TrlRnnr

howdy guys and gals. I'm new to the forums here at Yota tech and spent some time reading some of the threads while waiting for my reg permission. I live in Maine and I gotta tell ya it sucks. They recently passed a law saying that no vehicle will pass inspection if the original suspension has been modified or if it has ABS. SO that means that all us part time offroad enthusiasts who make just enough money to put stuff into our rig from time to time to make our offroading experience more enjoyable without going all out, now can't. I mean first it was the actually height laws. The frame heighth can't be a certain height from the ground, blah blah blah. Now this? Your vehicle can't have a tire size two sizes over stock or it won't pass inspection. This state and all of it's new laws concerning vehicles is really starting to p**s me off. I love the state of Maine but when I read about dudes from Oregon with full 4 inches of suspension lift, 3 inch body lift, 35 super swampers, ARB bull bar, winch and all the goodies that all of us dream of having for our own rig, it really makes me think about moving....lol....Sorry to vent first off but I'm always dreaming about what I can do with my rig and how I can mod it and make it more fun to drive off road yet still have it as my daily driver....I don't want to do much to it...just add bigger tires for couple inches of clearance, 4 inch suspension kit, MAYBE a SAS....alright...so I want to do alot to it...but I'd be happy with just some more height and be able to roll on bigger tires. Anyway....Good to be here....Hope I can make some friends and get some advice along the way.

dragr1

iTrader: (3)

Dang, is this for real? How can they pass a law like that?

TrlRnnr

Tell me about it. It's so frustrating. In years past they were atleast a little more lenient. I had an 88 4Runner 22RE, 4" Superlift Suspension lift, 3" body lift 33" Super Swamper Radial TSL's and I ran that all the time around town, everywhere. It was my daily driver. Then the only concern of mine was the frame heighth, which I made sure was legal. But now you can't touch anything. It's rediculous. Unless I have the law wrong and just misunderstood, but to my knowledge that's how it is, you can't touch the suspension and sticker it.

4Hummer

Time to MOVE.. Or buy a honda

Flamedx4

First, Kill all the lawyers. Then start on the polititians....
Or just move to Oregon. Maine is beautiful, but Oregon has it beat. Werd.

Flamedx4

We do have bumper height laws and headlight height laws and fender coverage laws and mudflap laws, but they're pretty loose, and enforcement is pretty lax anyway. Now and then some idiot tries to get a new restriction passed, but the unruly masses rise up and say Hell No! and it doens't happen. Gotta watch for that crap, those polititian love to blow their time on non-issues and avoid real issues...

bamachem

˟˟˟˟, move to Alabama. Beautiful women, beautiful scenery, no restrictions on height/bumpers/other crap and no inspections.

TrlRnnr

lmao....thanks for the advice guys....My sister just moved out to Montana not too long ago and I don't know how many times I've considered moving out there.....BTW....4Hummer...how did you do that convertible conversion....I'm dying to know...I've sat and stared at my runner for I don't know how long trying to figure out where to cut and what I'd need to do...Cause I miss my 88 for that reason alone...the removable top....I'd also like to know if there is anyone else from the forums that anyone knows of that's from Maine and can maybe second this issue and either tell me I'm wrong or confirm it. Thanks again.

03TRDBlack

Just for clarity sake, but did you say that no car would pass inspection if it had ABS!!! Don't the majority of vehicles sold today have ABS? Maybe I read that wrong, please correct me if that is the case.

ChickenLover

So go get a PO box in New Hampshire (or somewhere without those rules) and register the truck there.

Flamedx4

You pretty much got it right. (Except the typo about ABS) Sucks.

MAINE

Headlights: Don't even think about going higher than 54 inches. However, keep in mind that the original suspension cannot be "disconnected," but don't let that stop you from bolting on heavy-duty shocks and overload springs. Other need-to-knows: Don't remove or disconnect the ABS, and the tires can only be two sizes larger than the manufacturer's recommendation. Spring-shackle extensioins are also a no-no.


http://www.truckworld.com/How-To-Tec...lift-laws.html

Flamedx4

If you move to Alabama just avoid Montgomery. Really.

bamachem

I have a Q then, what do they do about 4runners that came from Japan w/ 225/75-15's and then got the 16" wheel package as a port option like on the 2WD limiteds and the SR5's??? They have 265/70-16's but the door stickers says 225/75-15's...

TrlRnnr

bamachem.....actually today I spoke with a salesmen friend of mine at a local Toy Dealership and he was like...."this new law with vehicles with ABS can't be altered in any way won't stick" because of those type things...were the vehicles may be changed from factory to port to destination. There are just too many variables that I think they're going to run into and piss too many people off. And I apologize for not proofreading my earlier post. I did mean that vehicles with ABS can't be altered at all. But after reading the rules and regulations for myself provided by a link from an earlier reply, there are loop holes in the rules which need to be addressed. Like it says simply "vehicles equipped with ABS cannot be altered in any way", then it goes on to say that "suspension lifts are allowable if manufactured by an aftermarket company and installed using all the parts, blah blah blah ".... ......I think I need to actually just talk to a certified inspection station myself and get the actual lowdown. Thanks again for your imput guys.

evilcow

I love North Carolina. We dont even need to have mudflaps here.

Glenn

Seems to me that such laws would outlaw a lot of rigs already on the road. Wouldn't you be grandfathered in if you already had modifications that they are outlawying?

TrlRnnr

Glenn in response I believe that there is no grandfathering in. I believe that if you have an already altered or modified rig then you're not going to be able to resticker that particuliar vehicle until it meets the specified requirements. and THAT is going to piss alot of people off...Cause ya know...alot of us don't have the money to run off and build up a rig just for wheelin. So many of us, like I'm sure everywhere, have a daily driver that we use for our trail rig. I don't mean to seem like I'm whining about how much these new rules suck....but I'm just venting....lol.....

TrlRnnr

evilcow......my dad lives in NC also...where is Concord?

mtxride

welcome to the formus TrlRnnr, laws like that suck.

Oregon rocks!! I love that place. (just had to say that)

Flamedx4

Unless you have inspection stickers they usually just use laws like as an excuse for the blatant guys (or for probably cause... ) but with inspections it's tough isn't it? Stupid, really, that they can't balance a budget or properly fund schools but they think they need to prevent you from having a reasonable lift kit. Or at best, they realise there are some unsafe rigs out there but don't bother to find out what is reasonable and what isn't before they make a bill. How do those laws get passed anyway? Here we've voted down some stupid proposals in the past few years, and they learn from that.
Make your wishes known - write them, vote, throw burning bags of poop on their doorstep, something!!