Police querying 2" lift

that's not right chad vic pol can un roadworthy a vehicle and a licensed roadworthy tester nor vic roads can over turn his interpretation of what he or she may think is unroadworthy,cheers warren

Yes, police in Victoria can issue a notice of unroadworthiness to any vehicle they want to for whatever reason, and they're cleared at Vicroads when vehicle is up to standard. So yes, the police on the road can interpret what they like, that doesn't mean they are correct. Police don't check they're up to registration standard, ultimately Vicroads determine whether to register a vehicle.

I would have suggested to the officer that the position of the side intruison beams have not changed in relation to the seating position of the occupants therefore the height of the car is totally irrelavant as you have said Nick as who knows what size car or tree you may hit.
Cheers Craig.............

Correct, oversize BFG's could knock it out of the legality park quite easily. It's not wheel size but tyre size. Mike

If the tyres fitted are the 265/65/17 then this is not an issue as your prado sounds the same as mine [gx 03 with the larger gxl wheels and tyres] as the prado has the dual placard for tyre size attached to car driver door pillar which states that the car can be fitted with the option of 2 different tyre sizes.
The 50mm lift then would also be ok as lifts up to 50mm did not need the engineering permit [which was also part of the recent govt push for reform but fell over discussed on this forum] .There is some rule that the combo of lift plus larger tyre size can cause issue but in your case you should be ok as you have the dual placard that approves your tyre use ,as it would apply to my GX.

The new rims are shown on the receipt as 17X7.5 Grande 6/139.7 and the tyres are shown as BF Goodrich 265/70R17 AT/KO

Lozza

If you are running BF Goodrich 265/70R17 AT/KO on a 120 series Prado in NSW then that may be your challenge.

My understanding is that this profile of tyre is legal in Victoria (and some other States), but illegal in NSW.

George

Hi Lozza

The standard tyre size on the GLX is 265/65R17, so with the 70 series tyres, that will give you over an extra 1" height increase alone.


Cheers


Stephen

Stephen,
Agree and first time I have heard of anyone being warned for it in NSW.

:-)

I've seen 15mm bigger written in official documents and had it told to me by tyre fitters but I have never seen 2" (50mm). I have seen it mentioned on this forum a few times, does anyone know a link that officially confirms it? Cheers, Mike

vehicles standardsrta modifcation standards compliance pages

this is direct from the pdf:

Suspension
Besides assuring a comfortable ride, a vehicle’s suspension system controls wheel movement for handling and road
holding. Manufacturers conduct extensive test programs to develop suitable suspension settings. Adjustments, such
as lowering the vehicle, can upset the suspension characteristics and cause unpredictable handling. Generally, roll
stabilizer bars, axle locating rods, upgraded shock absorbers or upgraded springs may be used provided they are
suitable for the vehicle and are properly fitted. However, the following suspension modifications are not acceptable:
?? Welding forged components such as stub axles or control arms.
?? Fitting longer, non-standard shackles to leaf springs.
?? Fitting any additional components or altering the suspension so that the wheels or tyres may contact any
component under the full range of suspension and steering travel.
?? Fitting any additional components or altering the suspension ride height so that any part of the vehicle other
than a wheel or tyre can contact the road in the event of a tyre deflation.
If major changes to the suspension (such as substitution of a non standard front cross member) are carried out, they
should be done under the strict guidance of an engineering signatory.
Vehicle standards information / No. 6 / Rev. 2.1 / Published 1 November 2007 4
Wheels and tyres
Refer to VSI No.9 Guidelines for alternative wheels and tyres.
Steering
As with suspension systems, a vehicle’s steering system is vital for safety and vehicle manufacturers make considerable
efforts to develop suitable steering geometry. Where any non standard part is used, owners are advised to seek the
assistance of an engineering signatory to assess the structural integrity of the steering system and the adequacy of the
steering geometry under all conditions of steering and suspension movement.
Steering components are fundamental to vehicle safety. Always avoid cutting, welding (or otherwise hot working) any
forged steering components such as pitman arms, drag links or steering knuckles.
Where ADRs 10A, 10B, 10/00 or 10/01 apply, the vehicle’s steering column and steering wheel are designed to
minimise injury to the driver during a crash. In the case of replacement steering wheels (including aftermarket steering
wheels fitted with airbags), owners should seek assurance from the supplier or an engineering signatory that the
vehicle continues to comply with these requirements.
The diameter of the steering wheel affects the driver’s control of the vehicle. A reduction in the steering wheel
diameter will result in increased steering effort and ‘kick back’ from road bumps.
Vehicle Standards Bulletin No. 4 issued by the Department of Transport & Regional Services (DOTARS) covers
conversion requirements for left hand to right hand drive. This publication is available from DOTARS, PO Box 594,
Canberra ACT 2601, T (02) 6274 7111.

there's two links at top that will give you info scroll acrss them
i thought i had seperated them enough when i did it.
sorry

Hi Christopher.

Your first link points to VSI 9 (2003) for the NSW approach to increasing the diameter of a standard tyre.

VSI 9 specifies that "The outside diameter of the wheel and tyre combination must be no more than 15mm over the largest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle and not more than 15mm below the smallest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle."

For some reason NSW has not adopted the national standard. Victoria (and some other States, I think, have).

This means that a 265/70 R17 tyre on a 120 series Prado in NSW does not comply with the NSW standard.

George_M

Now that I have the 265/70 R17 tyres, I'm at a loss what to do here. I could sell them as "near new" for tyres of the correct size, or simply use them up, then replace them with ones of the correct size.

Mate don't worry about it. keep the tyres on and if you get harassed, then go to the cheese cutters. The insurance company wouldn't let you put hugely oversized rubber on your vehicle and still let you run around.

the police officer is being a tosser and trying to give you a hard time. ring the rta if you live in nsw or go and chat to your local rta approve inspection station, they know.

I can tell you now, if from experience with rego checks, as i help my mechanic and have assisted in many, like over 50 of them that your "LEGAL".

the stuff i sent you is just a guideline. and is dated 2007.

you have improved the safety of your vehicle by increased tyres and better suspension. you haven't raised you COG by that much. rememeber once you put all your gear in and a full tank/s of fuel in your vehicle will be around the stock height.

Christopher

Possibly all good advice, but I think it is worth highlighting that insurance companies do not check to ensure modifications you have made comply with the relevant regulations, they’ll assume they do comply and place the onus on you to confirm they do.

The fact they have accepted a list of modifications on the policy is not an endorsement from them that they are acceptable and could lead to them refusing a claim if they are outside the manufacturer’s guidelines or it doesn’t comply for registration purposes...especially if it is a contributing factor in an accident.

You’ve mentioned it a couple of times...so I think it is worth clarifying. Check your policy, it will be in there somewhere for sure.

vehicle modshere is the list of approved mods regarding tyres


on page three it says a vehicle over 1201kg is allowed to go 2 inches or 51mm over standard with adr24.
(below taken from rta website)

Suspension
Besides assuring a comfortable ride, a vehicle’s suspension system controls wheel movement for handling and road
holding. Manufacturers conduct extensive test programs to develop suitable suspension settings. Adjustments, such
as lowering the vehicle, can upset the suspension characteristics and cause unpredictable handling. Generally, roll
stabilizer bars, axle locating rods, upgraded shock absorbers or upgraded springs may be used provided they are
suitable for the vehicle and are properly fitted. However, the following suspension modifications are not acceptable:
?? Welding forged components such as stub axles or control arms.
?? Fitting longer, non-standard shackles to leaf springs.
?? Fitting any additional components or altering the suspension so that the wheels or tyres may contact any
component under the full range of suspension and steering travel.
?? Fitting any additional components or altering the suspension ride height so that any part of the vehicle other
than a wheel or tyre can contact the road in the event of a tyre deflation.
If major changes to the suspension (such as substitution of a non standard front cross member) are carried out, they
should be done under the strict guidance of an engineering signatory.


this says to me ANY EXTREME MODIFICATION IS ENGINEERED REQUIRED"

what it doesn't say is how far the "extreme" mod's can be. So as far as i know a 2" 51mm lift is legal.

With tyres your allowed a maximum of 8 " or 204 mm in width and no more than 2 " 51 mm in height, as the standard tyre from memory is either 15 " or 16" then a 17" tyre is legal. it's on the two links above.

i suggest that you keep a copy of said rta documents in your vehicle with a copy of reciepts, so you can show the cop next time he pulls you over that you a within maximum legal specifications.

Also this little gem "?? Fitting any additional components or altering the suspension ride height so that any part of the vehicle other
than a wheel or tyre can contact the road in the event of a tyre deflation" as the vehicle does not have a great amount of lift and the tyres will allow it to contact ground ( a simple check would be to let one down on flat ground and see if any lift off also take photo's) if no tyre lifts off ground you should be safe.

A toyota nearly always looks as thou it's part of the mile high club after a fresh suspension lift! after a few weeks it will settle down.

I hope my research has helped you

Thank you very much Christopher P. Cheers, Mike

Micheal.

your dead right there.....have some of them check our log books ,only to return to the truck and ask us questions regarding how,what ,when & why about the book.