J-turn
Encyclopedia
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 evasive driving tactics used by bootlegger
s. A J-turn differs from a bootleg turn
in that the vehicle starts out reversing. This is traditionally performed by a stunt driver in many car chases in movies and television shows. This can be performed on both dry and snowy surfaces, snow being the preferred surface to begin learning this stunt. This can also be considered a basic maneuver that will lead into the K-turn
. This is with a forward starting car also known as the three-point turn
, which can be considered the opposite of this J-turn.
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.
In front-wheel drive vehicles the clutch is pressed when performing the maneuver.
, 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 2008. *
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
turn", based on the evasive driving tactics used by bootlegger
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
s. A J-turn differs from a bootleg turn
Bootleg turn
A bootleg turn is a radical driving maneuver intended to reverse the direction of travel of a forward-moving automobile by 180 degrees in a minimum amount of time while staying within the width of a two-lane road...
in that the vehicle starts out reversing. This is traditionally performed by a stunt driver in many car chases in movies and television shows. This can be performed on both dry and snowy surfaces, snow being the preferred surface to begin learning this stunt. This can also be considered a basic maneuver that will lead into the K-turn
Turning in the road
In driving unarticulated wheeled vehicles with reversible propulsion systems, turning in the road is a category of maneuvers, each reversing a vehicle's direction of travel along a road, with neither the use of any intersections nor leaving the right-of-way....
. This is with a forward starting car also known as the three-point turn
Turning in the road
In driving unarticulated wheeled vehicles with reversible propulsion systems, turning in the road is a category of maneuvers, each reversing a vehicle's direction of travel along a road, with neither the use of any intersections nor leaving the right-of-way....
, which can be considered the opposite of this J-turn.
This maneuver is also known as a "Rockford", referring to the TV show The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
due to the prevalent use of the stunt in the show.
Technique
The maneuver is performed by quickly reversing in a straight line and then turning the wheel to one side and using the foot brake to lock the front wheels while turning. The vehicle is shifted into a forward gear as the nose comes about. The basics of this turn are all focused on the physics of weight transfer of the car during the J-turn process.In front-wheel drive vehicles the clutch is pressed when performing the maneuver.
World record
The narrowest J-turn was performed in a Renault TwingoRenault Twingo
The Renault Twingo is a city car built by French automaker Renault, first presented at the Paris Motor Show in September 1992 and sold in continental European markets beginning in 1993...
, 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
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, UK, at the Pistonheads show 11–13 January 2008. *