imported_t_dot_SiR

after reading the HTA Notes!
i learned the conditions for a car to be considered critically defective that the police can tow your car

i just want to know... is there away to get away with fines for lowering car? is there actually a limit we can lower the car without getting fine? or we must follow the manufacturer height?

in the HTA Notes, it says if the wheels don't touch anything when the car is at stop and striaght position, then its not critically defective (i suppose it is still defective); so does it mean any car being lowered is defective? i see many cars lowered on the street, but some reason not all cars are pulled and fine other than those that looks too outstanding... are the police bias about this? (only cars that are outstanding need to be pulled)

imported_~ILLEST CIV~

i'm thinking just play it safe.....be smart.....don't drive around with a car that'z scraping the car......or that looks like the wheels are touching the upper fenders......and u should be fine..........

Personally if i were a cop......i'd pull over anyone who has there car slammed to the floor.....a little drop that looks fine....1.5-2.0 depending on setup is fine.......as long as nothing is touching anything.......and there is still some space for the tires to move etc. . . etc. . .

Common sense basically.....if i put a BIG BLUE NEON FLASHING Light on my car........it'z gonna attract attention

same goes for if i slam my car to the floor. . .

T-train

As long as your tires don't contact the car throughout the turning process, on a level surface, you are OK. I don't have the references but I remember reading them.
Just do the research.
OK I just re-read your post. I am a dumbass. You've got it covered.
There are many officers that are somewhat biased when it comes to modded vehicles. To somewhat play Devils advocate here, they only know what they are told.
It's like religion, you can interpret the HTA a number of ways unless you take the whole thing in, it becomes opinion on a small section. Many of these Officers have no idea what makes a vehicle critically defective or, at least what the limits are.
It's really unfortunate that we, as the average driver, don't have much recourse when they haul a vehicle off the road. We get stuck with the bill either way.
It does **** me off when I see at least a dozen cars on the road that definetly are hazards each day yet, we as import enthusiasts, get unfairly tagged. I remember a friend getting pulled over for one of those license plate covers and seeing 2 mini vans with rusted out license plates go driving by.
Then again, as soon as all enthusiasts start doing their research and following the law in regards to mods, the better off we'll all be.

motti

If your tires contact body work at any angle of turn or suspension travel, you are setting yourself up for an unsafe vehicle charge. This covers both lowering and the installation of overheight/overwidth tires.

Also, no body, frame or steering parts may sit lower than the lowest point of your wheel rims. In other words, if you were to be driving on your rims with no tires installed, your body kit, side skirts, air dams, mufflers, steering gear, nothing at all, can touch the ground.

imported_t_dot_SiR

thanks for the insights....
i guess the cops are just pure biased in many case and sense... they tend to pull modified vehicles even if we obeyed the rules... i just hope someday they would understand that car enthusiasts does not mean racers or drivers who disobey the law!
this is something i think politician should look into... fixing up the law and satisfying all groups of people!
i really hate it when we're just enthusiasts and you're being seen has a criminal...

if anyone reading this post is a POLICE or anything... i think you should learn how to categorize the modifiers into different groups! some do races, some are just doing it like a hobby!

motti

You're not seen as criminal. You're seen as driving a car with potentially unsafe mods. Obeying the laws doesn't grant you immunity from vehicle standards laws.

Most of the unsafe trucks pulled over are not pulled over for traffic violations, but for visually being suspect. Ditto the cottage country traffic with potentially unsafe trailers or insecure loads.

I saw a traffic stop where a Honda got pulled over. Yes it was modded, and no, the kid driving it broke no speed limits or traffic light laws. But this kid's car was seriously lowered.

It was lowered so much and so poorly that the camber on the front wheels caused only half the tread surface (inside half) to touch the pavement. The outside half of the tire tread was high up in the air!

Now what do you want to bet that this kid is moaning about being pulled over and towed "just for having a modded car"? His being an enthusiast or a racer or both had nothing to do with that traffic stop.