leaglity of ride height...

[mikinoz]

Yes well tyres are dangerous if you don't inflate them..

But you can get 10mm lower without air in them.

[JustCruisn]

You dont get any rubbing of you front swaybar do you?

No none - well only once on the track at full tilt over a ripple strip and into a ditch.

[Manaz]

Because most people are idiots. They also like to complain and shoot people down. Makes them feel important. Plain and simple.

The funny thing is that spacers aren't dangerous. Yet lowering your car a long way can be very dangerous.

I think even my Caddy technically is bordering on illegal for ride height. I should check for interest sake.

Spacers CAN be dangerous if they're poorly made or poorly installed. I've seen examples of spacers fitted without longer bolts resulting in only a few threads holding the wheels to the hubs, I've also seen non-hub/wheel centric spacers used with the wheel studs/bolts being used to locate the wheel on the hub rather than just hold it on. Both are incredibly dangerous situations.

Of course, lowering cars to stupid levels can also be incredibly dangerous, throwing the suspension geometry completely out of wack, cut springs which can fall out when the suspension extends, etc.

As Tim said, the dangerous bit is general the owner though.

Of course, there's also often a difference between "legal" and "safe".

I'm sure my Bora wouldn't clear a coke can. But I'm with Yevvy in wondering if the front was any higher than 100mm at stock ride height...

[Spyda]

Because most people are idiots. They also like to complain and shoot people down. Makes them feel important. Plain and simple.

True.

[McDub]

OK I went and measured my clearances.
I have a Mk4 GTI with Eibach springs. It sits about 30mm lower than stock.
The side rails are 115mm at the front and 116mm at the rear.
Front valance is 115mm.
Lowest part below the control arms is 111mm.

* All measured with a builder's standard tape measure.

ok i measured my mk4 gti which is stock ride height (or should i say stock suspension, as ride height would decrease slightly over time)
lowest solid part of the car from a quick inspection was the sump which was about 135mm off the ground. The inner chasis rails that you use to support the car sometimes (not the pinch rails, they were about 145mm), were a touch over 140mm
But the lowest point was actually the trailing edge of that plastic guard that attached to the front valance, it has low points close to each side of the front wheels (i know a little hard to explain without a pic...), but the height of that was about 110mm!!!
So that would probably have been 122mm out of the factory, so i'm guessing that is probably the lowest point of the car they are talking about in terms of clearance.
Although going over a speed bump, this part of the car raises up...
but still if i dropped the car just 25mm, this part of my car would be 85mm from the ground...
is it allowed to be a bit lower inline with the wheels? and what if it's just a plastic guard?

[dado]

first thing insurance will check is your wheels,that is a routine inspection that they carry when assesing damage on the car, so if you are runing non standard size wheels you may be in trouble already.when you are trying to improve 'modify' your car you should do it properly and safe and not worry too much about if it is legal or not, otherwise just keep it stock. it's not worth the headache! your car would have to be really f...up... so they would think of canceling your policy.

[Preen59]

Spacers CAN be dangerous if they're poorly made or poorly installed. I've seen examples of spacers fitted without longer bolts resulting in only a few threads holding the wheels to the hubs, I've also seen non-hub/wheel centric spacers used with the wheel studs/bolts being used to locate the wheel on the hub rather than just hold it on. Both are incredibly dangerous situations.

You flawed your own argument. ANYTHING is dangerous if it is poorly made or fitted by someone who is incompetent. You can die by your own kitchen knife if you lack the skills or common sense to use it correctly.

[GTom]

the 100mm is measured from the centre of the vehicle (B pillar area)

On top of the above there's also a measurement from the ground to the centre of the headlights (i think from memory it's can;t be lower than 590mm)

And also a gap between the tyres and fender (the size of the gap I'm not sure but it's one of those ambiguous ones)

My car satisfies most of the above or comes very close to the standards.

[dylan8]

the 100mm is measured from the centre of the vehicle (B pillar area)

On top of the above there's also a measurement from the ground to the centre of the headlights (i think from memory it's can;t be lower than 590mm)

And also a gap between the tyres and fender (the size of the gap I'm not sure but it's one of those ambiguous ones)

My car satisfies most of the above or comes very close to the standards.

not arguing or anything, but where did you get those from? is that for NSW?

how does that work with cars with low mounted headlights? and every second car is tucking tyre, that would be a odd way to measure things.

Dont the police just have a ball 100mm in diameter on a pole, and if it jams under the car your below the limit?

[McDub]

the 100mm is measured from the centre of the vehicle (B pillar area)

i don't think that's right according to this

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_05_-_vehicle_dimension_limits_nov_2007.pdf

"3. Ground Clearance
A vehicle or combination must have a ground clearance of:
a. at least 100mm at any point within 1 metre of an axle; and
b. at least one-thirtieth of the distance between the centres of adjacent axles at the mid-point
between them; and
c. at any other point - at least the distance that allows the vehicle or combination to pass over
a peak in a road, the gradient on either side of which is 1:15, when the wheels of one axle
of the vehicle or combination are on the slope on one side of the peak and the wheels
of the next axle are on the slope on the other side."

seems you may have mixed up A and B

But still, makes me wonder if it matters that the plastic guard under my car counts, i wouldn't think so, but who knows.

[dylan8]

But still, makes me wonder if it matters that the plastic guard under my car counts, i wouldn't think so, but who knows.

drop it on its guts and find out.

i bet you'll do damage to your car before the law pays one bit of interest

[McDub]

drop it on its guts and find out.

i bet you'll do damage to your car before the law pays one bit of interest

probably true, but i'm more concerned with the insurance side of things rather than the defect side of things.
i'm just surprised that the lowest point on my stock height car is 110mm!
which suggests a very minor drop of just 10mm will make it illegal... though this suggests to me that it's more the solid parts of the car, and that they shouldn't care about a plastic belly/guard, which if you really wanted to you could just remove anyway!

[Manaz]

You flawed your own argument. ANYTHING is dangerous if it is poorly made or fitted by someone who is incompetent. You can die by your own kitchen knife if you lack the skills or common sense to use it correctly.

Out of control cars have a LOT more potential for damage than a kitchen knife.

I'm playing devils advocate here btw. It's not a rule I agree with - it'd be so much more sensible to put an ADR together for such things and say "right, if it meets the ADRs, it's OK." But governments aren't about being sensible...

[GTom]

i don't think that's right according to this

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/downloads/vsi/vsi_05_-_vehicle_dimension_limits_nov_2007.pdf

Yep you're right on the measurements. Most of the info that I got came from HWP.

There's an ADR on the headlights I'm trying to find it, It's in the vehicle lighting ADR.

[simza]

in tassie the car has to be same ride height as show room floor.. if its lower then its illegal and therefore not insurable.. which is kinda poo really.. so each state is different.