Washington State lift laws BLOW!!!

[El Toro]

so i was kicking around and found some WAC laws.

http://www.wsp.wa.gov/traveler/cvd/pasequip.htm

scroll down to the lift section and read about max lift for a car........22in!

now i was wondering if you could say that your rig was a SUV and qualify for higher lift? any one have problems with the fuzz and if so how did you handle it ( and i don't mean"give the guy a dirty look". i figure thats automatic)

[A DOG]

22in is a lot of lift. My 4runner has 10in of lift and I wouldn't want anymore than that. 22in of lift you could fit like 52in michelins. Good thing montana doens't have many lift laws.

[MSSLGECKO]

"*(Measured from ground to the bottom of the bumper)"

 

That's lame. I think it said that you can have 3 or 4 inches of body lift . . .

[El Toro]

"*(Measured from ground to the bottom of the bumper)"

 

That's lame. I think it said that you can have 3 or 4 inches of body lift . . .

yeah but i wonder if the bumper law supersedes the lift rule?

[Sweet82]

I'd bet your car is not a car? ...and therefore does not fall under that restriction!

 

I'd bet it's an SUV or a Truck.

My Forester is not a car according to DOT.:-p

[MSSLGECKO]

I'd bet your car is not a car? ...and therefore does not fall under that restriction!

 

I'd bet it's an SUV or a Truck.

My Forester is not a car according to DOT.:-p

I think subaru made this change in the 2000's and before that all their vehicles were cars including the Brat where the bed is a passenger compartment, thus the jump seats.

[Roundeye]

That's not entirely a bad thing. Bumper height for vehicles using any public road SHOULD be regulated.

 

Why? Think about just how many stupid people are behind steering wheels every day. Now imagine some behind the wheel of a truck/Jeep/whatever with a bumper (or whatever the lowest structure is that forms the leading edge of the vehicle) 3 feet above pavement level. Knowing that Murphy is alive and well, imagine that you are sitting at an intersection waiting for a light and you are in a "regular" vehicle......some dumb-azz in a monster vehicle can't/doesn't stop. You would surely be crushed and said dumb-azz would hopefully be crushed as well in the ensuing rollover.

 

Bumper height is restricted for a reason. Even on semi trucks and buses. This is to cause a vehicle that is hit to be pushed instead of ran over (flipping the "hitting" vehicle as well and possibly launching it into others).

 

It's just good common sense. Lift something as high as you want, just keep the bumper a sane height. Make it removable/folding for severe off-road use.

[GeneralDisorder]

I think subaru made this change in the 2000's and before that all their vehicles were cars including the Brat where the bed is a passenger compartment, thus the jump seats.

 

86, and 87 Brat's where imported as trucks. No seats. Before that all the 4WD's (including the wagon, etc) are classified as an "MPV" or multi-purpose vehicle. Not a simple passenger car, and thus not applicable to those laws.

 

Reality is that no cop is going to mess with you, as a mildly lifted Subaru doesn't look "too big" - the most you will get is a warning about tires sticking out past the fenders.

 

GD

[Hodaka Rider]

I saw a f'n huge F-series in Kelowna (no, you're right, that's not WA)

The bumper was just over the top of a chain-link fence. Yah, about 4' high. Now THAT's retarded. Obviously, the roid-monkey driving it has 0 regard for anyone else on the road.

[GeneralDisorder]

I saw a f'n huge F-series in Kelowna (no, you're right, that's not WA)

The bumper was just over the top of a chain-link fence. Yah, about 4' high. Now THAT's retarded. Obviously, the roid-monkey driving it has 0 regard for anyone else on the road.

 

Probably compensating for something.

 

GD

[syphon]

Look at the license plate to determine if a vehicle is a "car" or a "truck" (in WA state at least). A "car" has a license plate in the format of ###-XXX (3 numbers followed by 3 letters) while a truck is #####-X (5 numbers, 1 letter).

 

I think the truck format has changed, but since I don't own a truck, I'm not positive on that. The point still stands though, you can determine what the vehicle is legally considered by looking at the license plate.

[Turbone]

Not true. A car can have that type of plate, its a commercial plate.

The regs for bumper heigth go by GVW. So a car has 22in and a BFTruck will have a GVW thats much higher. So its bumper is can be much higher.

And if you have more than 4in of body lift from the frame, its illeagal also.

So my Hatch is waaaay out of the ballpark on a few on the list.

[4x4_Welder]

Basically, the cops don't bother you unless you don't have mudflaps or you're driving like an rump roast. I have a friend over in Spokane that has an F-250 supercab that is clearing 40's, hasn't gotten in any trouble over it. There is a newer Super Duty in the area here with somewhere around 30" of lift, he just has quick-detach bumpers and lights mounted on the axles. I talked with him, his neighbor is a cop and nobody gives him any problems. From what I understand, since there isn't any inspection in this state, lift only becomes an issue when you get in an accident, act stupid, or the cops are bored.

[Andyjo]

you get pulled over for not having mudflaps?

hmmm... i left most of mine on a trail in NY somewhere

I agree w/ the bumper height thing, you don't want to go flipping people over.... and as for the huge trucks, with 12" lifts, and 35"+ tires... honestly, how offten do they really go offroading? why have such a monstrosity, if you're not going to abuse the snot out of it?

 

on a side note... one of my friends' sisters' boyfriend has one of those trucks... and i still have more diff clearance than him

[4x4_Welder]

I used to have an 84 F250 4x4 with 6" lift and 35" mud terrains (BTW, a Sube with 35's and 12" lift might look right, trucks look like toys), it got used at least weekly, sometimes more. I did drive it out here, but I still wheeled it weekly until I rolled it. But that was because the spring bushings wore out, and the axle flexed over in a turn. Wound up on it's side in a ditch, rolled it back up, and drove it home.

The truck I am building now will have 6" lift, and 38" tires, and will be flogged twice a week or more often, in the name of advertising for my company. If I can get away with it, it will be in the woods 5-7 days a week.

[heep70]

I used to have an 84 F250 4x4 with 6" lift and 35" mud terrains (BTW, a Sube with 35's and 12" lift might look right, trucks look like toys), it got used at least weekly, sometimes more. I did drive it out here, but I still wheeled it weekly until I rolled it. But that was because the spring bushings wore out, and the axle flexed over in a turn. Wound up on it's side in a ditch, rolled it back up, and drove it home.

The truck I am building now will have 6" lift, and 38" tires, and will be flogged twice a week or more often, in the name of advertising for my company. If I can get away with it, it will be in the woods 5-7 days a week.

 

Thought you was building a Subaru? What ya got going now?

[4x4_Welder]

You know most of my projects-

I'm just trying to keep the Sube running now, I put a new engine in my 69 F-250, and I need to at least make the 72 able to be moved so I can move.

With the truck on the road, I can do the 5speed, lift, and t-case swap on the Hatch.

Lots of projects, tomorrow I get my new truck pusher- converted heavy commercial walk behind tiller, set up with a bumper and chain to shove stuff around. Should be interesting.

[heep70]

Yes, I know all about the to many projects issues.

[El Toro]

you get pulled over for not having mudflaps?

hmmm... i left most of mine on a trail in NY somewhere

I agree w/ the bumper height thing, you don't want to go flipping people over.... and as for the huge trucks, with 12" lifts, and 35"+ tires... honestly, how offten do they really go offroading? why have such a monstrosity, if you're not going to abuse the snot out of it?

 

on a side note... one of my friends' sisters' boyfriend has one of those trucks... and i still have more diff clearance than him

nothing makes me smile more than a subie with more diff clearance!! the other day i parked next to a lifted dodge...looked insane...he saw my rig and was all"you of road that thing?! he he" and responded "yes the clearance on a Subaru is pretty good." he then proceeded to look under and saw how much clearance at the diff i had. he gets up all pissed and said" i paid 6 grand in lift and tires and you have more clearance than me!!!! i don't think it helped that i told him i only had $20 invested in el toro. i digres...the hole thing about the headlight law you know they do not enforce that one....gues i should upgrade my mud flaps.

[ezapar]

The only ticket I've had in about 15 years is for no mudflaps. Got it in Tumwater from a cop driving a Suburban with no mudflaps. Guy was a total wongleflute. Even though my car was clean, he came up screaming at me asking why I had no mudflaps. Screamed on about how tires like my (28 inch) swampers throw big rocks and big rocks kill motorcycle riders.

 

So when I sent the 70 bucks to the Tumwater court, I put "To pay the toll to the little troll for passing thru the mighty city of Tumwater" on the money order.

And on the envelope I wrote "Fight Corruption!".

 

 

So since, I always make sure I have mudflaps.

 

Crap, come to think of it, I got pulled over when I was 19 driving my 69 mustang. I had big rump roast tires on it and air shocks. Cap gave me a ticket for no mudflaps. The tires stuck out more than 1 and 1 half inches and the center of the tire was below the bottom of the car.

[El Toro]

come to think of it my stock flaps probably do not go down far enough to be considered legal. hope i can find some withe the 4WD logo like the stock ones...

[subaruguru]

bumper i guess is lagit but the mud flap thing is so FKNG supid if i was to have flaps that arnt on my bumper (like in the stock location) thay would be 3 inches long cause thats aobut how far my car sets above the mid tire range

 

as for fender flares your tires should be alowed 3 inches mine only stick out 1/2 to 1 inch and i got sited for it wongleflute cops!

[nipper]

In new york there used to be a law stating how high ones vehical can be. Now all I can find is the NYS inspection regulation stating that headlamps lamps have to be 24-52" off the ground, and tail lamps 15-72" off the ground.

 

There is a max height of 13 1/2 feet in NYS (after that your an oversized vehical). We have a few pickup trucks lifted that high (surf fisihing)

 

I would think that WA would be more liberal.

[Rooinater]

Not true. A car can have that type of plate, its a commercial plate.

The regs for bumper heigth go by GVW. So a car has 22in and a BFTruck will have a GVW thats much higher. So its bumper is can be much higher.

And if you have more than 4in of body lift from the frame, its illeagal also.

So my Hatch is waaaay out of the ballpark on a few on the list.

 

your frame is the grey area rob. you have that subframe, which technically leaves your body lift at 4".... i don't worry about it. unless your going to evan's creek, they randomly check. it's just the bumper height that both of are cars are out of regs.

 

as for the fender flares... it used to be 1.5" allowed to stick out. but they changed that to none. generally though, if you put some big old mud flaps on they can't tell. most people that i've heard of getting pulled over for it, initially were pulled over for mud flaps, then cited for the fender flares.