Topic: Hellaflush, Dumped, Slammed (dropped to the fender with protruding wheels)

[Fobroader]

In NB, the cops can give you some kind of compliance request. You have to get your car inspected and they can fail you for a variety of reasons. The 4x4 crowd used to have a lot of issues with lifted vehicles not getting a pass. One of the benefits of annual inspections.

When I used to offroad, there used to be a few guys with the sketchiest setups you can ever think of......luckily, the majority of them used to trailer their crap to the trail head.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Any non factory approved alterations to vehicle suspension geomoty should be illegal. Period.

Are you saying if I wanted to put after market springs on my car to drop it by 0.5 inches, that would be illegal but the VW sport springs that drop my car by 0.5 inches would be legal?

No, If VW says its okay to drop 0.5 inches then it's okay.

Why?? There are many, many cars that have been improved by aftermarket modifications, especially older ones. A 60's muscle car on a modern frame, with modern suspension and brakes is a hell of a lot safer than how it came out of the factory. I would say most of the people out there that modify their cars do it so they perform better, not lets cut springs and re-shape a-arms with a torch type of yahoos.

Dunno man. For a while, I saw quite a few people lift trucks using hockey pucks and longer leaf spring u-bolts.

[Snowman]

Any non factory approved alterations to vehicle suspension geomoty should be illegal. Period.

Are you saying if I wanted to put after market springs on my car to drop it by 0.5 inches, that would be illegal but the VW sport springs that drop my car by 0.5 inches would be legal?

No, If VW says its okay to drop 0.5 inches then it's okay.

Why?? There are many, many cars that have been improved by aftermarket modifications, especially older ones. A 60's muscle car on a modern frame, with modern suspension and brakes is a hell of a lot safer than how it came out of the factory. I would say most of the people out there that modify their cars do it so they perform better, not lets cut springs and re-shape a-arms with a torch type of yahoos.

The line has to be drawn someplace. I get that cars and trucks can be improved so to resolve abuses they would require a inspection certificate...,..like Sir o said, an annual inspection to weed out the retards.

[Fobroader]

Any non factory approved alterations to vehicle suspension geomoty should be illegal. Period.

Are you saying if I wanted to put after market springs on my car to drop it by 0.5 inches, that would be illegal but the VW sport springs that drop my car by 0.5 inches would be legal?

No, If VW says its okay to drop 0.5 inches then it's okay.

Why?? There are many, many cars that have been improved by aftermarket modifications, especially older ones. A 60's muscle car on a modern frame, with modern suspension and brakes is a hell of a lot safer than how it came out of the factory. I would say most of the people out there that modify their cars do it so they perform better, not lets cut springs and re-shape a-arms with a torch type of yahoos.

Dunno man. For a while, I saw quite a few people lift trucks using hockey pucks and longer leaf spring u-bolts.

Tell me about it....saw a 70s Ford pickup with a wood 4x4 installed under the leafs for a lift kit......  I agree, some sort of inspection would be a great idea. Now, whos going to form the oversight committee to make sure that the mechanics doing the inspection arent prescribing work to be done for extra income?? Also, how do you train said mechanics to know whats an acceptable mod and a hacked together, trailer park, "f$%k ya, she'll hold!!" garbage??

[johngenx]

Germany has a solution: lowering springs, etc, have to be approved prior to being sold.  So, those unstable stupid big lift kits could be made illegal as they're unsafe, but well engineered ones could be sold and installed.  We don't need to kill modding to ensure that cars/tracks are roadworthy.

[pi314]

Any non factory approved alterations to vehicle suspension geomoty should be illegal. Period.

Are you saying if I wanted to put after market springs on my car to drop it by 0.5 inches, that would be illegal but the VW sport springs that drop my car by 0.5 inches would be legal?

No, If VW says its okay to drop 0.5 inches then it's okay.

The one issue I could see with that is it could end up meaning nothing is approved due to liability issues - for example, my 2011 Corolla is rated to tow 1500 lbs but the 2012 is not rated to tow (same car)... same with 2012 vs 2013 focus.

There's definitely a difference between reasonable modifications ( I think Dkaz's lowering of his minivan is fine ) and the excessive helaflush and lifting of cars 

[rrocket]

as you say, it's a fad, and it's clearly dangerous.

(i mean, just look at that suspension...  look at how much stress the knuckles and axles would be under always at that angle, not only that the size of the tire contact patch...)



But i still say lifted trucks should be banned first.

With how bad our roads are in Edmonton, I would say one of these hellaflush idiots are a lot bigger liability to others. With their balljoints, tierods and bushings at their absolute limit, one wrong pothole and you are done for. I don't know, the drivers of the lifted trucks are the biggest danger about those things, the actual vehicles are fine.

Yes.  And let's ban the opposite of these cars: Lifted pickup trucks and SUVs....just as much as a handling menace.  And I see far, far more lifted pickups/SUVs than I do hella-slammed cars.

[Hannibalsmith]

One could argue an 1951 MG roadster, with tiny tires, no roll bar, and antiquated brakes poses more danger on the road. Somehow I suspect we would all be reaching for our pitchforks if the government suddenly decided to make these illegal on the road.

[tpl]

Many of the lifted pickups and Jeeps that I have seen  should be/could be taken off the road because their lights and bumpers are no longer within the government height limits.  Headlights ( often with aftermarket xenon systems) that are 6" to 1 foot above the legislated height limits are very dangerous at night.

Anyway...do what you like offroad but unless the vehicle is trailered to the off road site then it must meet the regulations of a road vehicle.

[rrocket]

Many of the lifted pickups and Jeeps that I have seen  should be/could be taken off the road because their lights and bumpers are no longer within the government height limits.  Headlights ( often with aftermarket xenon systems) that are 6" to 1 foot above the legislated height limits are very dangerous at night.

Anyway...do what you like offroad but unless the vehicle is trailered to the off road site then it must meet the regulations of a road vehicle.

This.  I see no distinction between slammed cars and lifted trucks.

But the slammed cars are usually imports owned by younger people....so they are on the radar.  The police love their bogeyman.  First it was "street racers", now this..

[Snowman]

Many of the lifted pickups and Jeeps that I have seen  should be/could be taken off the road because their lights and bumpers are no longer within the government height limits.  Headlights ( often with aftermarket xenon systems) that are 6" to 1 foot above the legislated height limits are very dangerous at night.

Anyway...do what you like offroad but unless the vehicle is trailered to the off road site then it must meet the regulations of a road vehicle.

Well said, and I agree completely.

[mmret]

A proper annual inspection program would be wonderful. The money from fines can help defray some of the cost too.

[rrocket]

A proper annual inspection program would be wonderful. The money from fines can help defray some of the cost too.

Yea, just like the Drive Clean program....money that is doing squat for the province and the environment.   

[mmret]

A proper annual inspection program would be wonderful. The money from fines can help defray some of the cost too.

Yea, just like the Drive Clean program....money that is doing squat for the province and the environment.   

Drive Clean is garbage, but that's because its poorly designed. It doesn't follow that all testing is garbage.

[rrocket]

A proper annual inspection program would be wonderful. The money from fines can help defray some of the cost too.

Yea, just like the Drive Clean program....money that is doing squat for the province and the environment.   

Drive Clean is garbage, but that's because its poorly designed. It doesn't follow that all testing is garbage.

When it's run and implemented by the province it usually is..

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Any non factory approved alterations to vehicle suspension geomoty should be illegal. Period.

Are you saying if I wanted to put after market springs on my car to drop it by 0.5 inches, that would be illegal but the VW sport springs that drop my car by 0.5 inches would be legal?

No, If VW says its okay to drop 0.5 inches then it's okay.

Why?? There are many, many cars that have been improved by aftermarket modifications, especially older ones. A 60's muscle car on a modern frame, with modern suspension and brakes is a hell of a lot safer than how it came out of the factory. I would say most of the people out there that modify their cars do it so they perform better, not lets cut springs and re-shape a-arms with a torch type of yahoos.

Dunno man. For a while, I saw quite a few people lift trucks using hockey pucks and longer leaf spring u-bolts.

Tell me about it....saw a 70s Ford pickup with a wood 4x4 installed under the leafs for a lift kit......  I agree, some sort of inspection would be a great idea. Now, whos going to form the oversight committee to make sure that the mechanics doing the inspection arent prescribing work to be done for extra income?? Also, how do you train said mechanics to know whats an acceptable mod and a hacked together, trailer park, "f$%k ya, she'll hold!!" garbage??

In NB for the safety sticker, if the car doesn't pass, the mechanic just slaps a failed sticker on your windshield. You then have two weeks to get it fixed. You can do the work yourself, get another shop to do it, or get the original mechanic to do it.

When it came to major modifications to the chassis or running gear, IIRC, you had to get a mechanical engineer to sign off on the work. Pretty hard to get that done, as most didn't want the liability. So they just never got certification and had to be trailered.

There was a guy that worked for us years ago that had a pile of money into a TJ. He couldn't get it passed. I can't remember the details, but it was a pretty egregious process. He eventually stripped most of the mods off, and sold it. He left the company about that time or I'd see if he could get me more details.

[blotter]

Germany has a solution: lowering springs, etc, have to be approved prior to being sold.  So, those unstable stupid big lift kits could be made illegal as they're unsafe, but well engineered ones could be sold and installed.  We don't need to kill modding to ensure that cars/tracks are roadworthy.

that might be the best solution.   The Government has safety standards / requirement for all new cars.
They should have the same applied to the entire aftermarket industry (cars & trucks)

If it doesn't meet those standards than it should be illegal on public roads (excluding offroad and tracks)

I'm not sure "annual inspections" would work per say.  I'm sure some would work around that by changing some mods for inspection day.   Maybe something like MTO's truck inspections.   Some operation that's available to send someone to but it's random.   Busted driving something that looks illegal?  Give them a date with an inspection place.   I don't know, something like that.   

Any mods outside new safety approved stuff means having to trailer the vehicle to tracks / offroad locations.