Tyre and Lift Regulations

[ssngator]

Good Morning all,
Just wanted to say hello and ask if anyone knows the legal regulations regarding tyre sizes and amount of lift that I can add to 2001 Jeep Wrangler. I have just moved here and don't want to breach any laws when it comes to vehicle mods for off road capapbility well at least not yet.. Just to give you an idea can I install 33's and a small 3" lift package and still be in reg's. I know these are small but it's start. My boss owns a tricked out Land Cruiser and I am already tired of him calling the Wrangler a tonka toy....&^^%$^^^%
Cheers
Jim

[Luke]

From getting my Wrangler certified from NSW rego to ACT, you definately need to make sure the flares extend past the sides of the tyres, and the rear mudguards need to come half way down the tyres also - (to the axle)
Also make sure your tyres aren't coming in contact with the steering arm,

I think lift kits need to have an engineering cert also..

[ssngator]

Thanks Luke appreciate that.

[Benn D]

I believe in Vic there are also regulations that state you can have a suspension lift only up to 2'' before needing an engineers certificate and tyre size can be up to 2 sizes larger than standard.

[jammy jeep]

You will definitely need an engineering certificate for a 3" lift and 33's. If you are getting a shop to do the lift for you, they should have an engineer contact.

[killa]

Try this link, it's the new National Code of Practice for light vehicle mods taken from the WA DPI website. I think each of the states will be slightly different still but they are supposedly working on the same standard.


http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/lic_IB-109A.pdf

http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/safety/road/bulletin/pdf/NCOP11_Section_LS_Suspension_and_steering_3Feb2006 .pdf

[Tommo]

In Vic most places will just lift it (up to 5/6") and put on any tyres you want up to abour 35s, then register it no questions asked.
Never had any inspection probs with 31s and 3" SL + 2" BL, in Vic, and am told the 35s are fine too.
NSW... Tight arses. Qld, even tighter. NT, (surprisingly) pretty tight as well, with yearly inspections etc like NSW... no such drama in Vic.

[deeman111]

just so you know in WA the flares can only be extended 50mm from stock.

Ive found out the hard way. Also have to be careful of the overall height of car as there is a max limit too.

And finally make sure your rims are still within spec and the rolling diameter of the tyre is in the correct numbers.

Can you guess what the pit inspector found on my Mrs car???

-James

[killa]

just so you know in WA the flares can only be extended 50mm from stock.
Got that in writing somewhere?

[ssngator]

What did they find on the Mrs car deeman?

[iann]

so how do people go about this? wing the laws and risk it or do people pay the extra to get it engineered?

[deeman111]

ok i have the pit form here

-Flares to be no wider than 75mm from stock.
-rectify vibration on road test & steering wandering
-no more than 50mm from origional height
-exhaust leak to be rectified


I was given a photocopy with the height and wheel regs but i cant find it ATM (just moved house)

The flares was checked in the DPI modification files. We sat at the pits for 30 mins going through the files trying to work out ways to get the car to pass. The bloke at the pits was a legend and he really helped as much as he could.


So yeah..... anyone know the stud pattern and offset of jeep wheels? any other 4x4 wheels fit them? eg landcruiser patrol etc etc


CHeers
James

[deeman111]

to get things like lift engineered in Perth you need to do a lane change test. Which means you need to hire a fully prepped test track, a qualified test driver, safety people etc etc. Some 4x4 clubs do it and book the track for half a day and get as many people though as possible. But it still costs a few hunderd dollars for each person.

They drive the car at a certain speed and follow the road cones which simulate an emergency lane change. If the car does it safely you pass, if it rolls, you have to fix your car.

if we could afford it we would do it all right, but for new we just need to be mobile

-James

[Tommo]

For less trouble I'd get a post box and/or a mate in another state and register it there.

[jammy jeep]

so how do people go about this? wing the laws and risk it or do people pay the extra to get it engineered?

If you have an accident with your car modified and it isn't engineered (if it needs to be) then your insurance company can refuse to cover you. Hate to run up the back of something big and expensive and be paying it off for the rest of your life. I've seen a lot of people who have wrecked their lives cos they had an accident without insurance.

The engineering is just like insurance - if you can't afford to pay for it, you can't afford to mod your car.

The engineering tests are pretty much the same in NSW/ACT as they are in WA, except you don't have to hire a driver, you can do the driving yourself. It still cost me around $750 for the engineers report, which included use of a dragway for the lane change tests, braking etc...

[Rodgebone]

can an engineering report be transferred from one state to another? for example, we just bought a modified rig in sydney with an engineering cert and brought it back to Perth...will the cert transfer over to WA or will a new cert be needed? we know it has to go over the pits

[Gojeep]

So yeah..... anyone know the stud pattern and offset of jeep wheels? any other 4x4 wheels fit them? eg landcruiser patrol etc etc


CHeers
James
The stud pattern is 5 on 4.5" or 144.3 mm the same as a Ford Falcon and a Rav4 and 2wd Hilux and quite a few more. Only the Falcon comes close to the right hole centre size though which on a Jeep is 71.6 mm and the Falcon 70.7. But strangely the Ford wheels will fit straight onto the front but not the rear without a mod. I had my CrMo axle turned down to match my Ford rims as I needed it done anyway when I fitted my Falcon EA rear disc brake conversion to my new D44 rear rather than opening up the disc which is the other way to go about it. www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoD44EADiscBrakes.htm
The Jeep offset is 33 mm positive or 5.25" of backspacing on a 7" rim. The AU on Falcon is 36 mm positive and pre AU is +6. This +6 is great to run as gives you 4.75" of backspacing which is the least offset you can run on the new regulations.
I actually have a set of my current rims for sale with this offset in 16x8 with 32" MTR's nearly new on them.
http://go.jeep-xj.info/DiscBrakes%20134.jpg
http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/showthread.php?t=64117

[iann]

so for those people whos had their rig lifted 3 and above inches and running 33's+, how do you guys and girls get away with insurance companies? ive met a couple of people in brisbane and the company told them 3 inches and 32s was the biggest they could go (xy). some tjs have 4.5" and 33s. what insurance company is good?

[H.G.]

suncorp metway look after me

[Rodgebone]

i have 4.5" lift and 33s with clayton longarms...QBE said no worries and even wrote it into my policy along with all the other goodies on the rig - all covered except if im on private property....dunno if the engineering cert had a play in that tho

[jammy jeep]

I think you'll find that most insurance companies wont cover you if your car isn't legal - if they notice, of course. Mine was pretty much happy to cover any mods, as long as they were legal. (GIO)

[Tommo]

Most insurers will cover you if your mods are roadworthy. Some have limits on the number and type of mods, but it would be odd for them to be so specific as to limit the amount of lift. they'll either cover it legally lifted, or they won't cover it lifted at all... AAMI covers it lifted. Most do.

[killa]

ok i have the pit form here

-Flares to be no wider than 75mm from stock.
-rectify vibration on road test & steering wandering
-no more than 50mm from origional height
-exhaust leak to be rectified


I was given a photocopy with the height and wheel regs but i cant find it ATM (just moved house)

The flares was checked in the DPI modification files. We sat at the pits for 30 mins going through the files trying to work out ways to get the car to pass. The bloke at the pits was a legend and he really helped as much as he could.


So yeah..... anyone know the stud pattern and offset of jeep wheels? any other 4x4 wheels fit them? eg landcruiser patrol etc etc


CHeers
James
Hey James,

Found this (http://www.dotars.gov.au/transport/safety/road/bulletin/pdf/NCOP6_Section_LH_Body_Modifications_3Feb2006.pdf) looking into body lift regs. I think page 13 might shut those guys in the pits up about the flares.
"Mudguard flares.... there is no restriction on their design or size"