Help interpreting legality of bigger tires and lift in Australia

SPECHA

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Jan 14, 2020
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Adelaide, Australia
Hi everyone,

I live in South Australia - I have bought a 97 Jeep and want to put on bigger tyres and small lift potentially however I’m trying to figure what is actually legal. I’m hoping you could help advise what is the limit based on the legislation link below - I’ve also posted a pic of what’s currently on the car and also the car placard.

Thanks for your input - I’m trying to
Figure it completely but not quite grasping it. I ideally want to put on 33’s with a small lift.

Link to SA guidelines - https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/drivin...rds-and-modifications/suspension-modification

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As your neighbour just over the border in Victoria, good luck modifying your TJ 'legally'. My advice is just don't go too overboard and the police shouldn't really care. You can't even legally run 31's even without a lift.

You can only raise the total height of your Jeep by 50mm (~2"), and only by 25mm through larger tyres (making the largest tyre size possible 30.3" and then you can only run a 1" lift, or you can run a 2" lift with 28.3" tyres).

To be honest, 33's and a small lift really shouldn't get you in any trouble though I wouldn't go any bigger.
 
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As your neighbour just over the border in Victoria, good luck modifying your TJ 'legally'. My advice is just don't go too overboard and the police shouldn't really care. You can't even legally run 31's even without a lift.

You can only raise the total height of your Jeep by 50mm (~2"), and only by 25mm through larger tyres (making the largest tyre size possible 30.3" and then you can only run a 1" lift, or you can run a 2" lift with 28.3" tyres).

To be honest, 33's and a small lift really shouldn't get you in any trouble though I wouldn't go any bigger.

Thank you. How good do the Americans amongst us have it!!
 
Every state is different in Oz with regard to lift laws. However keep it all in proportion, don't let your tyres hang out the flares, have rear mudflaps and you'll be cool.

Easy option is a 2" lift, ARB. is a well respected quality kit (join a 4wd club and receive a reasonable discount at ARB) and buy some 32's. You'll be very happy.
 
I've always thought Australia would be a great place to live but with laws like that maybe they're to close to the california style government.

I've thought the same since joining this board and seeing what our Aussie buds have to put up with. Lift laws?? You'd that that a country with so much space would be a little less draconian with their vehicle requirements, but as it was explained to me by some of the RAAF folks with whom I've worked the population density is pretty high due to everyone being squeezed in on the coast.
 
I've always thought Australia would be a great place to live but with laws like that maybe they're to close to the california style government.
For all of the bullshit in this state, vehicles and how we modify them and the attention that attracts from LE is very low on the list. About the worst thing that ever happens is a mud flap ticket generally as a result of being tacked on during a traffic stop for someone acting a bit stupid. Other than that, they generally just don't care enough to bother you. Wanna drive a lifted TJ Unlimited on the street with 40's, 114" of wheelbase, no doors, no top, and vestigial flares or no flares? Have at it, unless you do something dumb to get their attention, they won't bother you.
 
As I watch all these Utube videos from Australia wit their big tyres and over landing for over 1,000 km. I now have to wonder how they do it. Do they have a chase vehicle just out of camera range to swap out all their tires and winches and lifts every time they leave the sand to fill their fuel tanks?
How is the birthplace of Overlanding restricted to basically keeping their machines factory stock? Hell, over here the dealer can mod a vehicle with basic options more than you guys appear to be allowed.
 
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You can only raise the total height of your Jeep by 50mm
In victoria you can lift any 4x4 to a total of 75 mill (about 3") without an engineers cert, however, there are other requirements like the suspension travel must not be more then something like 2/3 more than stock or something to that effect...

"VicRoads’ new VSI 8 regulation permits “Owner Certified” 4WD ride height increases up to 75mm, with 50mm maximum allowed for suspension lift, plus a 25mm increase resulting from fitment of a tyre with 50mm greater outside diameter, provided the modifications are undertaken using a commercially available lift kit that has been specially designed and tested for the vehicle application. Under the national guidelines, ‘Owner Certified’ lifts are limited to 50mm. "
LINK

I went to the trouble of getting an engineers certificate that involved upgrading the Dana 30. Don't quote me but with an engineers cert you can go up to 150 mill - it will cost you a heap of cash - up to 6G - as you need to go through a lane change test, in addition, If the vehicle rolls during that test you have no comeback, so that's nice.

We have these laws because otherwise you get people lifting way too high and then driving like theres no tomorrow potentially risking the safety of all road users, however, as they did not release the 30" tire option or the rubicon down under it is a problem for us TJ owners, otherwise 33" would be allowed without much trouble.

Side note: They even downgraded the JL rubicon down here in shitvill by removing the 33" tire option, it really sucks, you can't legally fit a 35 on a new JL rubi... (shakes head)
 
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In victoria you can lift any 4x4 to a total of 75 mill (about 3") without an engineers cert, however, there are other requirements like the suspension travel must not be more then something like 2/3 more than stock or something to that effect...

"VicRoads’ new VSI 8 regulation permits “Owner Certified” 4WD ride height increases up to 75mm, with 50mm maximum allowed for suspension lift, plus a 25mm increase resulting from fitment of a tyre with 50mm greater outside diameter, provided the modifications are undertaken using a commercially available lift kit that has been specially designed and tested for the vehicle application. Under the national guidelines, ‘Owner Certified’ lifts are limited to 50mm. "
LINK

I went to the trouble of getting an engineers certificate that involved upgrading the Dana 30. Don't quote me but with an engineers cert you can go up to 150 mill - it will cost you a heap of cash - up to 6G - as you need to go through a lane change test, in addition, If the vehicle rolls during that test you have no comeback, so that's nice.

We have these laws because otherwise you get people lifting way too high and then driving like theres no tomorrow potentially risking the safety of all road users, however, as they did not release the 30" tire option or the rubicon down under it is a problem for us TJ owners, otherwise 33" would be allowed without much trouble.

Side note: They even downgraded the JL rubicon down here in shitvill by removing the 33" tire option, it really sucks, you can legally fit a 33 on a new JL rubi... (shakes head)

You have my condolences.
 
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For all of the bullshit in this state, vehicles and how we modify them and the attention that attracts from LE is very low on the list. About the worst thing that ever happens is a mud flap ticket generally as a result of being tacked on during a traffic stop for someone acting a bit stupid. Other than that, they generally just don't care enough to bother you. Wanna drive a lifted TJ Unlimited on the street with 40's, 114" of wheelbase, no doors, no top, and vestigial flares or no flares? Have at it, unless you do something dumb to get their attention, they won't bother you.
This ^^^

North America has laws which rival Australias.... but the cops thankfully have better things to do.

Fender must cover the tire.
Mud flaps must extend past the axle centerline.
Auxiliary lights must be lower than the factory headlight centerline.
AND there is a law for how high headlights can be which most lifted 4x4s exceed.

Then there is the GVWR.... not an issue for most TJs but for overlanding Tacomas......

We only get away with it cuz our cops are too lazy to enforce the law unless you piss them off.
 
The take away from this is thread is that the Australian government is actually helping you to manage your money by not letting you get in to deep with your TJ and the money pit that is Jeeps :ROFLMAO:
 
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The take away from this is thread is that the Australian government is actually helping you to manage your money by not letting you get in to deep with your TJ and the money pit that is Jeeps :ROFLMAO:
Well yes and then no, as said above...
the cops thankfully have better things to do
And that's pretty much what happens down here in Asstralia
 
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the population density is pretty high due to everyone being squeezed in on the coast.
Like yeah! it's getting hard to move down here in peak hour as all the highways resemble car parks. Road Rage is commonplace and RBT's (Random Breath Testing) always seem to pop up in areas where the traffic is at its worst. It's like the cops find a traffic jam and think, Hmm, this looks like a great place to set up a RBT... sheesh!
 
And that's pretty much what happens down here in Asstralia

Well yes and no. I keep hearing of more and more 4wd's being targetted, latest issue is the roof top tent scenario, where they pull you over and put the vehicles on their mobile scales to check GVM

Frankly its the pickup guys that are causing it. Lots of Ford Rangers with big lifts running 35's then there's the 79 series Toyota guys, most of those guys are close to or over GVM with the really heavy canopies/bar work etc they are running.

As Wombats suggested, engineering is the answer. Theres a fairly exxy but easy formula for getting a JKU on 37's by swapping out the Dana 44's for 60's, issue then is that unless they also get a GVM upgrade at the same time you run into GVM issues.
 
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Well yes and no. Frankly its the pickup guys that are causing it.
So true but it's kinda state by state - someone rolls a modded 4x4 and all of a sudden the cops go into action.

A few years ago they went into overdrive in Vic, mostly booking everyone for wheels hanging out past the guards and mud flaps so that's what motivated me to get cert for 33's and all the suspension mods I've done over the last twenty years.
 
In BC it is illegal to remove the doors. A guy tried to fight his ticket a few years ago for driving doorless altho he had tubular doors on. In court he lost because the manufacturer stated "For Offroad Use Only" and because doors MUST seal to prevent exhaust gasses from entering the cockpit. He lost because tubular doors have no seal to the body.
 
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In BC it is illegal to remove the doors. A guy tried to fight his ticket a few years ago for driving doorless altho he had tubular doors on. In court he lost because the manufacturer stated "For Offroad Use Only" and because doors MUST seal to prevent exhaust gasses from entering the cockpit. He lost because tubular doors have no seal to the body.

Thats the dumbest thing I’ve heard today.