2" past stocks illegal?

[SMIT]

hey,
my freind got pulled over the other day bcoz he had 18" rims on his car, the cops told him they were unroadworthy and gave him a canary.

FACTS:
he just bought the rims (they were new)
Hes a P plater
Cops told him that a he cant have 2" past his stock sized rims...

one of my other mates sez this happened 2 him as well...

WTF is the real???

and why is it counted as unroadworthy? :hit: :hit: :hit:
:ranting:

 

[Rmyers]

A few of us have been doing some research on this and we've come to the conclusion that this law does not exist. The law (in vic) states that the overall tyre diameter cannot exceed 15mm larger or smaller than what could be optioned on your make of car at the time of it's production. It does not say anything (or i should say we have not FOUND anything) that states that the RIM diameter cannot exceed a certain amount.

I am in the process of choosing a set of rims for myself and i was initially worried about this supposed law, tried to find some info about it and haven't found any regulations on rim diameter, only tire diameter. I have also heard countless stories about people getting canaried about wheel size, but after a bit of research i'm starting to believe that it's a myth pedalled by insurance companies and misinformed police.

I may be mistaken tho, and if anyone can show me any appropriate documentation about laws regarding rim diameter, then please let us know, because i don't wanna go out and buy a set of 18's only to find out that they're illegal for my car

 

[VS Omega]

I agree, I think it's bogus.. but then again do HSV/CSV/Tickford/FPV count as options? If so then in theory one could have a Monaro with 21" rims because of the GTS with it's 19"s? Now that would be cool

 

[Boonz]

in S.A you cant have change the overall outside diameter of your tyre but say if your car came with 15 inch by 205/65 then you can only go up 2 inches with the rims and take off two inches of rubber and have 17/235 or 245/45...

 

[ElDubya]

For QLD people :

Don't know how that relates to other states.

 

[Wombat]

To get off topic for a moment, how many people know that all the vans and utes and four wheel drives with big bling-bling rims and ultra-low profile car tyres are absolutely illegal?
You aren't allowed to go anything less than the load rating and tyre type (eg: passenger car, light truck, four wheel drive) that is specified on your tyre placard...that little white sticker somewhere on your car. Another point: that little sticker is important...if you strike the wrong cop on the wrong day or a Transport Department inspector just itching to use his ticket book you can be booked if it ain't there...have a look if your car has been repainted...
Anyway, if you have a ute, 4x4, or van, have a look at the tyre placard or handbook, and if it says "light truck tyres", and you have passenger car tyres on huge rims, your vehicle is unroadworthy and your insurance won't be worth squat.

This also goes for car wheels...be very careful with going really big on rims, and it might sound real woosie, but ring your insurer and ask if you can do it...after all, after a crash is no time to find they are using the excuse of wrong-sized wheels not to pay out... :bang:

 

[danny6424]

I thought in vic its was overall tyre diameter no bigger than 15mm over original. rim size doesnt matter. but for insurance the rim size does matter, and yes hsv does count cus thats an option as stated.

 

[semmi]

As stated above at least in Vic (as far as I am aware anyway) it's the outside of the tyre that counts, the rim can be as big as will fit into a low profile tyre that won't change the outer dimensions of the tyre.

As for insurance, I went up 3" on the rims in my old VP allowing for lower profile tyres to accomodate them (rims went from 14" to 17") and there was no problem with this, the only thing was that they wanted me to list them as a mod and insure them seperately, mainly because of the cost. I think this added something like $2 a month to my premiums... big deal! My dad now has the car and has not had any probs with his insurance either.

As for the original post, if I was your mate I would be asking for more detail and further clarification on what exactly the reasons are for his fine, and where this can be found in the road rules.

 

[Rmyers]

ElDubya, that is pretty much what the VIC regulations have stated (the ones i have read anyhow). Anyone with a modified car should at least carry a copy of your states rules and regulations on modifications, and you should be able to avoid getting the defect in the first place. Only problem is that you will occasionally run into a cop that wont wanna listen and canary you anyway, and no amount of convincing will stop them, just let them do it and sought it out with the appropriate authorities afterwards. One of the draw backs of owning a modyfied car, i know it's cr@p, but their's really not much you can do.

 

[Wombat]

yeah Semmi, I suppose I should have clarified my point by adding that not only should you ask your insurance company, but once you have made a mod, for gods sake tell them about it and get it listed. I know two people who have had insurance claims not exactly knocked back after a bingle, but a much reduced payout. One case was an old VW Beetle with later model disc brakes fitted...safety item, right? Fitted by a proper shop and everything, but according to insurance, it was a "major modification", and they weren't convinced. Of course, they were infinately better than the Kiwi boot polish tins it had before that masquerading as drum brakes... :rofl:

The second was lowered suspension on a Falcon. The guy had lowered it 3", and the company hadn't been told and said, again even though it was done by a shop, that it "may cause dangerous handling"...I kind of don't like lowering a car that much, but he did at least have proper springs and shocks...