different width wheels and flat bottom steering wheels?

[Troy711]

Also, believe it or not having tinted windows actually does reduce visibilty, the darker it is, the harder it is for the driver to have 100% situational awareness.

this is true, i have 20% tint all round on my windows and it is the biggest pain to see out of at night. i should have not been stupid and just got 35

 

[Wombat]

Flat bottom steering wheels are fine, provided they aren't a stupid design...

My six foot-three son needs the smaller diameter flat-bottomed Autotechnica wheel in his Corolla twin-cam, otherwise he'd never fit his legs under the wheel, as the standard wheel was dragging on his legs constantly...definately not "safe".

Plenty of things which were deemed "illegal" become "legal" after more and more factory cars come fitted with them. One that springs to mind instantly is extractors...not all that many years ago in Queensland it used to be illegal to fit them to a road car, but then after many cars such as European imports and Brock Commodores started coming out with them, the authorities made them "OK", and everyone started fitting them.
I even recall having tinted headlight covers fitted to my 1980 VC Commodore in 1984, after seeing press photo's of the new Brock Commodore fitted with them. I was pulled over just once, and fortunately had the magazine with me (amongst a few others I was taking to a friends house), and pointed it out to the cop. He let me go with a hefty "be careful" warning.

 

[1991_Vn2nV]

Flat bottom steering wheels are fine, provided they aren't a stupid design...

My six foot-three son needs the smaller diameter flat-bottomed Autotechnica wheel in his Corolla twin-cam, otherwise he'd never fit his legs under the wheel, as the standard wheel was dragging on his legs constantly...definately not "safe".

Plenty of things which were deemed "illegal" become "legal" after more and more factory cars come fitted with them. One that springs to mind instantly is extractors...not all that many years ago in Queensland it used to be illegal to fit them to a road car, but then after many cars such as European imports and Brock Commodores started coming out with them, the authorities made them "OK", and everyone started fitting them.
I even recall having tinted headlight covers fitted to my 1980 VC Commodore in 1984, after seeing press photo's of the new Brock Commodore fitted with them. I was pulled over just once, and fortunately had the magazine with me (amongst a few others I was taking to a friends house), and pointed it out to the cop. He let me go with a hefty "be careful" warning.

Flat bottom or not, Autotechnica wheels are illegal as they are not ADR approved. Isotta and Momo are the 2 brands with ADR approved wheels but interestingly enough, the flat bottom wheels are not ADR approved in their ranges... So as far as flat bottomed wheels go there are no legal aftermarket ones available.

 

[maxy0987]

but once you turn the wheel your legs would get in the way anyway, flat bottom of not, the diameters of the sides would get in the way. Doesn't have any logical sense for the 'he needs room' argument.

 

[Rombles]

Maybe he doesn't drive around corners?

 

[JD]

Maybe he doesn't drive around corners?

well corollas r pretty tough little things maybe he goes straight through

 

[Wombat]

Interesting point that the Autotecnica wheels are "all illegal"...I'll have to check that out. I do know that he's had one roadside inspection when the Transport Department guys were checking over cars. He was crapping himself, as he only has one point left on his P licence, and has been driving like a little old lady because of this, but I warned him that one brake light bulb blown and the wrong cop could see that point lost...

As I said, I'll have to check those wheels...I know that they are sold in both Supercheap and Autobarn here, quite a wide range of them.

 

[1991_Vn2nV]

Yeah Supercheap and Repco etc. sell ALL illegal wheels. They are for off road use only

Only Momo and Isotta sell ADR Approved Wheels and thats why they range from like $300 to $500 compared to the cheap wheels such as autotechnica.

The legal Momo and Isotta wheels have an ADR number stamped on the back of them, and the Isotta's come with full paperwork as well stating they are legal under Australian Design Rules.

 

[naf33n]

but you got make sure that its ADR approved not ADR compliant. approved means it has been tested by who ever is in charge of that stuff and compilant means 'in theory" if it was tested it would pass but hasnt been tested

 

[Wombat]

Once again...very interesting. However, as I said my son was pulled over by the Transport cops recently for a check over (including going so far as carefully measuring ride height at several points, and wheel diameters), and also once by the police in our Morris Minor which also has a "non-compliant" chrome and wood-rimmed Autotecnica wheel, they never even looked at the wheel, much less asked if it was "compliant". If indeed they are "illegal", they should be clearly marked with a large sign saying "off road use only", and having just got back from Autobarn this morning, I can assure you they don't.
I also spoke to a friend who works in an insurance company the other day, just to double check legality if we had to make a claim, and she was honestly puzzled and said the only thing they might look at in a wrecked car being assessed is the wheel diameter, as there is a limit on how small they can be (30-something centimeters? 35cm?). She had never even heard of them checking if the wheel met Australian standards. She also mentioned that more importantly (but probably something that doesn't concern most of us here) if you have one of those fuzzy sheepskin steering wheel covers, they can knock you back for a claim..."lack of adequate control", apparently...

I would imagine it is one of those grey areas in the law which it isn't worth the time and bother to pull over and fine everyone who has one fitted...they sell piles of them at the local Autobarn.