THIS REALLY FRIGN SUX. HAVE A READ TO WHAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WANTS TO DO WITH LIFTS.
ACT NOW - FIGHT UNFAIR 4WD MODIFICATION RULES
Fellow 4WD enthusiasts,
Today is the day we must stand up for ourselves as 4WDers.
You have been branded “car hoons†by the NSW Minister for Roads.
I will not accept my fellow 4WDers, readers of 4WD Action magazine, being branded as car hoons simply because we choose to enjoy 4WDing in properly, safely modified 4WDs.
We, as responsible 4WDers have never needed each other’s support as much as we do today. It is time to act now or have our chosen lifestyle unfairly limited by regulations based on false information.
The news
We became aware on Thursday 16th July of a press release issued by the NSW Minister for Roads, Michael Daley describing severe restrictions to suspension lifts. So many of you have publicly displayed your opposition to this on our forums and via email. We share your surprise and disapproval.
Vehicle Standards Information #50 (VSI 50). Please read the attached version of the new regulations here as they will affect every 4WDer, Caravan tourer, and performance car enthusiast.
Here’s what it means in a nutshell.
Any suspension modification up to and including 2 inches of lift, carried out after Saturday 1st August 2009 in NSW must be fully engineered or carry the manufacturer's approval. The total amount you are allowed to lift your 4WD from the ground is 50mm. That is it! This includes any combination of larger diameter tyres, bodylifts and suspension lifts. Any higher lift than this will only be eligible for conditional registration.
For example a 4WD with a 2 inch suspension lift and tyres even 1 inch larger in diameter will not be able to be registered for daily on road use.
Click here to download PDF from RTA website.
4WD Action strongly opposes this regulation.
4WD Action is shocked at the rapid implementation of this regulation and very concerned that no one from the 4WD industry, nor engineering signatories were consulted nor made aware of this move until its surprise release last week. This places question marks over the real motives behind the regulation and doesn’t even give the limited number of engineering signatories the time to approve the hundreds of suspension modifications made every week.
The team at 4WD Action understands, abides by and promotes the need to modify 4WDs in accordance with sensible road regulations to ensure the safety of all road users.
However this new regulation is unfair on responsible road users and based on false information.
4WD Action readers are enthusiasts who modify their 4WDs responsibly for a wide variety of reasons. These include, family touring, weekend camping, towing, volunteer rescue and clean up operations, trade work and driver training to name a few.
VSI 50 affects everyone. Not just NSW based 4WDers.
Please don’t think this regulation doesn’t affect you and your lifestyle.
Even if you don’t live in NSW, if this regulation is accepted in NSW, there is a good chance it may be adopted in other states. If this unjust regulation goes unopposed by you and me, it will open the door for many more restrictions to be placed on how we modify our 4WDs. As 4WDers and taxpayers, it is time to show your opposition today! We will not have our rights as 4WDers trodden on anymore by an uninformed minority. We must band together, let your voice be heard now.
This approach to improving road safety is like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. And it won’t show the desired improvement in road safety anyway. The real car hoons aren’t the people getting their suspension modified by professionals or using properly designed components. This is just punishing the responsible, law abiding road users.
The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) in consultation with its members, have conducted extensive and appropriate testing using modified and standard 4WDs. This test utilised professional drivers and the latest in data logging technology as used in top level motorsport to prove that a range of 4WDs with 2 insh suspension lift and 2 inch larger diameter tyres, handled as well and in some cases better than the standard vehicles. This is being presented to relevant road authorities as they attempt to get this approved as a new national standard as in a National Code of Practice (NCOP). I agree that this is a more reasonable outcome.
I propose we adopt the far more sensible NCOP approach which is based on fact and real test data using real 4WDs. That is 2inch suspension lift with a further 1 inch increase in tyre radius making a 3 inch increase in ground clearance before you need to seek engineering approval.
this was taken from our local 4x4 monthly magazine website.
it reallysux for us aussies. our first npora member to be affected will be cyril......... hope this doesnt pass.