speedkar9

Do airbags have enough force to lift the weight of a car off its wheels? Well I deployed the two airbags from my lowly Corolla convertible to find out just if it could:




The Victim: My 2001 Toyota Corolla Convertible.


Started with the driver’s side airbag, behind the wheel where the pinch welds are, since those are the jack points, it should have the most punch at lifting the car.


I placed my brother’s toothbrush alongside the front wheel to see if it will even budge, then I deployed the airbag.


I went off with a startling bang that sent my neighbors over visiting.


The car did not lift up, nor did the toothbrush even move. Saddening.
But the passenger side airbag is bigger, right? I set it even closer to the body.


And the result is a flying toothbrush, but not exactly a flying Corolla…



The airbag has so much force, its own housing is warped from the explosion!

While the car did not lift, but I did find later that it punched a giant dent under the car and ripped the straight weld along the floor pan seem. A lot of force!



I conclude that its because the airbags are so large, and expand out sideways, that not all of its energy can be dissipated upward to launch the car.

I’m a little bit disappointed, since I swapped that heavy 1ZZ-FE engine for a much lighter 2JZ-GTE engine…but still no takeoff.

JDR76

I wish I had your free time.

evident

Can you explain your corolla convertible? LOL thats pretty cool.

metaleckz

iTrader: (9)

Thanks for sharing this. Lol

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

These projects are so clever!

So is the lawn mower motor hah

speedkar9

Thanks guys. This was a pretty fun project, though I did scare my neighbor the first time and he wondered over asking. I really wish I got better results, if the wheel could have caught some air that would have been awesome.

Here's my "explanation"

robinsonal

thank your for this

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

Despite what this corolla has been through, it's still in very good shape/body/paint compare to a lot of cars that are running around on the street

Aron9000

Pretty crazy it dented the floor pan like that. I've seen guys detonate an airbag in an empty field, they go flying up like 100 ft in the air.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Now I definitely would never want an air bag exploding into my face!

tex2670

And we have learned that an airbag CAN blow a toothbrush 3 feet away. Nice!