THROUGH the river, to grandmother‘s house we go 🤿🎄🎅🏼

[johaanryberg]

We were a little surprised that the highway patrol was pushing people through. Confidently enjoyed the ride in our Lightning.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/us/flooding-shasta-count-california.html

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[RickLightning]

I'm shocked that the highway was open.

Note from the manual:

Never drive through water that is higher than the bottom of the wheel hubs.

 

[Heliian]

I'm shocked that the highway was open.

Note from the manual:

Never drive through water that is higher than the bottom of the wheel hubs.

Excellent find! Not many people realize this. It's been in all the truck manuals for years.

 

[RickLightning]

Yup.

Years ago I had a Jeep CJ7. Highway was flooding, and we were towing a sailboat (Hobie Cat). Boat actually made the trailer float as we went through...

I would have never driven through that water that OP did, I would have gotten off highway. Waves from other vehicles are going to do the damage.

 

[Maybe Going EV]

The moment you were happy to not be driving a half million dollar McLaren.

 

[MaintGrl]

Ya, I have talked about his in the past here. About forging streams in the lightning. Years ago before I had the lightning I was on call for work and the was New Years Eve. POURING down rain. A sewage pump station was having trouble keeping up with I&I, and Back up pump was NOT coming on, I was called by a co worker to come help. I did not know that the parking lot where semi's parked was flooded, I blew through that parking lot (600ft) in my 96 Ford Ranger XLT, I had water going over the hood, and figured If I stopped It would die, So I kept on going till I hit the station and High ground. Would I do that in my Lightning, Nope, as the lightning hood is about 18" higher than my ranger....

 

[Wendy]

I know the batteries are 'sealed', but wow I would be concerned about submerging all those electrical connections in that much water!

Decades ago I visited my brother in Australia, we took his white Australian Ford sedan up through the Red Center (it was pink at the end of the trip, plus one bashed in fender from a blowout). When we were up near Darwin in the 'dry season' there were a couple of small rivers we had to ford. Down into the river bed and then up the other side (this was the main road route!), we learned not to go too fast, the first one my brother hit and water poured all over our hood, down the vents, and as we came up the other side water poured in onto my shoes As @MaintGrl says you need to keep moving!

 

[chl]

Turn around don't drown, as they say...

There are a lot of holes under the Lightnings where rodents get in and chew wires based on several posts, so water will get in there too.

 

[RLXXI]

...and people ask me why I put a 4" lift and 35" tires on my other truck. Stock tire size was 30", the 35's effectively gave me 2.5" of extra fording depth. As for the manual stating not to go over the bottom of the hub, is to keep water from ingression to the differential(s)

Water will push in past the seals and make a milk shake of the gear oil. That being said, is that mention in the manual an artifact from smokers with differentials or does it apply to the axle seals in the motors. Those axle seals in these trucks are higher than the wheel hubs.

 

[johaanryberg]

Truck did exceedingly well on a logging road today with fresh snow coming down.
The lack of one-pedal when in “off-road” going downhill was frustrating though.

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