners."  That is what we were always telling student drivers.  The problem occurred when they would try to parallel park in front of a car in pit lane.  As soon as their front wheels were past the parked car, they would do a hard turn in and clip the front of the parked car.  These were formula ford types and new drivers weren't accustomed to open wheels.  But I think the principle is the same for most cars.

In your case, my guess is going backwards the front wheels, which are now the rear wheels, aren't cutting the corner.  I haven't done this but if one were to chalk the arc going forward and then going backwards.  I doubt they would be the same.

  • From: Van Nuys, CA
  • Registered: 2011-02-11
  • Posts: 3,862

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

rodknox2 wrote:

"Rear wheels cut corners."  That is what we were always telling student drivers.  The problem occurred when they would try to parallel park in front of a car in pit lane.  As soon as their front wheels were past the parked car, they would do a hard turn in and clip the front of the parked car.  These were formula ford types and new drivers weren't accustomed to open wheels.  But I think the principle is the same for most cars.

In your case, my guess is going backwards the front wheels, which are now the rear wheels, aren't cutting the corner.  I haven't done this but if one were to chalk the arc going forward and then going backwards.  I doubt they would be the same.

This is the exact real explanation I came up with afterwards while having a few beers

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  • From: Shippensburg, PA
  • Registered: 2010-11-18
  • Posts: 1,963

Re: Into the garage in 1 shot, out take 6 moves? - A case for Dirk Gently?

Drive a forklift and you'll learn the difference with rear steer quick enough, or explain to your supervisor why you ran into the pallet racks.

Or maybe your car is like my buddy's wife's T-bird.  She parks it one night in the garage.  Goes to leave the next day, does not turn the steering wheel, and while backing out knocks the driver's side mirror off.  I think the car hydroplaned while it was parked.

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