J-turn

A J-Turn is a driving maneuver used to reverse a backwards-traveling vehicle so as to continue driving in the same direction, but with the vehicle pointed forward. The J-Turn is also called "moonshiner's turn", based on the elusive driving tactics used by bootleggers. A J-turn differs from a bootleg turn in that the vehicle starts out reversing.

It uses the foot brake to lock the front wheels while turning. In FWD vehicles the clutch must be pressed when performing the maneuver. J-turning is possible only in light vehicles (cars and light vans), which have their brakes biased to the front tires.

This maneuver is also known as a "Rockford", referring to the TV show "The Rockford Files" due to the prevalent use of the stunt in the show.

World Record

The narrowest J-Turn was performed in a Renault Twingo, between barriers set 378 centimeters apart. The diagonal length of the car, 370 centimeters, meant stunt driver Terry Grant had only a gap of 4 centimeters on each side. This happened at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK, at the Pistonheads show 11-13 January.

The original assertions here are ridiculous, and utter fiction, besides. The Department of State teaches this technique as a matter of routine, and the maneuver is performed in vehicles up to the size and weight of Ford Excursions with B7 level armor kits installed. By no reasonable measure would one of those be considered "light", even without the armor.

Furthermore, if you perform the maneuver correctly, the brakes are never utilized after the initial braking of the vehicle prior to shifting into reverse. Thus, the bias of the braking system is not an issue at all, in this context.

The maneuver is executed thus:

1) Upon identification of a forward or lateral threat, the driver immediately halts the vehicle and shifts into reverse.

2) The driver turns to face the rear, if applicable (some vehicles' armor systems make this portion of the procedure pointless, owing to completely obscuring the rear window), and buries the accelerator.

3) When the driver feels the vehicle start to "shimmy" or "lighten up" a bit (in general this will occur at around 30mph), (s)he then whips the wheel to one side or the other, as dictated by the situation.

4) If the driver has elected to face to the rear, the normal driving position is then resumed and the vehicle shifted into a forward gear as the nose comes about.

5) The driver then scampers off, hopefully with a non-leaky principle and security detail.

ee also

*Bootleg turn
*Handbrake turn

External links

* [http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=17466 World Record J-turn]
* [http://www.drivingfast.net/techniques/j_turn.htm Driving Fast - How to do a J-Turn]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-jR6aOoDow Video of a high speed chase in which the suspect performs multiple J-turns]