WA Police blitz on modified 4WD’s; what you need to know
If you’ve been on Facebook in the last week, you’ve probably seen a number of articles and comments about unsafe 4WD’s on WA Roads.
This stemmed from the Great Southern Police Facebook page posting a couple of different updates stating ’35 inch tyres have no place on our road’, and that they will Yellow sticker any 4WD vehicle that is not road legal.
As expected, this stirred quite a range of responses, from those who support their cause through to others who just want to hurl abuse from behind their keyboards. 4WD owners are a passionate bunch of people!
Yellow stickers are given out every day of the year. However, from time to time they are given a bit more attention, especially targeting a specific type of vehicles, like 4WD’s.
This is the first time I can recall its really been published and pushed on social media by the police.
The ironic thing is for those asking are 35 inch tyres legal in WA, they absolutely can be which is where blanket statements like the above are ridiculous.
The problem goes much deeper than yellow stickers
Leaving the yellow sticker issue aside for a minute, there’s an elephant in the room that really needs to be discussed. The whole 4WD accessory and modification industry is flawed, and needs an overhaul.
This starts from the laws and standards set right at the top all the way down to 4WD stores that sell lift kits. There are many, many things wrong with the current system in Australia.
All of these contribute to 4WD’s that are deemed ‘unsafe’, causing huge frustrations for everyone and in some cases truly terrible financial loss through a lack of understanding.
What’s wrong with the system?
I mentioned above that our system is flawed, and here’s why:
Lack of consistency
We are used to waiting a while over here in WA for everything. The thing is though, there’s zero consistency when it comes to nation wide 4WD modifications.
In some states you can lift your vehicle more than others, and fit different tyre sizes.
For those travelling interstate, it poses a very interesting situation, and overall just makes owning a legally modified 4WD very challenging. Why can you mount an LED light bar on top of your bull bar in one state, but not another?
This goes even further though, with a lack of consistency in the way things are policed.
Some vehicles pass the pits running illegal lift kits, whilst others are pulled up for running tyres that are slightly bigger and still perfectly legal.
Education
Ask a group of people what size lift kit and tyres you are allowed to run on a 4WD in WA, and you’ll get all sorts of responses.
The average punter has absolutely no idea of what’s legal and what’s not, and that’s where our education system falls majorly short.
Lucky for you, we’ve made it real simple; 32 ways to make your 4WD illegal.
4WD gear stores
You can walk into many 4WD stores and ask for a 6 inch lift and 37 inch tyres, and they will happily fit it to your vehicle. Some will refuse (especially some tyre shops), but the fact that you can buy something that’s obviously illegal and have it installed is pretty daft to me.
At the very least, lift kits and bigger tyres should come with some sort of warning letting the consumer know what they are doing is not legal.
I’ve met plenty of people who firmly believe they’ve done the right thing by getting a lift kit correctly installed at a reputable shop, but in reality are way outside the legal boundaries.
Police understanding
The Police only need to have ‘reasonable belief’ that a vehicle is unsafe to issue a defect notice (yellow sticker). The problem is that there’s often a massive gap between their ‘reasonable belief’ and what’s actually the case.
I mentioned above its almost impossible to accurately tell whether a 4WD is legal or not unless you have been in the business and had some substantial training; how is it fair that a Police officer who knows very little about the mechanics of a vehicle has the ability to deem it unsafe?
Take the above post on Facebook, where they imply that 35 inch tyres do not belong on our roads. This is misleading; its only partially true.
For many 4WD’s you cannot run them, but if you have engineering you can, and there are several 4WD’s that come out with larger tyres and are perfectly legal to run 35’s. A lot of people do know this, and seeing incorrect information shared by those who enforce it is understandably frustrating.
Some Police officers are very well informed, but many are not.
You can’t blame them for this, but one has to empathise with those that have spent tens of thousands of dollars getting their 4WD legally modified and certified, to have an officer slap a yellow sticker on just because they have ‘reasonable belief’ that its not legal.
Engineering
Our 4WD engineering system is ludicrous. You can see an engineer and get a range of modifications signed off.
However, if you want to change something (like spring rates) then you’ve got to go through the whole process again. This is time consuming, and expensive.
Even with an engineers certificate, there’s no guarantee you wont end up with a sticker, as the education of the police is no where near the level required to certify whether its safe or not.
That’s not their fault either; how can you tell what size lift a 4WD has, or if the engineers certificate actually covers the modifications you are running? It’s nigh on impossible unless you’ve been in the business and know what to look for.
Then, lets take two identical 4WD’s, running bigger tyres and lift kits. One has engineering, and one doesn’t.
Realistically, the only difference is a bit of paper. There are plenty of illegal 4WD’s out there that are perfectly safe, albeit missing that bit of paper. Some people argue its revenue raising, plain and simple.
I’m certain a lack of maintenance on a 4WD is far more dangerous than a well modified 4WD, but that’s not pushed very hard in WA, is it?!
If you are looking for a lift kit engineering certificate in WA, Packard Automotive have a great reputation and there are a couple of other businesses that do it too.
What’s legal?
I’ll cover this briefly; if you want more detail, check out this post – Is your 4WD legal? In essence, in Western Australia, you are allowed to increase your tyre diameter by up to 50mm from standard. If you want to know more about the WA tyre size laws, check this out – 50mm tyre size increase in WA.
In conjunction with this, you can lift your vehicles roof by up to 50mm. The legal lift height in WA is 50mm, but without any tyre size change (unless you get engineering).
Roof height is just the term used; it doesn’t reflect roof racks etc, but simply means you can lift your vehicle up by 50mm by way of suspension lifts, bigger tyres or body lifts in combination.
Remembering that your 4WD only goes up by half of the tyre diameter increase, this limits you to 50mm bigger tyres and a one inch (25mm) lift, or a two inch lift (50mm) and factory tyres.
If you want to go beyond this, you need to get engineering certification, which requires a permit from the Department of Transport, a lane change test, an engineer to sign off on the modifications and a certificate stating your vehicle is good to go.
Bearing this in mind, a massive number of 4WD’s on the road are not legal. Most slip under the radar, but there are those who don’t! If you are looking to modify lights, check this out; Are LED and HID headlights legal?
What happens if you drive an illegal 4WD?
There are some very serious ramifications from driving a vehicle that is deemed illegal, or un-roadworthy.
These make getting a yellow sticker look insignificant For starters, if your modifications contribute to an accident, your 4WD insurance company can deny any claim you make.
If you rear end a nice Beamer, and they prove that your bigger tyres contributed to the accident, you could be left with a massive bill to fix both their vehicle, and yours. Use your imagination as to how costly this could be if it were multiple, expensive vehicles!
You are also legally responsible for driving a vehicle that meets the road standards, and if its involved in an accident where someone is hurt or killed, you could be personally held responsible.
I recall a case of a man in the Eastern States who rolled his 4WD into a dam and his two children were killed.
The modifications on his 4WD were found to have contributed to the accident, and he was put behind bars, on top of having to live with losing the precious lives of his two children.
It’s just not worth it.
Are vehicles actually unsafe?
There is a reason the Australian Design Regulations exist. They are there to keep vehicles legal and safe. However, its been proven on many occasions that a vehicle modified intelligently, with quality parts is no less safe than one from the factory. In many cases, they actually handle substantially better.
Fitting Bigger Tyres to your 4WD reduces braking capacity, and lift kits increase centre of gravity.
Modify your 4WD without the proper thought and engineering behind it, and yes, your vehicle will be less safe than when they rolled out from the factory floor.
That said, I firmly believe 4WD’s with poor maintenance schedules are far more dangerous than one with a 3 inch lift and 33 inch tyres.
Don’t blame the Police
I want to stress the importance of laying the blame where its deserved. This is not at the feet of our Police. At the end of the day, they are doing what they are paid, and told to do. The Police don’t make the rules, they just enforce them.
The fact that they have the ability to yellow sticker your vehicle is a result of things way beyond their control. I’ve got nothing but respect for the Police – they have a very difficult job and do it well.
Don’t get angry with what they are doing; its not their fault.
What can you do to reduce your chances of getting a yellow sticker?
I personally believe that the risk is too high to be driving a 4WD around that isn’t legal, whether its safe or not. I’d always advise you to stick within the regulations, or get your 4WD engineered.
However, if you choose to ignore this, there are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of being pulled over and stickered.
Keep your vehicle clean (especially lights and number plates after you’ve been off road)
Ensure your rear mud guards are within 300mm from the ground and that they cover the full width of your tyres. The mud flap laws in Western Australia are quite clear, and you should run them in order to look after others on the road. No one likes rocks being flicked up.
Ensure your tyres don’t stick outside of the guards. If they do, fit flares, look at your offset or change your tyre size.
Make sure your vehicle is proportional; having a 6 inch lift kit and 33 inch tyres makes it very obvious. Massive gaps between the wheel arch and tyres draws attention
Keep your vehicle looking tidy. Factory rims are a great way to make a vehicle look normal, even if you are running bigger tyres.
If somethings damaged, fix it!
Don’t drive like an idiot. If you plant it from the lights and leave a smoke trail half a kilometre long behind you, expect to draw attention. Drive sensibly and you’ll avoid unwanted attention
What are the most common reasons for a defect on a 4WD?
Tyres sticking outside of the guards
Tyre diameter over 50mm increase
Mud guards not covering tyres, or over 300mm from the ground
Lift kits over 50mm
Beadlocked tyres
Extended shackles on leaf sprung vehicles
Excessive black smoke
Wheel spacers
Bull bars exposing too much front wheel; like the Xrox bars do when on a lifted 4WD.
Excess number of spotlights
LED light bars on top of the bull bar, or on the roof
What do you reckon?
These last few weeks have certainly arked up a number of 4WD owners on social media, and in many ways they have a right to be angry.
What do you think? Where do you sit? Let me know in the comments below!
Hey John,
Yep, its all a bit daft, but that’s just the way it is unfortunately. I don’t expect to see any standardisation for a while, but you never know!
All you can do is measure it and see if the roof height has actually gone up more than 50mm from the tallest model, and if so, change something or run the risk
All the best
Aaron
is anything being done to standardise the mods through all states. i have a 2″ lift with tyres 1 size up from the factory spec which now i find in this state illegal which seems stupid its nothing over the top and legal in other states.
Hey Josh,
It’s a tough question, and either way has its advantages. For me, larger tyres will give a much better improvement off road over a lift, but it does come at the cost of more fuel used, less power, less torque etc.
I’d almost always go for a 50mm bigger tyre and 25mm lift, but it really depends on what your intentions are
All the best
Aaron
Hi Aaron,
Great article. As the rules in WA state that you can only increase roof height by 50mm, do you thinks it’s better to get a 2 inch lift and keep the factory tyre size or get a 1 inch lift and 50mm bigger tyres in diameter?
Cheers
Hi Chris,
There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of common sense applied in the 4WD modification world. The boxes on the police vehicles are not illegal though; the rules relate to lifting the vehicle by way of suspension, body lift or tyres, not by fitting larger canopies etc. There are other rules governing that.
Just because something is illegal doesn’t mean its unsafe, but you run a big risk driving around in it.
All the best
Aaron
As I believe most people have said the laws here are flawed and if course I looked a buying a Jeep wrangler JL as they can come from factory with a lift and 35s in the USA when I questioned a jeep dealer here was told they will never be sold here. There are so many aftermarket parts available and so many modified veh kicking around did any of you know that you can get a ticket if your windscreen washer is empty if we are talking about illegal modifications what about the rear boxes on 4wd cop cars they raise the roof higher than 50mm from standard which in turn raises there centre of gravity I would like to see a lane change test done on one of there cars bet it would fail
Hey Daniel,
As long as the tyres aren’t over 50mm, or suspension raised by more than 50mm, or a combination of tyres, body lift or suspension is over 50mm you’ll be fine. Believe it or not, but dealers regularly sell illegal vehicles as they fit them out with no idea of the rules
All the best
Aaron
I’m hoping the mods on my 2011 fj cruiser are legal, I bought it in Victoria from a dealership but am heading home to WA in 2 weeks. All mods are professionally done and we’re already done when purchased. The mods I have done are not on the list so not worried about them
… lift kits increase THE HEIGHT OF THE centre of gravity…
Hey Rob,
Give your local transport authority a call; they should be able to give you a list of engineers.
All the best mate
Aaron
Does anyone know of any engineers in adelaide? i have put bigger tyres on prado with 2 inch lift
Hey mate,
They say roof height to cover tyres, suspension and body lifts. I don’t think it actually refers to the physical roof height. You’ll have fun getting it engineered anyway, but it would be a cool build
All the best
Aaron
I’m doing a re body on a Nissan patrol (commodore ute shell onto a gq wagon chassis) based on what I have read here I can lift my car by springs,body and tyres combinations till I reach a roof height 2 inches above that of a stock patrol! Considering the difference in roof heights of the 2 bodies this will allow some considerable amount of lift I would think without getting out the tape measure!
Hi Jason,
Correct. Going up any size bigger in tyres when you have a 2 inch lift is illegal without engineering
All the best
Aaron
Hi, so from what I can understand, an 80series Landcruiser with a 2″ lift on 35″ inch tyres is illegal as it puts the roof height over 50mm in WA, correct?
Hey Steve,
I don’t blame the police. I think the rules could be made a bit more sensible, and at least made uniform across Australia, but if someone drives an illegal 4WD only they are to blame
Aaron
Don’t blame the police they are doing there job there is enough information out there to know what you can and what you can’t do. So instead of whingeing and bitching actively start to do something about it
Hi Dale,
I think it would fall under due diligence. However, if you purchased an illegal vehicle from a car sale business it could get grey real quick
Aaron
Does anyone know what the implications are when selling a lifted vehicle that has not been ‘certified’?Does any liability lay with the seller should an accident happen with the new owner?
Hey Silvio,
Here mate – https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/licensing/LBU_VS_IB_102.pdf
Aaron
Hi have you got a list of engineers or know where I can start looking
Regards Silvio
Hi Brenda,
I cannot confirm it for you, as it would depend on what state you are in. Either way, I would say running tyres that are 10 years old is not a good idea.
Aaron
I was told today that any tyre 10 or more than 10 yrs old regardless or not they are in brand new condition or that they have never been used or put on any vehicle is totally illegal……….. Can you confirm this
Rod
Google a study conducted by Monash University with regard to accident numbers caused by lift 4wd. Then maybe rethink your attitude. It turns out that vehicles in accidents have more to do with driving style than the vehicle.
Just because you don’t like them doesn’t make them unsafe either.
There’s a precedence for what being discussed here, every other transport jurisdiction in the world. Have a look at the UK system, that’s the kind of thing we are asking for.
Rod, next time you fail to indicate while driving 20km under the speed limit, have another think about road safety.
Hi Kurt,
There will be no laying into you mate. In fact, I agree – the rules and regulations here are ridiculous, and aren’t the same from state to state. Unfortunately though, that’s the way things are, and I don’t see it changing any time soon
Aaron
Obviously this needs to be done intelligently. Unfortunately ‘australia’ and ‘common sense’ don’t go well together. What does go together well is ‘australia’ and ‘follow the money.’ While I can understand how an unstable 10 inch lift can be unsafe I still cannot understand how a wheel that protrudes 20mm from a guard can be deemed life threatening.
Now lay into me all you like. I will not be responding.
Hey Rod,
You won’t get any disagreement from me, but it’d be nice if the rules were clearer, the same from state to state and actually policed evenly
Aaron
It’s common sense that an engineers ticket would be required for major changes to any vehicle as this has been the case since 1976 pretty much in Every state of Australia!
If you put big tyre on and they rub it’s not safe!
If you raise the springs and allow the vehicle to lean more than designers allowed then it’s unsafe!
Once you change the engine or seat capacity it’s now not as labelled or as registered so it’s u safe!
All these factors require Not a back yard mechanic or “experienced off roader” to over look them or chat about over a beer in a shed! They require noting the pets origin, specifications, weight placement, any remounting points required etc etc
Pure ignorance is Not new nor is it tolerated by members of the public who share our roads and are subject to same laws as well as entitled to Road Traffic Insurance through each states Government allocated organisations TAC, MAIB etc
So if your mega lifted, stiffened, underslung, pig hunting, commodore v8 Hilux with 44’s flips on the highway Serve yourself right!
Let’s see how many tears you shed for whoever you injure not tears of self pity for your Bush like ignorance !
Bogans are bound by the same rules as everyone else Just ‘cause it looks cool doesn’t mean it’s ok!
Jono,
You sound like the kind of guy the laws are designed to protect the rest of us from. You should get on the DOT website and read some of the Codes of Practice and Circulars to Industry so you are better informed about some of the topics you raise before you go shooting your mouth off and espousing inaccuracies and untruths
Hi Aaron, tried Pedders when we were over East, they said no. Haven’t tried the other 2, might be worth a quick call on the dog n bone. Thanks mate.
Hey Jono,
Banning something is the easiest solution; its why so many 4WD tracks are closed. Easier to not have to manage it!
I don’t understand why its so hard to provide the education needed for 4WD owners. If that was fixed, it would be a huge start to a well organised modification process.
Agree with your other comments too mate. It’s a joke
Aaron
Hey Paul,
Yep – you aren’t wrong mate. Somethings got to change!
Aaron
Thanks Warren. Something needs to be done, that’s for sure. There have been a few attempts, but its like getting blood out of a stone!
Unfortunately its been this way for some time, and I don’t see it changing any time soon. If your tyres are under 50mm increase from the factory and your roof height hasn’t gone up more than 50mm you should be fine.
I reckon you’ll find other places will do GVM upgrades; have you tried Pedders suspension, ARB and West Coast suspension?
Aaron
I have put light truck off road tyres and a TJM suspension lift kit on my 2009 PAJ as well as Mr Man airbags in order to tow my caravan.
However because I don’t have an engineers certification and despite having gone right around Australia pulling a 2.8 tonne caravan, I’m not legal because I do not have that piece of paper from a genuine “Ginger Beer” which sucks because the PAJ never missed a beat the whole 38,000 kms. So can someone please tell me why the laws aren’t uniform and how come Ultimate Suspensions in NSW can do GVM upgrades on Prados and Pajeros but no where else. Somebody needs to get their head out of the sand and sort this out, RAPIDLY!!!!!
Excellent write up.
Maybe get all the 4WD groups/clubs and engineers to to put forward a proposal for an over haul of all the regulations to make it clear and easy to understand. Then there would be a lot less hart ache for everyone. I guess that in its self would be a big job.
I don’t have any issue with a blitz as long as it’s applied to many different Police endeavors. They never seem to blitz general patrols or household burglary. The average tax payer seems to be the soft target and can be targeted via simple fines rather than expensive court proceedings.
Problem is perception. The Police may think that they’re doing a good job and may even be doing so. However if my experience with them is nothing but yellow stickers and harassment and nothing but apathy when I’m the victim of home or car theft then why shouldn’t I be negative towards Police and turn to social media (which now gives me and us a voice that’s never been heard before).
The general gist is that when it come to traffic policing they seem proactive, however when it comes to general community policing they seem reactive. If I’m pulled over and defected they don’t seem interested in my personal circumstance and wield the law with impunity. However when I or someone I know calls the police for a reasonably serious incident they offer all sorts of excuses why it took them 5 hours to respond or more.
As a general public we get pretty sick of a hypocritical attitude towards us. I could site numerous stories where the police have failed miserably and would wager we all have enough stories to label the imbalance of policing as systemic.
The fact authorities intentionally spread false information is one of my biggest frustrations. LED light bar laws for example. In wa you can still have a roof mounted light bar if it is only used for off road use with a separate switch. (even tho light position requirement is stupid)
The authorities run on the principal if its too hard just ban it. All this crap about pedestrian safety is ludacris – they haven’t banned windscreens from the sudden stopping of their faces. Same with tyre exposing bull bars like the ADR approved XROX bar. Its all waffle and pointless. With or without an exposed tyre the pedestrian is getting hit. Maybe they shouldn’t have been on the road.
A DOT rep said to me once that the reason they don’t like lifted 4wds was because a lifted patrol or cruiser lines the bull bar up perfectly with the door window of some poor single mum driving an excel. He wasn’t able to expand on this idea when asked about the difference between lifting a sierra or a patrol then. Or why the old shitbox excel was in the 4wd’s way. He also couldn’t answer why they will not allow us to widen the track of a vehicle.
and I second the engineering comments – its absolutely ridiculous the rigmarole they put you through.
I could moan and whine for ages about this topic. Too many bean counters and prius drivers making decisions.