Reques for comment on proposed new vehicle standards document for NSW registations

[r1chard]

I just received an email about the new vehicle standards which will be applied in NSW to raising and lowering of vehicles (I signed an online petition protesting the proposed laws some time ago, presume that is why I got the email). Download the the PDF document here (http://rg.id.au/ausjeepoffroad1/New_VSI-50_Doc.pdf). Perhaps NSW people may have comments for their NSW government representatives.


Dear Richard

This morning, I obtained a copy of the Keneally Labor Government's latest plans to introduce their long-feared harsh new vehicle suspension regulations.

A copy of Labor's latest VSI-50 regulation can be found here.

I am in the process of going through the document and speaking with affected 4WDers and car enthusiasts.

Please email me and let me know what you think of Labor's latest vehicle height regulations.

Regards


Andrew Stoner
andrew.stoner@nationals.org.au

[glend]

Yeah, I received that this morning as well. Thankfully my lift was done a couple of years ago and this is not retrospective but you can bet the over zealous or uninformed inspection guys will not get that point. You can self certify up to 50mm but better keep all your receipts. Doesn't seem to have many changes as a result of discussions with the 4WD Assocation so I'd like to hear from them about what was negotiated.

[Toff]

Got the same email.
Might not be calling us hoons now, but 4x4s are targeted.
Might be able to self certify, but need to do this AND tell the RTA.
NSW Govt needs to get the boot.

[carvesdodo]

Got the same email.
Might not be calling us hoons now, but 4x4s are targeted.
Might be able to self certify, but need to do this AND tell the RTA.
NSW Govt needs to get the boot.

Yeah funny how it was all about "hoons" in lowered ricers and now predominantly targets 4x4s .....

Wonder which "pedestrian" had a hand in that .... :rolleyes:


All state govts need to get the boot .....

Bunch of double dipping, money takers, wasting even more time and money dreaming up dozy legislation that is already covered more than adequately - with federal legislation.

Pfffttttttt.

[Will239]

i read the whole thing. seems better than the last revision.

Hopefully my bar work will weigh me down enough to be within 50mm, but i doubt it.

Also, are vsi 9 and vsi 50 cumulative ie, if you have 15mm increased tyre diamater, that means your allowed 42.5mm increased trim height without engineering approval?

Or are you allowed 15mm plus 50mm without engineering approval?

[glend]

I gathered that VSI 50 only refers to 'trim height' or the suspension lift component and that undre VSI 9 you still get the 15mm tyre lift - thus cumulative 65mm over stock "from the ground" to the fender guard upper lip. But does it really matter as if you lift is already done your not covered by VSI-50 but only the previous regs - which were what?

[r1chard]

Also, are vsi 9 and vsi 50 cumulative ie, if you have 15mm increased tyre diamater, that means your allowed 42.5mm increased trim height without engineering approval?

Or are you allowed 15mm plus 50mm without engineering approval?

Page 11, 2nd paragraph of the draft suggests to me they are not cumulative - but since your 'bigger' wheels can only result in a 7.5mm increase vehicle height (i.e. half of the increase in diameter), it hardly matters...

VSI 9 is here - http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi09_rev4.pdf

http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/pls/wwws/pubrvcs.Notify_Search should show you the specs for your vehicle from which you base the calculations of lift (although the tyres/wheel combo for my JK isn't shown on the spec for my vehicle)...

Frankly I am surprised the tolerances for spring manufacture allow for sufficient consistency for any of this to be meaningful.

-R

[Will239]

But does it really matter as if you lift is already done your not covered by VSI-50 but only the previous regs - which were what?

Is this true???

Cheers

[r1chard]

I gathered that VSI 50 only refers to 'trim height' or the suspension lift component and that undre VSI 9 you still get the 15mm tyre lift - thus cumulative 65mm over stock "from the ground" to the fender guard upper lip. But does it really matter as if you lift is already done your not covered by VSI-50 but only the previous regs - which were what?

Yes it says the new regulation won't be applied retrospectively to bigger lifts, so long as you have had that lift certified by an RTA Certified Signatory.

Effectively then from VSI-50, for the sake of raising a vehicle, simply allows to self certify up to a 50mm lift, and anything beyond that, whether done in the present or past, requires a signatory, and 150mm is the maximum lift which can be certified.

-R

[AussieCJ7]

4WD was speaking about the Vic ones the other week and they seem to be heading toward 75mm max making a 50mm lift + 50mm larger tyre to give 75mm total

This seems to make more sense to me than a straight 50mm unless they dont count increased tyre size

I am not against the concept of a limit that is self certified and then engineer cert after this but that is what we have today what I am against is a blacket rule that an engineer can certify to I would prefer a system that the engineer was free to certify any size lift and tyre as long as it meets the relevant safety requirements

As someone who has full engineers cert what p's me of is those who dont have a cert and complain about being busted

[glend]

I had a look at the Road Vehicle Descriptor database that is mentioned in the VSI-50 doco and many Jeeps are not there at all. It is suppose to have height data for vehicles from 1999 onward (lucky ones with Jeeps before then). The Wrangler is there, as is the KK and the Grand, but absolutely nothing on the KJ. If you page down to the bottom of the RVD sheets you'll find the trimheight data.

Here is the link to the trim height search engine:

http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/pls/w....Notify_Search

Here is the results of the Wrangler search:

http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/pls/w...ep+Wrangler+JK

There are a few of these but go down to the RVD section (Road Vehicle Descriptor) and have a look at this one:

http://rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au/perl/...2007143139.cmd

It has the trim height measurements down at the bottom. Not all of the RVDs for the Wranglers include this data, lots of stuff missing from most so I have to assume they will use one (like the one above as the height reference). Probably a good reason to hire yet another bureacrat to fill in the blanks.

[r1chard]

Does anyone know how much do the guys on the RTA approved list typically charge?

Here's the list: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_15_engineering_signatories_rev_20_23march_2010 .pdf

Seems like they might be about to be getting a lot of new work soon!

On the whole though, if I can get a legal 3" or 4" lift to give my JK Unlimited a better ramp-over, I'd love that, it's probably not a job I'd do myself, and as a fairly DIY level mechanic, the scope of anything beyond simply swapping out springs and shocks, I would probably pay for anyway.

I'd love some legally bigger wheels too...

And I am sure that there are plenty of people in regional areas who'd like to be legal with the vehicles which they need to modify to handle the conditions out there on a day to day basis.